Transportation/Epcot DP

[Sarah84]

The whole transport to Epcot DP is one bit of all this planning that I keep getting confussed with.

So, if we have one all guests need to be transported (privately) to the DP location, does this depend on if they have their own ticket or we're paying the viewing fee for them?
From what I gather you can walk from International gateway entrance to some locations? is UK or Morocco included in these? and does that also depend on if everyone has tickets?

Also afterwards can guests just leave the park by themselves or is transportation required for then aswell?

TIA

 

[Belle2Be]

If you have a DP at Epcot or in a Park, you HAVE to buy transportation, a chartered bus for a minimum of 5 hours (so about $600 I believe). The bus picks them up from whereever, drives them behind the scenes on the backroads, then you get escorted from the closest gate to the DP. From what I gathered from Kristi, from there you have to be escorted out back onto the bus, and if you want to go back into the park, the bus can drop you off at the main gate and you can use your park pass to go back in. But you can't go back in, anyway, since after the Illuminations show the park is closed. I *think* if everyone has a park pass and is already in the park for the day, they can just show up to the place at the right time, but I'm not sure if they make you pay for transportation anyway...

 

[neener3]

I'm going to weigh in and say the exact opposite. We're not chartering a bus for our DP in February (which we only booked last month). Ours is in the UK and our planner told us that we could be met at the gate. And you can bet that I saved that email, because it seems like this chartered bus rule depends on who you talk to!

 

[lurkyloo]

So, if we have one all guests need to be transported (privately) to the DP location, does this depend on if they have their own ticket or we're paying the viewing fee for them?

Whether or not you are required to charter transportation depends on where in Epcot your party is, not what kind of admission your guests have, and you do not have to charter an entire bus. If you have a smaller party, you can do towncars, limos, vans or a minibus.

From what I gather you can walk from International gateway entrance to some locations? is UK or Morocco included in these? and does that also depend on if everyone has tickets?

In the past, they have allowed walk-ins for parties at the UK but not for Morocco. If your guests already have tickets, they will be scanned at the gate.

Also afterwards can guests just leave the park by themselves or is transportation required for then aswell?

They can get back on whatever transportation you provide or leave however they want to, although your transportation will offer direct service to the resorts you choose, so that might be an easier option for them. The only time they would be escorted out is if Epcot is open for evening Extra Magic Hours; they need to use their own admission to get back into the park for that.

 

[Sarah84]

I'm going to weigh in and say the exact opposite. We're not chartering a bus for our DP in February (which we only booked last month). Ours is in the UK and our planner told us that we could be met at the gate. And you can bet that I saved that email, because it seems like this chartered bus rule depends on who you talk to!

I'd be keeping that email too, when my time comes then im hoping i speak to the 'right' person

Whether or not you are required to charter transportation depends on where in Epcot your party is, not what kind of admission your guests have, and you do not have to charter an entire bus. If you have a smaller party, you can do towncars, limos, vans or a minibus.

Ok, now im clear on that - i did wonder if guest having admission made a differance. And there will only be about 12-14 of us, so deffinatly no huge bus needed


In the past, they have allowed walk-ins for parties at the UK but not for Morocco. If your guests already have tickets, they will be scanned at the gate.



They can get back on whatever transportation you provide or leave however they want to, although your transportation will offer direct service to the resorts you choose, so that might be an easier option for them. The only time they would be escorted out is if Epcot is open for evening Extra Magic Hours; they need to use their own admission to get back into the park for that.

Ok, thats great and the main bit I was interested in knowing
None of my guests will be staying onsite and I was hoping I wouldn't have to hire transportation just to take them outside Epcot after the DP

 

[daisygirl902]

My guests all walked in from the front gate to our DP at UK Upper last month. I hired towncars for the Bridal Party and parents (mostly for convenience sake) and we all walked out (I went out International Gateway, no one walked us out)...some went out through the front, some through International Gateway. Everyone seemed quite laid back about it really...

 

[Pooh's Corner]

We are having everyone, except DF and I, met at the Int'l Gateway. DF and I are taking a towncar. We were told to wear our bridal attire we had to come from backstage, and I figure that way we can have a cool entrance from backstage. (I secretly want to see what it looks like anyway...)

