How much time to get to AK?

[chick20679]

Hi all,
We have ADR's for Donald's Safari Breakfast at 8:15am. The park opens at 8am that day. We are staying at POP.
Wondering:
1) how much time should we allow to arrive on time (considering travel time and walking time)
2) how early can we get there? (what is earliest bus and can we get in early b/c of our ADR?)

Thanks!!

[Strmchsr]

I'd say allow at least an hour. Try to be on the bus by 7:15 since you have to get to DAK, then check in at the gate and wait on a CM to walk the group back to the restaurant. It's not like at MK where they just let you in on your own.

[BigRedDad]

You should be out at the bus stop at about 7-7:15AM. It is about a 15 minute walk to get to the restaurant. That includes checking in through the dining line, getting through the turnstiles, and on your way. Since you are at POP, you should be OK. If you were at the AS's, I would say take a cab. It took 45 minutes to go 3 miles.

[chick20679]

Thanks guys!

[Janmac]

I've been told that the busses start at 7 am. I don't know if this is true. I've also been told that they start out running every 20 minutes but that they get off schedule after awhile.

When we have an early breakfast we try to be at the bus stop at 6:55. Sometimes we've waited through two or three busses for the other parks before the one bus we want shows up.

If you get the first bus - like real close to 7 am - and arrive at the park really early, you will likely be waiting for the turnstyles to be activated. A CM maybe come by and ask for your name, ADR time and resort. At AK, once the turnstiles are activated, they allow you to walk on to Africa, where you check in at the restaurant and wait for your name to be called.

At MK, after going through the turnstile, you'll wait at a rope near the archway until 8 am (this trip but sometimes 7:55) when they let you into the park.

We've had shorter bus wait times by timing our arrival for either 5 minutes before the hour, 15 minutes or 35 minutes after the hour. Generally speaking. Doesn't always work.

Jan

[chick20679]

Thanks for the info Jan! I think we'll plan on being at the bus stop just before 7:15a hopefully we won't have to wait too long to get in and also still have enough time to make it over to the restaurant without having to make a mad dash! Only 62 days until we leave - woohoo!!