If you've stayed at AKV and SSR/OKW . . .

[wrighter]

For those who have stayed at all of the above resorts and used Disney buses to get to and from the parks: Is it really that much longer of a bus ride from AKV than it is from the SSR/OKW resorts?

 

[erionm]

AKL/AKV probably has the best bus transportation of any Disney resort. The buses stop at both buildings (Kidani Village & Jambo House) then direct to the destination. The order of stops within the resort depends on the destination (Theme Parks: Kidani then Jambo, Downtown Disney: Jambo then Kidani).

 

[VickyJ]

i have stayed at POR which as you will know is just by SSR and also stayed at akl in feb.
I do think the rides are a little longer but it's not enough to be a deal breaker tbh. The busses are never that busy either. They always seem to be quite plentifull compared to other resorts also. HTH On the plus side if you want to go to ak then it is a very short ride !!
Vicky

 

[dianeschlicht]

All three of those resorts have excellent bus service, but I must admit it does take a little longer from AKV to get to MK and Epcot. OF course the trade off is that it takes very little time to get to AK! We have always had excellent bus service at AKV though. We rarely have to wait for a bus.

 

[Mtnman44]

With SSR and OKW, you have to board the bus on its final stop in the resort, otherwise it takes a while. We once got on at the first stop in OKW. Oooops.

I prefer the AKV bus as it is always empty on pick up , and really close to Animal Kingdom. Magic Kingdom might be a bit further compared to the other resorts, but only barely so and most of that distance is on the main "freeway" so it is at full speed with no stops. The differences in time are all less than one motorized cart pick up so its really not worth worrying about in my humble opinion.

 

[DebbieB]

I've stayed at OKW and AKV and think AKV is better. The problem with OKW is it takes alot of time to get in and out of the resort, there are 5 stops. We typically stayed on Turtle Pond Road, which is the 3rd stop. It may take a little longer to get to Epcot and MK but I don't think it's any more than a 5 or 10 minute difference.

 

[floridasun83]

OKW/SSR are pretty equidistant to MK, EPCOT, and DHS. AK is just a few more minutes. OKW bus service is very reliable and there any hardly any scooters or wheelchairs. I visit at the busiest times of the year and there is always a seat on the OKW bus, even when boarding at the last stop (Hospitality House). Good luck in your vacation planning!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I also find AKV to have some of the best bus service and have had no complaints. In comparison it will depend on where you get on the bus at SSR or OKW. Once you leave the resort it is a few minutes more travel time from AKV to MK, Epcot or DHS but you will have more stops at SSR or OKW either getting on the bus or getting back to the resort.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have you have as good luck as we did in our visits to the resorts you mentioned! In SSR we were in Congress Park last August and had no problems with the busses. It was a short stay, only 2 nights, and we went to MK, and Epcot.

 

[spiceycat]

if you are going to the MK - it is longer.

Epcot - since both OKW and SSR are really close to the entrance - they win again. - despite both having multiple bus stops.

AKV is not that far from Studios -

my big problem with AKL was the buses not coming - or arriving way late. So if you are going to AKL/V just remember that the main reason to stay at this resort is the animals. if you are staying here to do the parks - you might get upset.

 

[Pakey]

I've stayed at OKW and SSR many times; we did AKL and AKV once each.

OKW and SSR are more centrally located so the bus rides for each location are shorter. I didn't mind the rides to/from AKL/AKV except for the MK ride. We were SRO coming back after a day in the parks and it was a long ride to have to stand for the entire time.

 

[erionm]

AKL/AKV to Magic Kingdom is approx 7 miles
AKL/AKV to Epcot is approx 5 miles
AKL/AKV to Hollywood Studios is approx 4 miles

None of these distances are all that far.

 

[spiceycat]

AKL/AKV to Magic Kingdom is approx 7 miles
AKL/AKV to Epcot is approx 5 miles
AKL/AKV to Hollywood Studios is approx 4 miles

None of these distances are all that far.

drive it.

my car say it more like 15 miles to the MK from AKL parking lot.

 

[erionm]

drive it.

my car say it more like 15 miles to the MK from AKL parking lot.

Driven it many times.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

For those who have stayed at all of the above resorts and used Disney buses to get to and from the parks: Is it really that much longer of a bus ride from AKV than it is from the SSR/OKW resorts?

We've stayed at all 3 (SSR and OKW multiple times). When we stayed at AKV, it was during spring break (week of Easter) and Kidani was getting ready to open.

Yes, it is a longer drive from AKV to the parks and to DTD. However, if the bus system is still like it was when we stayed there, we NEVER waited on a bus more than 5 minutes. It became a joke with us, because we could hardly sit before our bus was there. So overall, we felt the wait/travel time was about the same. If I had to rank them on wait time - AKV wins hands down, followed by OKW and then SSR. On travel time alone - OKW, SSR, AKV.

 

[nytimez]

FWIW, I've had real bad luck with AKL bus service, including long waits and -- for stays at Jambo -- buses that show up already full, so you can wave at everyone from Kidani as they head to the parks. This is over repeated visits over a number of years. Every trip (avg. 6 days) has at least one or two sour bus experiences.

 

[parlay]

We've stayed at all 3 resorts, and it is a longer ride to MK and Epcot from AKV, than OKW, or SSR - BUT - the length of the ride itself isn't how I judge the transportation at a resort. I look at how long I have to wait at the bus stop AND how crowded the bus is (or the availability of seats). I found that although AKV was farther from 2 of the parks, I didn't spend as much time standing or waiting for a second bus when we stayed at AKV, compared to the other two resorts.

 

[castleri]

I will be the lone dissenter here in that we waited quite a few times at AKV Jambo for the MK or DTD bus and then the MK bus was often almost full when it arrived. I did not mind as I enjoy people watching but some people did. The kids were having a ball with the hula hoops so it really was fun to watch.
I have stayed at all three resorts and found the buses to be great from all of them as far as travel time. At SSR I think it takes about 8 minutes to do the internal route and then you are on your way. Of course if there are wheelchairs or scooters to load that time doesn't hold. The ride to DHS, MK, or EPCOT is relatively short from OKW and SSR and when you add the internal time probably comes out close to AKV times. I would not base whether to stay at any of them on the bus times but rather on which resort suited best for the given trip.

 

[Cee]

The best advice I can give on bus transportation at WDW is PATIENCE. As long as you aren't in a hurry to get anywhere, it's just fine. Planning ahead and allowing additional time for dinner shows and ADRs is a must. Enjoy!

 

[Wedgeh]

Having done OKW and AKV I wouldn't say I noticed there being a huge difference either way. OKW had more stops internally from what I remember.