Traveling to Restaurants

RuthLS

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Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
194
We made ressies for the parks we would be at for the day. But most ressies are at resorts near those parks. For instance...when we are at AKL we will eat dinner at AKL lodge. Will traveling be a big issue? We won't have a car and will be dependent on Disney transportation.

What if we go back to our resort and then to dinner? I think I read that it's a pain to get from resort to resort.

Thanks,
Ruth
 
You can either take the bus back to the park that's closest to the restaurant you're going to, or take the bus to any (first one to show up) park then get on the resort bus you're going to. Or you can take a taxi, $8-$12 depending on how far away you are. It can be a bit of a hassel, but not too bad. Just give yourself plenty of time, 1 - 1 1/2 hours. If you arrive at the restaurant early you can always see if they can take you early or just hang around and explore the resort.
 
I always recommend that you plan on the theme park nearest the resort you will be dining at. That way you can easily get to your meal and then either return to that park or go to another park. Unless you take a taxi it can take a bit of time to get from one resort to another.
 
We budget for taxis for resort to resort dining. And we try to plan "close." For instance, if we know we are going to be in the MK and we want to eat at Kona, we make our best effort to match those days.
 

So I get the feeling that if we are at AK it's not a big deal to get to dinner at AKL. But if we want to get from resort to resort then that is more of a pain?

Are there cabs just always standing around or do you have to call for one?

Thanks for the responses!
Ruth
 
RuthLS said:
So I get the feeling that if we are at AK it's not a big deal to get to dinner at AKL. But if we want to get from resort to resort then that is more of a pain?

Are there cabs just always standing around or do you have to call for one?

Thanks for the responses!
Ruth


AKL is a five minute bus ride from the AK. But it is a bus ride, and they are supposed to come every twenty minutes. Which means if you just miss one, and the next on runs a little late, and you want to be early for your reservations - you should still plan on a 30-45 minute trip (and then it can take six, but the AKL is really fun to hang out in). Which is (IMHO) the real problem with buses for resort to resort travel - to get from BWV to the Poly, you take a bus to the MK, then the monorail to the Poly. If you wait ten minutes for each, it isn't the travel time time, its the waiting for the inital bus and the transfer. A lot of people say it isn't that bad. And others rent cars to avoid it. We take taxis.

There are cab stands everywhere in Disney and cabs waiting in front of all the resorts and the parks. At the parks the cabs can be a little difficult to find.
 
All I have to say is rent a car. The one night it took over one hour to get back from Pleasure Island to the Polynesian. On the same trip I was at the Yacht Club for dinner and to get back to our hotel we would of had to take a bus to DTD and transfer! The man at the desk parking cars had pity on us and they drove us to our hotel. That was our one and only trip without a car and I had no idea that the buses would not take you from one resort to another.
 
Kirsten77 said:
All I have to say is rent a car. The one night it took over one hour to get back from Pleasure Island to the Polynesian. On the same trip I was at the Yacht Club for dinner and to get back to our hotel we would of had to take a bus to DTD and transfer! The man at the desk parking cars had pity on us and they drove us to our hotel. That was our one and only trip without a car and I had no idea that the buses would not take you from one resort to another.

ARgh..Im getting worried about the car issue. We have two little ones which means bringing two car seats etc. We are going in May. Would it be foolish to just throw caution to the wind and try to eat at a TS place whereever we are at without ressies? I made ressies for all of the dinner meals b/c it seemed that was the advice here.

Our plans with two little ones..is to do parks in the morning, come back to the resort at or after lunch and then go back out for dinner. So it would seem that we would need to catch many buses. We are staying at CSR, so I'm not so much worried about buses to parks b/c they have their own bus line. It's just the dinner issue. Maybe a cab makes sense for the 5 or 6 dinner meals we'll have. A car rental seems more expensive.

I was also wondering...can you park strollers at restaurants..even in the resorts? We'll be bringing our own strollers.

Thanks!
Ruth
 
We take cabs. Much cheaper then renting a car and you don't have the hassle of driving. When we go to DownTown Disney we take a cab to and back because they are the slowest of all bus rides! When Epcot lets out we take a cab back the Poly so we don't have to wait for the monorail. Just plan for cab expenses and you won't be surprised.
 
