park hoppping

[motaei]

I'm going to get the UPH when we go. I read on one thread that they took the monorail from MK to Epcot. Is it really that easy to go from park to park? Are they all set up like that? If so, that's great!!!

 

[wdwguide]

Well, you can travel by Monorail between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom (with a stop in between), and you can travel between Epcot and the Disney-MGM Studios by foot or by boat (with several stops). Then there are, of course, the Disney transport buses.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

You can take the monorail from Epcot to MK and the reverse. Unfortunately not all the parks are this easy. But, they are connected by bus or water. IE: From Epcot you can go by boat to MGM. From MGM you can go to AK via bus.
The transportation system at Disney is really wonderful. If cities copied their models the world would be a happier place.
BTW, if you are staying onsite, they will give you a transportation guide at check in. It has a LOT of helpful information.

 

[pigby]

I never knew that you could walk between Epcot and MGM - would you exit Epcot by International Gateway? How long does this take?

 

[Mouseteacher]

Yes, you would exit International Gateway and walk to and onto the Boardwalk to the end as if going to the S/D. The walkway to MGM is behind the Boardwalk. It is quite a walk from Epcot iiself. The walk from the Boardwalk to MGM alone is about 10-15 min.

 

[YesDear]

I agree with Mouseteacher you can do it, but with all the walking you are doing at Disney, the boat makes more sense to me!

My guess is at a good pace it is a good 25 min walk. That is not accounting for summer heat etc.

I always get a kick out of overhearing newcommers to the WDW area. I guess almost every trip I hear someone say they are not going to ride a bus! They will go back to the parking lot, get their car and drive to the next park!

The Disney Tranportaion system is amazing. It has gotten more complex in the past 7-10 yrs as the number of parks and resorts have increased.

on a recent trip we were staying at the AS Music. A man was asked what his number one ride was since it was his first trip. He quickly said he did not know what his favorite ride was, but he had spent far more time on the bus than any ride! If you stay at one of these "out" resorts the rides are longer, but still the only way to do it!

 

[XStAnt]

Cindy,

Getting from one park to another is very easy. But understand that the parks are not close together. It will probably take around 30-45 minutes to get from one park to the next. That includes time waiting for the bus/boat/monorail. Driving from park to park is no quicker sonce you have to walk to your car, drive to the next park, park the car, and walk or take a tram to the gate.

Park hopping is fun but don't expect to go back and forth several times a day.

 

[motaei]

Thanks for the info XStAnt! We are staying on site (CSR) with no car, so I am sure once we get there, we will get to know the transportation system very well. It's good to know it will take 1/2 hour to get from one place to another, whether it be park hopping or making it to a reservation. I have only been to DL, so trying to fathom the size of WDW is a little hard for me. (Even with the new DCA, it's only a quick walk away from the original DL - and even most hotels are just a good walk away) Your post does put it a little more in perspective. More info so that I can plan a better trip.

 

[XStAnt]

If you're trying to make it to a reservation add a lot more time. For example, Epcot is a huge park. Most of the restaurants are in World Showcase, at the back half of Epcot. It could take 20-30 minutes to walk to some of the restaurants from the front entrance.

Don't let me discourage you from park hopping, or even going to a different park for dinner, etc. Lots of people do it. Just leave yourself plenty of time.

Also, there is no resort to resort bus transportation. To go from CSR to another resort for dinner you would have to take a bus to a park or TTC, and then take a bus/boat/monorail to the resort you want to eat at. Many resorts have great restaurants, so it may be worth doing. Many people rave about Boma and Jiko at AKL, Artist Point at WL, 'Ohana at Poly, Chef Mickey's at CR, etc. They are also lovely resorts to look at.

If you're there long enough you might want to spend a pm resort hopping. It's a chance to rest from the hectic pace in the parks and it can be fun. You can check out places to stay on future trips. By the way, the Poly, Grand Floridian and Contemporary can all be reached by monorail. Once you are at either MK or TTC it is easy to hop the resort monorail and see those three. Also, the Epcot resorts (YC, BC, S/D, BI) are all within walking distance, although it's a long walk.

 

[Planogirl]

You can also take a bus to Downtown Disney and then catch another bus to the resort of your choice. This seems to take forever sometimes but late at night it can be the only way to do it.

There is (or was ) an exception. There used to be a bus between CSR and the Boardwalk. I won't swear that it still runs but its a lifesaver if it does.

One more thing: if you have PS at an isolated resort such as Animal Kingdom Lodge, I think it's often best to spring for a taxi. The wait and transfers can make you late if you're not careful.