Offsite - TTC to MK gates

[NashvilleMama]

I'm reading conflicting things and am so confused...if we're staying offsite, parking at TTC, and want to be early for rope drop (hoofing it to 7DMT unless a FP+ becomes available), is it best to do monorail, bus, or ferry? I'm reading no to the ferry...and sometimes the monorail is down...what's fastest if all 3 options are available/running?

 

[Tomh]

If all 3 are running it is kind of a toss up between the bus and monorail. In reality, early in the morning there is a fair chance that the ferry will be your only option.

 

[BrianL]

If you get there early enough the ferry may be the only option, but if you are actually that early the ferry will get you there in plenty of time for rope drop.

 

[Accident]

If I was driving I would take the monorail unless there was too many people waiting for it that I wouldn't be on the first one and a ferry was ready to board (you can see the ferry from the monorail entrance and you kind of walk past it so it's on your way to the ferry). if the monorail isn't running yet (express loop doesn't open right away) there will be a sign and lots of cast members to tell you to use the ferry and pointing you too it. Ferry can be longer but if your waiting for several monorails then ferry is usually faster.

Now if I was to take a taxi or uber or have someone drop me off, then I would go to contemporary and walk from there. if weather changes, there is the monorail to possibly avoid the rain and hopefully it ends before you are waiting for rope drop. to save time, have them turn left after the security stop and then right into the guest lot. that'll cut out about half of the walk and the path goes right next to the security stop.

I personally prefer uber because I like to keep my options open. you never know when you decide its a nice night for a couple drinks or I run into someone and we end up somewhere that might include alcohol. I also find if I'm doing a full day in a park, I'm just really tired and I don't want to try to drive tired so uber can get me home safely.

 

[lynzi2004]

The main thing will just be to be early!! There is no guarantee of what will be running. For a 9am rope drop, I would be at the TTC by 7:30ish.

 

[NashvilleMama]

The main thing will just be to be early!! There is no guarantee of what will be running. For a 9am rope drop, I would be at the TTC by 7:30ish.

wait, for a 9am rope drop you'd be there at 7:30?? It's an 8am RD...so what does that mean??

 

[lynzi2004]

wait, for a 9am rope drop you'd be there at 7:30?? It's an 8am RD...so what does that mean??

Unfortunately it means I would be getting to the TTC closer to 6:30! Is this 8am rope drop due to it being during a busy season?

Also, are you looking to get in 7DMT with a minimal wait, like front of the line, first couple trains? Or are you thinking early middle rope drop crowd and ok with a 20 min wait?

 

[GillianP1301]

For EMM (starting at 7:45), I was parked at 7:15 and took the monorail and was waiting at the gate by 7:30. I believe monorail is the fastest option, assuming it is running. The ferry isn't too bad, the ride itself is about the same as the monorail, I just find you usually wait longer (especially when there aren't many people, they'll wait for more to fill it up a bit). If you're at TTC a 1/2 before you want to be at the gate, you should be fine, regardless of which transportation you take. I recall 1 year for a PPO breakfast only the bus was running, which was pretty brutal because we had to wait for 2 or 3 of them to get on one and even then, we were at the gate in a 1/2 hour from TTC.

 

[lynzi2004]

Hopefully some others will chime in soon, but as far as timing goes. If you don't get to the parking lot till closer to 7am, a tram to the TTC (10 min) and actually on some form of transportation to MK (15 min), your not going to get to the gates till closer to 7:30. Then there is security and the welcome show starts at 7:40. It's going to be cutting it close!

 

[NashvilleMama]

Unfortunately it means I would be getting to the TTC closer to 6:30! Is this 8am rope drop due to it being during a busy season?

Also, are you looking to get in 7DMT with a minimal wait, like front of the line, first couple trains? Or are you thinking early middle rope drop crowd and ok with a 20 min wait?

I'd heard if we don't get there for the first couple of trains, it's more like an immediate 45 minute wait - so we wanted to high tail it near the front of the RD crowd. 6:30 is brutal! (we're on central time) but ok. Good to know.

 

[Babs1975]

In my experience, you don't need to arrive near this early. We drive in and do the exact same thing you are doing. We've taken the monorail everytime. The earliest we would arrive to the parking lot would be 8:10 or 8:15. Again, in my experience, it takes about 20 minutes from there to be waiting in the line for rope drop. We do 7DMT at rope drop and always walk right on. And that's arriving at the time stated. If you are at the gates, waiting for rope drop by about 8:30 or so, you will be great. (For a 9 am opening)

 

[Babs1975]

For EMM (starting at 7:45), I was parked at 7:15 and took the monorail and was waiting at the gate by 7:30. I believe monorail is the fastest option, assuming it is running. The ferry isn't too bad, the ride itself is about the same as the monorail, I just find you usually wait longer (especially when there aren't many people, they'll wait for more to fill it up a bit). If you're at TTC a 1/2 before you want to be at the gate, you should be fine, regardless of which transportation you take. I recall 1 year for a PPO breakfast only the bus was running, which was pretty brutal because we had to wait for 2 or 3 of them to get on one and even then, we were at the gate in a 1/2 hour from TTC.

