2 transportation logistics questions...

cheney_23

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 7, 2017
Hi from a snowy Ohio :) Anyway, we are doing a quick 4 day trip beginning on New Years DAY. We have reservations at Pop for January 1-5. Anyway... we are planning on being in Orlando early, on the 30th at least. We have been to Disney many times, but never a holidays. I would like to take the girls to some of the resorts that have nice holiday decorations, Grand Floridian being one (to see the gingerbread house). My question is, we will have a car, but how, logistically could we go there? Since we will be going before we are guests at Pop.

Lastly, we are going to MK on our first park day, and wondering how the best way to get to the park... Our last trip we made the stupid decision to drive to TTC and the monorail or boat was not even operating yet... so by the time we actually got into MK it was right about opening, and we are rope drop people. Do we/can we go to Pop early like 7am and park there and take the bus? Do we just drive and take the monorail? This is the first time we are checking in the SAME day as the first park day. We want to make sure that we are there with enough time, as we did not get a 7DMT fast pass :(

Nay advice is greatly appreciated!
 
Last year we arrived in WDW on 12/29 and didn't go to the parks until 1/1. We spent time checking out the resorts for decorations since we also had never seen them (so beautiful!). In our experience, they were super strict about parking at the resorts this time of year. Since we were staying at Shades of Green, we had easy walking access to the monorail so we did CS, Poly, GF that way, but driving to other resorts proved difficult for us. One of the days, I think it was 12/31, we had an ADR at Trattoria. They immediately directed us to the overflow parking at Boardwalk (not a huge deal). After that DH left DS, DD and I on the boardwalk and we walked over to BC to go see the carousel. After our experience at Boardwalk, we figured they wouldn't let him park since we didn't have a reservation, and that was the case, but they wouldn't even let him into the lot to pick us up, so we walked out to the street. and had to wait until he found a way to circle around. We missed out seeing WL.

I'm wondering if maybe you can park at Disney Springs and then take a bus to one of the monorail resorts and start your tour that way? Then maybe take monorail to MK and then a bus to Boardwalk/BC - or catch a boat to WL - and see WL that way?

Sorry, not too helpful, but wanted to share our parking experience.

PS. MK on New Year's Day was awesome! Definitely RD if you can (sorry, no experience with POP buses - we will be in MK on 12/24 at ASMo and will be trying RD for the first time with buses on that day)

Happy planning and I hope you can get a FP for 7DMT - keep trying :). I was able to get an 8 p.m. one for 12/24 at 60 days out, but just nabbed a 1 p.m. one a couple of days ago that popped up randomly.
 
I'm wondering if maybe you can park at Disney Springs and then take a bus to one of the monorail resorts and start your tour that way?
Mmm...Probably not the best idea. Disney Springs parking is for Disney Springs visitors. Especially that time of year, there will be a lot of shoppers and diners needing to park there.
 
stupid decision to drive to Transportation & Ticket Center
That is the correct procedure.

If it is before your check in day, procedures are indeed biased against you when it comes to making rope drop. Transportaiton is available to Disney's resort guests earlier than for day guests.

... first time we are checking in the SAME day as the first park ...

On check in day you you can try to do preliminary check in on line although you may be anxious in the pre-dawn rush and make a lot of typos slowing you down. Or you may drive to your resort early enough to do preliminary check in, and catch the 6:30 AM-ish bus to the desired park.
 
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Mmm...Probably not the best idea. Disney Springs parking is for Disney Springs visitors. Especially that time of year, there will be a lot of shoppers and diners needing to park there.
Good point, it was just a thought.
 
Do we/can we go to Pop early like 7am and park there and take the bus?
Yes, you can. People can check-in as early as 6am on their arrival day, so you are free to use the facilities and amenities anytime after 6am.
 
On check in day you you can try to do preliminary check in on line although you may be anxious in the pre-dawn rush and make a lot of typos slowing you down. Or you may drive to your resort early enough to do preliminary check in, and catch the 6:30 AM-ish bus to the desired park.
Or just check in right this minute and not worry about anything more than driving to the resort, and jumping on a bus.
 


