Resort Bus schedules

[perla75]

Hi there,

I wondered if the buses run on essentially the same schedules all year round? We are getting married in 12/2011 at WDW & I am writing up some info for guests about bus transportation from their hotel to our ceremony at the Swan and Dolphin on the Boardwalk.

If I look online or ask my family to pick me up a bus schedule from each hotel on their next trip, would it be fairly accurate?

About how often do the buses run in the morning?

Also, which bus would they take to get from their WDW resort to the Swan and Dolphin?

Would it be the DHS bus? If so, which direction do they head once they get off the bus to be able to walk to the Swan & Dolphin? and around how many minutes would you allot for getting off of the bus & walking to head to the Swan and Dolphin?

Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you!

 

[helenk]

There are no posted bus schedules. Essentially the buses run aproximately every 20 minutes. Sometimes its a longer wait, sometimes a shorter wait.
Buses start running around 6:30/7:00 in the morning, the buses to the MK are usually the earlier time.
The best way to get to the Swan/Dolphin, assuming your group is not staying at an EPCOT resort, would be to take the bus to the DHS. Once they get off the bus they want to go over to their right (if they are facing DHS) and follow the sidewalk past the bus stop for the off site hotels and there is a walk way that follows the canal. I would estimate the walk would take at least 20 minutes.
If they are pressed for time, the fastest way would be to take a taxi.

 

[vicki_c]

There is no published bus schedule.

There is also no resort to resort bus transportation. To get to the Swan/Dolphin from another Disney resort (not an Epcot resort), they could get a bus to DHS I suppose and then walk - it's like at 15 minute walk. Not what I would want to be doing if I was dressed up for a wedding - not impossible in December, but still not what I would want to do. They could also take the boat from DHS to Swan/Dolphin, it will take the same amount of time.

For a wedding, I would not be relying on Disney buses as my transportation, but maybe that's just me. I would be taking a cab.

Buses from resorts to parks do run all the time though, but I would allow an hour to transport just in case (for example, you might walk up to the bus stop just as a bus is leaving, so then you might have to wait 20 minutes for the next bus, then factor in your travel time to wherever you are going).

 

[perla75]

There are no posted bus schedules. Essentially the buses run aproximately every 20 minutes. Sometimes its a longer wait, sometimes a shorter wait.
Buses start running around 6:30/7:00 in the morning, the buses to the MK are usually the earlier time.
The best way to get to the Swan/Dolphin, assuming your group is not staying at an EPCOT resort, would be to take the bus to the DHS. From there they can either walk over to the S/D or take the boat.
If they are pressed for time, the fastest way would be to take a taxi.

Thank you so much!! A few more questions, if you don't mind....

After they step off the bus at DHS, where do they go? Which direction do they head to walk over to the Swan Dolphin? Are there any signs or landmarks to follow to help guide the walk from DHS to the Swan/Dolphin?

About how long of a walk is it from DHS to the Swan/Dolphin?

IF they were to take a taxi, which taxi company would they call & how long should they allow for the taxi to drive there?

 

[helenk]

Thank you so much!! A few more questions, if you don't mind....

After they step off the bus at DHS, where do they go? Which direction do they head to walk over to the Swan Dolphin? Are there any signs or landmarks to follow to help guide the walk from DHS to the Swan/Dolphin?

About how long of a walk is it from DHS to the Swan/Dolphin?

IF they were to take a taxi, which taxi company would they call & how long should they allow for the taxi to drive there?

I edited my above post with directions for walking. And yes there is a sign for the walkway.
For a taxi, if they are staying on WDW property all they have to do is go to the Concierge Desk, or if they are at a Deluxe resort, the valet can do this as well, have them call a cab. The travel time depends on which resort they will be staying in.

 

[perla75]

Thank you-that was all very helpful information!

 

[goofy4tink]

As far as which bus to take..it is all going to depend on where they are staying. If your guests are staying at a monorail resort, it will be just as easy to head to the MK and take the S/D bus from there. At AKL?? Head to AK and take the S/D bus from there. Otherwise the bus to DHS is going to be a decent option.
It should take under 20 mins to make the walk, but...do you really want your wedding guests walking 15+ mins in their nice clothes?? It will be winter, so at least it shouldn't be too hot, which is a plus. Cabs may be a good way to go.

When planning around the transportation system at WDW, it's always a good idea to plan on an hour to get from point A to point B. The buses from resort to park run about every 15 or so mins. So..if you get to a bus stop just as the bus is pulling out, you may have a 15 min wait for the next one. Then, the actual bus ride (depending on where the resort is, and which park you are going to it could be 10-20 mins on the bus), then if you are transferring to a resort bus at that park, it could be another 15 min wait for the next bus, and then the ride on the bus to the resort.

 

[perla75]

As far as which bus to take..it is all going to depend on where they are staying. If your guests are staying at a monorail resort, it will be just as easy to head to the MK and take the S/D bus from there. At AKL?? Head to AK and take the S/D bus from there. Otherwise the bus to DHS is going to be a decent option.
It should take under 20 mins to make the walk, but...do you really want your wedding guests walking 15+ mins in their nice clothes?? It will be winter, so at least it shouldn't be too hot, which is a plus. Cabs may be a good way to go.

When planning around the transportation system at WDW, it's always a good idea to plan on an hour to get from point A to point B. The buses from resort to park run about every 15 or so mins. So..if you get to a bus stop just as the bus is pulling out, you may have a 15 min wait for the next one. Then, the actual bus ride (depending on where the resort is, and which park you are going to it could be 10-20 mins on the bus), then if you are transferring to a resort bus at that park, it could be another 15 min wait for the next bus, and then the ride on the bus to the resort.

Thank you!!

Around how much would a cab cost? Just a price range from say AKL (which I'm guessing is the furthest out) or from CSR (which I'm guessing is the closest Non-Boardwalk resort?)?

 

[DebbieB]

There is a boat from DHS to the Swan Dolphin, probably about 10 minutes. If I was dressed for a wedding, I would not be walking.

You may want to look into the cost of having a shuttle pickup the guests at their resort. Your wedding planner would probably have info.