Staying at Wilderness Lodge & Eating at the Poly & Grand Floridian

[Scotch]

Sorry if the question has been asked before. Each time I try to Search I get a server busy signal.

We're heading off to WDW this Saturday for our first stay at the Villas of the Wilderness Lodge. I have reservations for dinner at the Kona Cafe and the afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian during the week. I want to be prepared for the best/most efficient way of getting to the restaurants and back because we will have a toddler with us.

If we spend time before those meals at MK, then we'll just take the monorail to those resorts. I believe the monorail goes from MK directly to GF first, right? Then it stops at the Poly?

If we go directly from WL, then should we take the bus or boat first to MK, then hop onto the monorail or should we take the boat to the Contemporary then hop onto the monorail?

How about the return to WL portion? Does the monorail just go in a counterclockwise direction such that if we were to take the monorail from the GF we'll have to circle past the Contemporary before reaching MK? Is it better to aim to reach the Contemporary and then take the boat there back to WL or to aim to reach MK then take either bus or boat from there back to WL?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

The resort monorail run clockwise, MK, Cr, TTC, Poly, GF. Yes you will have to take the bus or boat to MK to get on. If you want to take the boat to CR that will work to but you will have to go inside the hotel, take the escalator or elevator to the 4th floor then another escalator or elevator to the monorail station. Nice shoping on the 4th floor so it might be fun just to try. Hope that helps.

 

[Gary M]

You could also take a boat from MK to GF and Poly instead of the monorail.

For the tea you could maybe take a bus from WL to GF. One of the buses goes from WL to GF and then to I believe one of the parks. I remember a stop at the GF, but I can't remember which bus it was. Ask one of the drivers and they can tell you if you're interested.

 

[scanne]

If you have small children with you and will be taking a stroller, your best bet would be to take the large boat from the WL to the MK, then take the monorail to either resort. If no kids are involved, or if your kids are older and you're not using a stroller, I would say take the small boat to the Contemporary and take the monorail from there. The monorail station is on the 4th floor of the Contemporary. If your starting point is the MK, then you can take the monorail or the small boat to the GF or the Polynesian. Personally, I love the small boat from the MK to the GF/Polynesian. It's very peaceful and just watching as you get closer and closer to the GF is one of my favorite things.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your trip, the WL, Kona and the tea - all are AMAZING and some of my most favorite things at WDW!!!

 

[cslittle999]

You could also take a boat from MK to GF and Poly instead of the monorail.

For the tea you could maybe take a bus from WL to GF. One of the buses goes from WL to GF and then to I believe one of the parks. I remember a stop at the GF, but I can't remember which bus it was. Ask one of the drivers and they can tell you if you're interested.

The WL Epcot bus stops at GF before going on to Epcot.

 

[Scotch]

Thank you all so much!!

 

[Scotch]

The WL Epcot bus stops at GF before going on to Epcot.

Does the Epcot to WL bus stop at GF before going onto WL or does it go to WL first?

 

[cslittle999]

Does the Epcot to WL bus stop at GF before going onto WL or does it go to WL first?

The first stop for all of the "park to WL" buses is WL. I don't remember if Epcot to WL bus goes on to the GF. You have to remember that buses at WDW don't travel in loops. A bus from a park to a resort may travel on to another park.

 

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

I'm not wanting to hijack this thread, but we will be going to GF, and WL from MK or vice versa. So if somene could just comfirm The monorail goes MK, Cr, TTC, Poly, GF and then back to MK? The best way to get from MK to WL is the 'big' boat? Thanks for the clarification!

Lee

 

[cslittle999]

I'm not sure about the order of the monorail stops.

The bus is the fastest way from MK to WL. The boat is more scenic. I wouldn't call the boat big. The boat is much smaller than the ferries that go back and forth to the TTC.

 

[betterlatethannever]

I'm not sure about the order of the monorail stops.

The bus is the fastest way from MK to WL. The boat is more scenic. I wouldn't call the boat big. The boat is much smaller than the ferries that go back and forth to the TTC.

Well, lets call it the middle size boat. It is much bigger than the boats used on the WL,FW,CR route and the GF, Polynesian route.

Ed

 

[salmoneous]

Just to be a dork (geek?) for a minute, the smallest boats (I like the name Willy Wonka Boats) are officially water launches. The midsized boats (FW/WL/MK) are FriendShips. And the big thing (TTC->MK) is a ferryboat.

At dinnertime, the Friendship will be traveling MK -> WL -> FW -> MK and won't be particularly efficient at getting you to the Poly. Depending upon what time your tea is for, the Friendship may be going the other way MK -> FW -> WL -> MK and would work better.

If you are feeling adventuresome, you could head out to the WL dock and take whichever boat comes first.

If you are in a hurry, note that a cab will take you from the WL to either GF or Poly in five minutes and will be *by* *far* the fastest most efficient way to travel.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

Just to be a dork (geek?) for a minute, the smallest boats (I like the name Willy Wonka Boats) are officially water launches. The midsized boats (FW/WL/MK) are FriendShips. And the big thing (TTC->MK) is a ferryboat.

Close, but...Small boats=launches(Navigator, Seafarer, Mariner...6 in all)
Midsize(Castaway, Bon Voyage, Mermaid)= 3 cruisers
Largest on the 7 seas=3 Ferryboats
The Frienship boats are the watertaxis in the EPCOT area. They were tested on Bay Lake and 7 Seas but it was found that the waves that can occur there were to much for this boat design.

OK so maybe I'm a bigger geek

 

[sotoalf]

The WL Epcot bus stops at GF before going on to Epcot.

Just to clarify, there is no bus transportation to Epcot from the GF. You must mean an MGM, AK, or water park bus.

 

[cslittle999]

Just to clarify, there is no bus transportation to Epcot from the GF. You must mean an MGM, AK, or water park bus.

You're right. WL and GF share a bus to AK and DTD. I don't know why I keep remembering stopping there on the way to Epcot.