Hi from a snowy Ohio :) Anyway, we are doing a quick 4 day trip beginning on New Years DAY. We have reservations at Pop for January 1-5. Anyway... we are planning on being in Orlando early, on the 30th at least. We have been to Disney many times, but never a holidays. I would like to take the girls to some of the resorts that have nice holiday decorations, Grand Floridian being one (to see the gingerbread house). My question is, we will have a car, but how, logistically could we go there? Since we will be going before we are guests at Pop.
In this case, I would go to TTC, park. Yes, you'll have to pay to park. Then, hop on the monorail and tour those resorts. Jump off at MK, grab the boat to WL, and then back.
Once you've done all those, determine if you are going to see any others. Personally, I'd head to the Epcot resorts. Then hop on a bus from MK to whichever and tour. Doesn't matter which, they all are together. Once done, walk over to HS and grab a bus back to CR or MK. If MK, walk to CR, see that one and then monorail to TTC. Done

But, in case you are curious, most all will still be decorated till the 1st. If there's some you don't get to. Probably not long after that so I wouldn't push it past the 2nd or 3rd.
 
Thanks for the great advice. As of now we are thinking of parking at TTC and then doing the monorail resorts and then hopping on a bus to the epcot resorts. Since this is BEFORE out actual stay at POP, and out tickets are not starting until January 1, can we still use the complimentary bus service to get from MK to EPcot?

I am also suggesting we do this on 12/30 instead of NYE after all that I have read about traffic. If someone can confirm the bus rules I would appreciate it.
 
Thanks for the great advice. As of now we are thinking of parking at TTC and then doing the monorail resorts and then hopping on a bus to the epcot resorts. Since this is BEFORE out actual stay at POP, and out tickets are not starting until January 1, can we still use the complimentary bus service to get from MK to EPcot?

I am also suggesting we do this on 12/30 instead of NYE after all that I have read about traffic. If someone can confirm the bus rules I would appreciate it.
Yes, Disney transportation is for anyone going to Disney. Not just those staying at Disney resorts.

But, no bus service from MK to Epcot. Epcot resorts, yes. But not a bus to the park. Granted, you wouldn't want the front of the park anyway

PS, I would NOT miss WL decorations while you are in MK area.
 
Thanks for the great advice. As of now we are thinking of parking at TTC and then doing the monorail resorts and then hopping on a bus to the epcot resorts. Since this is BEFORE out actual stay at POP, and out tickets are not starting until January 1, can we still use the complimentary bus service to get from MK to EPcot?

There are no resort to resort buses either. To get to the Epcot area resorts from a monorail resort, you would need to either ride the monorail to MK and then hop on one of the resort buses from there. Or you could exit at a monorail resort and catch a bus to DHS from there. From DHS, its easy to take a boat, walk, or take the Skyliner to the main Epcot area resorts.
 
There are no resort to resort buses either. To get to the Epcot area resorts from a monorail resort, you would need to either ride the monorail to MK and then hop on one of the resort buses from there. Or you could exit at a monorail resort and catch a bus to DHS from there. From DHS, its easy to take a boat, walk, or take the Skyliner to the main Epcot area resorts.
Yep, it's why I would park at TTC, walk or monorail to Poly, tour. Monorail or walk to GF, tour. Monorail to MK (I assume the bridge is not completed), hop on boat to WL (or bus if it's bad weather) and back to MK, then hop on bus to one of the 3 Epcot area resorts, whichever comes first. From there you can catch a bus back to MK, monorail to CR, tour and then monorail to TTC, complete. I think that's the least amount of walking since there's not really any reason to walk to/from DHS as long as you use MK as your starting point to Epcot resorts.
 
This is a pricier option, but sometimes I will valet park at the Poly and then take the resort monorail over. I usually do this if we are eating breakfast at Kona or Captain Cook's before going to MK. As others have said, you can definitely drop your car at Pop and then take the resort bus.
 
It's not the cheapest option, but depending on where you are staying/coming from, Uber/Lyft can be convenient to get into and around the property. I was on property for a work conference last year (Conference at the Swan and Dolphin - staying at Art of Animation)...1st day of the Conference, i ubered in the morning to get there to save some time and go direct. Getting "home" that day I took the boat to HS and then a bus back to Art of Animation before eventually meeting my wife (I think at MK). Last day I used the Minnie Van Service both ways (more to test it out on someone else's dime than anything else.

Bus/boat transfer via one of the parks to a resort is the cheapest, but most time consuming option (Swan and Dolphin to AoA via HS took a little more than an hour I think).

Minnie Van was the quickest, but most expensive.

Uber was cheaper than Minnie Van, but took a little longer.

Again, depending on where you are coming from and want to hit first, i'd look into an uber or lyft to either one of the parks or the resort of choice, then either bounce around using buses/monorail/boats or Minnie Van if you don't mind spending some extra cash for some convenience.
 

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