Doubletree Suites questions

[1Pam]

We are going in January. We have food allergies so plan to do breakfast in the room, carry lunch some days and dinner offsite. I did look at the Disney menus extensively and then decided to stay offsite also because
our 4.5 yr old does not nap and a suite seemed good. We plan to leave the parks by 5 latest to make it to bedtime around 7ish.

We will end up paying $40 a day in parking between hotel and park, plus car rental and gas. Hotel has been booked with points so no free parking or breakfast.

Had a couple of questions:

Wondering if the hotel shuttle is great and dining options in walking distance seem OK, if we can do without the car?

Also what is the best way to get to MK if driving and how early should we leave driving or via hotel shuttle?
I imagine it won't be any worse in getting there for the other parks.

 

[Upatnoon]

There are many dining options across the street in the Crossroads shopping center. Take great care going over there because of the traffic. You can also walk to Disney springs, about half a mile.

The hotel shuttle to the theme parks leaves every 30 minutes and is shared by all the Disney Springs hotels where you are staying. http://www.lakebuenavistaresorthotel.com/images/pdf/disney-shuttle-schedule.pdf

To get to MK, I would take the shuttle. It drops you off at the TTC, where you take the ferry or monorail to MK.

If you drive, you will park in the lot by the TTC, take a tram ride to the TTC and then take the ferry or monorail.

I would give yourself 20 minutes to get to TTC via shuttle bus, then another 20 minute to reach the MK. It may take a bit longer or a bit less depending on luck, crowds, traffic, etc.

Would driving to MK be faster? Maybe, but it could also be longer based on you luck with your parking spot and the tram.

 

[1Pam]

Thank you! Sorry I have more questions...

Would you know when is the doubletree pickup in order? I see there are 4 hotels on that route.

Also is driving preferable for the other 3 parks?

This may be a silly question but If one has a breakfast reservation at one of the monorail resort restaurants, can one park the car for the day and take the monorail or ferry from there?

 

[writerguyfl]

Would you know when is the doubletree pickup in order? I see there are 4 hotels on that route.

I've stayed at the DoubleTree Suites over 50 nights in the past few years. I've also stayed multiple nights at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista (40+ nights) and Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs (about 10 nights). I feel like I know the transportation system really, really well.

The DoubleTree Suites is the last pick-up before the buses head to the parks. I've never seen a bus heading to the parks that was completely full. The only times I've experienced full buses is leaving the parks after the big nighttime events like fireworks. That said, I'm not a "rope drop" person. I've never tried to use the Disney Springs buses to get to a park prior to opening.

The buses are run by Mears Transportation. That's the company that runs Disney's Magical Express service. They have been a Disney partner for decades. And they are a huge company. I have no doubt that each of the Disney Springs hotels informs Mears about their occupancy levels. If necessary, Mears will add a bus. Since they are so large, they can usually scare up a bus in minutes.

Hint: If you're concerned about getting a seat on the bus, you can walk across the street to the Best Western. That's the first hotel in the pick-up order for that side. It's a very short walk over there. Just be aware that the pick-up time would be different from the DoubleTree Suites time. I think it's on the hour/half-hour. But, I'd certainly double-check. The easiest way would be to call the Best Western and ask the pick-up time. Whoever answers the phone should know the answer.

Also is driving preferable for the other 3 parks?

One bus usually goes to the Transportation and Ticket Center followed by Disney's Animal Kingdom. The other bus goes to Epcot followed by Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Just keep in mind that if you're at Epcot or Magic Kingdom, you'll have to take a detour to a second park before returning to your hotel. That may annoy some people enough to drive (and pay to park) instead of taking the bus.

If you're park hopping, it might be worth ending your day at either Disney's Animal Kingdom or Disney's Hollywood Studios. By doing that, you will head directly back to the hotels.

This may be a silly question but If one has a breakfast reservation at one of the monorail resort restaurants, can one park the car for the day and take the monorail or ferry from there?

It's not a silly question. I believe every one of the monorail resorts will only allow you to park for a few hours in conjunction with a reservation.

 

[smiths02]

This may be a silly question but If one has a breakfast reservation at one of the monorail resort restaurants, can one park the car for the day and take the monorail or ferry from there?

As writerguyfl said, you can usually only park a few hours. However, if you pay for valet parking, that is generally 24 hours. If you have to pay for parking anyhow, this may be a good option at only a few bucks more.
The other option would be to park at TTC and take the monorail to breakfast from there (if the monorail is operating at that time). If the breakfast is at the Poly, you can walk from the TTC

 

[DaisyDuck001]

This may be a silly question but If one has a breakfast reservation at one of the monorail resort restaurants, can one park the car for the day and take the monorail or ferry from there?

If using the free parking at a monorail resort for a meal reservation, they will let you park there for no more than three hours. If everyone who went to a monorail resort for a meal parked there for the whole day, then there would not be enough parking for those staying at that resort, nor even enough parking for the other people going there just for a meal reservation.

