MK Rope Drop Monorail from Epcot Resorts?

[Alesia]

Is the bus to MK better than driving the rental car and parking?

Taking the bus is faster and easier.

 

[Alesia]

I've strangely thought about taking a bus from Pop to Epcot, then taking the monorail to the MK with my bf. This is solely because I have usually stayed at SOG, so taking the monorail is part of the fun for me. Someone please tell me to get over it...

Get over it.

Seriously.

 

[vinotinto]

And don't forget that after you have taken the monorail from Epcot, you don't arrive at MK. You arrive at the TTC, and then you have to go to the next ramp to get on the MK or resorts monorail or ferry. With the reduced monorail hours this can take quite a while.

 

[NewbieMouse]

The best cure for a monorail addiction is to get stuck on it for an extended period, possibly missing an ADR or other reservation in the process. I don't rely on the monorail if I have any firm deadlines, not because we got stuck but because I've read enough stories about people who have. It's a low-probability high-impact event when it occurs.

Nothing beats the magic of being stuck 25 feet in the air, in a metal and glass tube, with no air-conditioning.

Get over it.

Seriously.

And don't forget that after you have taken the monorail from Epcot, you don't arrive at MK. You arrive at the TTC, and then you have to go to the next ramp to get on the MK or resorts monorail or ferry. With the reduced monorail hours this can take quite a while.

I haven't been to WDW in years, so my monorail memories are 30 years old from when I was a kid. Sounds like it hasn't really turned out to be the transportation choice of the future!

 

[Sevey13]

Get over it.

Seriously.

Thank you!

 

[jamesez]

We stayed at BC and ended up doing the walk through Epcot to the monorail to TTC (then the ferry) four times because we had two scooters, and getting them on the busses was occasionally humiliating and my folks didn't like that. Getting scooters on and off the monorail takes almost no time at all, although for the walkers it added a nice morning hike.

I'd say walk over to the YC and take the unmagical bus.

 

[Ava]

I've strangely thought about taking a bus from Pop to Epcot, then taking the monorail to the MK with my bf. This is solely because I have usually stayed at SOG, so taking the monorail is part of the fun for me. Someone please tell me to get over it...

If you really want to ride the monorail, take a loop around the resorts as a break during an MK day.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

And don't forget that after you have taken the monorail from Epcot, you don't arrive at MK. You arrive at the TTC.

Okay here's my take....We've done all the options in this thread a number of times.

The pool at the BC/YC is the best on property, IMO. The sand bottom is totally unique, and the slide is great. That's why we often stay there! We also love the BC staff!

Many folks talk about taking the shuttle boats vs. walking. We enjoy walking for a purpose, just dislike winding paths of the mods. It annoys me that Disney paths are as long as possible!

We are kind of brisk walkers. Walk from Epcot all the way to HS is a bit long, BUT we usually beat the boat, because it is very rare to hop on a boat JUST before it leaves the dock. You wait for the boat to arrive and load. Second, if we don't follow the blue/orange path on Robo's map, we go the pink route, much shorter, Plus a bathroom! We stop in the bathroom AND still beat the boat. (Unless we visit Wyland Gallery.)

That said, we are now in the WARMER half of the year. When it is 90+ degrees and 100% humidity, we (usually) take the boat! It is ALSO important to note that the BWK area walkways are exposed to rain.

We've also done our share of split stays. Stay in BC area for Epcot and HS. MK is the park all by itself. Stay near MK for MK. Easy if we minimize UNpacking.

Last, I partly disagree with the post I quote. Here's what we've found: IF you plan to leave MK (just) after one of the big parades, at park closing, or (just) after Wishes, driving is better.

The MK tram is a factor. We walk to our car from TTC, because it is much faster.

A car= everyone gets a seat/personal space. The buses are often standing room only. As soon as we are at our car, we get to sit. Our car only makes one stop, and we can leave stuff in the car overnight if we want.

A car =you need a (designated) driver. Bus = no designated driver. A car= carseats for kids, a bus = no carseats or seatbelts.

 

[ArielSRL]

From SSR, we are planning to do the bus for MK rope drop but drive any other time we go there (after midday breaks). Full disclosure: Mom's on a scooter and doesn't like taking them on the bus and we have a handicap placard so we park up front.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

I also vote to take the bus to MK.

When staying at Boardwalk, we decided to walk thru Epcot to take the monorail to the MK, but when we got up there the monorail was closed and we were directed to the Epcot bus lot to catch the MK bus there (reduced monorail hours)

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I also vote to take the bus to MK.

When staying at Boardwalk, we decided to walk thru Epcot to take the monorail to the MK, but when we got up there the monorail was closed and we were directed to the Epcot bus lot to catch the MK bus there (reduced monorail hours)

This happened to us a few years ago when we stayed at GF. The many monorail closures (at the time) were NOT pre-announced, so we very much came home feeling a like we'd paid a premium for a service we didn't get.

One night, half our group drove back from Epcot and half our group tried to take the monorail, but got stuck waiting for buses. The car beat the bus by almost two full hours!

 

[NewbieMouse]

This happened to us a few years ago when we stayed at GF. The many monorail closures (at the time) were NOT pre-announced, so we very much came home feeling a like we'd paid a premium for a service we didn't get.

One night, half our group drove back from Epcot and half our group tried to take the monorail, but got stuck waiting for buses. The car beat the bus by almost two full hours!

I was thinking of switching to MDE, but when I hear stories like that it really makes me think I should keep my rental car reservation.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Oh I totally agree with having a rental car! Just off the top - a rental car means you can go to a store if you want/need. We always buy bottled water ($3 case vs. $3 each! kind of a no brainer, IMO. ) The Hess right on property sell water, and often have reasonable gas prices. The one near the car Care Center is the largest. The others I recall (BWK, DTD) are kind of small. Just off property are 24hour Walgreens and the like. Sometimes it pays to just buy bottled items like sunscreen, toiletries, and especially bulky items like diapers. I also like the Whole Foods on Sand Lake. No discount deals, but delicious prepared foods, hot/cold bars, fresh juices + all the other healthy foods they don't sell at WDW! There's also an outlet mall very close (off I-4) If say - your sneakers fall apart or you forget an essential item.

But just off the bat- a rental car will ADD AT LEAST an extra hour at the start of your vacation, often more like 2 hours over taking ME!

I just posted in another thread a long post with pros and cons of driving vs. WDW transportation. Sometimes diving is best, sometimes WDW transport or walking is best. Having options is almost always worth something to us!

http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...ive-to-the-parks.3505278/page-2#post-55642819

 

[PlainJane]

But just off the bat- a rental car will ADD AT LEAST an extra hour at the start of your vacation, often more like 2 hours over taking ME!

I just posted in another thread a long post with pros and cons of driving vs. WDW transportation. Sometimes diving is best, sometimes WDW transport or walking is best. Having options is almost always worth something to us!

http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...ive-to-the-parks.3505278/page-2#post-55642819

We've only rented a couple times from MCO, but it's never taken very long. Time wise it seemed like a wash to me. I would factor in more time when renting from somewhere that was not located at MCO, though. Maybe we've just had good experiences.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Yes, we only rent from places at the airport and no checked luggage. I didn't realize how slow ME was until one trip when we split up at the airport. Half took a rental car, half took ME. We waited over 90 minutes for ME to arrive!

I had other trips after that where we didn't arrive with family, but I kept track of how long it took everyone to get form MCO to our hotel. Only once was ME was the same as a rental car (last to board/first stop/first off ME).

Depending on what options you pick, returning a rental car often requires stopping for gas near the airport.