If you stay off-site, can you use Disney buses?

[torinsmom]

If you stay off site, can you park at DTD and take the bus between the parks? Just wondering if that is an option for my family's trip. They want to rent a house, but if we are going to more than one park per day, this might be more convenient that driving to each one.

Marsha

 

[Yorkshire James]

The buses from Downtown Disney do not go directly to the parks. Buses from Downtown Disney go to the resort hotels, so you would have to go to a resort hotel, then catch another bus to the theme parks. Once you are in the parks, then you can catch a bus from park to another.

 

[shoppingbou]

Hello!

When we went in 2005, we were staying at a motel in Kissimmee which provided bus transportation to Disney's Transportation Center (I think that is the name...) which is located near where you take the Monorail for Magic Kingdom.

We would there hop on any Disney bus (or on the Monorail) and go to every park we wanted. At the end of the day, we would take the Disney bus back to the Transportation Center.

Never had a problem.

Hope this helps,

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I don't know if anybody would actually stop you from doing that, but it doesn't seem fair to those of us who are paying to stay on property. One reason we like staying on property is the advantage of using Disney transportation.

 

[Yorkshire James]

I don't know if anybody would actually stop you from doing that, but it doesn't seem fair to those of us who are paying to stay on property. One reason we like staying on property is the advantage of using Disney transportation.

Technically, I think, Disney buses are available to anyone who has a park ticket, so using the transport will be fine.

 

[oogieboogie]

The buses from DTD do not go to the parks, only the resorts. Parking at the resorts would induce pain and suffering in the form of flames from DISers.

The best way is to park at the parks, then if you want to go to another park, just drive to the other park. One, it'll be easier. Two, it'll be faster. You have to remember, the buses run every 20 minutes. If you manage to get a bus real quick, great. But if the bus just left, and you have to wait 20 minutes? Ugh... from MK to Epcot only takes 10-15 minutes by car.

 

[WillCAD]

Off-site Guests are as entitled to use the WDW transportation system as anybody else, as long as they have a park pass.

But there are no busses between DTD and the parks, because too many people (both off-site Guests and locals) were abusing the priviledge by parking at DTD to avoid the daily parking fee at the parks, thus making it harder for people who actually wanted to shop at DTD to find parking.

However, if you want to park at one of the theme parks and leave your car there all day while you hop between parks on teh busses, that is perfectly acceptable. The best way to do it is to leave your car at the park where you will finish the day (usually Epcot, since it is usually open latest).

Personally, I just use my car to hop between parks. I tend to get there faster than the Disney busses, anyway.

 

[sknydave]

I don't know if anybody would actually stop you from doing that, but it doesn't seem fair to those of us who are paying to stay on property. One reason we like staying on property is the advantage of using Disney transportation.

I always drive from park to park, but I don't see why paying customers should not be allowed to ride a Disney bus to their next destination.

 

[torinsmom]

Oops, didn't know that there weren't buses from DTD to the parks. I wasn't looking to save parking fees; all the driving just wears me out. I'll have to see what works. I am hoping I can convince them to just stay onsite; makes things so much easier!

Good to hear that WDW transportation isn't just for resort guests though; I thought anyone who bought a park ticket could use it. I was about to get flamed for something that wasn't even true,

Marsha

 

[Tigger22]

Parking at the resorts would induce pain and suffering in the form of flames from DISers.

Am I reading this correctly?

I don't think you can just park at resorts anymore - don't you have to be staying a resort or be a guest of someone staying there to park? I know there is a time limit for CR if you are going to Chef Mickey or CG to park, so that they don't have people parking there for MK. And I think there was parking issues with YC & BC, with people parking there for Epcot.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I don't think it is fair for people staying off site to use the resort transportation system as they please. Thoses of us who are paying premium price is for several perks one being the WDW transportation system. Years ago they required all guests to show their room key to get on the resort buses and I hope this comes back VERY soon!
All people that feel this way as well should put that on their comment card as they leave WDW resorts.

 

[Robo]

Disney transportation is available to everyone with a park ticket.

It is not exclusively a "resort perk."

 

[dreamscometrue47]

Disney transportation is included in the price of your park ticket. It is not just for resort guests. Offsite guests with park admission are doing nothing wrong or illegal by using Disney transportation. I've been going to the World for 30 years now, and except for the past couple of years, always stayed offsite and never had to show a room key to use the monorail, etc and never was it an issue.

To the OP, have a wonderful trip and hope you don't have to do too much driving!

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Part of "paying" for WDW properties is the conveniece of walking out of YOUR resort and getting right on the bus......

From park to park is a different story but I feel from the resorts one must have a room key.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Keys were never used for the monorail....they were used for buses at the deluxe resorts for years.

 

[sknydave]

Is it even possible to park at a resort without your dinner reservation or guest information? I don't understand the point you are trying to make?

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I don't think it is fair for people staying off site to use the resort transportation system as they please. Thoses of us who are paying premium price is for several perks one being the WDW transportation system. Years ago they required all guests to show their room key to get on the resort buses and I hope this comes back VERY soon!
All people that feel this way as well should put that on their comment card as they leave WDW resorts.

I have to agree.

I found this on disney's website:

Save time and money — and avoid the hassle of driving and parking — thanks to complimentary transportation throughout Walt Disney World® Resort, available to you as a Guest of a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotel.

So, whether or not, you are permitted to use the transportation as a ticket holder, Disney does consider it a benefit to the resort guests.

 

[shelemm]

Disney food services, shopping, and entertainment do not rely solely on guests who are staying there. The transportation system is for everyone to freely use so they can patronize those Disney establishments.

Why not ask Disney to forbid non-guest use of the restaurants and shops? See how far that will get you.

 

[shelemm]

I have to agree.

I found this on disney's website:

Save time and money — and avoid the hassle of driving and parking — thanks to complimentary transportation throughout Walt Disney World® Resort, available to you as a Guest of a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotel.

So, whether or not, you are permitted to use the transportation as a ticket holder, Disney does consider it a benefit to the resort guests.

Yes, it is a benefit. If you stay onsite, you can walk out of your hotel and immediately hop onto one of Disney's own vehicles. Fast and convenient.

Someone staying offsite can't do that. They would first have to arrange for private transportation from their hotel to the TTC. SO you are saving time and money by staying onsite.

This does NOT mean, however, that someone staying offsite must arrange their own private transportation between the parks and DTD if they want to go shopping, or one of the hotels if they want to eat at the restaurants there. That would be foolish of Disney. They want to encourage everyone to spend their money at Disney shops, restaurants, and entertainment as much as possible.

 

[frayedend]

I don't think it is fair for people staying off site to use the resort transportation system as they please. Thoses of us who are paying premium price is for several perks one being the WDW transportation system. Years ago they required all guests to show their room key to get on the resort buses and I hope this comes back VERY soon!
All people that feel this way as well should put that on their comment card as they leave WDW resorts.

Oh come on, give me a break. First let me say that I always stay onsite, so I am not trying to defend myself here. But, seriously, do you really think that you should be so privileged as a Disney Resort Guest, that others can't use the buses? I visited just about all the mod and deluxe resorts just to see what they looked like during my last trip. I don't think Disney would say "No, sorry you're at the contemporary and you can't take a bus to the Poly unless you are having dinner or staying there.

I'm sorry but everyone that is saying the buses are for resort guests only and they don't want to be inconvenienced by non-resort guests just sound like snot-nosed spoiled little children.