Harbor Blvd to DTD?

[BrerMama]

We just booked our first trip to DL in 11 years! Actually, I went in 01 alone for a conference, but the rest of the family hasn't been since 98 (and since we have one born in 2000, she hasn't been at all). We've had 3 trips to WDW in that time.

Anyway.... we're booked in a premium room at HoJo. Our first day, we'll arrive at the hotel around noon. We'll have been up for quite awhile with the time change and I know the family will be hungry and anxious to stretch our legs. They're already wanting to check out DTD. I know it's quite a walk, but how easy is it to get from our hotel to DTD? Do we have to pass through bag check points? I'm not concerned about the walking -- DH and I walk every day and we've got 2 teens and a 9 year old. That first day is just going to be a non-park, relaxing day anyway, so we can take our time and enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I have never stayed at Hojo so can't answer how to get there. I know many like that place because they can walk there. But I do know the bag check is when you enter the courtyard for the two parks. No bag check for DTD. Have fun!

 

[Vala]

There may be a shortcut that I am not aware of at the moment. But don't you need to pass through the plaza between the parks to get from the HoJo to DTD? That would mean you'd have to go through bag check.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Oh, I didn't think about passing through the plaza. If you had to that, then you would have bag check. I was just thinking in terms of a bag check for DTD. It doesn't take too long, fortunately.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

We stayed at Hojo in December. So what we did was we crossed the street (we j-walked!) from the Hojo parking lot towards Mimis and then crossed at the light, the street is Manchester. We then walked left down Harbor, pass the bus stop and made a right before the next cross walk. We went through the taxi/shuttle area and there is a bag check right there. You have to walk across the esplanade (so pass the DL/DCA entrances) to get to DTD.

We walked on the DLR side of Harbor since you’re bypassing all the foot traffic from the hotels on that side.

I hope that made sense. It sounds easy to me because I can picture it in my head as I type it, but I know to someone who hasn’t done it before it can get a bit confusing….

 

[dismom73]

Yes, like the pp stated you will have to go through a bag check to get to DTD. But in the middle of the day it shouldn't take you anytime at all. The big rush is in the morning when they open. And on the bright side you get to walk right by the entrance to DL and CA so that will get the kids excited for the next day.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yup, you will have to go thru bag check. It's not a biggie tho and the walk is about 9 min. compared to the 7 to get the DL. I think it's about 2 min. longer just because I walk thru the esplanade slowly, it's probably more like a minute. LOL

Walk to the end of Manchester and cross there, cross immediately after (that is Harbor) and walk down the DL side of Harbor. Walk down Harbor to the bus stop, cut to the right thru the taxi parking. Join others getting thru security and then walk thru to the DTD. Your other option is driving to DTD. I believe they validate up to 4 hours of parking if that will help you. I've never parked at DTD tho so I don't know where that is....LOL

 

[S. S. Columbia]

FWIW, here’s a link that shows the HoJo Shortcut: www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=88663

The link is from Alex Stroup’s article at MP, “How Far Is It?”: www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mm060329as.

HTH

 

[McCall]

No you do not have to go through the plaza nor do you have to go through bag check to get into down town disney. Walk to the Disney hotels and you can access down town disney directly from there. it is only after going through DTD that you come to the bag check security area to enter the Plaza area, or you can also take the monorail from DTD into Magic Kingdom Tommmorrowland itself, if you have tickets and IF IT IS RUNNING, with a quick bag check right at the monorail station in DTD.

But it would still be quite a hike from the HOJO hotel.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Hojo to the hotels is kind of far though, no?

The line for the bag check on the side of the cab/taxi area/Lion King parking isn't nearly as long as the bag check on the Mickey and Friends/DTD side.

 

[pixiewings71]

HoJo to the hotels without going thru security would more than double the walk from Harbor. From Harbor it's easiest to just go thru security. It really isn't that big a deal, we do it that way all the time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Yes, hojo to the hotels without going through the espanade is a VERY long walk.



To be specific, the bag check you'll go through isn't *in order to get into DTD*, but it's to get into the esplanade. The bag check you'll take part in is on the Harbor side of the esplanade. Then you'll just walk across the esplanade, and through the DTD-side bag check *exit*, without having your bag checked again.

But when you walk back, you'll need to take part in the bag check on the DTD-side, cross the esplanade, and go through the exit on the Harbor-side bag check.



OH, and take it from me...don't wear "cute" shoes, especially NEW "cute" shoes for this walk. My feet still think about the blisters they got, the day before our Disney park part of vacation started, when I walked from HoJo through DTD to PPH. Had to call hubby to pick me up, my feet were so messed up from that walk in new "cute" shoes.