When do Downtown Disney buses begin taking guests to Magic Kingdom?

[Disneymaniacs]

I would like to go shopping at Downtown Disney during my vacation but my dh does not like to stay long nor does he feel comfortable with me and my dd traveling alone (on Disney busses). My question is- is there a way for the whole family to go to Downtown Disney together early in the a.m. and then my husband and son leave us for a park. What time to busses start taking guests to DTD (from All star Sports). Can you trade busses at DTD to go to the parks? And what time do busses start taking guests from DTD to the parks. Do the busses only drop off at DTD in the a.m. Can we take the All star bus to DTD, husband walk around a little while and then leave for MK or should we all just take the appropriate busses from our resort?

 

[aubriee]

It would be much easier for everyone to take the appropriate bus from your resort. Buses do not go directly from DTD to any park (only resort to parks). This keeps offsite guests from using the free parking at DTD to get to the parks. If you all go to DTD, then he will have to catch a bus to a resort then another bus to whichever park he wants to go to.

I'm afraid I don't know exactly what time the DTD stores open, but I'm sure someone on this board will be able to help you. Buses go to and from DTD from the mornings until the wee hours of the mornings (don't forget Pleasure Island is open, until like 2:00am).

Why is your husband afraid for you to ride the Disney buses alone? They are perfectly safe. You see female solo travelers on them all the time. I've traveled solo at WDW and have never felt unsafe, besides you would be traveling in broad daylight with lots of other people nearby.

 

[pamjb]

Downtown Disney Marketplace opens at 9:30 am

 

[safetymom]

No busses from DTD to the parks. You would have to take a bus to a resort and then take a resort bus to a park.

 

[Disneymaniacs]

It would be much easier for everyone to take the appropriate bus from your resort. Buses do not go directly from DTD to any park (only resort to parks). This keeps offsite guests from using the free parking at DTD to get to the parks. If you all go to DTD, then he will have to catch a bus to a resort then another bus to whichever park he wants to go to.

I'm afraid I don't know exactly what time the DTD stores open, but I'm sure someone on this board will be able to help you. Buses go to and from DTD from the mornings until the wee hours of the mornings (don't forget Pleasure Island is open, until like 2:00am).

Why is your husband afraid for you to ride the Disney buses alone? They are perfectly safe. You see female solo travelers on them all the time. I've traveled solo at WDW and have never felt unsafe, besides you would be traveling in broad daylight with lots of other people nearby.

Thanks for the info. I will show it to my dh. I want to shop alone so that I may take my time- when he goes I always feel like I should hurry because there is nothing for the boys to do. I am like you, I am not afraid to go somewhere alone at Disney. As a matter of fact, I am looking forward to time alone with my daughter! Disney transportation is fairly reliable- although we were once locked inside the monorail. We were staying at the Contemperary and the monorail parks there at the end of the night. We had just gone to dinner at WL- we took the monorail to ticket center then the bus to WL. We were the last riders on the last monorail returning to Contemperary and the driver pulled in, turned off the monorail and left! He never opened the doors and he didn't check the cars for passengers he just left! Anyway thats why we are a little skeptical of Disney transportation but I am much more comfortable with it than with trying to find my way around the resort by car. Guess we will each have to go it alone. Oh and in case you were wondering we had to break the door to get out, then we had to wait for someone to walk by downstairs in the restaurant area to find security to get us back into the hotel. It is funny now but it wasn't at the time.