Is it better to drive to MK or take hotel bus?

[lpoeppelman]

We're planning a 1 day trip (on July 4th of all days LOL!)... anyway, we're getting to MK at 7:30am - they open at 8am that day. Is it better to just drive to the general parking area and take the monorail, bus, or boat to MK or would it be better to go to the hotel and catch a shuttle bus?

What do you think?

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

If it were me, I would take the bus from your resort....as long as you are staying onsite. Otherwise you will have to use the TTC as your entry point.

 

[Jestocost]

Disney hotel or off-property hotel?

If it's the former, the bus will take you all the way around the lagoon and drop you near the main gate of the MK. On a day where the parking lot is liable to be a madhouse, I'd think that taking the resort bus and avoiding the parking lot would be a better idea.

If it's an off-site resort, they will drop you at the TTC, which is where you will go to get to the MK if you drive anyway. In that case, I guess you might as well drive.

 

[lpoeppelman]

Disney hotel or off-property hotel?

If it's the former, the bus will take you all the way around the lagoon and drop you near the main gate of the MK. On a day where the parking lot is liable to be a madhouse, I'd think that taking the resort bus and avoiding the parking lot would be a better idea.

If it's an off-site resort, they will drop you at the TTC, which is where you will go to get to the MK if you drive anyway. In that case, I guess you might as well drive.

We booked a last minute room at the movies resort onsite. I think we'll take your advice and take the resort bus. How early do you think we'll need to leave ASM resort?

Thanks!

 

[Brian Noble]

I generally get to the bus stops by 8AM for a 9AM opening. I'd rather kill some time in the entry plaza than be late.

That said, I'm going to start driving to MK more often. On average the bus is probably faster. But driving is more predictable. If for some reason you get a hiccup in bus arrival times, it can be pretty painful. On my most recent stay, at OKW in February of this year, the morning buses to MK were reasonably timely, and total travel time was about 30-40 minutes. But, both afternoons we went back from a mid-day break, it took >35 minutes from the time we sat down in the bus stop for an MK bus to arrive. The total trip was over an hour both times. Driving would have been 45 minutes total, worst case.

 

[Jestocost]

Driving would have been 45 minutes total, worst case.

Worst case for that day or worst case for July 4, when the OP will be there?

 

[CarolA]

Take the bus!

I am a big fan of "driving", but I take the bus to MK. Seriously, you drive, you park, you walk or tram, and then you wait again for either the monorail or the boat.

And tomorrow after the fireworks the LINES for the monorail and boat will be LONG, LONG, LONG, and the trafic will be horrid. Yes, you may have to wait on a bus but in my expereince Disney tries hard to "throw" buses at the problem. There's no way to add boats or monorials so "you wait" And then you deal with Bubba who firmly believes that if he cuts in and out of traffic and otherwise tries to drive like a madman he will get home 5 minutes faster.... Let Disney deal LOL!

 

[Brian Noble]

Worst case for that day or worst case for July 4, when the OP will be there?

As long as you are arriving at "smart times" (i.e.: for rope drop, not three hours later): 45 minutes, worst case, any day of the year.

That doesn't mean OP shouldn't take the bus---it's probably not a bad idea, especially in the morning when plenty of buses are scheduled. But, I've waited one time too many for my personal tastes.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I agree about taking the bus.

 

[Inkmahm]

As long as you are arriving at "smart times" (i.e.: for rope drop, not three hours later): 45 minutes, worst case, any day of the year.

That doesn't mean OP shouldn't take the bus---it's probably not a bad idea, especially in the morning when plenty of buses are scheduled. But, I've waited one time too many for my personal tastes.

In the future, I will only take my car to the MK if I am not trying to get there for morning EMH. I learned in March that the monorail and boats only start running just before the park opens except for the resort monorail. There was a really LONG line for the monorail so it took us 45 minutes to get to the MK after we arrived at the TTC!

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Inkmahm,

Walk over to the Poly - it's only about 5 min. and you can take the resort monorail.

I finally caved after years of reading how much easier it is to take the bus to the MK. Late August, very hot, 25 min. wait for the bus to bring us back to CSR for an afternoon break = never again! On the way to the MK it's great, but I would rather spend 5 minutes walking to the Poly than 25 minutes waiting for a bus to come! Time wise it evens out to because you don't have to wait at the bus stop - your car is always waiting for you when you are ready to leave.

 

[goofy4tink]

On the 4th of July...I would only take the bus. But I guess that's a moot point now. The OP should, in fact, be standing at the MK as we speak!!!

 

[Inkmahm]

Inkmahm,

Walk over to the Poly - it's only about 5 min. and you can take the resort monorail.

I finally caved after years of reading how much easier it is to take the bus to the MK. Late August, very hot, 25 min. wait for the bus to bring us back to CSR for an afternoon break = never again! On the way to the MK it's great, but I would rather spend 5 minutes walking to the Poly than 25 minutes waiting for a bus to come! Time wise it evens out to because you don't have to wait at the bus stop - your car is always waiting for you when you are ready to leave.

But there was a line at the Poly for people trying to get on the resort monorail, too. We boarded at the TTC and they left some open space for resort guests to get on at the Poly and the GF. But the guests there were also in line and did NOT all fit on the monorail. They had to wait as well.

I don't know why they don't have the boats or the express monorail running earlier on EMH mornings for MK.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I don't know why they don't have the boats or the express monorail running earlier on EMH mornings for MK.

That's because Morning Extra Magic Hour is for the onsite guests, so they don't want to start all other forms of transportation for the offsite guests until it's over.

 

[Inkmahm]

That's because Morning Extra Magic Hour is for the onsite guests, so they don't want to start all other forms of transportation for the offsite guests until it's over.

But not all onsite guests take the buses there, many drive to the MK normally. As far as I know, most if not all the people waiting for transportation on the monorail at 7 am for the 8 am EMH opening were guests trying to get to EMH.

 

[CarolA]

Based on today's monorail update..

If you are going this week. TAKE THE BUS! You are now down to boat only.... it's not going to be pretty folks!