Question Regarding BWV and the Epcot Monorail

[WDWHound]

We are just 5 weeks away from our first stay at the Boardwalk Villas! I cant wait!

I have a question to those of you who have stayed at one of the Epcot resorts (BW,YC,BC). We will be attending Mickey's Very Merry and plan to be there till at least 11PM. We are not big bus fans and parking at the Magic Kingdom is a bit inconvenient, so we were hoping to take the moorail back to Epcot and then walk through the park back to the international gateway and on to the Boardwalk. However, Epcot will almost certainly be closed by then.

Does anyone know if they will let us do this once the park is closed? It seems like a longshot, but I'd thought I'd ask.

 

[cocinelle]

BUMP!

 

[dmonroe]

I'm pretty sure you're going to have to either take the bus or drive your own car.

 

[DebbieB]

I doubt very much you would be able to walk through Epcot that late. I'm sure they close it for security reasons. I'm not sure what time they shut down the Epcot monorail. I don't think it would save any time anyway. You can hop a bus right outside MK. If the bus stops at the Swan & Dolphin first, get off there and walk over to BW.

 

[ducklite]

You can not walk through Epcot once the park is closed (9:30pm).

I'm not sure you'd really want to anyhow, that's a very long walk--almost two miles from start to finish.

You could always walk from the MK to the CR and catch a cab--cost will be about $15-18 plus tip.

Anne

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by DebbieB
You can hop a bus right outside MK. If the bus stops at the Swan & Dolphin first, get off there and walk over to BW.

Buses are routed Boardwalk -> Swan -> Dolphin

 

[WDWHound]

Thanks for the info.

Does anybody know how late the Epcot monorail runs?

I really don't like riding busses, so I figure we may park our rental car in the Epcot parking lot and take the monorail back to it at the end of the evening.

 

[DebbieB]

Originally posted by Chip 'n Dale Express
Buses are routed Boardwalk -> Swan -> Dolphin

That's good to know. Anytime we have taken the bus after MVMCP, they always ran S-D-YC-BC-BW. Seemed to take forever, too tired to walk from first stop.

I really don't like riding busses, so I figure we may park our rental car in the Epcot parking lot and take the monorail back to it at the end of the evening.

Why don't you park it in the MK parking lot (TTC)?

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by DebbieB
Why don't you park it in the MK parking lot (TTC)?

We will probably end up doing that, its just that it always seemed to me to take a long time for the trans to reach the parking lot at MK. Still, its probably less time than it would take to transfer to the Epcot monorail and ride back to Epcot.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by WDWHound
We will probably end up doing that, its just that it always seemed to me to take a long time for the trans to reach the parking lot at MK. Still, its probably less time than it would take to transfer to the Epcot monorail and ride back to Epcot.

My advice is to take the bus. If you stay until the end of MVMCP, there will be a HUGE crush of people trying to get on the ferry and the monrail to the TTC. There might be a line for the bus back to the BWV, but you will almost surely get back to your room sooner if you take the bus. We've done both for MVMCP, and never again will I choose to drive and go through the TTC. At least I have a little "personal space" while waiting for the bus - that is most definitley not the case waiting for transportation to the TTC!

Best wishes -

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by CarolMN
My advice is to take the bus. If you stay until the end of MVMCP, there will be a HUGE crush of people trying to get on the ferry and the monrail to the TTC.

I agrre about the crowds. We always leave MVMCP around 11PM for this very reason.

 

[DebbieB]

There will be a big rush when the second parade ends. On last year's schedule, the second parade began at 10:45. I would get out before then or see the parade at the front of the park and get out right after (I think it starts in the front).

 

[crisi]

If it were me, and I didn't have little kids in tow......

I'd head out from the party to the bar at the Poly on the resort monorail. Better would be to walk to the CR bar, but I like the Poly bar. Have a cocktail. Relax. Grab a cab a little later.

Cab ride $15
Umbrella drink $7
Sitting around in the Poly bar avoiding crowded buses, trams and traffic....priceless

 

[mochabean]

Typically the monorails run up to 2 hr after park closing, so the epcot monorail should run till 11:30 pm. However, that is for people leaving Epcot, so they probably won't let you board the Epcot monorail at the TTC anytime past 9:30 pm.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by mochabean
Typically the monorails run up to 2 hr after park closing, so the epcot monorail should run till 11:30 pm. However, that is for people leaving Epcot, so they probably won't let you board the Epcot monorail at the TTC anytime past 9:30 pm.

Sure they will. They know that some people leave their cars parked at the EPCOT lot even though they are going to the MK for the afternoon or evening. The parking lot trams will probably not be running that late though, so depending on where you parked, it could be a bit of a walk to your car.

Best wishes -

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by mochabean
Typically the monorails run up to 2 hr after park closing, so the epcot monorail should run till 11:30 pm. However, that is for people leaving Epcot, so they probably won't let you board the Epcot monorail at the TTC anytime past 9:30 pm.

The resort monorail will run 2hrs after park closing (or, if after 11pm, until park clear), however, the Epcot monorail will run only 90 minutes after park closing. After the Epcot Monorails shuts down, limited bus service is provided for those at Epcot wishing to get to the CR/PO/GF, or those at the TTC wishing to get to the Epcot Parking Lot.

In the particular case of the OP, I'm a bit confused. Parking at the Magic Kingdom is inconvenient, but walking 2 miles through Epcot, taking the Epcot monorail, then transferring to a separate train (the same train you'd have to take from the parking lot), and (assuming Epcot is still open) reversing the whole process to get back isn't?

If the wish is to avoid crowds, then a taxi to/from the Contemporary would be the best route.