How difficult is it to get the the park gates before opening (say 30 minutes before) using the WDW bus system?
I'm staying at Coronado Springs in September, so not a peak time. At DLR last year getting to the gates 30 minutes before opening really paid off, and I've read the same thing about WDW.
How early can I get a bus from my resort? How much effort should I put into getting to the gates before opening?
Thanks,
Jenny
Disney transport starts running about 1 hr or so before the parks open. Some say that getting to the parks when the rope drops can be a really good thing. However, in September, crowds will be less of an issue.
The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!
In my experience-staying at both POP and CBR, buses start running before the one hour time mentioned both here on MP, in guidebooks and by calling the hotel front desk. I know they were running while enjoying my morning coffee on the porch at about 6:30/6:45.
My rule of thumb-learned here on MP-allow an hour to get anywhere. One day we didn't-we waited more than 35 minutes for an available bus. Days we showed up at the bus stop at 8am for 9am rope drop-easy-peasy. Bus either to ourselves or almost so.
Able to enjoy the fun opening ceremony at all four parks. Get guide maps, talk to CM's, and simply relax knowing that we were already "there"- rather than stressing in the bus line at the hotel.
To DL or not to DL September 2010-that is the question....
That's a load off my mind - thanks to both of you.
Be aware that the Free Dining Promotion has skewed the numbers a tad -- there are some dates in September that have no resort availability. I'd advise, as always, get to the park du'jour for rope drop and enjoy a stress-free morning.
Some dates in Sept. have no resort availability at all? The dates we're going we got one of the last Free Dining rooms but I could book a regular package pretty much anywhere.Originally Posted by LeslieM
Hopefully our dates won't completely fill up, too.
-Jenny
Having never been to WDW and going this Sept. during free dining, how is that the parks will not be crowded? There is limited resort availability and ADRs are slim. I believe you it just doesn't make any sense to me.
My understanding is that they are only booking out a fraction of the rooms as Free Dining. Enough to make the ADR's fill up - especially for the most desired restaurants, and enough to make the parks more crowded than pre-Free Dining Septembers (that's the point of running the promo) but not nearly as crowded as peak season.
-Jenny
During peak park times, when the parks are at sardine can levels, all of Disney's hotels AND all of the off-site hotels are full. During the free dining promotion all of Disney's hotels and restaurants are full but the off-site hotels are not. This makes the parks less busy.
I'm a geek, I never finish anyth
I understand. Im just speaking from my own personal experience. September, regardless if free dining is offered, has always been a great time to go with good weather and rather manageable crowds. Like anything else, crowds do ebb and flow at times but it has always been our favorite time to go.Having never been to WDW and going this Sept. during free dining, how is that the parks will not be crowded? There is limited resort availability and ADRs are slim. I believe you it just doesn't make any sense to me.
The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!
Sounds good to me. It makes sense too that even though the resort properties are full, the offsite ones might not be. I forget that people stay off property.
I can't wait. I hope the bus situation is not as bleek as I have read. I have read nightmare stories about busses to and from the POR.
I am not sure why some people think that the buses are THAT bad. They can be a very good form of transportation regardless of where you stay.I can't wait. I hope the bus situation is not as bleek as I have read. I have read nightmare stories about busses to and from the POR.
Yes, there are pros and cons but overall, they are decent, and even better so during the off season.
Granted, I am speaking from my own experience - your mileage may vary.
The search function is like the Force. It may take practice, but the more you use it, the more control you will have over it!
I think the buses are great. I would not want to drive, plus I feel better that I'm not adding any more pollution into the air by taking my own personal vehicle. Just don't stress too much and allow enough time for the buses.
I have only had a few bad experiences, one of which occurred during marathon weekend. The bus driver must have forgotten about the road closures for the race and taken a wrong turn from Port Orleans Riverside, because it was taking a really long time to get to Animal Kingdom. Then we noticed that we were going by the hotel entrance again! Oops.
We had a similar thing happen, only our driver missed a turn between AKL and AK, then got lost.It took us 40 minutes (on a dedicated bus) to get to AK.
Insofar as the OP's question, don't forget that depending on crowds, they reduce the # of buses running during slow times so the wait between buses can be longer. They have also been known to consolidate routes during slow times...instead of servicing a single hotel, for instance, one bus might service 2 or 3 hotels. We ran into that last December...Usually the deluxe hotels have dedicated buses. Our bus (from the BC) stopped at YC, Dolphin and Swan, adding about 30 minutes to the trip.
~Whitney~
You don't criticize something if you aren't concerned for its survival. If it really is that bad, then yes, you leave. But if you think it could be better than what it is now, you say so.
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Question related to the bus system..... We are Disneyland veterans and really want to do Disney World sometime. As we have been looking into it, the one thing that makes us nervous is the transportation. I have to admit we are pretty spoiled at DL as we typically stay at the Grand Californian so for us to go and rest for a bit throught the day is not a big deal. Do you all find that when you take the bus or other modes of Disney transportation (we won't have a car), you tend to go to a park and stay for the duration of the day? Do you find that park hopping or heading back to the hotel for quick a rest takes up a lot of your day? I hope this makes sense.
"I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse." -Walt Disney
Nah, you fall into park hopping really easily. It's no big deal. We go early in the morning, eat lunch around 1:30 and then head back to the room for a rest until about 5. Then we head back out to the parks until closing. Works terrific for us!
I use the same plan at DLR, even though I hoof it to the Harbor Blvd hotels. Time-wise, I'd bet it is about the same.
Try WDW! You'll love it!
Working hard for that next WDW trip! December 2013
Agree with Tina. Park hopping is pretty easy. We always take a break during the day. The 2 days we didn't we had an early night-and still felt the effects the next day. I find that we simply can't "go, go, go" all day, every day. And there's really no need to do so.
To DL or not to DL September 2010-that is the question....
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