Offsite with best bus service?

[TT4Dis]

My family may potentially stay offsite next year, due to the number of rooms we will need (potentially we will be a party of 13). The only request I have received from them is to find the place with the best transportation. For those that have stayed offsite, which resort/hotel has the most frequent and reliable bus service?

 

[MinnieTeacher]

We stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek and they had a free shuttle to the parks that ran all day long from opening to closing. We didn't use it, but got a schedule at check in. Go to the We loooove Bonnet Creek thread and they have a schedule posted there. I know they have 4 bedroom condos that would most likely accomodate your group. It is a very nice place to stay and is inside the disney gates. Takes just a few minutes to get to any park.

 

[shalom]

Unless you want to use public transportation, Wyndham Bonnet Creek has the best I've seen, however there's usually a gap for rides back in the early afternoon (a pain if you want to take a break during the worst crowds and worst heat of the day). I've heard of people successfully catching a shuttle dropping guests off and getting a ride back that way, but I wouldn't want to depend on it myself. But I prefer driving anyhow, so that might not bother someone who is comfortable with shuttles. Bonnet Creek also has buses to both Epcot/the MK (i.e., the TTC), and one to AK and HS, which is good; some shuttle systems just run to the TTC and you have to transfer to Disney transportation for AK and HS.

If you can't find a shuttle system you like, there's a Lynx route which runs twice an hour down Irlo Bronson east of the parks in both directions; fair number of hotels and condos along that. The bus route takes you to the TTC; if you have a pass there are other Lynx routes you can transfer to, or you can just use Disney's system. A regular 7-day Lynx pass costs about $16, and you can order it online so you don't have to go downtown to get one when you get there. This is the route to the east:

http://www.golynx.com/core/fileparse.php/97363/urlt/0054811-link_56.pdf

And pass prices:

http://www.golynx.com/fares-passes/where-to-buy-passes.stml

 

[Brian Noble]

The only request I have received from them is to find the place with the best transportation.

My advice? If having someone else drive is an absolute requirement, stay onsite in as many Value rooms as you need.

The DTD resorts aren't *too* bad, but they are not as convenient as Disney---buses only every half hour, and (in the case of MK) dropping off at TTC rather than the gates. Bonnet is the next closest to that, but they share routes (AK/DS and MK/EP), have gaps mid-day, and also drop at the TTC for MK.

There are a lot of great reasons to stay offsite---we are about half-and-half---but if you are going to do so, driving yourself is more or less mandatory.

 

[Keli]

We stayed at wyndham bonnet creek timeshares last year (and will again this fall! Yay!) and used their bus system exclusively for all our trips to/from the parks. It's a little more hassle than Disney busses due to not as frequent pick ups/drop offs but overall it was fine. If it was much trouble we'd have just broke down and paid for Disney parking.

This year my parents are coming with us and I know that standing/walking is hard on my mom so we might go ahead and pay for parking this year.