Has anyone tried this to get of Illuminations?

[disneyrunner]

We are staying at POR for our upcoming trip. We really want to see Illuminations on this trip. We have skipped it for various reasons in the past. I thought we might exit through international gateway and walk to one of the resorts to pickup a bus to DTD then transfer to POR rather than fight the crowds to the main entrance. Do you know anyone who has tried this option?

 

[WDWalways]

I don't know anyone personally who's done this but I'm sure plenty of people have & it would be perfectly fine for you to do this so I would if I were you. Good Luck!

 

[B'rer Karen]

I usually do this, but I do it because I'm going to go to DTD for at least a little while. If you're just going to transfer you probably should just exit through the front of the park. Even though you'll have to fight the crowds to get to the front of the park, it will probably still get to your resort faster. But if you are thinking about doing a little shopping or getting some Ghirardelli's ice cream, go for it! If you do, be sure to pick up the bus at the Boardwalk bus stop as it is the last stop prior to going to DTD.

 

[zurgswife]

Just continue walking to MGM....the buses from the parks usually run for about 1.5 to 2 hrs after the parks close...depending on the time of year it usually should work our fine....Then you can get a direct bus to your hotel...

 

[disneyrunner]

We are going 11/3-11/9 so the parks usually close earlier with the except of Epcot. That is why I thought we would need to go to DTD. We have two DD (8 & 14) and sometimes they are exactly cooperative at the end of the day so navigating crowds can be tough.

 

[jimmytammy]

DTD buses from ANY resort are slow. If you are going to DTD and planning on spending time there, yes, this would be a good idea. But if you are going for the transfer purpose, honestly, it could take 2 hrs. We did this once, and honestly, it isnt worth the time and stress.

If getting back to POR is top priority as soon as Illuminations is over, find a spot on Future World side, then exit as soon as the show is over. The buses run more frequently at this time of night at Epcot. Or, sometimes we just hang around on the World Showcase side and watch people file out. A lot of things remain open, the shops included. MouseGear stays open on FW side for awhile. Stay for about 30 mins then mosey towards the exit. The buses will be there.

Illuminations has remained our favorite fireworks extravaganza since our first trip in 99. It shouldnt be missed.

 

[dgaston]

If you have a car driving is much more convenient.

 

[eleanor]

We did this. Pick up the bus from the Beach club and you will go right to DTD. It seemed quite fast to me. Not so much walking either.

 

[Goofyish]

We like to just fiind a bench and sit and watch everyone rush to the exits. When the crowds have gone, take a nice stroll round World Showcase back to the exit. It's a lovely stroll when all the crowds have gone
There are usually no lines at all by the time we get to the bus stop

 

[Leota]

When we stayed at CSR & they had a bus directly to/from BW it worked fine. I understand that they no longer do. Otherwise, it doesn't. Buses from DTD are incredibly crowded at night also. I avoid it like the plague, to be honest.

Like JimmyTammy said, watch Illuminations (it really is great) mosey around taking in some shops etc... then make your way to the bus after the bulk of the crowds have exited. It'll keep your daughters interested & doing things rather than standing around bus stops waiting. MouseGears would be a great place to kill time with them.

 

[Bronte]

We did that last fall for the first time ... my husband said it would be faster and easier than the crowds going to the buses after the fireworks. The walk turned out to be longer than he though and our two daughters were already tiered & crabby. My sister and I also became crabby at my husband for his "wonderful idea."
My advise would be to sit out and watch the crowd go by ... there is no reason to rush anywere (my fathers advise is always grab a snack and relax.) By the way the fireworks are GREAT ... each and everytime they take my breath away. I can not wait to go back this fall.
Lisa

 

[jellydisney]

I agree on the "don't transfer at DTD unless you're going to spend time there" ideology. The truth is, you could walk to Beach Club or Boardwalk and sit at THAT busstop for 30 minutes waiting for the DTD bus. And then you could wait another 30 minutes at DTD waiting for POR.

Use the front exit if you want to get to the resort the fastest. There are a lot of people exiting, yes, but think about it this way: at least half of those people are going to their cars in the parking lots. The other half will be divided up among the 20 or so busstops. If you get to the POR busstop and don't get on the first bus, you'll get on the second one--and chances are they'll come pretty fast too.

 

[hipporina]

To be honest, when we saw Illuminations last, the crowds weren't that bad leaving. We watched from a spot near Germany I think and headed straight out as soon as it was over. There were several buses for our resort waiting and we got right on. It was really simple and fast. And personally I feel, the less bus changing and walking, the better. I remember stressing out about it and all too, but try not to. It can put a damper on everything. Just remember that the worst that can happen is that you will get to your resort a little later than expected.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I've never done this at a Disney resort, but would taking a taxi be an option? That way you could exit via the Int'l gateway. Depending on the girls situation (I have 2 kids the same age, so I understand completely), you could take the water shuttle over to Boardwalk and stroll around the shops, maybe get a snack. They have cute outside kiosks set up too. Then you could walk through the Boardwalk resort, which is right there and grab a taxi back to your resort. I can't imagine that it would cost very much and IMO, would be worth it not to have to deal with the crowds.

Tammi

 

[panfan]

I also second the taxi idea...if your budget allows! We normally stay at Boardwalk and the exit from Illuminations "back door" is wonderful! Especially if you watch from France or the general area of the International Gateway..! Just walk to either resort and grab a taxi. Sometimes for around 15.00 ...the taxi rides at WDW are the best money spent! We utilitize taxi's on most of our trips at least once....with 2 small kids in the long run it is worth it ...especially at night!
Good Luck!

 

[panfan]

Another comment about the Disney Transportation..../taxi deal....
Last year we were staying at Wilderness Lodge and having a late dinner at the Poly. We asked the waitress the best way for us to get back to the Lodge...of coarse her reply was take a bus to Downtown Disney and then grab your resort bus from there....Are you kidding me! We could walk to Wilderness lodge by that time ( well maybe not). Anyway we did as planned and asked for a taxi at bell services at the Poly....to our surprise one of the guys there just "taxied" us over himself in the resort van...I guess we got lucky! I was also surprised at how close the two resorts actually are! We of coarse gave him good tip. I would feel sorry for whoever took the servers advice. Also we mentioned the taxi thing to the server and she agreed that it was the way to go, however she was not allowed to suggest it being a CM. Some times the Disney Transportation is not always the way to go .

 

[Sandy Feet]

We're also thinking of how to avoid the mass of people leaving. the Unofficial Guide does recommend leaving thru International Gateway. Is there a parking lot there or only the one at the "front"? If not, we'll just take everyone's advice and linger a while in WS before heading to the exit.

 

[swilphil]

There is a place to park at the Boardwalk, not the resort parking. It's not a bad walk at all from the International Gateway to the Boardwalk, but I do think the walk to the Boardwalk public parking is a little longer. After Illuminations, they hold the boat until it is completely full so you walking to the Boardwalk is easier. I like the idea of taking a taxi from the Boardwalk to your resort.

 

[Ronda93]

The exedous from Epcot is so much better than from the MK. I've seen backups at the monorail/ferry for an hour after closing in September - ugh. Those cinch points are awful for moving a crowd. But at Epcot the IG takes some traffic and many walk to their car.

I vote for exit and wait for your bus at the front of Epcot.