I never take cabs, I never rent cars and have had no problems at all. ESPECIALLY at AK going to AKL. Just take the AKL bus from AK. After dinner take a bus to a park by you (I think for you that would be MGM as AK is probably closed by the time you finish dinner) and then get on your resort bus from the park. While it takes a little more time, it will eliminate the whole car seat fiasco (you need them for a cab as well as a rental car) and if the kids are pooped, they can sleep on the bus. The strollers can be parked at the restuarant. No problem. pixiedust:
 
PrincessAurora said:
I never take cabs, I never rent cars and have had no problems at all. ESPECIALLY at AK going to AKL. Just take the AKL bus from AK. After dinner take a bus to a park by you (I think for you that would be MGM as AK is probably closed by the time you finish dinner) and then get on your resort bus from the park. While it takes a little more time, it will eliminate the whole car seat fiasco (you need them for a cab as well as a rental car) and if the kids are pooped, they can sleep on the bus. The strollers can be parked at the restuarant. No problem. pixiedust:

I need a car seat for a cab? Is this Florida state law? How do they manage that? They just don't take people with kids who need car seats..or are there parents walking around with car seats in tow? (Joking) :rotfl:

Are you sure?

Ruth
 
You don't need a car seat for a cab. Its wise to have a car seat for a cab but you don't need one. (Some cabs at Disney keep them in the trunk, but I doubt you'd find a cab with two car seats any). If you are willing to put your kids on a bus without a car seat, a taxi isn't any different (there isn't anyway to put a car seat on a bus - no seatbelts).

In fact, you don't, by Florida state law, require a car seat in a rental car (or didn't when we travelled with young kids). We rented a car seat with our rental car and they ran out (we waited for one - which took several hours). If you decide to rent a car, bring your own car seats (which sounds like a lot of work to me - carseats, strollers, and all your luggage!)

On occation, we catch a bus if its there, but if we stand around for more than five minutes, you'll see our family heading over to the cab stand.
 
Where are your dinner reservations?

We also had no trouble with buses, but we were staying at the WL and ate most dinners around the monorail resorts or in the parks. If you're going back out to the parks, why not just eat dinner there or near the parks (for instance take the bus to MK and then the monorail to CR for Chef Mickeys)? The bus from AK to AKL will not be a problem. If you wanted to go back to your resort after dinner it would probably be best to take a taxi (because AK will probably not still be open).
 
Ruth, we stayed at CSR last March with my two small DDs and had no problems just using the bus system. Just make sure you give yourself about a half an hour to 45 minutes to get where you want. Relax.. it'll all be fine.
 
I have a similar question. We are planning to do dinner at ESPN club. We are not staying at Boardwalk but it is my understanding it is near Epcot. My question is-- Do they have bus transportation from Epcot to BW? I read something about a Friendship Boat-- What is this?

OP--- Sorry to jump on your thread, but your question sparked my curiosity as well :confused3
 
From Epcot to ESPN, you walk out the International Gateway (which is between England and France in the World Showcase.) You can catch a boat, but honestly, its a fast and short walk to the Boardwalk, follow the signs. Its up the hill and you'll see it as soon as you crest the hill. BeachClub on the right (with Beaches and Cream), Boardwalk on the left.

There aren't buses from the front of Epcot to the Epcot area resorts. When you walk it, you'll figure out why.....
 
This is why we always, always rent a car. Depending on the bus is just asking for trouble as far as we are concerned....we waste more time just waiting for buses...even going to your resort to a park. The waits are ridiculous. We've never tried cabs, but we do so much resort hopping, a rental car makes sense. Plus, it helps if we decide to do a day in Universal or Sea World.
 
crisi said:
From Epcot to ESPN, you walk out the International Gateway (which is between England and France in the World Showcase.) You can catch a boat, but honestly, its a fast and short walk to the Boardwalk, follow the signs. Its up the hill and you'll see it as soon as you crest the hill. BeachClub on the right (with Beaches and Cream), Boardwalk on the left.

There aren't buses from the front of Epcot to the Epcot area resorts. When you walk it, you'll figure out why.....


Thanks Crisi! That helps a lot!! :yay:
 
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and responses.

We are eating dinner at resorts that are near the parks we will be at. So when at AK we will eat at AKL. With two little kids that still nap, I thought we might go back to CSR inbetween. So my worries were with catching a bus from CSR and getting to AKL and how long it would take.

I guess we would have to go to AK and then take a bus to AKL. Didn't even think about them closing at dusk. We might have to take a cab home that night.

I don't know if I asked this here or elsewhere..but can be park strollers at the restaurants at the resorts?

Thanks,
Ruth
 


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