Leaving EPCOT after Illuminations

[DisneyGeek2000]

How late do the buses run after the parks close?

At least 60-90 minutes after the parks close - you can easily take your time - we always do.

 

[Robo]

"Robo: In JUNE, the Dis/MGM Studio will still be open (or just "closed") after IllumiNations. (Check the closing times before you do this.) Take the Friendship from the Epcot International Gateway to the Dis/MGM Studio. (You'll be back in WS already and there shouldn't be "too many" folks going that way.) The boat-ride takes 30 minutes. From the dock, you'll exit the boat right near the Studio's bus lot. Take the bus from the Studio directly to Ft. Wilderness' Pioneer Hall. Change to your internal FtW bus."


This is not a bad idea either. MGM closes at 10:00 pm. Is the bus ride to MGM longer than the bus ride to the Beach Club? However, at the Beach Club, we wouldn't be able to get directly on the bus to FW, would we?

You can't take a BUS from In'tl Gateway.
Threre is ONLY a "Friendship" Boat (for "regular guests", anyway).

From here, you can also WALK to any of the Epcot resorts (like Beach Club) and the Studios (as was said.)

And, no, you can't get a bus FROM a resort (hotel) directly TO another resort.
That's why I said boat to MGM and take your "direct-to-Pioneer Hall" bus (the ONLY bus that goes from a park to Pioneer Hall, BTW).
It is a unique way to leave MGM (or those boating in to MGM from Epcot) for FtW guests only.

 

[kimmikayb]

I'll admit, I haven't read all the posts....after several of the mind boggling take bus A to destination C then bus E to distination F then.....etc.

Here's what we did because we got tired of fighting the bus crowd. Unless it was MK, we drove to the parks. After Illuminations we got back to our resort almost an hour earlier then families in the bus line. Parking at Epcot isn't that bad and a little more walking isn't bad when you consider everyone waiting to get back to their resorts are still at the bus stop! Believe me, you won't regret it.

 

[Skroops]

I'd just take the resort bus from the parks. The lines are long, but WDW is really good at getting the buses in, so the wait for a bus isn't as long as it looks. We sometimes even wait for the next bus even when we could pile in the first one because we are tired and would like to sit down. We have drove to the parks before too, and that didn't save much time by the time you had to get on the parking lot tram and wait for the cars etc.
We always linger around a bit so we miss the first push of people though, so I guess that works best for us.
You could always walk and stroll the Boardwalk when leaving Epcot. You could grab the DTD bus and transfer to your resort bus there (or better yet...grab an icecream or margarita and shop while at DTD). You have lots of choices!