Timing - Busses start running from Parks to resort?

[Mousetopia]

I am surprised much searching has still not turned up this answer!

How early can you grab a bus from a park back to a resort in the morning? As early as the reverse, resort to park?

Here is the scenario:

Moving from Swan to stay at AKL. The day is a non park day with plans to stay the whole day at AKL (Heaven!) Ill need to transfer luggage and an ecv. Minnie Van is pretty spendy. My thought:
- Have Swan tranfer luggage
- Drive the ecv over to Studios from Swan and catch a bus to AKL.
..one concern is Boma resv. at 8am. (trying for 9 no luck yet)

Anyone have experience needing early bus from a park to a resort?

 

[FCDub]

Accessible taxi.

I can’t think of a reason why people at a park that early would be getting rides BACK to a hotel. At the time you’re talking about, the park is unlikely to even be open.

 

[Mousetopia]

early entry is at 8am and they general start busses about an hour before that

 

[FCDub]

early entry is at 8am and they general start busses about an hour before that

Correct me if I’m wrong, but why would buses from parks TO hotels be running that early? Who needs to get back to a hotel before the park opens?

 

[Debbie Jean]

I believe you should be able to prebook an accessible taxi or timeshare for less than a Minnie Van. Although I use a scooter, I haven’t done it myself since I usually do a park on my “resort transfer” day with a split stay. But I believe I have heard others who have done this so perhaps someone could speak to this. You might try asking on the disabilities board, also.

 

[CarolynFH]

I am surprised much searching has still not turned up this answer!

How early can you grab a bus from a park back to a resort in the morning? As early as the reverse, resort to park?

Here is the scenario:

Moving from Swan to stay at AKL. The day is a non park day with plans to stay the whole day at AKL (Heaven!) Ill need to transfer luggage and an ecv. Minnie Van is pretty spendy. My thought:
- Have Swan tranfer luggage
- Drive the ecv over to Studios from Swan and catch a bus to AKL.
..one concern is Boma resv. at 8am. (trying for 9 no luck yet)

Anyone have experience needing early bus from a park to a resort?

I think that if you ride your ECV to DHS when buses are arriving with passengers from the resorts, and you go to the AKL stop, they’ll take you there. If you see a Transportation CM when you arrive at the DHS bus station, talk to them, they’ll arrange it.

 

[CarolynFH]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but why would buses from parks TO hotels be running that early? Who needs to get back to a hotel before the park opens?

To get to an early ADR - OP has Boma ADR at 8:00 AM. And since buses have to make multiple trips TO the resorts to pick up guests before park opening time, it’s highly likely that at least one bus that arrives at DHS7:30 AM will be traveling from there to DHS in time for the 8:00 AM ADR.

If ETPE is at 8:30 AM, buses will begin arriving around 7:30 AM.

 

[FCDub]

To get to an early ADR - OP has Boma ADR at 8:00 AM. And since buses have to make multiple trips TO the resorts to pick up guests before park opening time, it’s highly likely that at least one bus that arrives at DHS7:30 AM will be traveling from there to DHS in time for the 8:00 AM ADR.

If ETPE is at 8:30 AM, buses will begin arriving around 7:30 AM.

It's SO much easier to just take an accessible taxi from the Swan to AKL. No need to go in circles and waste a ton of time.

 

[CarolynFH]

It's SO much easier to just take an accessible taxi from the Swan to AKL. No need to go in circles and waste a ton of time.

Of course, but that wasn’t OP’s question.

 

[FreeTime]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but why would buses from parks TO hotels be running that early? Who needs to get back to a hotel before the park opens?

They are going back to pick up other guests. My DH forgot his wallet in the room one time. He was told the bus we were on was going to a different resort but to get off and get in line and one will be there in a few going back to ours and it was.

 

[Mousetopia]

I believe you should be able to prebook an accessible taxi or timeshare for less than a Minnie Van. Although I use a scooter, I haven’t done it myself since I usually do a park on my “resort transfer” day with a split stay. But I believe I have heard others who have done this so perhaps someone could speak to this. You might try asking on the disabilities board, also.

