Help! HS/Epcot parking dilemma

[rimrack]

Hello everyone!

My Fiancé and I are going to be in Orlando from September 11-16 and we have a 1 day park hopper that we plan to use on the Wednesday (14th). Our plan is to spend the morning/early afternoon at Epcot, and then spend the evening at HS. We have a reservation at Sci-Fi Dine In at 9:15 pm, after park closing.

Our fear is that if we parked at Epcot in the morning and bussed/boated over to HS, the transportation would no longer be running once our 9:15 dinner reservation was complete, and we'd have a long walk back to Epcot's parking lot.

Are we worried for no reason? What is the best way to tackle this dilemma? Our new plan is to park at HS in the morning, take a bus to Epcot prior to rope drop, and then take a boat/bus BACK to HS for the evening. Is this feasible? What time do the busses start running between parks in the morning?

Any help/new ideas would be much appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Alesia]

Park at DHS. Buses will be running between parks in plenty of time to get there for rope drop.

Walking from DHS to the parking lot at Epcot is not possible after Epcot closes.

 

[yulilin3]

I would also park at DHS, you can bus, take a taxi or walk to Epcot (and enter via the International Gateway), same strategy for heading back to DHS for the evening , then at night your car will be waiting and you won't need to head off to Epcot again

 

[loves to dive]

Another option is the boat between Epcot and DHS or a combination of boat and walking. I agree park at HS.

 

[rimrack]

Thanks everyone! Park at DHS it is

 

[richmo]

When doing something like that, I always like to park the car in the park I'll be leaving at the end of the day.

The only other thing I'd add is that you also have the option of driving to Epcot in the morning, then drive over to DHS when you're ready. Remember that your parking fee covers both parks...

 

[scrapquitler]

When we drive, we always park our car at the park where we think we will end the night.

In your situation, I'd park at DHS, take the boat to the Epcot International Gateway, enjoy Epcot, then either walk/boat back to DHS to finish the day.

 

[TeresaWen]

Same here. If driving and planning on DHS & Epcot, we will park at the studios, boat to the Yacht club, breakfast at captain's grill, walk to Epcot

 

[kwdw]

Um - if you are hitting Epcot at RD - park there - and it's not a long walk to the front of Epcot. Then go back to your car - drive to HS - and park there. Car will be where you need it at the end of the day. Epcot parking is not that far away from the gates - especially if you are arriving in the morning. While that boat ride between the parks is very pleasant - it's not short.

 

[GillianP1301]

Um - if you are hitting Epcot at RD - park there - and it's not a long walk to the front of Epcot. Then go back to your car - drive to HS - and park there. Car will be where you need it at the end of the day. Epcot parking is not that far away from the gates - especially if you are arriving in the morning. While that boat ride between the parks is very pleasant - it's not short.

This is exactly the way I've done it and plan to do again this trip. You will be right at the front of the lot by the gates at EP for rope drop and even with a further back spot at HS, the quick tram ride is tons faster than either the bus or boat between parks.

 

[ArgeDroz]

When doing something like that, I always like to park the car in the park I'll be leaving at the end of the day.

The only other thing I'd add is that you also have the option of driving to Epcot in the morning, then drive over to DHS when you're ready. Remember that your parking fee covers both parks...

So if you pay once for parking it is good for the whole day for all the parks? If you went to a park in the morning, drove back to the hotel in the afternoon, and went to a different park at night, you still only pay once?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

So if you pay once for parking it is good for the whole day for all the parks? If you went to a park in the morning, drove back to the hotel in the afternoon, and went to a different park at night, you still only pay once?

Yes, just save your receipt.

 

[BrianL]

Yes, you have access to a car, so driving between the parks will easily be the fastest way and then your car is always with you. MK is the only park where arriving by bus has an advantage to driving because you can bypass the TTC. I'd just drive.

 

[Momto3:2016]

So we're planning on doing this in November but the opposite way. We'll rope drop HS and them go to Epcot. Should we plan on parking at Epcot, will be able to get back to HS parking lot or should we just drive between the parks?

 

[richmo]

So we're planning on doing this in November but the opposite way. We'll rope drop HS and them go to Epcot. Should we plan on parking at Epcot, will be able to get back to HS parking lot or should we just drive between the parks?

As short as the physical distance is between DHS and Epcot, driving it can be a pain. You should have no problem getting back to Epcot after DHS, especially if Epcot is still open when you're done at DHS. Actually from DHS you have a few options to get to Epcot:
- Drive
- Take a bus
- Take a boat (there's a boat that loops Beach Club, Boardwalk, DHS and Epcot). You can get it just outside the DHS entrance. It'll drop you off at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot (in World Showcase between England and France)
- You can walk it. There's about a mile walk on a path from DHS to Epcot. Out of DHS you'd follow a path marked 'walkway to Boardwalk', but then keep going past Beach Club to Epcot. Like the boat, you'll arrive at Epcot at the International Gateway entrance.

On the bottom two options, it's important that Epcot is still open...

 

[Momto3:2016]

As short as the physical distance is between DHS and Epcot, driving it can be a pain. You should have no problem getting back to Epcot after DHS, especially if Epcot is still open when you're done at DHS. Actually from DHS you have a few options to get to Epcot:
- Drive
- Take a bus
- Take a boat (there's a boat that loops Beach Club, Boardwalk, DHS and Epcot). You can get it just outside the DHS entrance. It'll drop you off at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot (in World Showcase between England and France)
- You can walk it. There's about a mile walk on a path from DHS to Epcot. Out of DHS you'd follow a path marked 'walkway to Boardwalk', but then keep going past Beach Club to Epcot. Like the boat, you'll arrive at Epcot at the International Gateway entrance.

On the bottom two options, it's important that Epcot is still open...

So, we should park at DHS plan is to ropendrop-until 11ish then take the boat/walk to Epcot. Will we be able to walk/boat back to our car at DHS? DHS closes at 7 and we plan to stay at Epcot until 9pm closing.

 

[wfjny]

Always my rule of thumb, get the car to where you will end the evening (if we are using the car). By the end of the day, you do not want to have to take three modes of transportation to get back to your “final destination”. Depending on who you are with, little ones can be tired, so can older ones.

With the family, I have been known to even drop the family off at one park, then drive to the other and take some sort of transportation back. Gets the family into the park, and I play catch-up.

No right or wrong way, but I do recommend that people think about all the possibilities (as there are many), and try to do the “hard work” earlier in the day. Therefore I do recommend against the “Mile Hike” at night.

Park to park transportation in the morning is normally very easy, and not very crowded…

Just my two cents...

 

[richmo]

So, we should park at DHS plan is to ropendrop-until 11ish then take the boat/walk to Epcot. Will we be able to walk/boat back to our car at DHS? DHS closes at 7 and we plan to stay at Epcot until 9pm closing.

Always my rule of thumb, get the car to where you will end the evening (if we are using the car). By the end of the day, you do not want to have to take three modes of transportation to get back to your “final destination”. Depending on who you are with, little ones can be tired, so can older ones...

Totally agree! If I'm not driving between, I always like to leave the car at my final stop. Yes, you can walk back to DHS and probably can take the boat for awhile after the park closes, but its a lot easier to have the car in the right place when you're ready to leave.

 

[DawnaP]

What if something changes in somebody's plan. Say I had planned to end the evening at Hollywood Studios, so left my car there, but was having a great time at MK and decided to stay. If MK closes at say midnight, but HS closed at 9:00, would I still be able to get my car out of HS? (Even if I have to take a cab to get to there?)