park hopping: car vs. WDW transportation

[crzy4mk]

Here is our rough itenerary for our 2/15-2/20 trip. Please let me know your opinion on driving from park to park versus taking WDW transportation (which I hear can be slow).

Sunday, 2/15 Animal Kingdom AM, MGM PM, MK (if time) PM
Monday, 2/16 Off site
Tuesday, 2/17 All day at MK
Wednesday, 2/18 Epcot AM, MK PM
Thursday, 2/19 MGM AM, MK PM
Friday, 2/20 All day at MK (or favorites day for the kids)

Please let me know if you think we'd be better off driving or taking the shuttles.

Thanks!

 

[topcat011]

I would like to see the answers too. From reading the boards I am park hopping From EPcot to MGM. In the morning I will park the car in MGM then head to Epcot using the bus service. Spend the day at Epcot then get back on the bus to head to MGM watch fatasmic.
Am I understanding that right?

 

[Duchie]

During the day, we've never experienced terribly long waits for buses, and we've always had impatient toddlers along. It's a different story when the parks are closing - those waits can be a bit long, so maybe park the car where you'll end up for the day versus where you'll be starting the day, then take a bus to the park where you want to start. To me the convenience of the bus (shorter walk to the bus, not having to look for a parking place, park, get settled, etc.) makes up for a minimal wait time.

 

[luvsTink]

We were there for 5 days and we got a good deal on a rental car and we really liked having the convenience. It also made it so we could easily go eat at some of the resort restraunts. While I noticed that the wait for buses was not "terrible" I felt it worth the $$ to save time and frustration. However, I will add that a couple of times we found the disney roads and signage a bit confusing!

Have Fun!

Anne

 

[llp479]

We always park hop using Disney transportation. Hoping between Epcot and MGM is easy, because you use the boats, not the busses. The boat drops you at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot.

The only place I think busses are slow, is at AK. Not sure why that is, but no matter if we're hoping or returning to the hotel, the service there is always slow.

 

[dizagain]

HI! We stayed off-site with our own car. We found it quite easy to park-hop. We usually moved our car, but a few times we parked at the TTC and went between Epcot and MK. We never went quite as many places in one day as you seem to be planning. We usually went to a park at opening and moved to another around lunch. This meant that there were places to park close to the entrance as people had left already. I would also like to add that the one day I drove by myself with no DH I couldn't get to MGM for the life of me!!!! I finally made it, but the signs really confused me!! I vote for having a car, but then again, I have never stayed on-site, so I guess my opinion doesn't count!!! Have fun!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Park the car in the lot for the park you want to end the day in. Then use the Disney transport to get from that lot to the first park, and then back to the park. It's a lot more convinient then trying to navigate the roads around there by yourself. Leave that up to the experts. The busses and stuff are really only busy at close, so trying to get from one park to another in the middle of the day isn't bad at all. And if you're going from epcot to mk or something like that, the monorail is great fun.

 

[jann1033]

we always park hop using disney trans,. and have very minimal waits... the only problem area imo being coming home from dinner at a different resort so that would be "resort hopping". to us one of the greatest perks to "on property" is the transportation which while not as good as it used to be( between resorts )probably still better than driving.

keep in mind the place is huge so unless you go mutiple times in a year or have a fantastic sense of direction, it can be like driving around an unfamiliar county or large city. the maps help but the traffic does not give you a whole lot of time to check out street signs.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by monarchsfan16
Park the car in the lot for the park you want to end the day in.


just a thought..if you are planning on going to dinner elsewhere before you get your car make sure the park you are returning to will still be open when you plan to go back...we came across a family on the bus to dtd from boardwalk at 10:00 pm who were planning to take a bus to epcot from dtd to get their car parked at epcot ( not sure why they thought that would be a good idea, they were staying off property to boot!)... problem being the park had closed long before that . I don't know what happend to them.

 

[Micca]

General rule of thumb: If you're going resort-to-park(round trip) use WDW transpo. For trips to other resorts and DTD, use your car. My challenge with this advice is that during busy times if you're leaving a park when EVERYONE else is leaving, you could be in for a long wait when you have been standing in long lines all day. Also, it is sometimes convenient to have the car to haul purchases, or changes of clothing in your vehicle.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by topcat011
I would like to see the answers too. From reading the boards I am park hopping From EPcot to MGM. In the morning I will park the car in MGM then head to Epcot using the bus service. Spend the day at Epcot then get back on the bus to head to MGM watch fatasmic.
Am I understanding that right?

There is no bus from MGM to Epcot; rather you will be taking the Boats, which stop at Swan/Dolphin, Yacht & Beach Clubs, Boardwalk then on to the Int'l Gateway at Epcot (you can also walk the ~1.5 miles). The boat ride is lovely, and a great favorite among my kids.

As for your MK + Epcot days, you will want to rely on Monorail, bcs that is also a really cool way to get around. With a little patience, I think you will be best off relying on Disney Transport (our pals in the purple pants ) to get you where you want to go. This is easiest of course if you are staying on-site. Off-site you will want to do as monachsfan15 suggests, and park where you plan to end up (tho AK should be driven since it is so far out).

have fun!

 

[XStAnt]

When comparing the time it takes to drive versus taking Disney transport, make sure you factor in the additional time getting to and from your car. When driving you have to walk from the resort to your car, drive to the park, wait at a toll plaza, park the car, and take a tram or walk to the entrance (and for MK you than take the monrail or ferry to MK). When taking Disney transportation you have to walk to the bus/boat/monorail stop (which may be closer or farther than your car is), wait for the bus, drive to the park (without waiting at the toll plaza), and get off the bus at the entrance (unlike with cars which require you to walk or take a tram from your car to the entrance).

When park hopping, the additional time to get to/from the car is doubled if you drive from park to park. If you park your car at one spot in the morning you will either take Disney transportation to your first park (if you are parking at the park you'll end up at in the evening), or take Disney transportation back to your original park (where your car is located if you start at the park that you first parked at). (I really hope this makes sense )

Unless you have to wait for a couple of busses at park closing or peak times, I think Disney transport takes a little less time when going resort to park.

 

[jann1033]

Originally posted by XStAnt
When comparing the time it takes to drive versus taking Disney transport, ]

and don't forget sitting in traffic waiting to get in and out of the parks which you don't have in the disney trans.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
There is no bus from MGM to Epcot; ...

There is a bus from Epcot to MGM. At least there was one last year.

Ed