Who has the best park maps in your opinion?

[DLBDS]

We just got back from a WDW visit earlier this month and I wanted to know what maps your prefer to use while there.....for those of you that still USE maps, of course. Anyway, I picked up the park maps each time I entered a park and thought they were poorly designed. I much preferred the maps in the PassPorter book. I hated tearing them out (as the book was just too heavy to tote around) but I loved that the restaurants/attractions were labeled ON THE MAP rather than in the margins like the Disney maps are.

 

[karensi]

Where can we get a good map that will give us directions on how to get to the parks and hotels/restaurants? We had so much trouble last time we were there in finding our way to our ADRs. This year we have to get to Mickeys Backyard Bar B Q (something new for us) and to the Contemporary (for CM's) etc. I think it is so hard finding your way to these places. For example; in order to get to Mickeys BBBQ, do we follow signs to the campground? For CM's do we follow signs for MK hotels? I think this is correct but we always seem to get lost.

 

[WillCAD]

As someone who makes maps for a living, I have never found the Disney park maps to be poorly designed.

I do think that Disney's maps, and most other theme park maps, have their weak points, such as overly large size (which Disney has recently corrected with their new slimline map format), too many things in the margins, and overly cartoonish design which makes certain items difficult to precisely locate.

Karensi, follow the link in my signature for a page of WDW maps, including a WDW Transportation System guidemap that shows the whole WDW property and major road system.

To answer your questions directly:

Mickey's Backyard BBQ is at an outdoor pavilion at Fort Wilderness Campground, in the Settlement area. When driving, follow signs for the Magic Kingdom Resort area, and when you get closer you will see signs for Fort Wilderness. However, Guest parking is at one end of FW, while the Settlement is at the other end, so you will need to take an internal bus once you park.

A better option is to park at a monorail resort (you will be limited to 3 hours) and take a resort launch from either Contemporary or the Magic Kingdom gates to Fort Wilderness. The resort launches dock in the settlement area, and it's a short walk from the dock to the BBQ pavilion.

Chef Mickey's is in the Contemporary resort, which is a Magic Kingdom Area resort. Follow signs for Magic Kingdom; you will go through the MK toll plaza, then bear immediately right onto a road that loops you around to the 3 monorail resorts and Wilderness Lodge. Follow signs to Contemporary from there. Again, parking at the monorail resorts is limited to 3 hours, unless you use valet parking, which will cost you $7.

 

[schmitty]

Mickey's Backyard BBQ is at an outdoor pavilion at Fort Wilderness Campground, in the Settlement area. When driving, follow signs for the Magic Kingdom Resort area, and when you get closer you will see signs for Fort Wilderness. However, Guest parking is at one end of FW, while the Settlement is at the other end, so you will need to take an internal bus once you park.

A better option is to park at a monorail resort (you will be limited to 3 hours) and take a resort launch from either Contemporary or the Magic Kingdom gates to Fort Wilderness. The resort launches dock in the settlement area, and it's a short walk from the dock to the BBQ pavilion.

Chef Mickey's is in the Contemporary resort, which is a Magic Kingdom Area resort. Follow signs for Magic Kingdom; you will go through the MK toll plaza, then bear immediately right onto a road that loops you around to the 3 monorail resorts and Wilderness Lodge. Follow signs to Contemporary from there. Again, parking at the monorail resorts is limited to 3 hours, unless you use valet parking, which will cost you $7.

I would park in the FW parking for both the BBBQ and CM.
3 hours is hardly enough time to get to BBBQ and back without rushing. Also you do the same amount of travel using Disney transportation taking the boat. The bus will be faster and with FW parking you can park there all day and not have to worry about a time limit.
For CM take the buses all the way to the Settlement outpost and then take the boat to the contemporary.

 

[WillCAD]

I forgot the most important addendum:If you happen to be going to Mickey's Backyard BBQ or Chef Mickeys on the same day that you are touring MK, just leave your car in the MK lot and take the boat from MK to Ft Wilderness, or the monorail to Contemporary.