In park transportation if you stay off-site

[willielisa]

I know one of the perks touted about staying in a Disney hotel onsite is the free transportation in and around the parks (monorail, etc), but how do you get around if you stay offsite? Do you get to ride but have to pay? Or not at all? Just wondering. We can't get AAA discounts for our days and we are considering staying offsite all together.

Thanks,

Lisa

 

[goofyernmost]

Disney transportation is available to all "guests" regardless of on-site or off-site status. I use it all the time and stay off-site all the time. I use it to park hop and I use it to explore resorts.

The monorail or the ferry is the only way anyone can get to MK if they drive there so unless Disney expects you to swim the seven seas lagoon then you have to use it. Seriously though, they buildup the on-site transportation hype because it does enable people staying on-site to not need a car to get around. It is, however, for all to use.

 

[Debbie]

You have access to all transportation (buses, monorail) to get in and around the parks/resorts. No problem, no cost (you've paid for it in your ticket, I believe). Also, if you have a car, when you park for the first time, that is transferred to the other parks as well, if I remember correctly. Have fun!

 

[willielisa]

Oh my, Disney may have just lost us onsite, then. I've been checking out the resort homes posted in another thread and for half the price we can have a whole house?!?! And I can't even get a daggone AAA discount onsite, lol!

Thanks for the info!

Lisa

 

[tkd lisa]

I believe the official answer is that you can use Disney transportation if you have a park hopper pass, are staying on site, or are using multiple Disney facilities.

My very first visit to WDW was on my honeymoon, back in 1989. We bought one day passes to EPCOT, but wanted to ride the monorail. We went to the ticket area at the EPCOT entrance and asked about it. They sold us a ticket for the monorail for $1 per person. We never were asked for the ticket, so I put it in my wedding scrapbook.

I don't know if they even still sell tickets for transportation, but at one time they did.

 

[skier_pete]

Yes, staying, anyone can use the bus system whether you are staying on-site. We've done both, and I can't say that there is a real advantage to this other than (1) you don't need to rent a car, (2) you don't need to pay $10 a day for parking, (3) you don't have the 1/2 mile each way extra walk from the parking lot (though if you get to the parks early, this is not an issue. Staying off-site is not the evil choice that Disney makes it out to be. It is MUCH more cost effective, but also slightly less time effective.

For example: If I stay on-site and want to go to MK in the AM and MGM in the afternoon I would:

(1) Take the bus from my resort right to the MK entrance (30 minutes)
(2) Take bus from MK to MGM when ready to switch (30 minutes)
(3) Take bus from MGM back to hotel (30 minutes)
Total transport time 1 hour 30 mintues

If you stay off-site to do the same thing you need to
(1) Drive to MK parking lot (20 minutes - assumes pretty near-by)
(2) Walk or take tram to TTC (15 minutes)
(3) Take monorail or boat to MK entrance to enter MK (20 minutes)
(4) When switching parks, take bus to MGM (30 minutes)
(5) When done at MGM, done bus back to MK (30 minutes)
(6) Take monorail or boat back to parking lot at MK (20 minutes)
(7) Walk or shuttle to car (15 minutes)
(8) Drive off-site to location (20 minutes)
Total transport time 2 hours 50 minutes

So, by staying off-site, you add almost an hour and a half to the time you spend transferring, not to mention the $10 extra to park. This is really only an issue if you like to hop parks, or if you wish to return to the hotel for a rest in the afternoon. Right now we have a little one who requires a nap, so on-site is the best way for us to go right now. When she is older and can go-go-go, then I think we will switch back to off-site.

In summary, I would agree that staying off-site overall is cheaper. (Room rates and meals are less.) And for a big party it can be A LOT cheaper, and you can definitely still enjoy yourself. But what you get out of on-site stay is conveniences beyond the buses.

