Use our truck or Disney Trans?

[TmnsnMD]

We will be at FW Oct/Nov. Should we use our truck to get to the water parks, MGM, Animal Kingdom, Epcot -- or should we use the Disney transporation? Will it be worth it to use our truck (quicker, less hassel)? I know this is a transporation question, but I thought everyone here would be able to answer my question. <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

 

[Rhonda]

We love the transporation from FW! We park our car and we don't move it the whole trip!

For the MK, just hop the boat! It's convenient - and fun!

For Epcot, just take a FW bus (Boone or Crockett) to the Transportation Center, then hop the monorail.

For MGM, take the FW bus to the Transportation Center and hop a MGM bus.

There is a bus from FW that goes directly to Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach.

For Downtown Disney, take a FW bus to the Transportation Center and take the DD bus from there!

Everything is so easy! The transportation is fun, and it doesn't take long to get anywhere!


- Rhonda
Camping Board Co-Moderator
rhonda@wdwinfo.com

 

[ALostBoy]

Hi TmnsnMD,

I think a good rule of thumb on FW transportation
is, "if you have to go through the Trans. &
Ticket center, then take your vehicle" . This
is just my opinion and not meant to ruffle any
feathers. This opinion is based on saving time
and nothing else. We followed these guidelines on our last trip and they worked for us:

MK- boat
AK & BB- bus from FW
Epcot- your vehicle
MGM- your vehicle
TL- your vehicle
DD- your vehicle


We have taken the bus to the TTC just to ride the
monorail to Epcot and it was alot of fun.
Good luck

ALostBoy

 

[Rhonda]

Actually, we think just the opposite! LOL!

From the TTC, you can get anywhere and fairly quickly! It never takes us more than 1/2 hour total to get from FW to any of the parks!

Occasionally, you can have a bad experience, where a bus is slower, or your wait time is longer because it's really busy or something, but all in all - I think FW/Wilderness Lodge transportation is better than any other resort (except of course the monorail resorts)!

But, it's all personal preference. We don't like to have to drive anywhere if we don't have to. I don't like to have to wait for a tram to bring us to our car at the end of a long night, then wait in line in our car with all the other people waiting to get out at the same time. It's so nice to "leave the driving to them!"

- Rhonda
Camping Board Co-Moderator
rhonda@wdwinfo.com

 

[DJBounce]

I would have to throw my vote in for taking advantage of the transportion system.
Last month we drovedown and I was ready to let someone else do the driving. The only drawback was that we had a jogger stroller for our daughter that was kind of big and bulky for quick and easy loading and unloading of the buses. But that was just us..not the system. I think the longest trip only took 20 min tops from the bus stop at the end of our loop to our destination. Good luck and have fun!!

DrewJ
The measure of a true hero is not the size of their strength, but the strength of their hearts.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

WE drove our van everywhere and didn't use the Disney transportation at FW, so I can't comment on how good or bad the Disney transportation, but our "driver" did a great job We decided we didn't want to "waste" time walking to the bus stop, waiting, then waiting while it picked everyone else up, then wait at the TTC, then finally arrive at our destination (obviously, the boat doesn't include TTC). I saw how horribly crowded the TTC was. Hubby only got lost once and that was by taking a wrong turn to MK, believe it or not We ended up at the bus entrance or something and he had to go way out of his way to park. Hey, the rest of us were close to the entrance . Personally, I would try the boat next time, but not transportation to the other parks. If you don't know your way around WDW, take their transportation because it will probably save time (getting lost, ya know). DH knows the roads pretty well (except that one brain fade moment )

As a side, we never drive when we stayed at the All Stars since the transportation is wonderful (no extra stops, just jump on and go). Also, another camper recommended to us that we either drive to the front of the campground and catch the bus there or drive to the TTC and catch the transportation there. We didn't try either though since we were told close to the end of our trip. We also do EE days so the parking was pretty close to the front (except MK). Whatever you do, drive to DD or PI. Even with the All Stars, the transportation was not fast or convenient in our opinion.

Just my 2 cents...

________________________
In memory of Dale Earnhardt, Sr....
________________________

Been there, done that, going back!

Check my site: http://www.geocities.com/tinkerbellwdw2000/

Off-site 87, 88
All Star Music 97
All Star Music 98
All Star Movies 99
Ft Wilderness Oct 00
BWV/WLV Oct 01

 

[kingdomqueen]

My vote would be to use Disney transportation most of the time. We have found that It really is relatively quick, and agree with Rhonda that It is nice not to move your car for the week. After saying that, I must admit that we did drive to Epcot and MGM one year at night only. We found that the trip back to the campground after the park closed was shorter and less stressful in the car, especially with two sleepy kids. Much easier than carting sleeping kids on and off busses. We do like disney transportation though and would use it most of the time.

 

[markb]

I prefer to drive myself... but I have done it so many times over the past 25 years that I feel like I know the Disney area as well as I know my own home! I will say this though, if you don't know your way around it can be a wash as far as "time saved" by driving yourself. I find that many of the road signs are rather unclear and if you don't know the "back roads" you'll spend needless time driving in circles. It can be nice to just "veg-out" and let someone else deal with traffic, but most of the time I do the driving!

mb 'o'

 

[CarolynNC]

I like to let Disney do the driving except when we make our frequent trips to Downtown Disney. It just seems to be easier to drive ourselves.

Now if I'm staying at another resort, I let Disney do all the driving.

Carolyn

Tact - A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. Webster's Dictionary

 

[Lisa P.]

I guess everyone has their own idea of what works best. We always preferred taking the boat to MK. No need to park at TTC and do both (drive & ride).

Otherwise, if we had to change transportation modes outside of the campground, we preferred to drive. The bus stops at FWC have seating, usually sufficient for the people waiting. The atmosphere is relaxing, shady. But when we had to wait around at TTC, we stood around watching buses come and go in the concrete lot, breathing the diesel fumes. Everyone got restless.

When you get to your site and see which buses stop at your loop's bus stop, then look at the transportation map and see whether you would be able to go where you want directly by Disney transport. Use the transport for those destinations. Hope that helps.

 

[TmnsnMD]

Thanks to everyone for all the info you have given me. We will be there for 9 days so we will try Disney Trans and if that does not work well for us we will have enough time to try our own trans.

 

[Andrew_Lubow]

Do you need to use your truck? No actually the Disney Transportation is very good IMO, but there will be times when it will be useful to have it for visiting places offsite. Also, your truck will give you the ability to resort hop to explore, see a dinner show or eat a meal at your convienience. Getting to the Monorail Hotels before the FW bus transportation starts running for an early breakfast seating at Chef Mickey's or 1900 Park Fair for instance. (I park by the Poly in the Main Lot and it's an easy walk to either the TTC or the Poly lobby for the Monorails(they start running at 7 AM). Using the truck also allows you to linger at a themepark/Downtown Disney/Boardwalk Night Club District that's closing for extra time to shop, nightclub, finish a meal or just enjoy the ambience & a cup a coffee with your family while the majority of the crowd is exiting by car and trying to get back to FW by bus.

Andrew Lubow
Email A_AndyL@hotmail.com
http://communities.msn.com/MyWaltDisneyWorldTrip My Adventures at Fort Wilderness
"Live every day as if it were your last. Some day you'll be right!" Benny Hill

 

[welch]

The bus rides are actually fun. We believe that most of the drivers are retired New York cabbies. The best ride we had was one in which the driver was new and not sure of which route he was supposed to take thru the camp grounds. Luckily we did and gave him directions. We have never had to wait more than a few minutes for a ride.