Transportation Advice Needed for All 4 Parks in a Day--Update Post #23

[DisneyStarWisher]

I need some advice about getting to all 4 parks in one day. I will be spending my 40th birthday at WDW and thought it would be fun to hit all 4 parks. I will be using a AAA Diamond Pass for parking. Here's the plan:

AK (8:00-8:45): Safari and EE (single rider line)
DHS (9:15-10:45): TSM and Star Tours
Epcot (11:15-2:00): TT and WS (lunch at Le Cellier)
Break at resort (2:15-4:00)
MK (4:30-10:30): PoTC, BTMRR, Splash Mt., HM (Wishes Dessert Party at 9:00 and Wishes at 10:00)

Here are my questions (besides Am I crazy??)--
1. Should I drive my car to AK and DHS?

2. Should I drive my car to Epcot instead of using the International Gateway? (That way we can get FPs for TT, go eat at Le Cellier, walk around the WS, ride TT, and then exit out the front to the parking lot. If we use the IG, we will have to take the boat back to DHS to get the car.)

3. After our break at the resort, should we ride a bus to MK instead of driving? (That way we get dropped off right at the gate instead of having to park at TTC and take the monorail or ferry. The only problem will be having to ride the bus back to the resort after Wishes. Ugggg!!!!!! )

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My DH never allows us to drive. He likes to park the car and use Disney transportation. But I realize if we are going to attempt this, we must use our car. I just want to make it as easy as possible so that I don't have to listen to him complain.

TIA!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Well to answer your question if your master plan is to allow 30 to get from one point to another you would have to drive. And that is cutting it close if you are driving. You will need to acct for walking from the park to your car ... driving to the other park... walking from the parked car to the park and then getting to the ride in the park.

If you don't drive you will have to board a bus at AK go to a resort get off and board a bus to DHS. Remember the buses don't go from park to park they go park to resort so it takes two buses to get from one park to another park. Plus you need to factor in the wait times for a bus to pick up and then the ride time on the bus. Then get off and wait for another bus to get you to point B. I would factor in 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes from one park to another.

 

[crashbb]

Well to answer your question if your master plan is to allow 30 to get from one point to another you would have to drive. If you don't drive you will have to board a bus at AK go to a resort get off and board a bus to DHS. Remember the buses don't go from park to park they go park to resort so it takes two buses to get from one park to another park.

Actually, there are buses that do go park-to-park. I've taken them a few times.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Actually, there are buses that do go park-to-park. I've taken them a few times.

There are only a select few that do that. If she has the AAA diamond pass and a car driving would be a better route.

 

[sharadoc]

There are only a select few that do that. If she has the AAA diamond pass and a car driving would be a better route.

Actually, not true. Courtest of the sticky at the top of this page:

Bus & Monorail Park to Park Transportation

From MK to:
AK, bus from TTC
DHS, bus from TTC
Epcot, Monorail from TTC

From Epcot to:
AK, bus stop #5
DHS, bus stop #9
TTC/MK, Monorail

From DHS to:
AK, bus stop #7
Epcot, bus stop #7 in the Charter lot
TTC/MK, bus stop #11

From AK to:
DHS, bus stop #15
Epcot bus stop #13
TTC/MK, bus stop #14

There is also boat transportation between DHS & Epcot.

Never a reason to go to a resort and then another park. The only annoying part is that the MK bus stop is TTC.

 

[Alesia]

I think you're really underestimating how long everything will take. For instance, if you get to DHS at 9:15 (which may be a little ambitious) you won't even make it back to TSM until close to 9:30. By then, the line will be at least 60 minutes (and maybe closer to 90.) You won't get to star tours until after 10:30. Since it has recently been refurbed, I would expect the wait to be at least 60 minutes.

As far as transportation goes. I think taking disney transportation may end up being faster than driving yourself. I would take the bus from your resort to AK, the bus from AK to DHS, walk from DHS to Epcot, and the monorail from Epcot to MK. I would skip the mid day break.

 

[joelkfla]

I would take the bus from your resort to AK, the bus from AK to DHS, walk from DHS to Epcot, and the monorail from Epcot to MK.

Or you could take the bus from DHS to Epcot, as well.

I would skip the mid day break.

Yeah -- your break would be riding the buses and monorails.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Yes, I am pretty ambitious on my park days when I go. I tend to go during the off-season, so I guess June will be quite a bit different as far as crowds. I just figured that we could get the two rides done at AK pretty quickly. I was not planning on going to DHS, but then I got to thinking about Star Tours being open. We will be back in 2012, so we may just hold off until then. If I do that, I may just sleep in and then hit Epcot for lunch and go directly to MK. If we do that, I would love to take the monorail over to MK from Epcot, but would the monorail run back to Epcot after Epcot is closed???


It will also be different as far as the heat!!! Our first trip (and ONLY summer trip) was in July. I will HAVE to have a break in the middle of the day unless I decide to sleep in and hit the 2 parks in the afternoon and evening.

More advice wanted!!!

 

[hsmamato2]

we did quite a bit of hopping on our last trip,used only buses,it was WAY faster then using our car had been in previous years. We were shocked to find this......
the buses going from park to park were incredibly efficient,and almost empty during the day....
We hopped around with ease daily- never thought it was possible w/o the car! (what a waste of time over the years)
I'll never do the car thing again.....

 

[hsmamato2]

if you're staying at an Epcot resort,like BC,it makes life even easier,they are so central to so much transport!
We walked to and from the studios on numerous days-
one day we went thru IG did a couple of Epcot things,then hopped a bus to AK for a while... there are boats,buses and walking options from here....