It's SO much easier to just take an accessible taxi from the Swan to AKL. No need to go in circles and waste a ton of time.

I understand that they do not exisit in the Orlando market.

 

[FCDub]

I understand that they do not exisit in the Orlando market.

Check this thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/wheelchair-accessible-taxis.3866912/

 

[Mousetopia]

I believe you should be able to prebook an accessible taxi or timeshare for less than a Minnie Van. Although I use a scooter, I haven’t done it myself since I usually do a park on my “resort transfer” day with a split stay. But I believe I have heard others who have done this so perhaps someone could speak to this. You might try asking on the disabilities board, also.

I already researched that ..nope not in Orlando market is what I found.

 

[Mousetopia]

Check this thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/wheelchair-accessible-taxis.3866912/

Thank you, sorry should have said except Mears scheduled pick up ..not cheaper than Minnie van. Popping over to the studios from the Swan is a quick easy way if a bus will be heading back at a reasonable time. I was able to move Boma to 9 so it got easier!

 

[Mousetopia]

I think that if you ride your ECV to DHS when buses are arriving with passengers from the resorts, and you go to the AKL stop, they’ll take you there. If you see a Transportation CM when you arrive at the DHS bus station, talk to them, they’ll arrange it.

thank you that sounds like best bet!

 

[Ross Kratter]

Mears does have accessible taxis; however, there are not so many of them.

 

[seashoreCM]

Theoretically you can get a bus from the park back to your resort as early as it was possible for you to get to the park in the first place. Example follows.

My DH forgot his wallet in the room one time. .

Or maybe you forgot your ticket(1).

More common scenario, mentioned earlier: Transferring at this park to get from one resort to another.

Buses do not necessarily go back to the resort they just came from(2). Therefore human error can affect the providing of buses back to your resort that early. So it helps to go through the motions of seeking out a transportation coordinator at or near the park bus platforms to request that bus.

(1) In my earlier lifetime (in college) they let students who forgot their meal tickets charge the meal to their student accounts if they forgot a meal ticket. Until late spring when seniors' student accounts are closed out for graduation. I complained about this latter part. Today I realize that someone who in college had to go without dinner for forgetting his/her meal ticket would be less likely to forget the ballet tickets, or forget the Disney tickets.

(2) Buses are routed to different resorts and different parks with the aim of (morning) going back for the next load to a nearby resort and running full most of the time from distant resorts to parks. Sometimes you get a simple rectangle like (morning) Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom to Polynesian to Animal Kingdom to AKL, repeat. In the morning most trips (almost empty) back to distant resorts may be dispatched manually only when someone is seen waiting and it still looks like you get the same 20 minute interval between buses.

 

[jen23il]

seashoreCM has the best advice; As we have run into multiple issues trying to get back to a resort or a different resort Early AM.
Our experience is it's best to coordinate with the transportation coordinator at the bus platform - DO NOT just go to the hotel stop line.
This has happened to us when we go to a park and have specific ride intentions and get them done by say 10AM - for instance AK we are usually done by 9:30AM/10 and most of the time the park has been open since 8AM. So this is 2hrs after park opening and we have had to wait an hour just to get back to YC/BC/BWI. Even though there has been drop offs from 1 or all of those hotels. The buses don't go back to them that early in the morning.

I know this is post is from a long while ago, but as the original poster mentioned - I was surprised to not have found more questions like this. As I'm sure if not just for finishing early like us, or someone forgot the diaper bag, or ponchos. People forget things all the time and can't wait hours to go back, they need them ASAP.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but why would buses from parks TO hotels be running that early? Who needs to get back to a hotel before the park opens?

Who? Me-I needed to go back once because dummy that I was, I forgot important medication I'd left at the hotel. It happened about 15 years ago, and yes, there were buses going back to the hotels from the resorts at park opening. But I haven't forgotten anything that important since.