transportation expert needed!

[Letsbgoofy]

As someone who has rented a car at WDW for years, I have several bus transportation questions:

1. I think the Boardwalk, S/D and Y/BC share a bus. If so, what is the order for pick up and drop off. If I leave Epcot by the International Gateway, which resort would be the best to walk to in order to bus to DTD? Which would be the best to return to from DTD going back to Epcot?

2. Typhoon Lagoon will be closed in November, will the bus go straight to DTD?

3. If we take the bus from AK to Saratoga Springs, is it really a 10 minute walk to DTD from the section where the walkway begins?

Not a question but...I hate getting to DTD! The busses are a pain (I hate riding with wet people from water parks) and they don't leave from the parks, and if you drive you can't ever find a parking spot. Now with lots closing I can't even imagine what a hot mess it will be.

4. Busses start running 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours before parks open?

Thanks for any information.

 

[Jestocost]

As someone who has rented a car at WDW for years, I have several bus transportation questions:

1. I think the Boardwalk, S/D and Y/BC share a bus. If so, what is the order for pick up and drop off. If I leave Epcot by the International Gateway, which resort would be the best to walk to in order to bus to DTD? Which would be the best to return to from DTD going back to Epcot?

Yes, the resorts frequently share buses to DTD, MK and AK. I can't remember the order, however.

BC is the closest resort after you leave the IG. I would just go there for a DTD bus. On the way back, get off at BW or BC, whichever you stop at first. YC and S/D are farther from Epcot.

2. Typhoon Lagoon will be closed in November, will the bus go straight to DTD?

I assume so.

3. If we take the bus from AK to Saratoga Springs, is it really a 10 minute walk to DTD from the section where the walkway begins?

Not a question but...I hate getting to DTD! The busses are a pain (I hate riding with wet people from water parks) and they don't leave from the parks, and if you drive you can't ever find a parking spot. Now with lots closing I can't even imagine what a hot mess it will be.

Then you'll love the fact that the path from SSR to DTD also is closing. Not sure when, but check before you try it!

4. Busses start running 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours before parks open?

Thanks for any information.

Early bus service starts at around 6:30 a.m. to get guests to early ADRs at the parks. Regular, more frequent bus service starts one hour before park opening or EMH.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Then you'll love the fact that the path from SSR to DTD also is closing

Noooooooo! I haven't read anything about this, any idea why? I guess we could always take the boat from Saratoga Springs - or are they going to shut that down too? It just doesn't seem to be the best marketing strategy making it so difficult to get to DTD to spend money.

Thanks for the information. How obvious (now that you said it) to get off at the first stop, either BC or BW.

Maybe I should just rent a car.

 

[HelenParr]

The closure is because of construction at DTD. There is a path to the Westside but not convenient like the other side path was.

YC/BC do not always share with the others. BW and swolphin share more.

Agree with PP that BC is closest bus stop, but YC is often easier because less crowded bus.

I understand wanting to have the car, but the bus can be a nice way to go (if you are not pressed for time). We tend to have an adult beverage from time to time. The bus makes that safer.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Noooooooo! I haven't read anything about this, any idea why? I guess we could always take the boat from Saratoga Springs - or are they going to shut that down too? It just doesn't seem to be the best marketing strategy making it so difficult to get to DTD to spend money.

Thanks for the information. How obvious (now that you said it) to get off at the first stop, either BC or BW.

Maybe I should just rent a car.

The boat from SSR only runs every 25 minutes so that may not be a quick route to DTD.

Just for reference the walkway from SSR to DTD closed July 8 and will reopen in the summer of 2014.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Just for reference the walkway from SSR to DTD closed July 8 and will reopen in the summer of 2014.

This has really thrown my plans off. Is Disney trying to keep me from the holiday sandwich at EOS????

The boat from SSR only runs every 25 minutes so that may not be a quick route to DTD.

Some relaxing time waiting for the boat might not be a bad thing after walking around the AK all day. More time to dream of my turkey and cranberry sandwich...and maybe more relaxing than taking a bus from AK to Pop and then Pop to DTD.

We tend to have an adult beverage from time to time. The bus makes that safer.

Just what I was thinking.

 

[DebbieB]

To MK, the bus route is typically BW-Swan-Dolphin. I drive to DTD and AK.

 

[goofy4tink]

As someone who has rented a car at WDW for years, I have several bus transportation questions:

1. I think the Boardwalk, S/D and Y/BC share a bus. If so, what is the order for pick up and drop off. If I leave Epcot by the International Gateway, which resort would be the best to walk to in order to bus to DTD? Which would be the best to return to from DTD going back to Epcot?