 

[Lewisc]

Both TSM and Star Tours are likely to have long lines. Consider going on one and get a FP for the other. Go back to DHS after you finish at EPCOT. Your itinerary is ambitious. Good chance your resort break will be short, or non-existent.

 

[brenda1966]

I can't see there being any time for a resort break!

I did 4 parks in one day with Disney Transportation. I started at AK and rode EE and DInosaur and Kali River Rapids. Those are all quick. The safari ride takes up a fair chunck of time so I skipped that.

I then hopped a bus to MGM as it was called then. THis was pre Toy Story Mania, so I rode the roller coaster and tower of terror. Having two rides that have very long lines is going to complicate things. You may have an hour wait for each of those rides as FAstpass may be for too late in the day.

I then took the boat to Epcot. I can't say I recommend this. It's a slow mode of transportation, but I will say that just sitting for a while was my well needed break. But since you'll be going in summer, I'd opt for an air conditioned bus!

What time is your lunch reservation? I'm worried you may be stuck in line at DS and miss it. From Epcot you can easily take the monorail over the MK to end out your day.

My 4 parks in one day narrative is below. It was a long, full, tiring day and I had no sit down dining, and no breaks back at the resort. But it was a fun day and I was glad I did it.

 

[Pembo]

Personally, I'd drive from park to park. We've found close parking spaces when going to parks and if you have AAA diamond, you'll be right up close.

As for the MK, if you are getting there later in the day, you'll get a good parking spot and it is pretty easy to take the ferry or monorail over to the park. IMHO, it's much easier to leave the MK after Wishes in your own car even with the ferry!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

You're not leaving enough time at DHS -- even WITH FP (and I'm not at all sure you'll be able to get them for that time window that long after opening) it will take longer to get into and across the park and through those two rides.

Drive yourselves around. Except for the buses from TTC to the parks first thing in the morning, the buses between parks are few and far between; it could easily take you two hours to make a park-to-park transfer in the middle of the day including wait time. (Disney seems to have greatly reduced the frequency of "hopping" buses now that hopping is an extra-cost option on tickets.)

I also think that you're underestimating your Epcot transit time by a bit. I think that you would be better set up for the end of the night if you took your break before Epcot (a shorter one), then parked at the TTC and used the monorail to go over there and back to MK. I can tell you from recent experience that you CAN get back to Epcot from MK well after Epcot's closing time, but it isn't easy. (The monorail runs for 90 min after Epcot closes. After that, your choice is to get to the TTC and take a bus that will bring you to the outer reaches of the Epcot bus stops. From there you have to walk out to find your vehicle. If you're in AAA parking at Epcot it wouldn't be so bad, but the walk to the main lots can be L-O-N-G, and if it is more than 2 hours after closing they sometimes turn off the parking lot lights.)

If that won't work for you, I'd stick with your IG parking plan, but pay valet at BW and again at GF for your MK stop. We often do this when we will be going to the MK only in the evening and staying late; it is much quicker.

 

[Lewisc]

You're not leaving enough time at DHS -- even WITH FP (and I'm not at all sure you'll be able to get them for that time window that long after opening) it will take longer to get into and across the park and through those two rides.
.......
If that won't work for you, I'd stick with your IG parking plan, but pay valet at BW and again at GF for your MK stop. We often do this when we will be going to the MK only in the evening and staying late; it is much quicker.

I think the afternoon resort break isn't going to happen.

Why wouldn't you valet park at the Contemporary? Short walk over to the MK.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think the afternoon resort break isn't going to happen.

Why wouldn't you valet park at the Contemporary? Short walk over to the MK.

CR often doesn't have any parking left; GF always has room.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Thanks for all the advice! I really appreciate all of you who made me "see the light" of DHS! Since it is our least favorite park, I think I've decided to skip it until the next trip. An afternoon break is more important to me!!!

Since I will be using my car and it will be fairly easy to get from one park to the other, I think I may go ahead and get up early and go to AK for the Morning EMH. We might spend a little more time here since this is our 2nd favorite park. Then we might head over to Epcot for Test Track, World Showcase, and our lunch ressie (11:30) at Le Cellier. By then it will be hot, so we will go back to our resort (OKW) for a longer break. I KNOW I will need an afternoon break in the heat of June! Then we will get cleaned up and head to MK by car. I'm confused about parking there though. Can you valet park at a resort and go to a park? I thought that was only if you had a dinner reservation there or were staying at the resort. I figured we would just park at the TTC and take the monorial around.

So I guess 4 parks in one day will be a goal for another time. I really want to enjoy my birthday, and I know I will enjoy it more with a break!

Thanks again!

Oh, one more thing--
I've heard that the AK parking lot is not always open for rope drop. Will I have trouble driving there?

 

[Alesia]

Oh, one more thing--
I've heard that the AK parking lot is not always open for rope drop. Will I have trouble driving there?

It isn't always open for reservations before park opening, but it should be open for rope drop.

 

[Pembo]

We've parked at the AK for rope drop.

As for MK, parking at TTC is easy. I love taking the ferry!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I've just heard here on the boards that AK parking lot sometimes opens late, especially if it's morning EMH. Also here's a quote from the Unofficial Guide:

"For some reason, Animal Kingdom's parking lot frequently opens 15 minutes before the park itself--which doesn't leave you enough time to park, hop on a tram, and pass through security before park opening."

Of course, I realize I won't need a tram with the AAA diamond pass, but this just makes me worried about driving to this park.