How long to get to MK from MGM??

[kbkids]

What time would you guys suggest leaving MGM to make a 12:15 seating at CRT?

There's two possible scenarios - we may have our own vehicle - I've been assured that the parking lots are open for resort guests for EMH, but there's always that nagging doubt. Sorry, I'm a worry wart!!

But, we may possibly be using the busses too.

I know either way we're going to have to go through TTC - unless we hop on a monorail resort bus. So, I'm trying to figure out how much time to allow for all of that.

My DS wants to see the Power Rangers, and according to Steve Soares site, they'll come out at 10:30. Do we have time to see them, snap a few pictures and still get to MK?

 

[lainie25]

personally i would leave by 11:30 and get on a grand floridian or poly or contemporary bus from MGM and then take the monorail to MK.

 

[kbkids]

See - I was thinking I could make it out of the park by 11:00 - but was concerned that wouldn't give me enough time with all the transferring. Think I'll be okay?

We've also got to throw on their costumes, but I'm just going to slip them on over the clothes they have on, so hopefully we could pull that off on the monorail or the bus

 

[kbkids]

For 12:15, I would leave around 10:45 if by bus. There is no direct bus to the MK from MGM. It goes to the TTC. So, if you leave MGM by 10:45, you'll probably get a bus to the TTC around 11:15, arrive at the TTC around 11:30. Then, you'll have to take the monorail over from the TTC to the MK. There will probably be a crowd getting into the MK, so that could slow you down.

By car, honestly, I'd probably say pretty much the same thing, since you have to figure in parking, then tram to the monorail or ferry.

That's what I was thinking - with all the transferring, I think it's just going to take up too much time.

This trip's itinerary is really not working for me this time!! I'm never had so many problems with logistics before!!

 

[lainie25]

you can put the kids costumes on once you get there because once you check in at the counter that let you into the lobby to wait. last year it was about a 25 minute wait.
We had no problem transferring last year for ADR's and we only ever allowed 45 minutes.

 

[kbkids]

you can put the kids costumes on once you get there because once you check in at the counter that let you into the lobby to wait. last year it was about a 25 minute wait.
We had no problem transferring last year for ADR's and we only ever allowed 45 minutes.

Thanks! I was hoping to skip the costumes this year - but they wouldn't hear of it!!

 

[kbkids]

If you need any help with your itinerary, let me know...I love that stuff!

AARGHH! I almost had it and then realized I left out LMAX at MGM!
See this thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=9505016#post9505016



This started out being just adding a couple of days on before our Disney cruise but has turned into a monster. We always say, "We're just going to do our favorites" on this trip. Problem is - WE HAVE TOO MANY FAVORITES!!


Right now, I've got
EMH at MGM - Tower of Terror, Rock N Roller Coaster, Playhouse Disney, Power Rangers
Hop to MK (Lunch at CRT) - Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Astro Orbiter, Cinderellabration, and Wishes (hoping to do all of that after about 1:30. Wishes is at 8:00 - think we'll pull it off?) Also, have to take time to see Buzz and Stitch in Tomorrowland.

Next day - Epcot at opening - Soarin, Test Track, Imagination
Hop to MK - hopefully be there by 11:00/11:30. This is an EMH evening day for MK, and I want to get out quick!! But do Fantasyland - I know this is a bad time of the day to start, but I don't see another way around it. Tea Cups, Pooh, Peter Pan, Philharmagic, Small World, and Barnstormer. Hopefully, see Ariel too - we've always missed her, but I have a feeling the line is going to be too long this time too.
My initial plan was to then cut back through Epcot and do the Meet and Greet around 3:00 - but then I realized by the time we got to MGM, we'd probably be missing LMAX. We need to do either the 1:00 or 4:00 show because of ADRs at Sci-Fi for dinner and then wanting to see Fantasmic. So, I guess we'll just go straight from MK to MGM.

We leave the next day for the cruise. Get back on Sunday - do AK, and hopefully have time to hop to Epcot that afternoon for those pictures.
We'll end the trip at MK that night for another round of Wishes. If there was anything at MK we didn't get to do before, we can hopefully do it then.

I'm really not a big fan of park hopping, and this is why! I feel like I'm wasting too much time traveling between parks. But I really want to do EMH that morning at MGM so we don't spend so much time waiting in line for those "Big Two" rides there. And I definitely don't want to spend the entire day at MK the next day with it being an evening EMH day.

Anyway, that's it. If you've got any suggestions, feel free!

