Need some advice re: HDDR

[vicb]

Would appreciate advice on transportation to HDDR. We are staying at Dolphin, booked 6:15 HDDR show, will be coming from Dolphin not a park.

Originally I thought we would Lyft to FW and take the internal bus to Pioneer Hall. Now I am wondering if we should take Dolphin bus to MK, then boat to FW as I read the dock is very close to Pioneer Hall. Thoughts? Similar time required? Suggestions?

If I understand Minnie Vans correctly I don't think that is an option for us as it doesn't service the Dolphin... correct? Too bad as I read Minnie Van will go from resort to Pioneer Hall no internal bus needed.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Disney Ron]

I would bus to MK and boat to FW. Get off the boat and Pioneer Hall is basically a minute walk away.

 

[meriface11]

We’ve done both and I’d say it’s a toss up on the way there. For the way back, I would definitely go with taking the internal bus and then get a Lyft pick up (or a bus to DHS and walk back to the Dolphin from there). There will be a mass exodus for the boat back to MK after the show ends and you may not make it onto the first boat.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Would appreciate advice on transportation to HDDR. We are staying at Dolphin, booked 6:15 HDDR show, will be coming from Dolphin not a park.

Originally I thought we would Lyft to FW and take the internal bus to Pioneer Hall. Now I am wondering if we should take Dolphin bus to MK, then boat to FW as I read the dock is very close to Pioneer Hall. Thoughts? Similar time required? Suggestions?

If I understand Minnie Vans correctly I don't think that is an option for us as it doesn't service the Dolphin... correct? Too bad as I read Minnie Van will go from resort to Pioneer Hall no internal bus needed.

Thanks for any help.

I agree on the bus to MK and then boat to HDDR. I would allow 40 minutes from MK to HDDR in case you just miss the boat as that will allow time for waiting for next boat. it is a very short walk from the dock to HDDR. I am guessing that after the show you could have a wait for a Minnie Van with as many that seem to want to take that route back to resort. do not know if you have young kids but last time we were there, a campground playground was on the way to HDDR and close enough to run off some steam if needed

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We’ve done both and I’d say it’s a toss up on the way there. For the way back, I would definitely go with taking the internal bus and then get a Lyft pick up (or a bus to DHS and walk back to the Dolphin from there). There will be a mass exodus for the boat back to MK after the show ends and you may not make it onto the first boat.

bus to DHS works if that park is open but would not help if that park is closed

 

[vicb]

Hmmm.... additional facts: we are two adults with our two young adult children so no little ones and after the show we are taking the boat to MK for eve emh which is 9-11 that night. Not too worried about being there for fireworks, if we see any of that it will be a bonus.

How often does the boat leave MK for FW? Every 15 or 20 min? Also does that boat go to any other stops like WL ?

Again thanks for the replies.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hmmm.... additional facts: we are two adults with our two young adult children so no little ones and after the show we are taking the boat to MK for eve emh which is 9-11 that night. Not too worried about being there for fireworks, if we see any of that it will be a bonus.

How often does the boat leave MK for FW? Every 15 or 20 min? Also does that boat go to any other stops like WL ?

Again thanks for the replies.

if you are waiting for the boat you will be able to see the fireworks from MK while on the dock and if sitting outside in the front of the boat you will see most from there. we have watched from dock a number of times and as for stopping at WL have had it both ways depends seems to depend on how busy. timing seems to be a little closer to 20 to 30 minutes adding loading and unloading which takes a little longer than a bus

 

[LMA712014]

One line of boats goes directly to MK, one stops at a couple resorts along the way (WL and Poly? If memory serves)

 

[goofy4tink]

The boat is the way to go. The only time I don't take the boat is when MK is closed, but that's likely to happen only after the last HDDR show, when the park closes early.

 

[joelkfla]

One line of boats goes directly to MK, one stops at a couple resorts along the way (WL and Poly? If memory serves)

No, that's not correct.

There is only one boat route from FtW to MK. There is a separate route from WL to MK. But sometimes they combine the routes, which is when the boat from FtW may stop at WL on the way to MK. There is no way to avoid the stop when the routes have been combined.

 

[LMA712014]

No, that's not correct.

There is only one boat route from FtW to MK. There is a separate route from WL to MK. But sometimes they combine the routes, which is when the boat from FtW may stop at WL on the way to MK. There is no way to avoid the stop when the routes have been combined.

I don’t know what the norm is - but when we were there last month they had another boat that stopped multiple times and therefore took longer vs the direct shot.

I think I’d read that somewhere too prior to use being there (though I could be mistaken as to where it stopped).

 

[joelkfla]

I don’t know what the norm is - but when we were there last month they had another boat that stopped multiple times and therefore took longer vs the direct shot.

I think I’d read that somewhere too prior to use being there (though I could be mistaken as to where it stopped).

You are probably thinking of the CR-WL-FtW route, which circles in both directions. But that boat does not go to MK. Unless something has changed in the last year or so.