Thank you for the info on EMM times. There was another thread discussing and I was a little worried about it being so early and the forms of transportation.

 

[DonaldDuck77]

What about parking lot arrival time for 7:00 EMH (on 11/11)? We are going to Peter Pan, not 7DMT.

 

[Smbmoyers]

We're staying at wyndham bonnet creek with an 8am opening for our magic kingdom morning. We plan on calling an uber by 6:45 am and having them drop us at the contemporary. Hopefully we'll be there early enough to get to 7dmt before the line grows out of control

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

I second the Uber option! Get dropped at the Contemporary, then 5 minute walk to MK. No monorail or ferry to worry about!

 

[Tomh]

You know, there IS another option too . . . . if you are driving, you don't HAVE to park at the TTC . . . . you could pay the few extra bucks to valet part at the Contemporary, then walk over to the park. It will only take you about 10 to 15 minutes to get to the park. You skip over the whole process of getting a tram, or walking from your car to the TTC, and then taking either a bus (if they are being offered that day), monorail, or ferry to the park, so it takes a significant amount of travel time out of the equation. You can literally be at the park entrance 20 minutes after you drop your car at the valet.

 

[Klayfish]

We always stay off site, so I can hopefully give some insight on that.

First, just a thought on showing up that early for RD. If you show up just 10 minutes early and wind up waiting 30-40 minutes for 7DMT, that's 40-50 minutes spent waiting (and more time sleeping). If you show up 90 minutes early for RD, that's less sleep and 90 minutes spent standing in a cattle herd. I understand the flip side of it, in that if you're that early for RD, you can be done 7DMT by 8:20 if it's an 8:00am opening. But personally, I'd much rather get the sleep and not stand in that line outside the park for what feels like an eternity.

As for getting there from offsite, don't forget to add in the time you will need to enter WDW. Not sure where you're staying, but from the first Welcome signs (if you were coming in on Rt. 536), the drive to MK is about 5 minutes. Then figure 5 more minutes to get through the MK parking gates and into your actual parking spot. Then either tram or walk to the TTC, which is 5-10 minutes. So don't forget about those 15 minutes from the front gate of WDW. Once you're at TTC, our experience is that the buses very rarely run, unless it's a holiday or some other strange reason. It's the ferry or monorail. I agree with Accident on this one. If the monorail is running, it's your best option. Look to see if the ferry is there and about to depart (you'll easily see it as you walk toward the monorail entrance, it's on your left). If it is, you can try doing that. But even if it is, I still think that unless the monorail line is ridiculously long, the monorail is faster. My wife and I have actually timed it, and the monorail is almost always quicker. You have to remember it takes the ferry a long time to load. Then they have to close the gates and untie the boat from the dock...pull it out slowly and then go. Then on the other side, they have to slowly pull into the dock, tie the boat to the dock, open the gates, etc... and if you aren't standing in the front of the line to get off the boat, that can take quite a while too. Monorail is your best bet most of the time.

 

[GillianP1301]

We always stay off site, so I can hopefully give some insight on that.

First, just a thought on showing up that early for RD. If you show up just 10 minutes early and wind up waiting 30-40 minutes for 7DMT, that's 40-50 minutes spent waiting (and more time sleeping). If you show up 90 minutes early for RD, that's less sleep and 90 minutes spent standing in a cattle herd. I understand the flip side of it, in that if you're that early for RD, you can be done 7DMT by 8:20 if it's an 8:00am opening. But personally, I'd much rather get the sleep and not stand in that line outside the park for what feels like an eternity.

This is an excellent point! I have really never understood the concept of waiting for 90 minutes at the park gate to save time waiting in an attraction line. Personally, I'm fine with arriving just before park opening and being at the back of the pack because even then, I'm not going to be waiting 90 mins for 7DMT and I'm more rested.

 

[Purplestorm]

I doubt the monorail will be running so my vote is for the ferry. For a 8am rope drop, I would be at TTC no later than 6:30am. That will get you to 7dmt with about a 10-15 minute wait at most! I would have suggested a little bit later, but with added security measures, I think extra time is needed. You may want to buy a to go type breakfast to eat while you are waiting to save time in the morning. Also, it has been mentioned, if you an get dropped off at the entrance, then only person has to ferry it over and meet up with you (though family ferry time is so special to us!).

 

[Praying Colonel]

You know, there IS another option too . . . . if you are driving, you don't HAVE to park at the TTC . . . . you could pay the few extra bucks to valet part at the Contemporary, then walk over to the park. It will only take you about 10 to 15 minutes to get to the park. You skip over the whole process of getting a tram, or walking from your car to the TTC, and then taking either a bus (if they are being offered that day), monorail, or ferry to the park, so it takes a significant amount of travel time out of the equation. You can literally be at the park entrance 20 minutes after you drop your car at the valet.

Agreed--or you could Uber/taxi to the Contemporary and walk to the MK from there.

But if your only choices are transportation from the TTC, the ferry is probably going to be your only option that early in the morning.