If I get to Magic Kingdom at 9:00am on a Saturday morning...

[grimley1968]

Thank you everyone. I understand now. I posted this thread in the Theme Parks forum and it was moved here so that's why you see 2 Threads of mine asking how to get to MK.

I am not a Troll, I am planning this trip for my family and everyone will be looking to me for answers. For a family like ours, something as simple as getting to the gates of MK would have thrown us off for a bit, so I don't want any surprises when we get there as I am sure they are thinking the same as I am.

Also, I am the Mom of a Toddler and we are staying Offsite. I did panic because I was wondering how worth it it would be to take a breaks from the park. And when you are dealing with a Cranky Toddler, all angles should have been explored.

Hey, I never thought you were a troll!

Without looking at a map or aerial photo of the MK area, and if I'd never been there, I can certainly understand some confusion over the whole MK and TTC thing. But then, I've been going to MK since literally the year it opened and ever since, so it's all kind of second nature to me. Fortunately, the later parks do not have an intermediate stop like the TTC. You just park in a parking lot and walk up to the security checks and ticket booths.

Unfortunately, if you're staying offsite, the idea of taking mid-day breaks from the parks is pretty tough to execute. It just takes so long to navigate the whole MK to TTC to parking lot to offsite hotel route that it eats up too much of the day for a nap or whatever to make sense. We try to eat lunch or something when our toddlers nap, and we let them nap in their strollers. That usually does the trick pretty well.

I wouldn't do the mid-day break thing while staying offsite, except possibly as a way to transition to another park for the rest of the day.

If you can stay at a MK-area resort in the future, the mid-day break is much easier, as you can take a boat or monorail directly to the resort, making the trek much easier.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Ok, now that transportation is all set, if you need to get out of the MK during the heat of the day for some quiet time for the little one and it is not worth driving to your hotel, a short trip on the monorail to the Contemporary is a good idea. The fouth floor(the one you are at when you exit the monorail escalator) has a nice bar area with TV's were you can order few drinks(my kids like the chocolate shakes) and go sit in the back corner watch the TV and let the little one nap on the soft benches. The bar is very quiet at this time of day and we have been know to stay for an hour or so. The second floor(one escalator down) is a convention area, if none are going on at the time it is also a very quiet area with nice soft sofas for an afternoon break. All Disney hotels also have a "kids lobby" area in the main lobby with kid size seats and disney cartoons/movies on a TV.

 

[goofy4tink]

Imagine that the gates to MK are surrounded by Water. The buses go over the water on a sort of bridge and around the side of the Contemporary.

Take a look at this map:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/MK.htm
The ferry boat landing has water in front of it.

This map is of the entire WDW area.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/propertymap.htm
If you look at this map you can see the GF, Poly, Contemporary, and the body of water in front of MK. The parking lot and Ticket & Transporation center are to the right of the Poly. The monorail goes from the Ticket & Transportation center to the poly, GF, MK, Contemporary and back to the Ticket & Transporation Center. You can also take a ferry accross the lagoon. The hotel buses go to the area in the first map (MK Park map) to the right of the park.

Maybe these maps will give you a better understanding of how it's all laid out. I know it sounds confusing until you see it in person!

Well, actually, the buses go under the water!! Well, not really 'under' but the water is over you, as you go through the 'underpass'. That's the canal area that the boats use to get to the CR, WL, and FtW. My dd insists on holding her breath every single time we go to MK on the bus....seems a bus driver once told us to 'hold your breath, you're going under the lake now' and my dd has never forgotten it. That had to be about 6 yrs ago!!

Devotedchristian.....I don't think anyone really thinks you're a troll. We all have had many questions in the past before we knew the in's and the out's of traveling to and around WDW!! Don't give it another thought!!!!

 

[momrek06]

Ok, now that transportation is all set, if you need to get out of the MK during the heat of the day for some quiet time for the little one and it is not worth driving to your hotel, a short trip on the monorail to the Contemporary is a good idea. The fouth floor(the one you are at when you exit the monorail escalator) has a nice bar area with TV's were you can order few drinks(my kids like the chocolate shakes) and go sit in the back corner watch the TV and let the little one nap on the soft benches. The bar is very quiet at this time of day and we have been know to stay for an hour or so. The second floor(one escalator down) is a convention area, if none are going on at the time it is also a very quiet area with nice soft sofas for an afternoon break. All Disney hotels also have a "kids lobby" area in the main lobby with kid size seats and disney cartoons/movies on a TV.

OH WOW: That is so neat and so AWESOME that you shared that with D.C. as she is obviously a newbie and concerned with making all the correct decisions in getting to and around MK. ACTUALLY, as a Disney Vet as well I had NO idea you could do this as well. I have been to the CR many times for dinner, CG and CM and the shops but never thought to take a break from the heat there as well.

SEE HOW THE

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

OH WOW: That is so neat and so AWESOME that you shared that with D.C. as she is obviously a newbie and concerned with making all the correct decisions in getting to and around MK. ACTUALLY, as a Disney Vet as well I had NO idea you could do this as well. I have been to the CR many times for dinner, CG and CM and the shops but never thought to take a break from the heat there as well.

SEE HOW THE

I've been camping at Disney since before I can remember(I was just 1yo when it opened) we used to go 4 or five times a year. Now that I'm the Mom and we live 11 hours away we don't go as much a I would like. My folks moved back to FL about 7 years ago and now live 90min away in Ocala so we often day trip with the kids and my mom showed us these tricks. The bartenders don't seem to mind and you can wonder around the shops if just sitting around isn't your thing. Plus the Contemporary has a nice arcade for the older kids who don't need a nap but should still get out of the parks.