Transportation?

[tabby1222]

So we have several days already planned out, but I am wondering how the easiest way to get from All-star movies to Fort Wilderness is. We will have a car, but I would rather not drive once I am on property. The day we are going is a resort/possibly DS day.

My mom is a staunch "I will not do ride sharing like Uber/Lyft" person. She was willing to do a Minnie Van, but holy $$$. And then she realized they get scheduled from Lyft and not WDW, and we are right back to square one. And the stupid Minnie Van is so much more than a regular Lyft.

So, help me. I don't really want to drive, but I also don't want to have to take a bus to a park, then to a new resort, and do it all over again after our 8:30 Hoop-dee-doo show.

TIA!
Tabby

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Cannot avoid bag check.

You're right. It's been a while since I did that. Before the big shuffle of security areas.

 

[tabby1222]

@tabby1222 there will be a direct bus back to the All Stars when HDD lets out.

Thanks so much! This is good to know! It is our first time branching out to resort hopping, and I am so not comfortable with this concept.

You're welcome, and don't let "Her Highness" get you down on these pages...most people wait until they "earn their stripes" before the condescension starts...

Hahaha! No worries, it takes much more snark to knock me down. I am a queen of sarcasm, but only unleash it when I know a situation calls for it. Some are better at reading situations than others, clearly.

 

[Hcalvert]

thanks for the replies. I’m not sure what we are going to do. I just enjoy the idea of parking the vehicle and not driving. To me, it’s a perk to staying on property. We’ve always had good luck with buses, so it’s never been a problem. My mom is worried about times, and I’m in the group of we leave early and see the resort before our time. She would rather leave at last possible minute and hope it all works out. Not happening.

I know my youngest would love a Minnie van, but double the price makes me want to puke. That’s ridiculous. It already costs a fortune to go, especially for a teacher/single mom, let’s not price gauge for a stupid van. But I also know it is part of the price you pay to go to Disney, nothing is cheap.

I get what you are saying about the price of the Minnie Van. I have a split stay this next trip---one night at Poly and 8 nights at Riverside. I have to decide whether to have Disney transfer my luggage and I take the monorail to MK and then a bus to POR or get a Minnie Van and just do everything. I am just going to decide once I get there.

From POR, I will be going to the Storybook Dining at WL on the Saturday of my trip. I will not have a car and there will be a total of 9 people going. We are going to have to take a bus to MK and then the boat over to WL. The rest of my family have never been to WL, so I figured we would go a little early to check the place out and also give us buffer time if needed. I stayed at FW once and there is plenty to see, so I would just suggest you take the bus and then the boat.

BTW, I am a teacher too and get it all the time about how do I afford Disney every year (or several times a year). Um, I pick up supplementals, use gift card promotions, economize throughout the year, etc. I happen to teach is a state that pays well, so that helps too. However, when I taught in Florida, I definitely knew your pain.

 

[tabby1222]

I get what you are saying about the price of the Minnie Van. I have a split stay this next trip---one night at Poly and 8 nights at Riverside. I have to decide whether to have Disney transfer my luggage and I take the monorail to MK and then a bus to POR or get a Minnie Van and just do everything. I am just going to decide once I get there.

BTW, I am a teacher too and get it all the time about how do I afford Disney every year (or several times a year). Um, I pick up supplementals, use gift card promotions, economize throughout the year, etc. I happen to teach is a state that pays well, so that helps too. However, when I taught in Florida, I definitely knew your pain.

I would be too terrified of my luggage getting lost. Seriously, that is one of my worst fears..... I just can't beehive how inflated the price is between a regular and Minnie Van. It is crazy to me that for some specialty car wraps it is an extra $15.

Ugh. Teacher salaries. I am in Illinois right now, and on top of the 23% state income tax, its one of the lowest paying states for teachers. We are moving to Florida as soon as the adoption is finalized, and I will actually be making way more than I make now, without the added bonus of the no income tax. That is how crappy pay is where I am at. And I am actually in a higher bracket district than most, because of where my school is, and the urban-based location.

