MK to Downtown Disney for break

[catfan98]

Hi all! We are taking our FIRST trip to Disney the second week of June. It will be me, my husband, our son (12) and our daughter (18). We plan to do RD on our MK day, do as much as we can before lunch, have lunch, take a break, and then be there in the evening for more rides, the parade and fireworks (the park is open from 9am-12am). We have a BOG lunch reservation at 1:10 and we thought after that we might want a break from the crowds and heat for a couple of hours. We are staying offsite and we aren't sure if we want to actually leave and go back to our condo for a while or go to Downtown Disney to look around and shop for a bit then return to MK. We will have our own vehicle, but I was wondering is there Disney transportation that we can take from MK to DD instead of driving there and then trying to park for MK again later?

 

[WEDWDW]

You can walk(8 minutes) to Contemporary Resort and catch a Disney Springs(DTD) bus there or catch a Saratoga Springs bus at MK and walk to Disney Springs from there.

 

[Robo]

You can walk(8 minutes) to Contemporary Resort and catch a Disney Springs(DTD) bus there...

 

[rwdavis2]

From what I understand the buses to/from DTD are not very frequent. You could spend a significant amount of time waiting.

 

[catfan98]

Thank you all for the info. I really appreciate it.

 

[sullyfam]

Walk to the Contemporary or take the monorail to the Grand Floridian/Polynesian and catch a bus to DTD from there. I also like the boat options from MK to the monorail resorts + Fort Wilderness. You could take a boat ride and then jump on a bus to DTD at the resort of your choice. It's kind of relaxing/leisurely if you are looking to kill time and take a break from the heat.

 

[Robo]

Walk to the Contemporary or take the monorail to the Grand Floridian/Polynesian and catch a bus to DTD from there. I also like the boat options from MK to the monorail resorts + Fort Wilderness. You could take a boat ride and then jump on a bus to DTD at the resort of your choice. It's kind of relaxing/leisurely if you are looking to kill time and take a break from the heat.

Just don't take the boat to Fort Wilderness if your intent is to get to DTD.

(But, we DO like FW as a break from the high pace of the parks.)

 

[MiMiDebbie]

You could also take a bus from MK to either Port Orleans Resorts and take a nice boat ride to DTD.

 

[tlmadden73]

I took a bus from to/from DTD and the Polynesian (to meet some friends at Ohana) . and it was a LONG bus ride from the MK resorts to DTD .. probably about the longest bus trip out there within the resort.

Unless you have something specific you want to do at downtown Disney (and depending how long of a break you are looking for) ... I would just suggest taking a boat ride to one of the nearby resorts and exploring it and chilling out there .. grab a snack .. shop in the resort store .. chill out in the lobby .. grab dinner .. etc.

 

[jimandami]

I took a bus from to/from DTD and the Polynesian (to meet some friends at Ohana) . and it was a LONG bus ride from the MK resorts to DTD .. probably about the longest bus trip out there within the resort.

Unless you have something specific you want to do at downtown Disney (and depending how long of a break you are looking for) ... I would just suggest taking a boat ride to one of the nearby resorts and exploring it and chilling out there .. grab a snack .. shop in the resort store .. chill out in the lobby .. grab dinner .. etc.

I agree with this. If your lunch is at 1:10, that puts you leaving the MK front gates around 2:30ish. I would say 60-90 minutes transport (you just never know) so to DTD around 3:30-4. You would then only have an hour or two, then have to do the whole thing over again. I would either: 1) take a tour of the monorail resorts while snacking, drinking, shopping, or take the boat over to Wilderness Lodge or the Fort to chill there for a while.

 

[Dawnlight]

I wouldn't recommend a break at DTD (too much time wasted, and they'll likely be lots of crowds there as well). If you're trying to have a break from being on your feet and to beat the heat or crowds a bit, I'd do some attractions like the Hall of Presidents, Carousel of Progress, or Country Bear Jamboree (or all 3).

We did this at Christmas time and it helped to have those sitting breaks while still enjoying attractions.

 

[Moms]

As much as I like DTD ... or Disney Springs as it is now called ... I tend to agree with the posters suggesting alternate "break" locations. It will be a bit of a "trek" to the DTD area and although there is much to see and do there ... it is outside (ie: HOT) and (like the parks) there is lots of walking!

If you want to use the time to cool down and catch your breath I would suggest a resort stop ... the monorail resorts are fun to see and there is plenty of space to sit back and relax in all of the lobbies and there is shopping there as well. For what it is worth AKL is beautiful and the animals are there to entertain as well.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

As others have said, the trip to Disney Springs (DTD) is long any way you do it. I would suggest going to the Wilderness Lodge and checking out the majestic lobby area (lots of nice seating where you can take a break from the heat) or stroll alongside the lagoon (even going so far as Wilderness Lodge if you are so inclined). It is an easy and pleasant boatride away from MK

 

[catfan98]

I hadn't even thought about touring one of the nearby resorts as an alternative. Thank you all for that suggestion. When I informed my children that we had a BOG reservation, they weren't very enthused....I think I am more excited than they are. So we may end up cancelling that if we can get a lunch reservation at one of the monorail resorts. That would give us some time away from MK for lunch and to explore without going very far.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I am another that would suggest a break at one of the nearby resorts as opposed to DTD. You could cool off in their lobbies or various seating areas. Wilderness Lodge has rocking chairs and a beautiful creek to admire. A boat ride to these resorts can be even further relaxing. Plus if this is your first time visiting, you might actually enjoy checking out some of these great resorts (although Poly is still under construction).

 

[Bluegrrl]

I agree - ditch Dis Springs and go to other resorts. I would recommend going to the top of the Contempory hotel (yes, they will let you up there). It provides a great view of the property.

 

[WEDWDW]

I agree - ditch Dis Springs and go to other resorts. I would recommend going to the top of the Contempory hotel (yes, they will let you up there). It provides a great view of the property.

Thanks for the info!

I didn't think they started operating the CG eleveator until late afternoon when the CG opens.

That will be fun to go up there before they open.