Staying off site...

[Indianawdwfan]

Can we ride the bus from Downtown Disney to one of the parks and back? Do you have to show your wdw tickets or do you just walk on the bus? Thanks

 

[sharadoc]

No you can't. Buses don't run from Downtown Disney to the theme parks because of the situation you are describing. People were doing that to avoid paying for parking, and they would fill up the DTD parking lot all day.

Plus the DTD buses don't run very early or often. You would be wasting a LOT of time trying to do that.

 

[GirlDreamer]

Honestly, it would be a lot quicker for you to use your hotels buses to the park. But if you want to go to DTD to shop first and then head to a park, you can jump on on of the resort buses and then change to the park bus at the resort. It could take a while to get to the park though.

You don't have to show your park tickets, just walk on the bus.

 

[goofy4tink]

Depends on whether you value time or money. Value time??? Then head directly to a park and park there. Value money? Park at DTD and spend a possible 90-120 mins getting to a park.
Disney doesn't intend for those who park at DTD to get to a theme park...so they don't run buses between them. Do they stop you from getting on a resort bus at DTD if you aren't staying at that resort? No.

But...here's why we tend to discourage people from parking at DTD and taking a bus to a park. If you want to get to a park early in the day (before 10am), you will be hard pressed to get a bus to a resort quickly. Let's say you want to go to MK...you would have to wait for a bus to the CR...could be a 30+ min wait. Then, the ride to CR...about 15+ mins, and then walk to MK..another 10 mins...so, best case scenario would be an hour. But, you could wait a lot longer for the bus to arrive.

Since there are no buses running between DTD and the theme parks, it really isn't a viable solution to park at DTD for park access.

 

[GirlDreamer]

The OP didn't say anything about driving to DTD though... But if that's the case, then yes, it would be a huge waste of your time. Better to use your resorts bus then.

 

[gmeh1]

The OP didn't say anything about driving to DTD though... But if that's the case, then yes, it would be a huge waste of your time. Better to use your resorts bus then.

The title of the OP post is "staying off site". The implication was that the OP would like to drive to DTD and take a bus to the parks. Using the resort transportation is a possibility if her offsite hotel offers that.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Depends on whether you value time or money. Value time??? Then head directly to a park and park there. Value money? Park at DTD and spend a possible 90-120 mins getting to a park.
Disney doesn't intend for those who park at DTD to get to a theme park...so they don't run buses between them. Do they stop you from getting on a resort bus at DTD if you aren't staying at that resort? No.

But...here's why we tend to discourage people from parking at DTD and taking a bus to a park. If you want to get to a park early in the day (before 10am), you will be hard pressed to get a bus to a resort quickly. Let's say you want to go to MK...you would have to wait for a bus to the CR...could be a 30+ min wait. Then, the ride to CR...about 15+ mins, and then walk to MK..another 10 mins...so, best case scenario would be an hour. But, you could wait a lot longer for the bus to arrive.

Since there are no buses running between DTD and the theme parks, it really isn't a viable solution to park at DTD for park access.

Actually it's somewhat worse then you make it sound.

Buses do not start running FROM DTD until it's been open an hour.... so between 9:30 to 10. (No thoses buses dropping off are not just doing a loop back and there really is no one there that early to realize you need a ride anyplace, plus they KNOW what you are up to which means they are less likely to bend over backwards to find you a bus) I took an early bus to DTD once and the driver basically told the family waiting to get on the bus (back to the Swan/Dolphin area that "we don't run back for an hour" He was going to do a pick up at another resort etc.... you could tell that he really was not going to call let dispatch know they were waiting )

So MK opens at 8. By the time you get there doing this trick.. it's 10:30 or so and getting VERY crowded.

If you average the cost of your vacation per hour you may find the savings make it "penny wise and pound foolish" Let's say that your vacation only costs $5 an hour (which would be low) and there are 4 of you. Missing 2 hours of park time is $40. But really it's higher. You missed the hours when you could have gottne on things quickly or gotten a good fast pass time. So now you are staning in an hour line or not able to get a fast pass. (For example arriving two hours after opening at the Studios during a busy period will mean you probably won't get a Toy Story Mania fast pass)

And then of course you have to do this "suffle" on the way home. It's not TOO bad from Epcot or MK, but... it's a PIA from Studios or AK.