And I swear, if one more person says "You must be rich or something to be going to Disney, again....." Nope. I just know how to stretch my dollar, budget like crazy, and save my butt off in order to make memories for the boys who started with nothing. Sorry, not sorry.

 

[James J]

Awesome. Thanks for so much info!!! I think after looking at the info and seeing how long other options will take, then adding in the horrible heat right now and two very chaotic boys we will probably just do the Minnie van. Ugh. At least the positive is that my little guy will be so stoked! My mom feels better knowing that it is CM’s driving so it looks like that’s the plan.

A fair few CM's double up as normal Lyft drivers too - we were picked up by a few of them last year, including one who was a monorail driver!

 

[Hcalvert]

I would be too terrified of my luggage getting lost. Seriously, that is one of my worst fears..... I just can't beehive how inflated the price is between a regular and Minnie Van. It is crazy to me that for some specialty car wraps it is an extra $15.

Ugh. Teacher salaries. I am in Illinois right now, and on top of the 23% state income tax, its one of the lowest paying states for teachers. We are moving to Florida as soon as the adoption is finalized, and I will actually be making way more than I make now, without the added bonus of the no income tax. That is how crappy pay is where I am at. And I am actually in a higher bracket district than most, because of where my school is, and the urban-based location.

And I swear, if one more person says "You must be rich or something to be going to Disney, again....." Nope. I just know how to stretch my dollar, budget like crazy, and save my butt off in order to make memories for the boys who started with nothing. Sorry, not sorry.

Just be careful about teaching in Florida. Since I left in 2010, tenure was abolished for new hires and the districts went to merit pay, which is based partly on test scores. Florida has had difficulty getting and keeping teachers since. Depending where you go, pay is not that great. Some people that I worked with, who have now taught for 25 years and have a Masters, are barely making $50,000. When I moved to Ohio five years ago, I ended up making nearly double of what I made in Florida and started at $58,741 at step 6 MA. I was dumbstruck about the difference when they told me how much I was going to get paid. Also, Florida is right to work, so there is no striking and the unions tend to be weaker. With all that said, I loved the kids and my colleagues from Florida, but the financials were mainly the reason I chose to leave after 6 years and why I tell my former principal "no" every time he contacts me to come back, which has happened at least 4 times.

 

[monothingie]

I am a total convert on MiniVans. I can not stress how they’ll stress free they make it to travel Around property. Totally worth the $40-50 to not have to deal with waiting to drag cranky children into a crowded bus. Plus they will pick you up and drop you off at the parks bus stop areas, unlike other ride shares. Also if you ask nicely enough they will drop you off near your resort room building rather than the resort bus stop. Totally worth it.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I am a total convert on MiniVans. I can not stress how they’ll stress free they make it to travel Around property. Totally worth the $40-50 to not have to deal with waiting to drag cranky children into a crowded bus. Plus they will pick you up and drop you off at the parks bus stop areas, unlike other ride shares. Also if you ask nicely enough they will drop you off near your resort room building rather than the resort bus stop. Totally worth it.

Agreed. I feel you on the whole dollars thing though. I used Uber extensively on my last trip which was May 19th-26th. Pricing for onsite resort to resort was about $9 dollars, pricing from Universal resort area to resort on WDW Property was about $20/$21 so I found it significantly less expensive and had great experiences in all of my travels ( nice drivers. clean cars etc.) I was a little skeptical at first, as I hadn't really ever used Uber before this, but I can say I was REALLY pleased with how it turned out and would definitely use them again. Marie

 

[tabby1222]

We are going to ease into it with a Minnie Van on the way to HDD, and just take a bus back after, thanks to finding out about that! Thanks Tuvalu! I am just going to swallow the price, and do it. I know my little guy will die of excitement about it, so it all works out. Might as well celebrate well, since we are only doing this adoption thing once!

 

[wannabeBelle]

Many happy congrats on the adoption and it sounds like a great transportation plan!! I know you will have a wonderful time!! Marie