Ok, I'll admit I was the first to be skeptical over this - I've never had a problem with transportation between parks, and I am a park stormer that delights in 6 or 7 gates in a long day. I tried it on my own on December 30th, and I'm in love! I really hope that this trial goes well, because I would always do this in a busy time. The gates at MK, DHS, and DAK were incredibly convenient - I would have preferred if Epcot let you off more to the middle of the park. It was easy to add to my magic band, and the buses leave on a regular schedule. At least currently that is:
From Magic Kingdom to: Epcot - :00 and :30; DAK - :10 and :40; DHS - :20 and :50
From DHS to: Epcot - :00 and :30, DAK - :10 and :40; MK - :20 and :50
From DAK to: MK - :00 and :30, DHS - :10 and :40; Epcot - :20 and :50
From Epcot to: DHS - :00 and :30 (the only one I got - this was the last trip of the night)
I rode from DAK to DHS, DHS to MK, MK to DHS, DHS to Epcot, and Epcot to DHS. Each time except the last, I was the only passenger on board the bus. Buses left exactly at their designated time, and as long as you were a couple of minutes before you got on the bus. The longest trip was about 20 minutes from boarding the bus at the studios to disembarking inside Tomorrowland. Never having to go through security again was amazing (especially when I saw the lines at Epcot the next day).
My only complaint, and it seems this was specific to the day I used it, was that it only ran from 10am through 8pm. I was told by various people that this was due to either: the perimeter fireworks for NYE, or the overabundance of traffic and inability to stay on time. There appeared to be two buses for each route.
Is there a downside to losing the themed entrance of the parks? Absolutely. Would I do it on my first time - probably not. But it is an incredible convenience, and an amazing steal in my opinion for what you are getting. If you are park storming like me, and want to get the most out of a day - this is a great tool to have in the arsenal.
Chris
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