 

[MrKnight]

Thank you! Sorry I have more questions...

Would you know when is the doubletree pickup in order? I see there are 4 hotels on that route.

Also is driving preferable for the other 3 parks?

This may be a silly question but If one has a breakfast reservation at one of the monorail resort restaurants, can one park the car for the day and take the monorail or ferry from there?

For MK = Shuttle transportation is the best option for MK. As stated by PP, bus will drop you off at TTC where you can hop on either the monorail or ferry to MK. There is no quicker way.
For EC, DHS, and AK = Shuttle transportation works too but driving may be more convenient for your situation since the parking lots for these parks are actually at the park entrance.

As far as dining at the monorail resorts, it depends on your day, if you plan on heading to the parks immediately after the breakfast it may be easier to take the first hotel shuttle to TTC and then hop on the monorail resort line, then after your breakfast you can hop on the monorail again to MK (or WDW buses to other parks) and not have to worry about driving/parking/etc.. If you drive can park at the resort for the duration of the meal but you will NOT be able to leave your car parked the entire day, thats the catch..

Hope this helps

 

[shocker]

I've stayed at... Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs (about 10 nights). I feel like I know the transportation system really, really well.

I'm considering a walk to DS and a bus ride to Contemporary followed by a walk to MK. I REALLY REALLY REALLY dislike the TTC and the monorail/ferry ride to MK. Do you think this will work? Considering if morning arrival would be different from an evening arrival to MK?

 

[writerguyfl]

I'm considering a walk to DS and a bus ride to Contemporary followed by a walk to MK. I REALLY REALLY REALLY dislike the TTC and the monorail/ferry ride to MK. Do you think this will work? Considering if morning arrival would be different from an evening arrival to MK?

Yes, that will definitively work in the afternoon or evening. But, you might want to check to see if the bus to Disney's Contemporary Resort typically makes a stop at another resort first. I vaguely recall having to stop at Disney's Wilderness Lodge when I've made that trip in the past. That intermediate stop might make the option less appealing.

As far as mornings go, I don't think it would work for something like rope drop. I believe return service from Disney Springs back to the resorts is delayed until after the stores open at 9am. (You might find that information on the Transportation forum.)

On the return trip, you can take a Disney bus from any of the theme parks direct to Disney Springs between 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM or 2 hours after theme parks close, whichever is earlier. I actually do that quite a bit when I stay at the Disney Springs hotels because I like grabbing an evening snack or drink before walking back to the hotel. It's a nice way to end an evening, provided it's not raining or wildly hot (or cold).

 

[shocker]

Yes, that will definitively work in the afternoon or evening. But, you might want to check to see if the bus to Disney's Contemporary Resort typically makes a stop at another resort first. I vaguely recall having to stop at Disney's Wilderness Lodge when I've made that trip in the past. That intermediate stop might make the option less appealing.

At least WL would be a one stop resort, but maybe FW too?? Either way, I would count it better than the TTC route. I've walked to MK from the boat dock on the backside of Contemporary and I've walked from MK to Contemporary to get to WWofS complex. But, I've not walked from DS to a DSAR.

On the return trip, you can take a Disney bus from any of the theme parks direct to Disney Springs between 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM or 2 hours after theme parks close, whichever is earlier. I actually do that quite a bit when I stay at the Disney Springs hotels because I like grabbing an evening snack or drink before walking back to the hotel. It's a nice way to end an evening, provided it's not raining or wildly hot (or cold).

This is good to know, I'm not sure this was the case on our last visit, but we also don't do a lot at DS. It will be interesting to see how that effects us staying so close??

 

[writerguyfl]

At least WL would be a one stop resort, but maybe FW too??

Personally, I've never seen a three-stop route for the Magic Kingdom area resorts. I doubt you'd have to worry about two stops prior to arriving at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

I totally understand (and share) the annoyance regarding the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) transfer. Just keep in mind that Disney bus service can be spotty. You may end up waiting up to 20-25 minutes at Disney Springs waiting for a bus. In comparison, you'll never have to wait 20-25 minutes at the TTC for a monorail or ferry.

This is good to know, I'm not sure this was the case on our last visit, but we also don't do a lot at DS. It will be interesting to see how that effects us staying so close??

For me, the ability to walk to non-hotel/resort restaurants is a huge bonus. When staying at the hotels closest to Disney Springs (like the Holiday Inn), I will just walk over to Wolfgang Puck Express (my favorite quick serve) or the fish & chips place at Raglan Road. If I'm at the DoubleTree Suites, I typically walk over to one of the places at the Crossroads Shopping plaza instead of eating at their in-house restaurant.

Even if you're not planning on dining, making an evening pit-stop for a drink or sweet treat at Disney Springs is a nice perk before walking back to the hotel.