Resorts with Best Transporation

[SBETigg]

So how long does it typically take to get to MK or AKL including wait time and bus trip? Would it be faster to walk through Epcot to the monorail and go to MK that way?

Do you mean from Beach Club or other Epcot resorts? No, not quicker. It's still going to be faster to wait and get on a bus if you're at an Epcot resort. You're never waiting more than 20 minutes for a bus and the actual ride isn't long. Versus going to the International Gateway. Walking through WS and FW. Waiting for a monorail. Transferring to a ferry or new monorail.

[disneynarula]

To be honest I don't think the buses are any better at any particular resort. That being said, I don't have any experience at the monorail or Epcot resorts. I assume the appeal of those is that you don't need the bus system to get to the more popular parks.

I found the bus transportation to be similar at most of the resorts starting at the values and moving up the the deluxe villas. I can recall standing on buses back to every type of resort if I was there right at park closing.

Typically Disney does its best to get you where you need to go as fast as possible. At park closing most of the All Stars get their own buses. As far as I can recall they only share buses during the day when there are less people wanting to get to and from the parks. Most of the deluxe and moderates have just as many, if not more rooms than an individual All Star Resort.

[brownie]

We've mainly used a car to get around though we occasionally will use the buses. We haven't had good luck with Pop Century buses; it seems like we always go where there's a long wait for a bus. It gets disheartening when you're waiting in line and there's 2, 3, or more buses for the other parks while you're waiting but none for the park you want to go to.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Our best bus experience was at Kidani Villas. While AKL may be far from everything else, it always has buses come very, very regularly. And Kidani is the first drop off and first pick up, Jambo House is 2nd.

My WORST bus experience was at CBR. I waited for almost an hour for an EPCOT bus only to find out that the park buses didn't stop at the main house. No signs, no one to direct anyone else. The bus stop at the main house is only an internal bus... that made me so angry!!! Eh, live and learn.

I am doing a split stay between Boardwalk and BLT. We have strategically made our EP and DHS days in the first 5 days (in walking distance from BWV), and AK and MK on our last 5 days (being on the monorail line or walking distance from MK for 4 days!!!).

Hope your stay, no matter where, is magical!

[Keneva]

At the Poly and GF we found ourselves using the boat launches a lot in addition to the buses and Monorail. We used our car once and they gave us a lift in the golf cart to the parking lot which was a good bit away. Also, the teleporter was not working when we were there...

[hauntedmansiongirl]

We found the buses the best at Coronado Springs. Being a convention resort, there were hardly any people going to the parks during the day. Evenings were a bit more crowded, but still not bad.

Pop was really good too. The line-up at closings are always crazy long, but the managers are great at getting buses there fast.

POR and CB were okay. We really have no complaints about the Disney buses. We love the odd time that you get an entertaining bus driver- asking trivia, telling jokes etc. One night we were all exhausted after EMH at DHS and the driver made us howl the whole way home. He said that he wanted us to "turn those frowns upside down- tickle yourself if you have to- after all you could have saved $3000 and just stayed home!" He then rattled off 10 really funny, clean jokes that had us in tears.

[Kairi_7378]

Our best service has been at CSR.

[azcavalier]

The resort with the best bus transportation is always the one you're not staying at.

It always seems that when we would be trying to leave the parks, the stops next to the one for our resort would get three busses before ours would show up, regardless of where we were staying.

We love the Disney transportation! Sure, sometimes we have had to wait...and wait...and wait, BUT it's free, you don't have to worry about parking your car or how to even find the park (which I seem to have an issue with for some reason) and you can park your car when you get there and not get in it again until time to go. What's not to love? We have stayed at several different resorts and some the service is better (less stops) than others...but, it's all good.

I have to say, we actually have come to prefer driving our own car to the parks now. For the first six or seven trips, we swore by Disney transportation. But once we decided to drive to Epcot, and after Reflections of Earth, we walked out of the park, went straight to our car, drove back to POR, and we had the kids in bed less than 20 minutes after the end of Reflections of Earth. Had we been relying on a bus, we would still have been waiting for a bus 20 minutes later. We've been sold every since. It's just SO much faster, and you don't have to stop at any stops unless you want to.

Honestly, I had more problems with the buses at POR than anywhere else I stayed. I would rather be deluxe and share with four other resorts than to make that endless loop around the same resort with all the various stops. And then we had to go to the main bus stop to catch a bus with seats or standing room available. We had to wait for two, sometimes three buses, before there was room for us all. This was years ago, but it turned us off moderate resorts and we haven't been back. I'm sure it's better now. It has to be.

