Taking the boat to MK

[Jellifer]

I'm flying out in 23 days to Florida. We are staying off site on international drive and we have the 14 day ticket for Disney.

I went once before as a kid and I remember getting the boat across to magic kingdom the first time we went to the park. I was talking about this last night to my flat mate and he said that's how he wants to experience the park for the first time.

Can you still get the boat to the magic kingdom? If so how do we get it? We plan on getting there on our first full day for rope drop, should we get a taxi or use public transport? Where do we arrange to get dropped off for the boat?

 

[tupperware509]

when you arrive at mk you will be at the ticket and transportation center, you can choose to take the monrail or the boat. have fun!!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Can you still get the boat to the magic kingdom? If so how do we get it? We plan on getting there on our first full day for rope drop, should we get a taxi or use public transport? Where do we arrange to get dropped off for the boat?

Would you be able to rent a car? If you drive to the Magic Kingdom parking lot, you would then catch your choice of a boat or Monorail from the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) to the Magic Kingdom.

If you take a cab or off-site hotel shuttle transportation, you'll normally be dropped off at the TTC, which means taking your choice of a boat or Monorail. (Cabs from off-site locations can be quite expensive.)

There are other choices too, such as taking the Epcot Monorail to TTC and a boat or Monorail from TTC to MK. That would mean being dropped at Epcot instead of at TTC. Just make sure to find out when the various modes of transportation begin running in the morning.

For people staying on-site (which I realize you are not doing), there are additional considerations:

From a Disney resort or Swan/Dolphin on WDW property, WDW Transportation bus service takes guests right to the bus area near the Magic Kingdom, bypassing the need for a boat or Monorail.

From the Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian, guests can take smaller boats to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[guitarob]

Taking the Ferry from the TTC is a GREAT way to arrive at the MK for the fist time!

As a previous poster has stated, when arriving from your hotel, you will be at the TTC, you can grab the ferry from there!

Have a great trip!

 

[Jellifer]

Thanks for the replies!

We could rent a car but it wouldn't be fair on our driver, only 1 has a drivers license and we want to do Epcot food and wine festival which is his big highlight so we decided on international drive as we also have tickets for universal, Kennedy space centre and the girls want to hit the malls.

 

[joelkfla]

Unless your hotel has shuttle service, be prepared to pay big bucks for taxis from I-Drive.

From most of I-Drive, public transit (Lynx bus system) requires taking 2 buses to get to Disney. If you decide to use Lynx, go to www.golynx.com for schedules & to buy weekly passes in advance. Link 8 is the I-Drive bus, & Link 50 is the connecting bus to Disney (transfer at Sea World).

 

[chartle]

Thanks for the replies!

We could rent a car but it wouldn't be fair on our driver, only 1 has a drivers license and we want to do Epcot food and wine festival which is his big highlight so we decided on international drive as we also have tickets for universal, Kennedy space centre and the girls want to hit the malls.

OK I guess everyone wants to fully take part in the W part of F&W so yes a taxi would be best, but everything else just screams you need a rental car.

Taxis are not cheap in the WDW area, I have read they have one of the highest rates in the nation. Public Transport in some cities here is not like transport in other parts of the world aka not always fast and/or convenient.

How are you planing on getting to to all those other non WDW destinations?

Not that you can change things now, but for anyone else reading this and planning a similar trip. It probably would have been easier to do a split stay with staying on site for your WDW part of your trip and then going off site.

 

[Alesia]

Thanks for the replies!

We could rent a car but it wouldn't be fair on our driver, only 1 has a drivers license and we want to do Epcot food and wine festival which is his big highlight so we decided on international drive as we also have tickets for universal, Kennedy space centre and the girls want to hit the malls.

Oh my goodness, that's going to be very expensive if you're planning on taking taxis. Check out the rates on the Orlando Taxi Fare Finder. Just the round trip to Epcot and back is going to be in the $60 to $70 range.

 

[Jellifer]

The hotel is right near universal, the space centre tickets include transport (we're from the UK, not sure if this is a tourist only package), and there's shopping malls on the trolley route too.

We're left hand drivers here anyway and our driver says hell no to driving on the right so even if food and wine wasn't big on our list then we still wouldn't be driving.