One final thought, I always thought if I was going to stay off-site again and was planning to hop between parks, I would consider parking at DTD and using the bus system. This way, in the above examples, you could save the $10 parking fee, and would only need to take the bus to MK (drop you right up front), but to MGM, and then bus right back to DTD. Am I crazy to think that would be both easier and cheaper? Of course, if everyone started doing this, they would start charging to park at DTD!

SkierPete

 

[PrincessCM]

I was under the impression that the buses to the resorts were for resort guests only. I've always been told to have my resort key available in case the bus driver asks for it so they know you are a Disney resort guest.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I was under the impression that the buses to the resorts were for resort guests only. I've always been told to have my resort key available in case the bus driver asks for it so they know you are a Disney resort guest.

Me, too. I've never been asked in 5 trips, but I've always heard that....

 

[FayeW]

Yes, staying, anyone can use the bus system whether you are staying on-site. We've done both, and I can't say that there is a real advantage to this other than (1) you don't need to rent a car, (2) you don't need to pay $10 a day for parking, (3) you don't have the 1/2 mile each way extra walk from the parking lot (though if you get to the parks early, this is not an issue. Staying off-site is not the evil choice that Disney makes it out to be. It is MUCH more cost effective, but also slightly less time effective.

For example: If I stay on-site and want to go to MK in the AM and MGM in the afternoon I would:

(1) Take the bus from my resort right to the MK entrance (30 minutes)
(2) Take bus from MK to MGM when ready to switch (30 minutes)
(3) Take bus from MGM back to hotel (30 minutes)
Total transport time 1 hour 30 mintues

If you stay off-site to do the same thing you need to
(1) Drive to MK parking lot (20 minutes - assumes pretty near-by)
(2) Walk or take tram to TTC (15 minutes)
(3) Take monorail or boat to MK entrance to enter MK (20 minutes)
(4) When switching parks, take bus to MGM (30 minutes)
(5) When done at MGM, done bus back to MK (30 minutes)
(6) Take monorail or boat back to parking lot at MK (20 minutes)
(7) Walk or shuttle to car (15 minutes)
(8) Drive off-site to location (20 minutes)
Total transport time 2 hours 50 minutes

So, by staying off-site, you add almost an hour and a half to the time you spend transferring, not to mention the $10 extra to park. This is really only an issue if you like to hop parks, or if you wish to return to the hotel for a rest in the afternoon. Right now we have a little one who requires a nap, so on-site is the best way for us to go right now. When she is older and can go-go-go, then I think we will switch back to off-site.

In summary, I would agree that staying off-site overall is cheaper. (Room rates and meals are less.) And for a big party it can be A LOT cheaper, and you can definitely still enjoy yourself. But what you get out of on-site stay is conveniences beyond the buses.

One final thought, I always thought if I was going to stay off-site again and was planning to hop between parks, I would consider parking at DTD and using the bus system. This way, in the above examples, you could save the $10 parking fee, and would only need to take the bus to MK (drop you right up front), but to MGM, and then bus right back to DTD. Am I crazy to think that would be both easier and cheaper? Of course, if everyone started doing this, they would start charging to park at DTD!

SkierPete

It's never taken me anywhere near 15 minutes to get from the parking lot to TTC, and the monorail comes so frequently I have a hard time imagining that it takes more than 10 mins to get from TTC to MK, assuming you had to wait for the monorail to show up!

Also, if they want to go to say, MGM, from MK, they always have the option of going out to the car, and driving to MGM. That only takes about the same 30 mins the bus does, and then they have the car there when they are ready to leave. Parking has already been paid for anyway!

That said, we always stay offsite. We have used all of the internal methods of transportation, including ferry, monorail, bus and boat (from DTD to OKW). No problem at all.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

One final thought, I always thought if I was going to stay off-site again and was planning to hop between parks, I would consider parking at DTD and using the bus system. This way, in the above examples, you could save the $10 parking fee, and would only need to take the bus to MK (drop you right up front), but to MGM, and then bus right back to DTD. Am I crazy to think that would be both easier and cheaper? Of course, if everyone started doing this, they would start charging to park at DTD!