 

[LMA712014]

You are probably thinking of the CR-WL-FtW route, which circles in both directions. But that boat does not go to MK. Unless something has changed in the last year or so.

Ah that would make sense as well! My mistake. In that case definitely don’t take that one - certainly not a fast route to MK haha

 

[LMA712014]

You are probably thinking of the CR-WL-FtW route, which circles in both directions. But that boat does not go to MK. Unless something has changed in the last year or so.

Ah that would make sense as well! My mistake. In that case definitely don’t take that one - certainly not a fast route to MK haha

 

[thegales]

I don’t know what the norm is - but when we were there last month they had another boat that stopped multiple times and therefore took longer vs the direct shot.

I think I’d read that somewhere too prior to use being there (though I could be mistaken as to where it stopped).

I was trying to find the official documentation, but I couldn't find details. From the Fort Wilderness page, it has "Cruise to Magic Kingdom park, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Contemporary Resort."

If I remember correctly, there is one boat that just goes between FW and MK (and maybe WL). There was another boat that just went between FW, Contemp, WL. The boats have different color flags to distinguish which route they take.

 

[HopperFan]

We did the resort bus to MK, then boat to FW ............ thank goodness I allotted 2 hours because it took almost that long. The boat was the bigger part of the commute. So buffer time going.

 

[vicb]

We did the resort bus to MK, then boat to FW ............ thank goodness I allotted 2 hours because it took almost that long. The boat was the bigger part of the commute. So buffer time going.

Yikes! Maybe I will stick to the Lyft to FW and internal bus to Pioneer Hall. I hope this show is worth all the effort! I let my "kids" pick a few things they wanted to do this trip and my 25yo picked HDDR which we have never done. Thanks for all the info.

 

[thegales]

Another thought... I believe the Dolphin is part of Disney property, so the Minnie Van should be able to drive to the Dolphin. Please verify this.

If it is true, then sometime before your HDDR day, go to one of the resorts that is included in the Minnie Van. If you open the Lyft app while in the lobby, it should recognize you are at a proper resort, and you get to add Minnie Vans to your list of Lyft options. This happened for us when we were at Kidani Village. Minnie Van was an option, even though I had no code, nor did I visit Guest Services. Once the Minnie Van is an option in Lyft, you can request a Minnie Van from anywhere on Disney property to take you to anywhere on Disney property. And as you stated, it takes you directly to HDDR, without the need for the internal bus. I personally do not think I would ever take a Minnie Van due to the cost, except for two exceptions; going to MK (drops you at the bus loop) and HDDR. For these two, IMHO, the cost of the Minnie Van is less than the cost of the aggravation in dealing with the second transportation leg.

 

[vicb]

Another thought... I believe the Dolphin is part of Disney property, so the Minnie Van should be able to drive to the Dolphin. Please verify this.

If it is true, then sometime before your HDDR day, go to one of the resorts that is included in the Minnie Van. If you open the Lyft app while in the lobby, it should recognize you are at a proper resort, and you get to add Minnie Vans to your list of Lyft options. This happened for us when we were at Kidani Village. Minnie Van was an option, even though I had no code, nor did I visit Guest Services. Once the Minnie Van is an option in Lyft, you can request a Minnie Van from anywhere on Disney property to take you to anywhere on Disney property. And as you stated, it takes you directly to HDDR, without the need for the internal bus. I personally do not think I would ever take a Minnie Van due to the cost, except for two exceptions; going to MK (drops you at the bus loop) and HDDR. For these two, IMHO, the cost of the Minnie Van is less than the cost of the aggravation in dealing with the second transportation leg.

Hmm... I think I am really not grasping this whole Minnie Van thing. On another thread I was told that staying at Dolphin I was not eligible to use Minnie Van. I asked if I could walk over to BWI and request it from there and was told "no" because I was not a staying guest at a participating resort. I would totally pony up the Minnie Van fee to go to HDDR just for the convenience. Thanks for the tip, I might try it.

 

[thegales]

Hmm... I think I am really not grasping this whole Minnie Van thing. On another thread I was told that staying at Dolphin I was not eligible to use Minnie Van. I asked if I could walk over to BWI and request it from there and was told "no" because I was not a staying guest at a participating resort. I would totally pony up the Minnie Van fee to go to HDDR just for the convenience. Thanks for the tip, I might try it.

Minnie Van is part of the Lyft app. If you open the Lyft app while on Disney property, you will only see the normal Lyft options. However, if you stay at a participating resort, then a new option appears in Lyft for Minnie Van. They originally said a code was required to get the Minnie Van option to appear in Lyft. While we were in the Kidani lobby, I opened the Lyft app. Minnie Van now appeared. I did not need to type in a code, or link a reservation number. It just appeared. This could have been a fluk, but I think it is the just the way it works.

Once I left Kidani, the Minnie Van option continued to be available, regardless of where I was on property.

So, a day or two in advance, walk over to BWI, and open the Lyft app. See if the Minnie Van option appears. If not, it can't hurt to ask someone. I would be interested to know if this works all the time, or maybe we were just a oddity.