I don\u2019t know about you, but I hate driving.\u00a0 My mother always taught me not to use the word hate, she says it is a strong word to use and I agree.\u00a0 I hate driving!\u00a0 So when I go to Disney World I am more than happy to stick the car keys in a dresser drawer, hop on the bus and sit back for an easy ride to the parks.\u00a0 If you choose to stay on property it is totally possible to park your car (if you drive to Disney) and not move it again until you head home at the end of your vacation.\u00a0 Even if you fly, thanks to Magical Express, you can leave the driving to Disney and with the price of gas going up again, why not?\u00a0 There are many different opinions about Disney\u2019s transportation and I find that most of the complaints center around crowded buses and the length of time it takes to get somewhere.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at the transportation options, how to get around the crowds, and arrive at your destination in a timely manner.<\/p>\n
The most obvious mode of Disney transportation is the iconic monorail.\u00a0 In a perfect world, Disney world that is, the monorail would be available from every resort to every park and would provide easy transfers to different lines to get you where you want to go.\u00a0 But even Disney isn\u2019t perfect so there are two monorail lines available.\u00a0 The first line is the resort line that links the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian with the Magic Kingdom and the Ticket and Transportation Center.\u00a0 It is fast, efficient, and unless you are leaving right at park closing or after evening fireworks, it is very rarely jam packed.\u00a0 The second line goes from the Ticket and Transportation Center to Epcot and back again.\u00a0 The option to switch lines can be accomplished at the Ticket and Transportation Center, also known at the TTC.\u00a0 The monorail is great because if you have a stroller, you are allowed to roll right on without first removing an exhausted, sleeping child.\u00a0 Bonus!<\/p>\n
The second mode of transportation is the bus line.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t very glamorous and in the summer it can be downright stinky after a long, sweaty day in the park.\u00a0 But we always stay at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort and that means we ride the bus, sweat and all.\u00a0 Despite negative reviews, I can tell you first hand that riding the bus beats driving and I can debate my side all day long.\u00a0 Here are a few of my top reasons to get on the bus (if the monorail isn\u2019t a choice, of course!):\u00a0 First, you aren\u2019t paying for gas to drive to the parks.\u00a0 And at the end of the day you don\u2019t have to fight the crowd to get on a tram to ride out into the parking lot to find your car.\u00a0 But what about the long lines to get on the bus you might ask?\u00a0 There are a few different things you can do to avoid that.\u00a0 The top thing to not do is leave with the mass exodus out of the park at park closing or after fireworks.\u00a0 Leave before the parade or fireworks or shop a little, get an ice cream or funnel cake, grab a bench and people watch, noticing the large mobs of people flooding out of the gates.\u00a0 You aren\u2019t one of those people!\u00a0 You can sneak in one more ride or hunt down the Photopass photographers and have them take some nighttime shots.\u00a0 Putting off your departure by 20 minutes will lessen your wait in line at the bus.\u00a0 Would you rather wait in line at the bus stop or relax and watch the crowd go by?\u00a0 In the morning, it is all about timing.\u00a0 If you make it a point to leave an hour before or after park opening you won\u2019t have such a crowd in the bus.\u00a0 It also pays to find out where the bus stops first at your resort which will increase your chance of finding a seat once you do board the bus.\u00a0 One side note though, if you see a parent juggling a toddler, a preschooler, a stroller and trying not to fall over as the bus takes off, get up and offer your seat.\u00a0 It\u2019s called common courtesy and I don\u2019t care what your gender is, be polite for goodness sake!<\/p>\n
The other argument against bus riding is the time factor.\u00a0 The buses are not known for quickly delivering you to your destination.\u00a0 Here is my top tip for that argument.\u00a0 Plan ahead and treat it as a chance to relax, unwind, and enjoy the fact that you aren\u2019t driving!\u00a0 If you are going from your resort to a park, it is pretty straight forward that you get on the bus that is going where you want to go.\u00a0 You should plan on 30 minutes travel time, from walking out the door of your hotel room to arriving at the turnstiles at the park.\u00a0 Keep in mind though that in the middle of the day the buses may run less frequently, although it has never taken me more than 30 minutes to go from resort to park.\u00a0 Going from resort to resort is going to take a little more planning and a little more time, but again, look at it as part of the experience and not as a hassle and then it can be fun.\u00a0 Example, on our Animal Kingdom days we like to eat at Whispering Canyon Caf\u00e9 at the Wilderness Lodge.\u00a0 When we leave Animal Kingdom we simply get on the bus to the Wilderness Lodge.\u00a0 After dinner we need to get back to Port Orleans so we walk out to the boat launch (another fine transportation option) ride the boat over to Magic Kingdom, walk over to the bus and ride it back to Port Orleans.\u00a0 All in all driving would be quicker, but not more fun!\u00a0 My kids LOVE to ride the boat and I can guarantee they would choose that over driving in the car any day!<\/p>\n
That brings me to another transportation option, the boats!\u00a0 Riding on the boats or ferries is an option at many different locations throughout Disney World Resort.\u00a0 The resorts that have boats as a Transportation option are Fort Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, the Yacht and Beach Club, the Boardwalk, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, \u00a0and the Port Orleans resorts.\u00a0 The big difference with the boats is that, like the monorail line, the destinations are very limited.\u00a0 For example the boats from Port Orleans go to Downtown Disney and back again and the hours and departure times are more limited than the buses.\u00a0 You can ride the boat from Epcot or Hollywood Studios to the Yacht and Beach Club and the Boardwalk and back again and so on.\u00a0 The boat from the Wilderness Lodge takes you to the dock right outside the Magic Kingdom.\u00a0 Obviously there are many options here and I find that the boats are the slowest form of Disney transportation, but it is an option to consider.\u00a0 You can also ride a ferry from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom if you choose to drive and park your car in the Magic Kingdom parking lot.\u00a0 On our Hollywood Studio days we like to eat dinner at Cape May Caf\u00e9.\u00a0 We ride the boat from Hollywood Studios to the Beach Club.\u00a0 After dinner there are two options to return to our resort depending on if we have a Park Hopper option on our ticket.\u00a0 If we do we get back on the boat and ride to Epcot, walk through Epcot and ride the bus back to Port Orleans.\u00a0 If not, we ride the boat back to Hollywood Studios and get on the bus to Port Orleans.<\/p>\n So there you have it, Disney transportation in a nutshell.\u00a0 I know that there are people out there who don\u2019t like to give over the control of driving their own car and that is fine with me.\u00a0 However, when I go to Disney World you will find me riding the bus, or the monorail, or one of the boats, but probably not in my car.\u00a0 It\u2019s just too easy to leave the driving to Disney!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/Disney-Pics-2008-164.jpg\")
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