2. Typhoon Lagoon will be closed in November, will the bus go straight to DTD?

3. If we take the bus from AK to Saratoga Springs, is it really a 10 minute walk to DTD from the section where the walkway begins?

Not a question but...I hate getting to DTD! The busses are a pain (I hate riding with wet people from water parks) and they don't leave from the parks, and if you drive you can't ever find a parking spot. Now with lots closing I can't even imagine what a hot mess it will be.

4. Busses start running 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours before parks open?

Thanks for any information.

1. Closest would be BC. I believe that would also be the last DTD p/u stop as well. Returning from DTD? Whichever one comes first.

2. It should.

3. The old walkway is going to be closed due to renovations in DTD. But there is another pathway that you can use, over to the far right of the boat dock. It drops you down by Cirque though!! Not close to the Marketplace. There are buses to DTD from SSR though.

4. Buses start running, from resorts to the parks, by 6:30am every day.

 

[JessM]

You might have better have better luck taking a bus from AK to AKL and then jumping on a bus to DTD.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

You might have better have better luck taking a bus from AK to AKL and then jumping on a bus to DTD.

I thought of that option, but if it's late afternoon Blizzard Beach will still be open and they will stop there too (I think).

There are buses to DTD from SSR though.

I was only going to take the bus to SSR because I thought I could walk to DTD from there. Do you know how long of a walk it is on the other pathway? I don't really mind walkng from Cirque to the Marketplace unless the walkway from SSR is really long.

 

[purple figment]

1. I think the Boardwalk, S/D and Y/BC share a bus. If so, what is the order for pick up and drop off. If I leave Epcot by the International Gateway, which resort would be the best to walk to in order to bus to DTD? Which would be the best to return to from DTD going back to Epcot?

There were usually 2 separate bus routes when we were there. YC, then BC for pick up, same when being dropped off. BC, then S&D for pick up, same for being dropped off.

If all 5 resorts were on the same route (when it wasn't busy such as very late at night) it was YC, BC, BW, then S&D.

 

[goofy4tink]

I thought of that option, but if it's late afternoon Blizzard Beach will still be open and they will stop there too (I think).

I was only going to take the bus to SSR because I thought I could walk to DTD from there. Do you know how long of a walk it is on the other pathway? I don't really mind walkng from Cirque to the Marketplace unless the walkway from SSR is really long.

I haven't walked it yet. It's reported to be a longer walk than the one that has been closed.

 

[JimboCh]

Looks like quite a walk from that way,over the little brown bridge by the golf course and then that huge parking lot just to get to Cirque.

https://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=...,11.876221&oq=downtown+disney&t=h&mra=ls&z=17

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Thank you all so much for the great information. I don't think that I have ever asked a question on these boards that I haven't gotten great responses to!

I think I am back to either taking the boat from SSR or bussing back to Pop and then bussing to DTD. That walk looks a little too far, and I would end up at the wrong end of whatever we are calling DTD these days (Will the whole thing be Disney Springs??)

I understand why Disney doesn't run busses to/from the parks and DTD, but it seems like since they are creating this parking mess (worse than it was before), they would have busses run that route until the parking garage is built. If they started the service later in the day, how many people would actually park at DTD to avoid paying for parking at the parks? If only I ran the world...

 

[joelkfla]

I thought of that option, but if it's late afternoon Blizzard Beach will still be open and they will stop there too (I think).

The bus from Disney's Animal Kingdom to Pop will stop at Blizzard Beach.

But neither the bus from Disney's Animal Kingdom to Animal Kingdom Lodge, nor the bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Downtown Disney, will.

 

[Bellestreak]

When you are leaving the AK, have you considered jumping on the bus to POR/POFQ and taking the boat ride to DTD? It's slow, but relaxing.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

But neither the bus from Disney's Animal Kingdom to Animal Kingdom Lodge, nor the bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Downtown Disney, will.

Interesting - I thought the bus from the AKL would stop at BB since it goes right past. Transfer at AK it is!

When you are leaving the AK, have you considered jumping on the bus to POR/POFQ and taking the boat ride to DTD? It's slow, but relaxing.

I did think of that, but it seems that whenever we stayed at POR and wanted to use the boat it wasn't running. I thought SSR's boat would be a better bet because if it wasn't running we could walk to DTD, but that looks like it's out too.