Visiting a Disney theme park is supposed to be fun, but for some, the journey to the parks can feel more like navigating a maze of transportation confusion. One recent guest staying at a non-Disney hotel with a shuttle service to EPCOT’s bus terminal shared their frustrating adventure spanning a good portion of Walt Disney World’s property. This one is truly a journey worthy of The Lord of the Rings proportions!
Transportation Frustration
Walt Disney World transportation services come in many different forms. Guests can take the Disney Skyliner, Minnie Van service, Disney World Bus service, and more. The Disney transportation system offers a way around the theme park to locations such as the Magic Kingdom park, Grand Floridian Hotel, Contemporary Resort, and the Typhoon Lagoon water park. Certain options can even get you to the Orlando International Airport. A Disney World bus is a good way to get anywhere, provided you know where you want to go.
In the r/WaltDisneyWorld subreddit, a post laments an epic tale of a journey around Disney World. The guest’s ordeal began with a seemingly simple instruction from their shuttle driver: return to the pickup point by 9 p.m. Little did they know that a series of transportation misadventures would mark their day.
The first hurdle appeared when they discovered there was no direct bus service from their hotel to Hollywood Studios. Seeking assistance, they turned to Disney cast members for guidance, only to receive conflicting advice. They were initially told to take the monorail to the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center) and then a bus to Hollywood Studios. However, their hopes were dashed upon arrival at TTC as they were informed they were in the wrong place and needed to walk to the Polynesian Resort to catch a bus.
It Just Keeps Going
After a 40-minute wait for a bus at the Polynesian Resort, they finally arrived at Hollywood Studios, ready to enjoy their day at the park. But their transportation woes were far from over.
The return journey proved to be just as perplexing. Advised to take the Skyliner, the party faced delays and loud emergency speakers during the ride. They then received contradictory information on how to reach the EPCOT bus terminal. Ending up at the back entrance to EPCOT’s World Showcase, they were forced to walk to the Yacht Club for another bus to the front of the park due to not having Park Hopper passes. Upon arriving, they discovered no bus service to EPCOT’s main entrance.
Frustrated and with the clock ticking, they resorted to calling an Uber for $30 to return to their hotel, deeming it a more efficient solution than the complex Disney transportation system.
I had a horrible experience with Disneys transportation system and customer service with said transportation.
byu/Master-Tiger-4588 inWaltDisneyWorld
The Joys of Rideshare Services
Commenters felt the original poster’s pain. However, they used this as a prime example to go with rideshare services like Uber or Lyft when staying outside Disney World property. One response said to just commit to using these apps and accept the extra expenses. It just isn’t worth saving money when navigating a maze of frustration.
This is actually the perfect example of why you need to study transportation options from whatever hotel or resort you’re staying at. It sucks you had to go through it, but as a previous poster said, there are a bunch of gotchas with transferring between parks.
My recommendation, if you’re staying offsite, accept that you’re paying for Uber/Lyfts or you need a rental car. Plus side, it’s usually faster than other options between parks.
Comment
byu/Master-Tiger-4588 from discussion
inWaltDisneyWorld
Ultimately, the guest acknowledges that the Disney World cast members did their best to assist them. However, this was truly an adventure of epic proportions. When staying at a non-Disney resort, maybe heed the advice given to this weary traveler.