We have stayed at POR six or seven times, and rarely have we ever had a problem with crowded busses. And only one of those trips do I remember having to go to POFQ as well. Before we started just driving to the parks, we would occasionally have to wait for a bus at one of the stops, but it was usually not terrible, and rarely crowded heading out to the parks.

[tikiman]

Its simple. There is no resort on property that has as many options as the Polynesian. It has monorail, motor launch (small boat), bus service just like the other 3 monorail resorts but it also has the large ferry that is right next to Tahiti longhouse. This gives you not only another way to get to the Magic Kingdom but it gives you transportation that you can roll a wheelchair or stroller right onto easily.

Also after the many times I have stayed at the Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan or Dolphin as nice as the walk is into Epcot the time to do that is actually longer than taking the monorail over from the TTC which you can walk to in minutes from your room at the Polynesian.

Epcot is my favorite park and I have always found it much more convenient to get there from the Polynesian. I even left something in my room once and did not hesitate to get right back on the monorail to go back to the TTC and then take the 5 minute walk to my room. If I had walked all the way into Epcot from the Yacht Club or Boardwalk I would not walk all the way back to my room to get something unless I really needed it.

The other nice thing is the 8 minute monorail ride from Epcot to the TTC is sitting in a nice cool monorail and not walking out in the sun or rain storm.

When it comes to bus service nothing was worse for me than the busses at the Epcot resorts. It stopped at all 5 resorts every time and took forever. With the Polynesian being in the middle of the 3 resorts that share busses and monorails it has an advantage over the Grand Floridian that is last to be picked up for both and often can be full before it gets to the GF. While the Contemporary has a nice walk right to the Magic Kingdom it is no fun coming back from Epcot. I was staying there this year and I had to meet someone back at the resort and I was over in Epcot. I forgot I needed to take the monorail over from Epcot and then switch to get on the resort monorail and take the whole loop around over to the Contemporary. Getting back to your resort is important with tired kids so the longer it takes the worse it can be.

Having stayed at the Swan and Dolphin many times I know how long those friendship boats can take. A true story that I posted in a live trip report once year was we were leaving Hollywood Studios and just saw the boat leave so we lined up for the next one. We heard Fantazmic starting. By the time the next boat came to pick us up we were watching the ending fireworks of the show. Often taking that boat is slower than just walking. The boat can be fun and a good time to sit but it is not efficient. Having stayed at AKL and Pop Century has given me a feel for being at resorts with their own bus and I did not feel like it was horrible but it was in no way the best transportation option out of all the resorts.

I honestly feel there is no resort with transportation like the Polynesian.

[lvs_eeyore]

We recently stayed at the Poly and had no problems whatsoever with the buses. We went to and from DHS and to Epcot from the TTC and back to the Poly using a bus and did not wait long for the bus, nor did we stop at any other resort. The buses got us to and from the parks in good time also. I would not hesitate to use the buses again. We had to use a bus from the TTC to Epcot that day because the monorail had broken down. My only problem with the buses is that sometimes the drivers are a little impatient with those in wheelchairs who aren't completely comfortable with the controls yet. Most of them were awesome but I had one that was very impatient and pushy and made me ultra nervous trying to get the wheelchair into the bus. I was so nervous I slammed into three things trying to pull it in.

[moe513]

I like the transportation best at the BWI, because you are able to walk to epcot and dhs. It is so nice not o have to take buses to these parks.

[BrerGnat]

After spending 4 days riding hot monorails around, I would never choose a monorail resort in the summer. It was awful.

[brownie]

After spending 4 days riding hot monorails around, I would never choose a monorail resort in the summer. It was awful.

Just avoid them in the summer . I've never had a problem with them but I've only spent a couple summer days at Disney World.

[spoiledraf]

So how long does it typically take to get to MK or AKL including wait time and bus trip? Would it be faster to walk through Epcot to the monorail and go to MK that way?

If you get on a bus within 10 minutes you should be at MK drop off within half an hour, depending on which resort you are picked up at. I strongly advise against taking any perceived "shortcut" through Epcot. That's at least a mile jaunt from the YC/BC/BW. You won't likely get there any sooner and in the heat will work up a nice sweat before you get anywhere.

[Keneva]

After spending 4 days riding hot monorails around, I would never choose a monorail resort in the summer. It was awful.

I bet it was better than driving a hot car arounnd 495 or up and down 95/66 in August!

[BrerGnat]

I bet it was better than driving a hot car arounnd 495 or up and down 95/66 in August!

Not THIS August! It has been so nice and cool this year!

[sorarail]

When we stayed at POR last year during the Flower and Garden Festival, there were separate buses for POR and POFQ. We did not stop at POFQ at all. They may just do this during busier times.