magicbob
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2008
- Messages
- 2,580
I guess this is actually more of a parking/transportation question than a restaurant question, but since the whole issue revolves around our ADR at Captain's Grille, I hope it's ok to post it here.
We have a somewhat late dinner reservation (8:25 pm) at Captain's Grille on the day we visit DHS. DHS closes at 7:00 pm (no Fantasmic), which gives us plenty of time to take the boat over to the YC for dinner. But I'm guessing that the boats to DHS (where our car would be parked) will not be running after we finish dinner.
I'm pretty sure they would not allow us to park at/near YC in the morning and take the boat to DHS for the day, then take the boat back to YC for dinner and have our car there to return to our resort. It would be great if we could do that. We're not trying to evade parking fee and it's not simply for convenience that I even contemplate the possibility, but only because I've read posts here about people being stranded and unable to get back to their cars and I'm afraid that would happen if we park at DHS and then take the boat to YC.
We could take a bus from our resort to DHS in the morning, but then we'll still be somewhat stranded at YC after dinner. It could work if we use a circuitous route back... Take a bus from YC to MK (which will still be open until 11 pm, so bus service from there shouldn't be an issue) and then transfer to the bus from MK to our resort. Although not very convenient, I think that plan would be "fool-proof."
A more convenient route would be boat to EPCOT and then bus from there but, alas, our tickets are not park-hoppers, so we can't cut through the park. And, as I understand it, there's no walkway around the outside of EPCOT from International Gateway to the buses/monorail. EPCOT closes at 9 pm anyway, so I don't think that's an option even if our tickets would allow us to cut through the park.
One last piece of the puzzle. We have an ECV in our group, so a taxi is not a great option. I don't mind taking it apart and getting it in the trunk of our car, but I'm not sure I want to put a cab driver through the hassle.
In sattelite photos, I see what appears to be a walkway that runs behind Boardwalk Inn, past some tennis courts, under Buena Vista Drive, and ends right at the DHS parking lot. If we had to, we could walk back to DHS from YC (might even be nice). With ECV, DW will have no trouble and walking long distance is not an issue for me. But does the parking lot remain "open" so that we can still get our car out of it after hours? We're probably talking 3+ hours after the park has closed. Would we need to leave a note in the window letting security know we're coming back after dinner so they don't think it's abandoned and have it towed?
So what do you think? Is my best option to take the bus to DHS in the morning. Then take the boat to YC when DHS closes and catch a bus to MK after dinner and then bus from MK back to our resort? Or is there another possibility that I'm overlooking?
Thanks!
We have a somewhat late dinner reservation (8:25 pm) at Captain's Grille on the day we visit DHS. DHS closes at 7:00 pm (no Fantasmic), which gives us plenty of time to take the boat over to the YC for dinner. But I'm guessing that the boats to DHS (where our car would be parked) will not be running after we finish dinner.
I'm pretty sure they would not allow us to park at/near YC in the morning and take the boat to DHS for the day, then take the boat back to YC for dinner and have our car there to return to our resort. It would be great if we could do that. We're not trying to evade parking fee and it's not simply for convenience that I even contemplate the possibility, but only because I've read posts here about people being stranded and unable to get back to their cars and I'm afraid that would happen if we park at DHS and then take the boat to YC.
We could take a bus from our resort to DHS in the morning, but then we'll still be somewhat stranded at YC after dinner. It could work if we use a circuitous route back... Take a bus from YC to MK (which will still be open until 11 pm, so bus service from there shouldn't be an issue) and then transfer to the bus from MK to our resort. Although not very convenient, I think that plan would be "fool-proof."
A more convenient route would be boat to EPCOT and then bus from there but, alas, our tickets are not park-hoppers, so we can't cut through the park. And, as I understand it, there's no walkway around the outside of EPCOT from International Gateway to the buses/monorail. EPCOT closes at 9 pm anyway, so I don't think that's an option even if our tickets would allow us to cut through the park.
One last piece of the puzzle. We have an ECV in our group, so a taxi is not a great option. I don't mind taking it apart and getting it in the trunk of our car, but I'm not sure I want to put a cab driver through the hassle.
In sattelite photos, I see what appears to be a walkway that runs behind Boardwalk Inn, past some tennis courts, under Buena Vista Drive, and ends right at the DHS parking lot. If we had to, we could walk back to DHS from YC (might even be nice). With ECV, DW will have no trouble and walking long distance is not an issue for me. But does the parking lot remain "open" so that we can still get our car out of it after hours? We're probably talking 3+ hours after the park has closed. Would we need to leave a note in the window letting security know we're coming back after dinner so they don't think it's abandoned and have it towed?
So what do you think? Is my best option to take the bus to DHS in the morning. Then take the boat to YC when DHS closes and catch a bus to MK after dinner and then bus from MK back to our resort? Or is there another possibility that I'm overlooking?
Thanks!
(maybe because I became too enamored with the idea of taking the boat over to YC).