SkierPete

This is an awesome idea, and can't believe more people don't do this. Perhaps the buses don't start running at DTD in time to get you to park opening?

For us, we will be trying the off-site and going to Disney parks in Jan of 2008. We just did it in Jan of this year, but went to Univ, IOA, Seaworld and Busch. The big advantage besides meals, and cheaper costs, was SPACE. It was just awesome to have five bedrooms, 2 family rooms, a dining room, a kitchen and a playroom packed with pool table, fooseball, and air hockey. We just never got in anyone elses way. After all we don't live at home right on top of each other. I have found this vacation much less stressful. We'll see when it comes to the Mouse though. I'm a little worried, because we were always the people who took advantage of EE mornings, and we'll lose them, but it is worth a try. For us, the 1000.00 for eight nights, and a true seven minute drive to MK parking lot, plus our own private pool and hot spa makes it worth trying.

 

[runwad]

I'm 99.9% sure the DTD buses only go to the resorts and not to the parks to discourage people from not paying to park. Of course you still could take it to the resort and transfer to a park bus.

Anyway we stay off site and hop. We usually park at the park we are going to end at and take Disney trasportation to where we are beginning. Only because when we want to leave we are tired and don't want to ride the busses back to the other park to get our car so we do it in the morning b/4 we are tired. Does that make sense? It just seems to be faster then driving our own car to two places.

 

[cranbiz]

The only problem with Skier-petes senerio is the bus to MGM is NOT at the MK, but the TTC. All MK buses to other parks originate at the TTC.


The DTD buses do not got to the parks. They only goes to resorts and water parks. It's because people were parking at DTD and going to the parks.

So to park at DTD and go to the parks, you need to go to a resort and then transfer to a park bus. That's way too much trouble and time lost.

 

[DOOM1001]

I was under the impression that the buses to the resorts were for resort guests only. I've always been told to have my resort key available in case the bus driver asks for it so they know you are a Disney resort guest.

Many people even if staying offsite go to the Disney resorts to eat.An example is one time I went to MGM in the morning,didn't want to eat at the park,especially since even the counter service had like 30 minute lines and didn't want to eat at MK later on, so we took a bus to the Wilderness Lodge ate at their counter service restaurant, nice and calm with no wait and took the boat over to the MK.And there's many others staying offsite who go to the resorts since they have great table service restaurants!!!Plus many people like to resort hop,you could easily make a day seeing and eating at all the resorts!!So in the .00000001% chance the bus driver asks to see a resort key,you just tell him you're going to eat and check out the resort!!

 

[Robo]

I believe the official answer is that you can use Disney transportation if you have a park hopper pass, are staying on site, or are using multiple Disney facilities.

My very first visit to WDW was on my honeymoon, back in 1989. We bought one day passes to EPCOT, but wanted to ride the monorail. We went to the ticket area at the EPCOT entrance and asked about it. They sold us a ticket for the monorail for $1 per person. We never were asked for the ticket, so I put it in my wedding scrapbook.

I don't know if they even still sell tickets for transportation, but at one time they did.

I have been going to WDW since they built MK.
I have never heard of a $1 Monorail Ticket.
I can see why nobody ASKED you for your ticket... who WOULD?

As long as I've bought theme-park tickets, they've included "transportation" as part of their benefits.

I'd love to see that WDW "transportation ticket."
Can you please scan it (or photograph it) and post it?

 

[goofyernmost]

One post here, don't remember which one, compared the amount of time saved by staying on-site. I don't buy that. If you factor in the amount of time spent waiting for a bus to arrive and then the possibility that the bus will fill up before you get on it, believe me I can get to my car via tram much faster and then I don't have to plan on making connections or when I have to leave. I leave and arrive when the spirit moves me.

