Monorail Resort Busses to DTD

[steg]

Do any of the monorail resorts share busses to downtown disney and back? If so what are the pick up and drop off orders?

For our next trip we want to stay at a monorail resort but will still be visiting DTD every night and on some days. Would we have better luck just staying at SSR or POFQ?

 

[joelkfla]

Do any of the monorail resorts share busses to downtown disney and back? If so what are the pick up and drop off orders?

Yes, there are 2 routes: 1 stops at WL & CR; the other at Poly & GF.

For our next trip we want to stay at a monorail resort but will still be visiting DTD every night and on some days. Would we have better luck just staying at SSR or POFQ?

If you're fit, SSR is most convenient to DTD, because you can just walk. It's about 1/4 mi. from the Congress Park bus stop.

 

[steg]

We've stayed at SSR in Congress but some people on the trip weren't crazy about the "lack" of the theming compared to other resorts, the sheer size, and the crappy transportation to anywhere other then downtown when staying in the Congress Park section.

My DW and I are trying out Grandstands this trip to see if that improves the transportation all around with the boat launch to DTD being close by. Next time we'll be going with a larger group who want to all stay at a monorail resort but only if they can easily get to downtown. After seeing your reply it doesn't seem terrible but it'd depend on the pick up and drop off order.

We're looking at the Contemporary for the next trip but unless it's the first stop I'd be worried about bus space on downtown busses in the evening. Do you know what order the pick up and drop offs are for DTD for the CR and WL?

 

[joelkfla]

We're looking at the Contemporary for the next trip but unless it's the first stop I'd be worried about bus space on downtown busses in the evening. Do you know what order the pick up and drop offs are for DTD for the CR and WL?

Usually WL first in the afternoon & evening. In the morning, I think it's mostly CR first, but it could be either way.

 

[goofy4tink]

We've stayed at SSR in Congress but some people on the trip weren't crazy about the "lack" of the theming compared to other resorts, the sheer size, and the crappy transportation to anywhere other then downtown when staying in the Congress Park section.

My DW and I are trying out Grandstands this trip to see if that improves the transportation all around with the boat launch to DTD being close by. Next time we'll be going with a larger group who want to all stay at a monorail resort but only if they can easily get to downtown. After seeing your reply it doesn't seem terrible but it'd depend on the pick up and drop off order.

We're looking at the Contemporary for the next trip but unless it's the first stop I'd be worried about bus space on downtown busses in the evening. Do you know what order the pick up and drop offs are for DTD for the CR and WL?

Not sure why you think Grandstands will offer 'better' transportation. The only good thing about it is that you always get a seat because it's the first stop. Then, it's the first stop to drop-off. I don't think I ever saw anyone having to stand on a bus in all my stays at SSR. At least not when heading to a park. Park closing is a whole different issue.
SSR is so large that it takes a fair amount of time to get off SSR property...especially if you're at Grandstand!!! At Springs, or even Congress Park? Much quicker. But, you do have longer on the bus when returning from a park.

If I was planning on being at DTD, actually Disney Springs now, every night, I would be very tempted to stay at SSR, OKW, or PO.

 

[steg]

The last time we stayed at Saratoga at Congress park we were in a party of 5 and either had to stand most of the time or all 5 couldn't fit on the bus by the time it got to Congress so we had to wait for the next one. What was really odd was that it was early to mid January when we had these bus issues, we weren't trying to be at rope drop or anything so I couldn't really blame it on that. We would be at the bus stops between 9 and 1030 every morning and would encounter the same packed busses almost every morning. We were also, for the most part going to the "recommended" parks, so maybe a lot of people had the same idea?

Mostly due to that past experience, I'm less concerned that we spend more time going around the resort to other stops, and I'm more concerned about actually being able to board the bus by the time it comes. I'm also hoping to get the Grandstands section near the Grandstands Pool this time so we can just walk down to the boat launch behind the Springs to take the boat when we want to go to downtown, and be the first bus stop when we want to go anywhere else.

 

[goofy4tink]

The last time we stayed at Saratoga at Congress park we were in a party of 5 and either had to stand most of the time or all 5 couldn't fit on the bus by the time it got to Congress so we had to wait for the next one. What was really odd was that it was early to mid January when we had these bus issues, we weren't trying to be at rope drop or anything so I couldn't really blame it on that. We would be at the bus stops between 9 and 1030 every morning and would encounter the same packed busses almost every morning. We were also, for the most part going to the "recommended" parks, so maybe a lot of people had the same idea?

Mostly due to that past experience, I'm less concerned that we spend more time going around the resort to other stops, and I'm more concerned about actually being able to board the bus by the time it comes. I'm also hoping to get the Grandstands section near the Grandstands Pool this time so we can just walk down to the boat launch behind the Springs to take the boat when we want to go to downtown, and be the first bus stop when we want to go anywhere else.

Sorry about hijacking this thread guys!
Steg......I have stayed in two buildings in the Grandstand area.....they are all a fair walk to the boat dock. You have to cross the golf course area, up the hill and then down to the boats.

 

[steg]

Sorry about hijacking this thread guys!
Steg......I have stayed in two buildings in the Grandstand area.....they are all a fair walk to the boat dock. You have to cross the golf course area, up the hill and then down to the boats.

Which would you estimate as being a longer walk: Walking from either of the Grandstands buildings closest to the Lobby/Grandstands Pools to the boat docks, or, walking from either of the two closest buildings to DTD in Congress Park to DTD Marketplace?

 

[steg]

We were placed in the 8000 section building in the grandstands. It was like staying in a completely different hotel compared to Congress Park!

We only ended up using the boat once to get to downtown, we took the bus instead as we were probably 50 feet from the bus stop and once we got out of Saratoga there was a comically short bus ride to the Marketplace.

Two times the busses were completely full after the Paddock and we ended up driving past a full Congress Park bus stop altogether stopping at the Springs before exiting the park while Disney deployed the spare bus waiting in the Grandstands parking lot.