Park Hopping and Returning Late to Your Car

[MIChessGuy]

Next month I will be starting my day at DHS and then park-hopping to MK, which will be open 'til 11:00 pm. So, when I wrap it up at MK probably near closing, DHS will have been closed for a while already. My assumption is that buses will no longer be running to a closed park. Is it possible to take a bus to the hotel nearest DHS, whichever it is, and then walk over to the DHS parking lot? Or do people generally avoid all this by just driving over to MK when they are ready to park-hop? I am not a huge fan of the driving option because the bus will get me much closer to MK's entrance, but maybe that is preferable to wandering back to DHS after they've been closed for 90 minutes or whatever.

 

[Mle8308]

Next month I will be starting my day at DHS and then park-hopping to MK, which will be open 'til 11:00 pm. So, when I wrap it up at MK probably near closing, DHS will have been closed for a while already. My assumption is that buses will no longer be running to a closed park. Is it possible to take a bus to the hotel nearest DHS, whichever it is, and then walk over to the DHS parking lot? Or do people generally avoid all this by just driving over to MK when they are ready to park-hop? I am not a huge fan of the driving option because the bus will get me much closer to MK's entrance, but maybe that is preferable to wandering back to DHS after they've been closed for 90 minutes or whatever.

Definitely move your car. You may have to wait a long time for a resort bus at the end of the night at MK (they fill up quick), then hike from an Epcot resort over to DHS (and it is a decent walk, especially after a long day in the parks). You may be able to find a closer parking space in the MK lot in the afternoon, plus they have trams. There won't be long lines for the monorail, which is a fun way to get to the MK. Yes, there will be long lines for the monorail at the end of the night, too. However they can take more guests than the busses. I'd suggest taking the ferry back to the TTC. It can be faster than the monorail, then the tram back to your car. Or, take a rideshare back to DHS.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If it were me I would just park at TTC after you're done at DHS. It really doesn't tend to take all that much time out of your park day and then the logistics afterwards are no biggie.

I say this as my husband and I often drive between the parks.

Disney only advertises their bus transportation to be open 1 hour after a park's closing.

 

[CarolynFH]

I agree with above - move your car to TTC. The only resorts that are walkable to DHS are BWV, Swan/Dolphin, Yacht & Beach, and the walk from any of their bus stops to your car in the DHS lot would be over a mile. Not worth it after a 2-park day!

 

[Narcoossee11]

There is always a way to get back to your car. Disney has many mode of transportation.
May not be quick but they will get your back to your car.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

When I used to drive in for the day and park hop, we would park at the LAST place we were going to be and then hitch a ride via Disney transportation to our first park of the day. So, you COULD just park at the TTC in the morning and then get a Disney bus to HS. Then bus back to MK when time to hop and head home from there.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

When I used to drive in for the day and park hop, we would park at the LAST place we were going to be and then hitch a ride via Disney transportation to our first park of the day. So, you COULD just park at the TTC in the morning and then get a Disney bus to HS. Then bus back to MK when time to hop and head home from there.

IMO that would probably eat up a lot more park time both in the morning and the afternoon. Disney bus transport is not all that good.

Bus transport only runs 45 mins before a park open so not only would they be dealing with the crowds in the morning to park at the TTC they would need to wait for a bus at the TTC just to get to DHS then bus backwards to the TTC and then take the ferry or monorail into MK. And they would probably miss vital time in the morning at DHS if they are rope dropping (DHS gets busy in the morning) because they'd be behind people.

If they were doing Epcot and MK that would be different. We often park at the TTC and then take a monorail over to Epcot then the monorail back to TTC to get to MK but realistically that's the only two parks where parking at the TTC first works IMO.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Agree, move your car after park one. WDW doesn't do buses from park to park anyway, so how were you planning to get to park #2. I know there are ways to navigate with the buses, but all the time spent is more wisely used to drive yourself to park #2

 

[NJlauren]

I would park at TTC in the morning and Uber to HS, or take monorail to contemporary and then a bus to HS. I would rather have the headache in the morning than at night. But that’s just me.

 

[NJlauren]

Agree, move your car after park one. WDW doesn't do buses from park to park anyway, so how were you planning to get to park #2. I know there are ways to navigate with the buses, but all the time spent is more wisely used to drive yourself to park #2

Yes they do, the do buses park to park starting at around 1pm for 2pm park hopping.

 

[MIChessGuy]

Thanks to all, I think I'll probably just drive over from DHS to the MK lot in time for the 2:00pm start for park hopping. Initially I did like the idea of starting in the 'last' theme park of the day, but it just sounds too complicated when that park is MK.

 

[MikeF;NJ]

Thanks to all, I think I'll probably just drive over from DHS to the MK lot in time for the 2:00pm start for park hopping. Initially I did like the idea of starting in the 'last' theme park of the day, but it just sounds too complicated when that park is MK.

I'm glad for your decision. But just wanted to point out it's not really all that complicated when the last park is MK.

This past Thanksgiving, I wanted to walk as much of the monorail loop as I could so I could see the Christmas decorations. From where the TTC tram dropped me off, it was less than 5 minutes walking to get onto the Polynesian property. Give it another 5 to 7 minutes to walk to the bus area and you could take a bus to DHS. As far as taking the monorail from TTC to Contemporary, on the resort loop, Contemporary is the last stop before TTC, Polynesian is the first.

Returning for 2 PM hopping, as was pointed out above, bus from DHS to MK is available, or you could return to any of the monorail loop resorts and go from there.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Yes they do, the do buses park to park starting at around 1pm for 2pm park hopping.

That is awesome!

 

[sam_gordon]

I would park at TTC in the morning and Uber to HS, or take monorail to contemporary and then a bus to HS. I would rather have the headache in the morning than at night. But that’s just me.

um, no. If you park at TTC, walk to Poly and get the bus to HS there. Otherwise, you enter TTC, get on the resort monorail which has to stop at Poly, GF, and MK before getting to CR.

 

[tzvdmd]

There are buses that return you to where your vehicle is parked. Usually if you wait a little bit before running out to the buses right after park closing, there isn't much of a wait. Also the bus from Magic to Studios that late will more than likely drop you off by the restrooms by the Skyliner station and you will have a shorter walk to the parking lot. Load zone #6 at Magic is where you get the park to park bus for Studios.