driving to/fro parks vs WDW transport.

[ratow]

We will be staying at FW 10/19-10/25 with a borrowed trailer. We have five kids: dd 9yo, ds 7yo, dd 4yo, ds 2yo, and ds 10 months old (at the time we go).

Do I want to use the Disney transportation to get to/from the parks with my "herd?" Or would it be better/quicker to drive to the parks and use Disney trans. for the lunch/nap pit stop we plan to do each day? It sounds like (from what I've read) that FW doesn't encourage driving in the resort itself. Am I going to tick people off if I drive to/from the parks each day?

Not only have we never been to Disney, but we've never camped before so I don't know all the camping and Disney resort ettiquite!

Jamie

 

[welovemickey]

Hi, we just returned a couple of weeks ago from 2 weeks at FW. During our previous trips to WDW, we had always used the transportation system offered. However, this trip we decided to use our own car. Let me tell you, it was so much easier and quicker!!! Parking at the theme parks was free as long as you had the guest parking permit displayed on your dashboard. The trams from the parking lots to the gates were very efficient. We found that it saved more time and the hassle from fold, unfolding and folding the stroller!

I would recommend using your own car for sure!

Have a wonderful trip!

Lisa

 

[ratow]

Thanks! The stroller issue was part of my concern! That and not losing anyone in the crush at the close of the parks!

Did you get any evil eyes for driving in and out of FW? Did you use Disney transportation at all, even for nap breaks?

Thanks a lot.

Jamie

 

[welovemickey]

No one said anything about driving in and out of the campground. They really just frown upon driving within the campground. There aren't any places to park (except maybe 6 spaces by the meadows Trading Post) and at your campsite.

We used the ferry to go to the Magic Kingdom one day. My kids really enjoy the ferry ride and it is very magical to see the castle in the distance. After the MK, we wanted to go to MGM, it was just easier to take the ferry back to the car at the campground rather than take the monorail to TTC and then the bus to MGM and then try and get back to FW later at night.

You can PM me if you want. We've been to FW a lot in the past few years so if you have questions, ask away!!!

Lisa

 

[campingcorgi]

You might even want to try the buses once, and then you'd know if they work well for your family. Then if you don't like the bus experience, you'll know.

16 days to go!

 

[Grumpy92]

For the Mk I would use the boat launch it is just too easy and convenient. As for the other parks I would use a car. Just take into consideration that though the drive will be less you park in a large lot with other guest and will be taking the tram in. So really when you time it you only save a little time by taking the car.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We just returned from FW last Mon. Now that they have changed the bus schedule, the transportation is much better. You have direct access to the 4 major parks and DD. If you have a patient family and are going to relax and enjoy yourself, I would suggest you let WDW be your chauffeur. If patience is not one of your strongest virtues, you may want to drive. I do have to admit that the more often we go, the more patient we become. A couple yrs. ago, we always drove ourselves. Now we find it much more enjoyable to let Disney do the driving.

 

[ratow]

Grumpy92, are the trams in the parking lots crowded? Do I have to keep the strollers folded up? If so, maybe I should just take the bus, no difference, right?
Thanks.

tarheelmjfan, direct buses?

This is one of the things I am not clear on. So I'm standing at a bus stop in FW, a bus comes along, does this bus take me...where? To TTC (something transportation center?) or to a park or just around in a big circle, lost, destined to ride a bus forever with all my stuff and five screaming kids!!!!! Whew.

I gather there are routes. Do they have the destination posted on the front like tour buses? Do they all go to the mysterious TTC first then to a park?

I'm concerned about all the STUFF I will be lugging with me. I've read that on the boat I don't have to fold up the strollers but on the bus I will. (I've also read that you can roll your strollers onto the monorail but that won't help me 'cause I would have to take a dang bus to GET to the monorail!)

Funny you should mention patience....I always say, "Patience is NOT one of my virtues!" LOL

Thank you.

Jamie

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Never fear, you can take the boat to the MK directly or to the cont., if you want to go earlier and take a monorail from there. Getting to Epcot this way is a little more complicated. It includes alot of switching monorails, but never the less, you could avoid the bus. Hovever, it would probably be easier to take the bus. Remember, even if you drive you will still have to fold your stroller to get on the parking lot trams. Unless you have and extremely difficult stroller, you shouldn't have a problem on the bus. The aisles on the tram are not quite as wide as the bus doors. Just something else to consider.

Okay, the only way to have a direct bus ride, is to walk to either the Outpost Depot or Pioneer Hall, whichever your bus leaves from. What I meant by direct, was after you have departed the internal bus system at OD or PH, the bus is then a direct ride. With the new system the TTC is a thing of the past for the 4 major parks and DD. When you check in, they will give you a detailed trans. map, which will tell you whether you need to go to OD or PH. The internal bus system is much easier to understand now. You just find your loop, look on the map and find the corresponding color. From that point on, just look for the bus labeled with your color. The most complicated part of the trans. is deciding which bus is going to OD or PH. After you've figured this out, it's a piece of cake. Basically the road is a typical 2 lane rd. 1 lane goes to PH and 1 goes to OD, it's that simple. Don't panic over figuring out the transportation, it really is much more simple after you get there than it sometimes sounds on these sites.

