Switching from Springhill to Homewood suites

[JJ2017]

So I think we want to use our Hilton points instead of Marriott. I can see that homewood is further down harbor but if taking an uber, is it really a big difference? And the walk looks maybe 5 minutes more? Any strong reasons not to switch?

 

[Syndrome]

Besides using lyft / uber , you can prob also just walk over to the Toy Story parking lot and jump on the shuttle bus to the main gates . The Toy Story lot is literally right next door to the Homewood Suites .

 

[JJ2017]

Besides using lyft / uber , you can prob also just walk over to the Toy Story parking lot and jump on the shuttle bus to the main gates . The Toy Story lot is literally right next door to the Homewood Suites .

Oh wow. Ok. Can you please tell me how the shuttles work? Set times or constant? Long waits for a shuttle? And where do they drop off?

 

[Imdboss]

We’ve stayed at Homewood several times. We almost always use the Toy Story lot shuttles when staying there, they run constant, no set schedule. There can be a bit of a wait during the morning hours but never too bad, same with leaving the park. They are well prepared for the number of people though. It’s basically just a matter of how long it takes to get one bus loaded so the next can pull up. Longest we’ve waited has probably been 10min but it’s a nice way to save the feet from some walking especially if you take an afternoon break.

 

[Syndrome]

Here is a quick birds eye view of the toy story parking lot (circled green line area ), (and the small expansion area in yellow ) .
If you look in the bottom left corner of the photo is the Homewood Suites (basically in the green line cut out area ) . You really can NOT be any closer to the Toy Story Parking lot to use its free shuttle to the Parks ! .........LUCKY !
Anyway, just walk up Harbor to the entrance of the Toy Sory lot (It will be on your right as you walk ) , then just head towards that circle in the middle of the lot . Thats where the buses pick up and drop off . Its free to use the shuttle buses (the only fee is if your parking) . Shuttles run (I Think) 1.5 hours before parks opening, and run all day pretty consistantly . You really shouldnt have to wait at all .

 

[MonocularVision]

Here is a quick birds eye view of the toy story parking lot (circled green line area ), (and the small expansion area in yellow ) .
If you look in the bottom left corner of the photo is the Homewood Suites (basically in the green line cut out area ) . You really can NOT be any closer to the Toy Story Parking lot to use its free shuttle to the Parks ! .........LUCKY !
Anyway, just walk up Harbor to the entrance of the Toy Sory lot (It will be on your right as you walk ) , then just head towards that circle in the middle of the lot . Thats where the buses pick up and drop off . Its free to use the shuttle buses (the only fee is if your parking) . Shuttles run (I Think) 1.5 hours before parks opening, and run all day pretty consistantly . You really shouldnt have to wait at all .

We went last weekend and stayed at the Homewood Suites (which we have been doing since it opened) and were bummed to find out that the pickup area moved when they added security. It is now more towards the empty area in the upper right of that pic. It isn’t that much extra walk but was still a bummer.

 

[JJ2017]

Here is a quick birds eye view of the toy story parking lot (circled green line area ), (and the small expansion area in yellow ) .
If you look in the bottom left corner of the photo is the Homewood Suites (basically in the green line cut out area ) . You really can NOT be any closer to the Toy Story Parking lot to use its free shuttle to the Parks ! .........LUCKY !
Anyway, just walk up Harbor to the entrance of the Toy Sory lot (It will be on your right as you walk ) , then just head towards that circle in the middle of the lot . Thats where the buses pick up and drop off . Its free to use the shuttle buses (the only fee is if your parking) . Shuttles run (I Think) 1.5 hours before parks opening, and run all day pretty consistantly . You really shouldnt have to wait at all .

This is SO helpful!!! Thank you!!!

 

[JJ2017]

We went last weekend and stayed at the Homewood Suites (which we have been doing since it opened) and were bummed to find out that the pickup area moved when they added security. It is now more towards the empty area in the upper right of that pic. It isn’t that much extra walk but was still a bummer.

Oh man. That is frustrating though! Especially when you have gotten used to something.

 

[montreid]

I do wish homewood would put a door in the back of their lot -- would save about 5minutes of walking!

 

[MonocularVision]

I do wish homewood would put a door in the back of their lot -- would save about 5minutes of walking!

That would be epic. I have often looked at that fence and thought “I could do this...”

 

[JJ2017]

I do wish homewood would put a door in the back of their lot -- would save about 5minutes of walking!

Ha. It’s like my route to the kids school I could save so much time if I could turn down this one way street. Thanks!

 

[smartlabelprint]

We went last weekend and stayed at the Homewood Suites (which we have been doing since it opened) and were bummed to find out that the pickup area moved when they added security. It is now more towards the empty area in the upper right of that pic. It isn’t that much extra walk but was still a bummer.

Thanks for the update!

That is quite an additional walk. We often just walk to the parks because walking to the bus takes just as long. Now it could take longer to get to the parks on the shuttle.

This trip we will for sure have our double stroller so I doubt we'll use the shuttle much anyway.

 

[MonocularVision]

Thanks for the update!

That is quite an additional walk. We often just walk to the parks because walking to the bus takes just as long. Now it could take longer to get to the parks on the shuttle.

This trip we will for sure have our double stroller so I doubt we'll use the shuttle much anyway.

Yeah, a bit of a bummer but I would put the extra walk at maybe 2 minutes tops.

You are still saving over a half mile in walking going via bus:

 

[JJ2017]

Yeah, a bit of a bummer but I would put the extra walk at maybe 2 minutes tops.

You are still saving over a half mile in walking going via bus:

View attachment 472667
View attachment 472668

Very cool to see. Thanks! I’m curious about ubering too. We are a very impatient family.

 

[montreid]

Very cool to see. Thanks! I’m curious about ubering too. We are a very impatient family.

Ubering is a PITA as no drop off on the Northbound side so have to go up to Courtyard, do U turn, then down to the dropoff area.

 

[Lvsdisney]

We just stayed at the homewood suites last month and it was so easy using the shuttles at Toy Story. It prob took us 10 minutes from door to security. I liked going through security at the parking lot vs at the park because it was faster. We never tried ubering - never saw a need to.

 

[JJ2017]

We just stayed at the homewood suites last month and it was so easy using the shuttles at Toy Story. It prob took us 10 minutes from door to security. I liked going through security at the parking lot vs at the park because it was faster. We never tried ubering - never saw a need to.

Another new tid bit for a newbie. What do you mean by security at the lot vs the park?

 

[MonocularVision]

Another new tid bit for a newbie. What do you mean by security at the lot vs the park?

On expected very busy days, they setup a security point at the shuttle pickup. After going through that you then bypass Harbor security after they drop you off. It doesn’t seem like they have it running too often though (they didn’t have it running last weekend when we were there)

 

[Lvsdisney]

Another new tid bit for a newbie. What do you mean by security at the lot vs the park?

What @MonocularVision said. They have security at the lot on busier days. When we went over MLK weekend, they had security on Sunday and Monday morning, but not Tuesday. We took mid-day breaks and we had to do security at the park in the afternoon when we returned. But the mornings we did it at the parking lot it was a breeze compared to the other times at the parks.

 

[JJ2017]

What @MonocularVision said. They have security at the lot on busier days. When we went over MLK weekend, they had security on Sunday and Monday morning, but not Tuesday. We took mid-day breaks and we had to do security at the park in the afternoon when we returned. But the mornings we did it at the parking lot it was a breeze compared to the other times at the parks.

Interesting. It will be easter and the day after (so I think busy days!?).