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I'm glad to hear this, I figured there had to be exceptions to hiring the motor coach, we are hiring one for the day of our wedding, but not for our rehearsal dessert party at UK, obviously it would be crazy to make us get the motor coach for five hours when all we are doing is having the DP!

 

[NYPrincess422]

The rules for transportation to Epcot definitely depends on who your planner is. I mean, I'm having a DP with 46 guests and we are actually chartering vans (25.00 each way) to pick up the guests from 2 resorts. The vans will then drop us off at the front of Epcot and we will be escorted in with the guide. We are hiring 3 vans to pick up from All Star and 2 to pick up from Caribbean Beach Resort ~ each van fits 8 people.

So to go to the DP it will be: $125.00
To have the vans drop the guests off back at their resort after the DP $125.00

Grand total: 250.00

 

[Belle2Be]

The rules for transportation to Epcot definitely depends on who your planner is. I mean, I'm having a DP with 46 guests and we are actually chartering vans (25.00 each way) to pick up the guests from 2 resorts. The vans will then drop us off at the front of Epcot and we will be escorted in with the guide. We are hiring 3 vans to pick up from All Star and 2 to pick up from Caribbean Beach Resort ~ each van fits 8 people.

So to go to the DP it will be: $125.00
To have the vans drop the guests off back at their resort after the DP $125.00

Grand total: 250.00

Ok seriously??? One of the biggest reasons we are leaning away from a Wishes wedding is because we were told we HAD to rent a Charter Bus for $600 for 30 people, even though we only need it for less than an hour to get people to the park in the morning. I asked specifically if we could just have people meet at a certain time and have an escort and was told no. It was the lead consultant (Kristi Davis?) not a planner though, so maybe she doesn't know as much as the planners do???

 

[NYPrincess422]

Ok seriously??? One of the biggest reasons we are leaning away from a Wishes wedding is because we were told we HAD to rent a Charter Bus for $600 for 30 people, even though we only need it for less than an hour to get people to the park in the morning. I asked specifically if we could just have people meet at a certain time and have an escort and was told no. It was the lead consultant (Kristi Davis?) not a planner though, so maybe she doesn't know as much as the planners do???

Well, before we decided to rent the vans, we actually weren't going to have any transportation being that a good portion of the guests will be renting cars. So, for the guests who were renting cars and who were staying on property, I initially was gonna have those people semi-car pool, get a parking pass from their resort because if you stay on property you don't pay for parking at the parks and park at Epcot. I had planned to have everyone meet at the front of Epcot by guest relations or something and then the guide would walk us all in. Disney was fine with this. But, DF then asked for me to ask the planner whether we could rent the vans and they said yes. Im not sure if they made an exception for me or what.

So maybe wait and speak to the planner about these options. But as of right now, we are providing transportation for everyone with the vans. HTH!

 

[minniebride]

Just to be clear, which DP locations do NOT require that you hire transportation?

and what company offers the vans at $25 each way?

We are not having a DFTW, but we are having a DP & I'm going to guess the transportation rules are the same for both.

Thanks!

 

[Tale as old as Time]

Ok seriously??? One of the biggest reasons we are leaning away from a Wishes wedding is because we were told we HAD to rent a Charter Bus for $600 for 30 people, even though we only need it for less than an hour to get people to the park in the morning. I asked specifically if we could just have people meet at a certain time and have an escort and was told no. It was the lead consultant (Kristi Davis?) not a planner though, so maybe she doesn't know as much as the planners do???

You are one smart cookie!

 

[princesswendy720]

Ok seriously??? One of the biggest reasons we are leaning away from a Wishes wedding is because we were told we HAD to rent a Charter Bus for $600 for 30 people, even though we only need it for less than an hour to get people to the park in the morning. I asked specifically if we could just have people meet at a certain time and have an escort and was told no. It was the lead consultant (Kristi Davis?) not a planner though, so maybe she doesn't know as much as the planners do???

It sounds like you are talking about chartering transportation for a morning ceremony, not a dessert party. Since the ceremony is before the park opens, your guests can't just walk in the front entrance to meet an escort. Also, a lot of the ceremony locations need to be accessed from backstage - you need to charter for anything that is backstage.