 

[WDWguru]

I think you could make it leaving at 11 if you just grab the first bus you see that goes to a monorail resort. There's bound to be one of those sitting there when you walk out of MGM. Then just take the monorail to MK and you're done. I have had less-than-stellar experiences with the park to park bus transportation. They seem to run them much less often, plus for MK it stops at TTC instead of the park bus stops.

As for the rest of your itinerary, the only thing that concerns me is the day you want to do Fantasyland starting at 11. UGH! That's going to be a lot of waiting in line. You may want to consider starting at MK that second morning for Fantasyland (where you have Epcot at open) and whatever biggies you didn't get in the first day, then go straight to MGM for the LMAX show and your PS time. If you end up with extra time, do your cut through Epcot for the character photos then. Do Epcot at opening the Sunday after your cruise to get in Soarin, Test Track and Imagination, then hop to AK in the afternoon (most people go in the morning and leave around lunch, so afternoons at AK are great) and end up at MK as you have planned.

 

[kbkids]

As for the rest of your itinerary, the only thing that concerns me is the day you want to do Fantasyland starting at 11. UGH! That's going to be a lot of waiting in line. You may want to consider starting at MK that second morning for Fantasyland (where you have Epcot at open) and whatever biggies you didn't get in the first day, then go straight to MGM for the LMAX show and your PS time. If you end up with extra time, do your cut through Epcot for the character photos then. Do Epcot at opening the Sunday after your cruise to get in Soarin, Test Track and Imagination, then hop to AK in the afternoon (most people go in the morning and leave around lunch, so afternoons at AK are great) and end up at MK as you have planned.

I totally aree with getting to Fantasyland that late - not what I want to do. But I'm also afraid of not being at Epcot at opening and having too long of a line for Soarin. On our Sunday after the cruise, we're not going to be able to be in the parks until 10:00 or 11:00, so Epcot at opening that day isn't an option either. We could do Epcot that day and then stay at AK until closing, but I'm nervous about how late those Soarin fast passes are going to be for by the time we get to the park.

I hate not starting a morning at MK as I love that "arrival show." Just makes me cry -

My original plan was no park hopping - spend the first day (all day) at MK, spend the next day (all day) at MGM. And then the day after the cruise, just go to AK then MK for Wishes only. But the kids really don't want to miss Test Track and Soarin, and there's something I want in the Kodak Labs at Imagination. Then I heard about the Meet and Greet - see, turned into a monster!

Could everyone just not go to Disney that week so I'll have no crowds at all to worry about!?!

 

[kbkids]

I mean, if Soarin' is all you're worried about, a fastpass should do the trick.

I've just heard with Soarin being new that by that time of day (11:00), your fastpass is going to be for much later in afternoon. I don't want to be there that long.

Hopefully we'll get some better reports in once the September folks start getting back. We're going the first week in October, and normally I wouldn't worry too much about crowds that week, but I don't know what effect the free dining is going to have. Heck - it pulled us in!!

It's also Fall Break for our school district, and I know LOTS of people who are planning to go that week. Last year - wasn't too bad our Fall Break week, but it was still crowded in the afternoon but still manageble.

Also, I don't want to have too much planned for that Sunday when we get back from the cruise because it's the Sunday before Columbus Day. I know the parks are going to be packed. We may not even go back to MK that evening for that 2nd round of Wishes, depending on what the crowds look like. I'm hoping that AK will be the least crowded park, and I'm also worried about saving the rides at Epcot until that day. I don't think the Meet and Greet would be too bad, but don't want to have to attempt Soarin and Test Track that afternoon.

Oh, if I add one more day to this trip, my DH is going to shoot me!

 

[WDWguru]

We go in October every year. Last year was much busier due to people being pushed back from the hurricanes, but the strategies were still the same for us as they always are. Standby waits were a little longer, but fast pass return times were pretty much what they always are that time of year, even for the newest rides. Typically in October even the busiest rides will have return times less than two hours out, so I think you'd be okay with Soarin.

 

[grimley1968]

Well, you may have changed your plans, but anyway, I'll put in my $.02 for getting from MGM to MK. I agree with the above posts about catching a bus from MGM to Contemporary and walking to MK from Contemporary. There really is no faster way. This way has the least amount of time waiting, transferring, etc.

 

[kbkids]

Well, you may have changed your plans, but anyway, I'll put in my $.02 for getting from MGM to MK. I agree with the above posts about catching a bus from MGM to Contemporary and walking to MK from Contemporary. There really is no faster way. This way has the least amount of time waiting, transferring, etc.

Nope, plans haven't changed yet. I do want to take advantage of EMH at MGM and then hop to MK. Your route is the one I'm hoping to take advantage of. But if Poly or GF bus happens to be there when we come out, we may just jump on it so as not to risk waiting forever for a Contemporary bus.