Share your taxi/bus experiences, please!

[BfloChick]

Here is the low-down:

DH and I are planning a trip this winter with our two boys, ages 2 and 5. I would like to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. DH is leaning toward Wilderness Lodge. We stayed at WL last year and loved it, but I am thinking that (1) it would be nice to try something new, and (2) since my boys are obsessed with animals, they'd have a really great time at AKL.

One of DH's reasons for picking WL over AKL is transportation. We won't have our own car, and he is concerned about being so far away from things. I am thinking, on the other hand, that while WL is close to MK and the boat option is nice, that we won't really gain any advantage staying there when it comes to visiting Downtown Disney, Epcot, etc. (which we plan to do this time around). And, I am also thinking that if we plan to take taxis at key times, it could ease his concerns a bit.

So my questions are:

1. What are your general experiences using taxi services to get around Disney?

2. Would you recommend taking a taxi service or the bus from AKL to various destinations within Disney?

3. Do taxi services accommodate small kids well? Do any offer car seats or boosters? Or are they expected to ride like adults?

 

[TheWog]

We stayed at AKL this past April/May and had great bus service. I've heard it in the past and do not really understand why everyone thinks you are out near Tampa when staying at AKL. AKL to AK was of course very quick - 3-5 mins each trip. AKL to MK was between 12-16 mins each trip. The 16 min trip was due to busses being stopped by a supervisor at the entrance to the MK dropoff area for some reason. AKL to EP was about 13-15 mins and the same for DHS. Reasonable in my expectation. I was also never really in any great rush and didn't have ADRs or other reservation requirements to meet. DTD was the longest ride and was never shorter than 20 - 25 mins. When arriving to the bus area we usually waited between 5-8 mins for a bus to arrive with some arriving sooner, but none arriving longer than 10 mins with one exception, a middle of the day trip to DTD which we waited 27 mins for a bus to arrive to bring us to DTD. I have heard not as many busses run for DTD during the day so I chaulk it up to that. We were always able to get on the bus that arrived and I only stood a couple of trips, so the majority of the time I was able to get a seat.

disclaimer: They now have AKV and that will add a couple of mins to your ride. You must drop off there before getting to AKL on the way back from the parks. They just opened on May 1 the day before we left, so the times I experienced may be a bit off from current actual times.

I think you would love the AKL. It is very similar in construction to WL, but the animals are a lot of fun to see when waking up in the morning. There is so much to do there as well. Give it a shot.

 

[BfloChick]

Thanks for your reply! I really am hoping to convince DH that AKL is the right move. I can just picture my boys mesmerized by the animals...I swear, the zoo is the only time I've seen them stand in one place for more than 30 seconds. I know DH loves the WL and I liked it, too...but he is telling me he is open to a new experience. I just have to convince him on the bus thing. Working on it...

 

[TheWog]

Good luck. Honestly the busses were not bad at all. Have a great time with whatever you decide.