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View Full Version : Drive or ART shuttle?



Disneyfalcon
04-25-2006, 08:42 AM
Hi everyone. We're staying at the Homewood Suites on South Harbor. I've heard the shuttle can be really slow.

I've got free parking with my AP. Would it be faster to drive to the parking garage and take the tram?

Darkbeer
04-25-2006, 09:08 AM
IMHO, no.

Let's see, get out of the hotel room, and walk to the shuttle.

Wait a few minutes, board the ART

Ride the ART

Get out of the ART and walk to the parks.


Compare that to...

Get out of the hotel room

Load up the car

Drive up Harbor

Make a left turn on Ball

Make another left turn on Disneyland Drive (this area can get backed up due to traffic)

Drive into the parking structure

Wait in the queue to get to the parking lot toll booth

Show your AP to the CM

Get directed to a level

Wait in another car queue to get your parking space.

Unload the car.

Walk to the escalator (sometimes a long walk)

Then take the escalator(s) down to the tram loading area

Wait in a queue for the tram

Load onto the tram

Take the tram

Unload near the World of Disney store

Walk to the park.

My guess, the ART will take half the time of driving and parking.

mad4mky
04-25-2006, 09:12 AM
Hi everyone. We're staying at the Homewood Suites on South Harbor. I've heard the shuttle can be really slow.

I've got free parking with my AP. Would it be faster to drive to the parking garage and take the tram?

Depending on when you go...driving and parking can be faster...and easier, because you don't have to fight crowds waiting to fill some shuttles that are too small, or not running enough for the large crowds.

One time, my daughter and I waited for an hour to get onto a shuttle (we stayed at the Embassey Suites). The line was long, it was crowded, and no one 'managed' the line when the shuttles came. We got pushed back and ended up not getting on...and having to wait again.

Course, if its a slow day (do they have those at DLR lately?), taking a shuttle can be very convienient.
If you take the shuttle...do you have to pay? Or does the Homewood Suites pay for you???? :confused:

If you have to pay for the shuttle?...Then you might as well use your AP w/ parking....:)

Either way you have to walk some. Either from the shuttle areas...or from the tram drop off.

Disneyfalcon
04-25-2006, 10:37 AM
Thanks for the opinons. Darkbeer, I was kind of with you because I know how long it can take to park, walk, wait for tram, etc. But then I heard horror stories (like mad4mky said) of the ART taking an hour and I know I could beat that.

We're going the day after Memorial day. Judging from the park hours, I'm expecting fairly big crowds, though not as crowded as Easter, saturdays, holidays. I've never done the ART before so I just didn't know what to expect.

We do have to pay for ART, $3 a person, no big deal.

neffyh
04-25-2006, 12:20 PM
We took the ART last time and it was ok. The bus can get very crowded. They might make extra stops. I thought it was really uncomfortable. I recommend taking a car. It dosent take too long. If you decide too take the ART, then on the last day of your trip, take your car, that way you dont have too worry about taking the shuttle back too the hotel and pack your things. If you take the car too the parking structure, you can just take the tram back and head home.

momuvseven
04-25-2006, 03:00 PM
I think it depends on you to some degree. My husband hates ART. He hates wrestling the stroller and other stuff aboard and hates waiting for it. Trying to keep our kids from falling off the curb into traffic is another problem. They have ants in their pants and can't seem to get that there are real big cars moving real fast a few feet away.

Parking works great for us but we are the type who like to go over at seven in the morning. We didn't have any problems later in the day or returning in the evening last week either. We leave the stroller in the car along with cases of water and other park necessities. So it saves time and trouble for us. No need to fold the stroller to ride the trams.

We leave the park early too or else wait until about an hour past close so we can avoid the mad rush to the parking garage.

You may want to take a look at my review of the Homewood since we stayed there last week. Some great stuff but we would not stay there again, at least not in room 417, beds were the worst we have ever encountered.

Mermaid
04-25-2006, 03:55 PM
One time, my daughter and I waited for an hour to get onto a shuttle (we stayed at the Embassey Suites). The line was long, it was crowded, and no one 'managed' the line when the shuttles came. We got pushed back and ended up not getting on...and having to wait again.

I has this exact same experience with the old Embassy Suites free shuttle. It was HORRIBLE!! It was 4th of July a few years ago. This experience alone has made me shy away from the shuttles! I have never taken ART so I can't coment on them. I like to drive it and have done so from HS in about 10 minues lot to lot not including DL tram time.

Disneyfalcon
04-25-2006, 07:10 PM
Thanks everyone. I'm still not sure what to do, lol!

I read your review momuvseven, thanks for pointing it out. I hope we have good beds! We have one free night - hilton honors, and one night at $104 military rate so we'll risk it. I have always loved Homewood Suites. I'm hoping I didn't make a mistake with this one!

Mermaid
04-25-2006, 07:46 PM
I read your review momuvseven, thanks for pointing it out. I hope we have good beds! We have one free night - hilton honors, and one night at $104 military rate so we'll risk it. I have always loved Homewood Suites. I'm hoping I didn't make a mistake with this one!
I stayed there last year and was happy with it. The breakfast was great!! I'd reccomend it!

momuvseven
04-26-2006, 07:57 AM
We got the Homewood as part of a package from GetAwayToday. Once I deducted the price of the tickets that came with the package I figured we paid about $90 a night for the Homewood. I couldn't find a better rate.

Breakfast for our group of six (we left three big kids at home with other plans) would have cost about $25-30 at Mc Donald's. Dinner which we ate three nights of our stay tends to cost us about $50 in the park. We also took back fruit, rolls and yogurt to the room to snack on later. So really since we didn't buy food elsewhere our room came to about $10 a night.

The guy who went out and got our groceries did a good job and I appreciated that he bought store brand on several products saving me $$$. All you pay for is the grocery items, not for the service. So that was really helpful too.

They gave us a free crib and our kids loved the swimming pool. The pool really is one of the nicer ones I've seen. The location is conveniant since you can walk to several resturants and Target nearby.

Could be we just got a bad batch of beds in our room and we never asked to be moved so shame on us too.

I am sure your stay will work out fine.

MortgageMan
04-26-2006, 08:29 AM
Stick with Darkbeer's advice. I don't see any way that driving all the way over to Mickey & Friends, parking and taking the shuttle could be faster than the ART.

And speaking of Darkbeer - what can you say about a guy who lives in San Diego but has the time to go to Orange County and LA theme parks several times a week. When I grow up I want to be just like him!

momuvseven
04-26-2006, 08:51 AM
Speaking of Darkbeer he is pretty cute too but I am old and married. My days of chasing good looking guys are long over~now I just chase DH since he is easy to catch.

I am sure lucky that I married a guy who loves going to Disneyland several times a year and will lug all the stuff around without complaining and leave the front of the line to take kids to the potty.

Disneyfalcon
04-26-2006, 04:56 PM
I must say I am envious of parts of Darkbeer's life!:D