Problem with staying off-site and ADR

[Coach81]

We are staying at our home resort this coming February for the first time We will be staying from Sunday through Thursday. The question / problem that we have is we have a character breakfast reserved for that Sunday morning around 8 am at AK, and we are concerned that if we stay off-site they may not let us in early enough if we are driving to the park. So the question is this: Will we be allowed to park and into the Animal Kingdom park early enough to take advantage of an early morning character breakfast even if we are not using the WDW transportation busses?

 

[corky441]

when you say off-site, I'm thinking you mean not staying at AKL - am I correct?

Even so, you will be able to get into the parking at the AK. They start letting people through the gates early, then hold you back from actually entering the park until approx 15 minutes before the first ADR times are scheduled. You'll be able to get to the restaurant, but CMs will keep you from entering other areas of the park until it officially opens

 

[Coach81]

Sorry for not being more specific. We are staying off-site as in out of Disney area hotel. So we will be able to enter the parking area, and then allowed into the park early enough to make our 8 am character breakfast?

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you check in at your resort at 7AM, you will get your parking pass and room ID's (your room may not be ready). But, in the past, when we drove to AK for EMH, they didn't open the parking lot up until half of the EMH was already over.

Check in, take the bus from your resort to AK and then enter on your ADR.

If you don't check in first, you won't have the parking pass and will have to pay for parking, plus they may not let you enter for EMH.

 

[Coach81]

So check in.. (our room will certainly not be ready), leave our luggage, then jump on the bus. That sound about right?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yep, there should be a bus heading to AK at 7AM if that is EMH morning.

 

[helenk]

Yep, there should be a bus heading to AK at 7AM if that is EMH morning.

The buses run early even if its not an EMH park. The buses start running between 6:30 and 7:00 for the character breakfasts and tours.