POFQ to Epcot-Early AM

[gfolchick]

We will be staying at POFQ. On our first morning we have a Segway tour booked for 8:30am which requires us to arrive by 8:15am. What time do the buses start running to Epcot or will we require a taxi? How much time should we allow?

Thanks in Advance.

 

[disneydork]

We are also wanting to do the Segway tour while we are there (heard it's a blast!), but can't decide whether to reserve the 8:30 or the 9:30 tour for the same reason. We would rather do the 8:30, but we are staying at the Boardwalk and usually just walk in through the back, but if we need to be upfront by 8:15am and Future World doesn't even open till 9:00am, we can't figure out if they will let us walk through (got conflicting answers from different cast members on the phone). I know they will let us walk through after Future World opens because we've done that before. I thought buses started running a 1/2 hour before park opening, but even that wouldn't get us there in time. Plus, I don't think there is a bus from Boardwalk to Epcot anyway, so we'd have to take one to DTD or the TTC first, so we'd have to leave way early anyway, which seems silly when we could walk it in 15 minutes. Anybody else had these problems? Please help!

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I believe that the special buses that run early to take people to the various character meals and tours start somewhere around 6:45am. The normal bus runs to the theme parks start around one hours before park opening. From POFQ just grab an early bus like around 7:15-7:30am. From the Boardwalk I am not sure if you can get through the International Gateway before park opening. You can always grab a taxi from outside the Boardwalk main entrance to the main entrance of Epcot. That would only take a few minutes and be pretty reasonable. You might want to call the Boardwalk directly and ask them if you can enter early through the International Gateway. This entrance has the same hours as the main Epcot entrance.
I just read a post from Chip 'N Dale (former Disney bus driver now working at the GF) that the early buses start running 45 minutes before the first scheduled breakfast. So at times they start running around 6:15am for the 7am breakfasts. Anyone with an early tour can get on one of these early buses. Just allow enough time in case you just miss a bus.

 

[CarolMN]

We are also wanting to do the Segway tour while we are there (heard it's a blast!), but can't decide whether to reserve the 8:30 or the 9:30 tour for the same reason. We would rather do the 8:30, but we are staying at the Boardwalk and usually just walk in through the back, but if we need to be upfront by 8:15am and Future World doesn't even open till 9:00am, we can't figure out if they will let us walk through (got conflicting answers from different cast members on the phone). I know they will let us walk through after Future World opens because we've done that before. I thought buses started running a 1/2 hour before park opening, but even that wouldn't get us there in time. Plus, I don't think there is a bus from Boardwalk to Epcot anyway, so we'd have to take one to DTD or the TTC first, so we'd have to leave way early anyway, which seems silly when we could walk it in 15 minutes. Anybody else had these problems? Please help!

We're also doing one of the early Segway tours and staying at the BWV. I am planning to walk through EPCOT - can't imagine there will be a problem. They let people who have character breakfast reservations (for Princess Storybook at Norway) walk through from both the IG and the front entrance. Can't see any reason why they wouldn't let us walk through, too. I plan to have my tour confirmation number ready, but am not expecting any trouble at all. We can't be the first people in this situation - those tours have been going on for quite some time.

I don't put much credence to the CMs who answer the phones - I'm sure they mean well, but many of them just don't know so they give what they think is the "safe" (but wrong) answer.

Anyway, don't worry! You will be able to walk through - the cast members at the IG know there is no other way for you to get where you're going and you won't be the first that has an early tour meet.

Best wishes -

P.S. FWIW, the buses to DD will not start running early enough for you to get to EPCOT that way. Even if they did, after you got to DD, you'd have to take a bus to another resort and then wait for that resorts's bus to EPCOT. I'd take a cab before I'd go through all that.

There aren't any buses to the TTC from the resorts. You'd have to go to the MK, then monrail to the TTC, and change to the EPCOT monorails.


Again - don't worry. You will be able to walk through EPCOT to get to the tour meet.