How early to buses operate prior to park opening?

[Dreamsdocometrue9112]

Hi everyone

We have an 8 am breakfast reservation at Boma. MK opens at 8 am that day. We will be staying at POP. I figured, we can take the bus from POP to MK, then over to AKL. I know it can take quite a bit, so I'm worried the buses won't be up and running to MK prior to 7 am. Is this true? Will an hour be enough time to get there?

Thanks for your help!

 

[goofy4tink]

Must easier to get a cab!! Resort to resort buses are time consuming at the best of times...early morning is not the best time to try this. For an 8am ADR at Boma, you would have to be out at the MK bus stop by 6:30 (when they start running), then hop a bus to a park (probably MK since it's going to be open), and then head to the AKL bus stop. There may not be a bus running back to that resort for a bit.
You could take a bus to AK, and then try to get a bus to AKL from there as well. Or maybe even a cab from AK to AKL.

Buses start running from resorts to parks by 6:30am every day. They do run less often though...maybe every 20-25 mins. So plan accordingly.

If it were me?? I would take a cab.

 

[wdw71]

I found this post

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3051003&highlight=buses+start+in+morning

which made me feel a little better since we have a similar situation in April.

 

[joelkfla]

For breakfast transportation to a resort, you should always board a bus for the park nearest the destination resort. (For BC, that's DHS, not Epcot.)

You will be able to get a bus from Pop to DAK around 6:45-7 a.m., and you will definitely be able to get a bus from DAK to AKL. Just stand in the designated load zone for AKL, and the dispatcher will see you there and make sure you are taken care of. Travel time from Pop to DAK before BB opens is only about 10 minutes, and DAK to Jambo House is about the same.

MK would be way far out of the way, and you might have to wait a while for a bus from MK to AKL at that hour.

 

[ParrotBill]

Sounds like AK will be opening at 9am, which means their breakfasts book starting at 8am, and so buses to AK should be running by 7am.

Be out at your bus stop at 6:45am so you don't miss the first AK bus. The next one could be 30 minutes later!

Make sure your bus driver knows you are really heading to AKL for breakfast. He may help make sure a dispatcher knows you need a pickup. Buses are no normally picking up at the park to go back to hotels, and I have never seen a dispatcher at AK that early.

From POP you will arrive AK about 7:30. Maybe 15 minutes to wait for a bus to be rerouted for you then arrive AKL by 8:00 or so. If you are a little bit late nobody will complain.

If you are really lucky, your driver will be told to drop you off at AKL. It happens once in a while, maybe some of that Limited Time Magic will go your way!

 

[goofy4tink]

Buses will be up and running, from all resorts to all parks, by 6:30am. This is when the first bus arrives. If you just miss that one, it could be a longish wait...up to 25 mins or so, but usually around 20.
Here's the issue. You're heading to another resort, not to a park. There is no way to be certain that a driver will drop you at the resort. I've had drivers do it and I've had drivers say that they weren't able to. Then, once you get to AK, there is no way to be sure when a bus to AKL will arrive. Sure, they may very well be people there that can call and have a bus get you to AKL, but no way, again, to be sure. And even if there is someone there that can call dispatch, it could be 20 mins or so before the bus gets there.

This is why I never, ever make early morning ADRs at resorts that are not easily accessible. I do make them at BC simply because I can walk there from BWV. I make them for the GF, Polynesian or CR because I can either walk or monorail to that resort after busing to MK.

 

[wdwrich]

This is why I never, ever make early morning ADRs at resorts that are not easily accessible.

Good advice if one is limited to using Disney transportation, but all resorts are easily accessible by cab if one is willing to spend the $.