Will there be a "first bus of the day" scheduled?

[JJ2017]

I don't really know how to title this, but here is the scenario:

Staying at AKL
Checking out of AKL on a Friday morning when MK opens at 7 am and checking into BLT
Wondering how best to get to MK and be there by 6:45

1. Drop bags at AKL bell desk and get on the MK bus - Would we at least know what time the FIRST bus of the day would leave? (frist choice.....but will be upset if we miss a bus, or one doesn't come in time).

2. Drop bags at AKL bell desk and take a Minnie Van to MK (won't start dispatching until 6:30, might get there after 7)

3. Call an Uber, take bags with us, check into BLT leave bags with Bell Desk there, and walk to MK

I'm exhausted!

 

[Robo]

Buses begin running at approx. 6:30AM, every day.

MK bus may start earlier, especially that day.
I'd be at the resort stop by about 6:00AM.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

The buses will start running about 45 min before the theme park opening time. Agree with Robo, be out there around 6am. We've gotten out there around that time and there were two buses waiting to go to MK, it's awesome being at MK that early. The bus will work out. Have fun

 

[Robo]

The buses will start running about 45 min before the theme park opening time. Agree with Robo, be out there around 6am. We've gotten out there around that time and there were two buses waiting to go to MK, it's awesome being at MK that early. The bus will work out. Have fun

Sorry, but that is incorrect info (generally speaking.)

 

[CAS239]

The buses will start running about 45 min before the theme park opening time. Agree with Robo, be out there around 6am. We've gotten out there around that time and there were two buses waiting to go to MK, it's awesome being at MK that early. The bus will work out. Have fun

All theme park buses will start about 6:30am daily. But if a park is opening at 7am, they'll have earlier transportation.

Just saying that because someone might take "buses start around 45min before park opening" and think if Epcot opens at 9am that buses are starting at 8 or 8:15.

 

[Robo]

All theme park buses will start about 6:30am daily. But if a park is opening at 7am, they'll have earlier transportation.

Just saying that because someone might take "buses start around 45min before park opening" and think if Epcot opens at 9am that buses are starting at 8 or 8:15.

Agreed.

 

[JJ2017]

Ah, ok. I'm getting very jittery with the trip coming up! I do not want to wake up at the crack of dawn and then screw up the 7 am EMH opening (all on the day of checking out/checking in). We are excited to do everything early and then take a nice break back at the hotel. But I keep having to remind myself there is a 4 and 6 year old involved! (and a morning grumpy husband!)

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Ah, ok. I'm getting very jittery with the trip coming up! I do not want to wake up at the crack of dawn and then screw up the 7 am EMH opening (all on the day of checking out/checking in). We are excited to do everything early and then take a nice break back at the hotel. But I keep having to remind myself there is a 4 and 6 year old involved! (and a morning grumpy husband!)

Nothing to get jittery about at all but I understand why. When are you going?? The crowd level may impact how busy it is but we have yet to encounter any major morning crowds during a MK EMH morning visit this year. I think we have Pandora to thank for that. If it's that you're worried about missing a dining reservation or not getting on a popular ride, maybe just uber instead.

 

[JJ2017]

This will be on Friday, November 10th. EMH on a party day, jersey week, veteran's weekend. Just thought of another option....technically we can Uber it to Contemporary and walk over since we do have a room reservation (i was turned away last spring when i tried this) and just not worry about our bags. Hm, that's a new thought that I'm liking. Over thinking, I know.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

This will be on Friday, November 10th. EMH on a party day, jersey week, veteran's weekend. Just thought of another option....technically we can Uber it to Contemporary and walk over since we do have a room reservation (i was turned away last spring when i tried this) and just not worry about our bags. Hm, that's a new thought that I'm liking. Over thinking, I know.

I say that sounds like a good plan and with kids in tow, that will be the easiest and then maybe one parent grab the bags midday and bring them over to BLT during your break. We have ubered to the parks when not on property and it's the easiest way to get to there unless you stay on a Monorail loop hotel.

 

[JJ2017]

AKL will handle the bag transfer to BLT. OK, glad I talked that out. A couple of options now and if we can get clearer answers once on property (like Minnie Van's running earlier than 6:30, or "the bus will pull out at 6:15") then we can make a decision. So now we have to bring the booster seats just in case!

 

[Robo]

AKL will handle the bag transfer to BLT. OK, glad I talked that out. A couple of options now and if we can get clearer answers once on property (like Minnie Van's running earlier than 6:30, or "the bus will pull out at 6:15") then we can make a decision. So now we have to bring the booster seats just in case!

Do not count on any answer about transportation that you can get on-property as any kind of "good" info unless it is coming directly from a Disney bus driver.

(And, don't count on any "non-transportation" info about WDW that comes from a Disney bus driver.)

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Do not count on any answer about transportation that you can get on-property as any kind of "good" info unless it is coming directly from a Disney bus driver.

(And, don't count on any "non-transportation" info about WDW that comes from a Disney bus driver.)

Very wise words.