 

[Grumpy92]

The direct park buses from PH would be my choice. As for the trams you will have to fold up the stroller. There is more room on the buses but you will have to fold them up as well. The buses can get pretty loaded and sometime it is standing room only. The only place you can kind of get away with leaving the stroller open is the monorail.

 

[mum4jenn]

With taking into consideration the ages of your children I would use your own car.Going to the Magic Kingdom would be rather easy if you use the ferry from FW but the rest of the places would probably be easier to use your own car. Also there have been many times when we were close enough to the other park entrances in the parking lots where we would just walk to the entrance instead of getting on the tram.Folding all the strollers has to be done on a bus or on a tram but there is less room to put all the kids and strollers on the bus. Especially when it is busy and hot and everyone is tired. We just have one but when she was little and we took our own stroller with us we got some IRATE people to deal with.
Another suggestion would be to try the bus one day and if you do not like it then use your own.

 

[Kermit]

I agree that it's worthwhile to try the buses first before you make your decision. We love Disney transportation. I know some of the routes are a little slower from FW than some of the hotels, but I still like them more than driving. Remember that you may have to use the tram to get from your parking spot to the park sometimes, and it's harder to manage the stroller and your little ones on that than on the bus. Plus, you'll have to hold onto your kids tightly through a busy parking lot and then get in a hot car if you drive. If you use the buses, you can wait in the shade and then get on an air conditioned bus.

 

[ratow]

Thank you, thank you to all!

I trust it will be easier to understand once I'm there and see the buses in action (like tarheelmjfan said). I requested the 1400 loop so we'll see what color that is. I do hope it's red; I look good in red!

How far do you think it is (distance for walking) from the 1400 loop to the marina?

The overall consensus seems to be driving instead of buses for the # of small children I will have with me.

I really appreciate all the input.

Jamie

 

[mhope]

Hi! I am new to this, so be kind. Just got back from FW and 1400 is a Yellow bus.
We have stayed many times at FW but have never had better bus service.

 

[ratow]

Thanks mhope!

I'm glad to hear that the 1400 loop is yellow. I just read a really bad report (another thread) on the orange bus route!

Did you have young children with you?

Jamie

 

[Dixie Luvr 98]

Even though we haven't stayed at Ft. Wilderness yet, I vote for your own car for parks other than the MK. As the mom of four I know how hard it can be to juggle infants, toddlers, and strollers on buses. Besides, I just feel safer knowing they are strapped into their own car seats rather than trying to hold onto them on the bus. Some of those drivers can almost put a bus on its side going around turns I have seen small children fall out of seats and onto the floor more than once. Plus, there is not guarantee you will get seats.

If you get to the parks early or after the crowds have started to thin, you can usually park close enough to easily walk to the entrance so you don't have to worry about folding and unfolding strollers and getting them on the tram.


P.S. If you have five small children, you DO have patience

 

[teachbrooks]

We drove our golf cart to the setttlement and took the direct bus from there and avoided the internal bus, but with two strollers this might be difficult for you. But consider the golf cart rental. We have found it worth the money, and the kids enjoy it.

 

[mhope]

Only children with us are 3 boxers. If you could get a AAA parking pass
you can park close enough at the parks that you would not need to use the
trams.

 

[reneet]

My family and I just returned from FW and I had a double stroller and 3 children ages 5, 3 and 23 months. We rented a car that we ended up using for groceries mainly and one trip to the Kennedy Space Center. We stayed in a cabin in the 2600 loop -on the orange bus route - and only once had a problem with the busses. We wanted to go to the main swimming pool and needed an orange bus to get there - we were feeling too lazy to walk. We ended up waiting 35 minutes. But in that time 3 purple buses drove by that would have taken us to the settlement or outpost. On the day that we decided to go to the Animal Kingdom, we drove our car. I do not think that we saved any time by doing so. I agree with the previous poster that you should try the buses and see what you think. The kids loved riding the buses as well as the boats and monorail. We found disney transportation to be very relaxing. You can just sit back and enjoy your vacation and leave the driving to someone else. We even split up once and I took the 3 year old and 23 month old and the double stroller back to the cabin with me using the bus - it was no problem for me. Enjoy your trip!

 

[ratow]

mhope, my in-laws are AAA members...do the parking passes cost anything? They have parking spots reserved for AAA members up front?

reneet, aha! A recent FW bus experience with kids! I'm glad it went well for you. We too will have a double stroller (and another umbrella stroller). The 9, 7, & 4 yos are good helpers, they have to be! If I can just control "Mr. Hell on Wheels # 4 child" (baby will be easy), it sounds like we could manage the buses.

Yup, I'll definiately TRY the buses since it's sounds like they've revamped the system a little. But I'm glad to find out that many people drive to the parks. That'll be my back-up plan!

5 months and counting!

Jamie