I don't think $60 is too bad for a cab, our hotel offers a shuttle bus but I don't know how good that is. I think we'll get lynx tickets thanks for the link

 

[chartle]

1. our hotel offers a shuttle bus but I don't know how good that is. I think we'll get lynx tickets thanks for the link

2. We're left hand drivers here anyway and our driver says hell no to driving on the right so even if food and wine wasn't big on our list then we still wouldn't be driving.

1. Every post that I have read where they say "but we will just take the offsite shuttle bus". Has posted after their trip that they gave up on the shuttle after two days and ended up renting a car.
   
   Those that say they took the public bus we never hear from again. I'm assuming that after two days they throw themselves under the bus.
   
   
2. Maybe you could get yourself acclimated by gradually moving over to the right side in the next few weeks. (Sorry very old Benny Hill joke. que the music)

 

[Jellifer]

Lol I'm not allowed to drive (constant double vision and blackouts), don't think our driver would feel so good driving through Glasgow on the right side of the road but suppose that might work........

We always public transport it on holiday. If I understand the lynx map right a 111 will take us from the convention centre to Disney so no swap. Convention centre can be accessed from I-trolley which seems to have half decent reviews.

You know I might write a trip report on staying OP and taking public transport.

 

[chartle]

Lol I'm not allowed to drive (constant double vision and blackouts), don't think our driver would feel so good driving through Glasgow on the right side of the road but suppose that might work........

We always public transport it on holiday. If I understand the lynx map right a 111 will take us from the convention centre to Disney so no swap. Convention centre can be accessed from I-trolley which seems to have half decent reviews.

You know I might write a trip report on staying OP and taking public transport.

Just so you know, the lynx bus only has stops in DTD and the TTC.

If you are going to a park, you do not want to get off at the DTD since there are no direct park buses from there.

At the TTC you can then

• take the ferry or monorail to the MK
• get on the Epcot monorail to get to Epcot
• take a bus to AK and DHS

Another tip take a lot of patience with you, you will need it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Just so you know, the lynx bus only has stops in DTD and the TTC.

If you are going to a park, you do not want to get off at the TTC since there are no direct park buses from there.

I think chartle really means that you do not want to get off the DTD (unless DTD is your destination). There are no direct park buses at DTD. You DO want to get off at the TTC.

At the TTC you can then

• take the ferry or monorail to the MK
• get on the Epcot monorail to get to Epcot
• take a bus to AK and DHS

Another tip take a lot of patience with you, you will need it.

I agree about needing lots of patience. Having to take an I-Ride Trolley to the Orange County Convention Center, connecting to a lengthy LYNX bus ride to TTC, and then connecting again to your theme park destination will be a long, tedious process.

Waiting for three different buses (or two different buses and a ferry or monorail) -- and having to repeat the process when it's time to head back -- will chew up a lot time each day.

Also, the I-Ride Trolley and LYNX each require a separate fare. There are no transfers. Fortunately, there's no fare for WDW Transportation.

The advice on this board tends to be that guests who do not wish to rent a car are best off staying at a WDW resort. Each WDW resort has direct service (no transfers needed) to each the four major theme parks, the two water parks, and Downtown Disney.

There might be good reason to stay off-site. But without a car, transportation to the parks will be a challenge.

 

[chartle]

I think chartle really means that you do not want to get off the DTD (unless DTD is your destination). There are no direct park buses at DTD. You DO want to get off at the TTC.

Fixed

 

[joelkfla]

We always public transport it on holiday. If I understand the lynx map right a 111 will take us from the convention centre to Disney so no swap. Convention centre can be accessed from I-trolley which seems to have half decent reviews.

I'm not sure whether Link 111 has common stops with the I-Ride near the Convention Center; it looks like it veers off to Destination Pkwy before that, and then hops onto the 528 which is a limited access road with no stops. It looks like I-Ride stop 28 is at the corner of I-Drive & Dest. Pkwy., but I don't know whether Lynx stops there.

But you should be able to transfer from the Red I-Ride to Link 111 on Westwood Blvd., or from either I-Ride route to Link 50 at Sea World. Both 50 & 111 go to DTD & TTC. 50 will also take you to downtown Orlando. 111 will take you to the Florida Mall.

Link 8 duplicates much of the I-Ride route, so that's another option.

 

[msr709]

Just a word of warning, I've done the public transportation thing and it took 2 hours to get back to WDW. Never again! Take lots and lots of patience and you would need to get up SUPER early to make rope drop if you are considering taking public transportation. Good luck and have a wonderful trip.