 

[AEA1127]

technically we can Uber it to Contemporary and walk over since we do have a room reservation (i was turned away last spring when i tried this)

Just curious why you were turned away from doing this? Did you try to leave bags without a room reservation? I only ask because we have the exact situation in December. I think our plan is to Uber and hopefully make things a little easier since we're traveling with our 16 month old.

 

[Fangorn]

I don't really know how to title this, but here is the scenario:

Staying at AKL
Checking out of AKL on a Friday morning when MK opens at 7 am and checking into BLT
Wondering how best to get to MK and be there by 6:45

1. Drop bags at AKL bell desk and get on the MK bus - Would we at least know what time the FIRST bus of the day would leave? (frist choice.....but will be upset if we miss a bus, or one doesn't come in time).

2. Drop bags at AKL bell desk and take a Minnie Van to MK (won't start dispatching until 6:30, might get there after 7)

3. Call an Uber, take bags with us, check into BLT leave bags with Bell Desk there, and walk to MK

I'm exhausted!

This was our experience last Friday (10/13) getting from OKW to MK for a 7am EMH and transferring to Poly as well:

1) On Thursday afternoon, arranged with Bell Services to get our bags for the transfer at 6am on Friday morning
2) Bell Services arrived at our door 5:55a. Tagged our bags and transported them and us to Hospitality House (main bus stop). Arrived 6:07
3) Watched as the MK bus entered OKW at 6:12, and began making its loop through OKW.
4) Bus arrived at Hospitality House (the last stop) at 6:20.
5) Arrived at MK at 6:35
6) Through security and waited in the courtyard outside the park.
7) They let us in to MK about 6:45, forcing everyone to go as a group to the right of the castle, and held everyone there until exactly 7am.
8) We went straight to Peter Pan, and walked right on. Time was 7:05.
9) Spent the day in MK, hopped to Epcot later. Picked up our bags from Bell Services at the Poly sometime around 11p.

This worked perfectly for us. Zero stress getting to MK in time.

Steve

 

[JJ2017]

This was our experience last Friday (10/13) getting from OKW to MK for a 7am EMH and transferring to Poly as well:

1) On Thursday afternoon, arranged with Bell Services to get our bags for the transfer at 6am on Friday morning
2) Bell Services arrived at our door 5:55a. Tagged our bags and transported them and us to Hospitality House (main bus stop). Arrived 6:07
3) Watched as the MK bus entered OKW at 6:12, and began making its loop through OKW.
4) Bus arrived at Hospitality House (the last stop) at 6:20.
5) Arrived at MK at 6:35
6) Through security and waited in the courtyard outside the park.
7) They let us in to MK about 6:45, forcing everyone to go as a group to the right of the castle, and held everyone there until exactly 7am.
8) We went straight to Peter Pan, and walked right on. Time was 7:05.
9) Spent the day in MK, hopped to Epcot later. Picked up our bags from Bell Services at the Poly sometime around 11p.

This worked perfectly for us. Zero stress getting to MK in time.

Steve

OK - great to see this outlined like this. THANK YOU. I think we can shoot for a bus and if it looks like we just missed one/not another one coming we can consider an Uber.

 

[JJ2017]

Just curious why you were turned away from doing this? Did you try to leave bags without a room reservation? I only ask because we have the exact situation in December. I think our plan is to Uber and hopefully make things a little easier since we're traveling with our 16 month old.

My friend and I were staying at Dolphin and we had a PPO BOG. We planned to take an Uber to Contemporary and then walk over. The guard at Contemporary stopped our Uber and said we could only be dropped off if we had a dining or hotel reservation. We couldn't communicate with our Uber well and we wanted to hop out once out of view, but he drove us all the way back to the TTC. It all worked out. We had never been on the monorail before and we still got to MK with more than enough time.

 

[smiths02]

AKL will handle the bag transfer to BLT. OK, glad I talked that out. A couple of options now and if we can get clearer answers once on property (like Minnie Van's running earlier than 6:30, or "the bus will pull out at 6:15") then we can make a decision. So now we have to bring the booster seats just in case!

Just a note that if you let Bell Services at AKL handle the bag transfer, you could be without your bags for some time.

Personally, I would rather Uber and check-in at BLT and know my bags are there already.

 

[Fangorn]

OK - great to see this outlined like this. THANK YOU. I think we can shoot for a bus and if it looks like we just missed one/not another one coming we can consider an Uber.

One other thing I didn't mention - as we were getting on that first bus, a second MK bus entered OKW.

Steve

 

[WEDWDW]

1. Disney starts the buses early to "cover" Early ADRs/Tours.
   
   The first Magic Kingdom bus "usually" starts between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM with the first bus for DAK,Epcot and DHS "usually" starting somewhere between 6:30 AM and 7:15 AM.
   
   Here are some "first bus times" from a stay at All-Star Sports.
   
   First bus for MK.
   
   

First bus for DAK/second bus for MK

First bus for Epcot/first bus for DHS/second bus for DAK/third bus for MK