The idea that the Disney transportation system is just for on-site guests has been a myth for many years. Disney doesn't discourage the myth because it is a silent selling point. You never see any advertisement saying that you are entitled to "exclusive" transportation do you?

As for parking at DTD, that is some really bad advise. The buses do not go from there to the parks directly and the time you would spend making the connection at whatever resort you go to would be simply unbelievable. Spring for the $10.00 and save lots of time.

I just put a deposit on one of those huge homes for my family trip next February. There are 11 of us going and the cost isn't even comparable to what Disney would have charged me for the same thing.

Don't get me wrong, I love WDW but I am not willing to give every cent I have to them. There is so much to see and do outside of WDW (yes, there is an outside) that I have never been able to justify spending the extra money and feeling like I am held captive. I will bet, however, that all my trips have been as wonderful an experience as anyone else's. I can only take so much perky before I pixie dust out.

 

[tkd lisa]

I have been going to WDW since they built MK.
I have never heard of a $1 Monorail Ticket.
I can see why nobody ASKED you for your ticket... who WOULD?

As long as I've bought theme-park tickets, they've included "transportation" as part of their benefits.

I'd love to see that WDW "transportation ticket."
Can you please scan it (or photograph it) and post it?

I'm going to have to dig out my wedding album. I was a non-planning Disney person then, and this was pre-internet anyway! If I hadn't done it, I wouldn't believe it either, since I've never heard anyone else mention it.

I'm going to Disney next week for spring break, and I'm pretty busy this weekend, but if I get time, I'll try to pull out the album and scan the ticket. Just for grins (and since my mom needs to renew her pass so I'll be at the ticket window anyway!) I may ask if they still have that monorail ticket. I'll have to let you guys know the answer when I get back.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It's never taken me anywhere near 15 minutes to get from the parking lot to TTC, and the monorail comes so frequently I have a hard time imagining that it takes more than 10 mins to get from TTC to MK, assuming you had to wait for the monorail to show up!

WE have found that staying onsite is generally faster, but not always.

We stayed offsite for part of our trip last fall, and we did lose quite a bit of time, I felt, coming and going. We stayed at the Vistana, which is pretty close to the parks. Still, coming and going was a hassle. It wasn't just the drive time, it was the human factor. With a larger group, staying offsite, the tendency was that we had to wait for the last person to finish getting ready. The rooms there were nice, but something about them sucked everyone in, esp in the morning. On a previous trip, I stayed at the Marriott World Center with just two other people (business trip) and we had a much easier time coming and going. Maybe part of it was that there was no kitchen in the room, and it was a very non-peak time at WDW. So I would say, it depends considerably where offsite you stay.
Still, if you've ever stayed at the MWC, you'll know that getting TO and from your parked car takes at least 10 min, in itself.

Respectfully, getting from your car to the TTC depends where in the row you park. Yes, it did take us about 10 minutes when we were farther up the rows, maybe more when we had to wait for the tram to fill up.

During peak times in the morning, I have been there when there was a wait to get on the monorail and the ferry.

Getting into Epcot, MGM, and AK once parked, was considerably faster than getting to MK.

We also found that it was much faster to take Disney transport back to a Disney room at the end of EMH night than it was to go back and get the car and drive back to the room. The buses have access to several access roads around WDW that cars do not, for one thing.

Taking Disney transportation can vary widely, too. Getting to MK on a bus that has to loop around one of the moderate resorts, combined with a mid-day wait can take a while. Taking a monorail from GF to MK is almost always pretty fast, unless there's a problem withthe monorail (seen that more than once).

Ganerally though on our last trip (and others), we found that once we switched over to the Disney resort getting to the parks was much faster, due in large part tothe human factor. Instead of waitng for the last person, who also wants to stop off at the drug store....the first group can leave as soon as they are ready...and curiously, the stragglers manage to catch up pretty quickly.