What time to get to MK for 8:15 ADR?

[kaybee1476]

We are planning our first trip to WDW this November! So excited! We're staying off property and will have our own car. We have 8:15am ADR for Crystal Palace for our first morning. MK opens at 9am that day, and I know about getting in the gate with early ADRs. What I need help with is how long it will take us to get from our car (we plan to park in AAA preferred lot) to the monorail, and then to the front gate. I want to be inside by 8am at the latest to get some pictures on a deserted Main Street and hopefully be seated a little early so we can finish up by 9am. So the question is: What time should we plan to arrive in the parking lot? Thanks!

 

[hannahdrewmom]

They have a pre-rd drop at 7:55 so you won't be able to get in before that at the earliest. I was disappointed because I thought with our 8am ADR in May we'd be in WAY earlier... we had to wait. I'd say that you should be at the TTC at 7:40 and you should have plenty of time.

 

[kaybee1476]

I thought they started letting people in at 7:45 if they had early ADRs. That's a bummer! I guess I should have also mentioned that we will have 2 kids with us (5 and 2) and all that goes with them... double stroller, diaper bag, etc. So we won't be moving as fast as if it were just my DH and me. If we park our vehicle around 7:30 in the AAA lot, will that give us plenty of time to do everything we need to do to get into the gate at 7:55?

 

[hannahdrewmom]

It should. I have a 4 and 2 year old. You may not even need the AAA lot that time of morning. We normally park in the regular lot and are in the first row. So you won't need a tram that day. You will walk about 100 yards and then go up the ramp or on the boat. No problem!

 

[kaybee1476]

I appreciate your help. I called the dining reservations number this weekend to see if I could get an 8:05 ADR instead of the 8:15 I already have. While I had the agent on the phone, I asked her opinion about how long to expect it to take to get from the parking lot to the monorail to the front gate. She told me that I didn't need to take the monorail at all to get into MK. She said we could walk from the parking lot directly to the front gate! I politely told her that--even though I've never been to WDW--I am quite certain that everyone either has to take the monorail or the ferry to get to the front gate. After several minutes of discussing this (in which I felt like our roles were reversed!), she finally checked on it for me and realized I was right. Although this agent was very nice and tried to be helpful, it's apparent that the people who work for Disney need not ever actually go there to get a job in which you're supposed to be able to answer questions about Disney. I was kind of shocked!