Bus travel time between AK and HS?

[JohnD]

Just wondering the average bus travel time between HS and AK. I'm planning a park hopping strategy between the two parks on both 9/30 and 10/1.

 

[Rob562]

Once you're actually on the bus? I'd say 10-12 minutes.

-Rob

 

[englanddg]

Once you're actually on the bus? I'd say 10-12 minutes.

-Rob

I may be wrong, but it's my recollection that it's not quite that simple as busses don't run between the parks.

OP will need to hop through a resort...so, really, assuming you hit the busses just right, it's 10 - 12 minutes to get the "hop" resort (best choice is probably Coronado Springs or AKL...AKL generally shares a route with Blizzard Beach though, which adds to commute time during that stop), then wait for the AK bus then 5 - 15 minute trip to get to AK.

 

[JohnD]

(Still getting used to acronyms. OP=Original Poster) Hmm. I'm pretty sure you can't ride resort to resort. (You have to go to a park first as a hub) But I would think there are park to park buses.

Maybe I should amend my question. How long from bus station, waiting for bus, riding it, and exiting at destination station between AK and HS?

 

[englanddg]

(Still getting used to acronyms. OP=Original Poster) Hmm. I'm pretty sure you can't ride resort to resort. (You have to go to a park first as a hub) But I would think there are park to park buses.

Maybe I should amend my question. How long from bus station, waiting for bus, riding it, and exiting at destination station between AK and HS?

There is bus transit from the Transportation Ticketing Center (TTC) at Magic Kingdom directly to a few parks (takes the same amount of time to hop a Monorail and pick up a bus at one of the monorail resort hotels, I suspect), and there is a bus (after reviewing my notes from my last trip to confirm) that goes from Hollywood Studios to Animal Kingdom, but it went through Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom Lodge (August 2012) on it's way, so I'd not really consider that a "direct" bus. As I recall (and mind you, I'm pulling all this from memory) there is a Hollywood Studios to Epcot bus line, but I'd rather take the Water Taxi myself...)...

I want to say there is an Animal Kingdom to Epcot bus as well...but I could be remembering wrong.

As a general rule, there are no "park to park" direct busses, outside of what I mentioned. Hence why I've resort hopped so much in past trips. It's just easier to hop to a resort in that general area and snag a bus from there.

That being said, Disney is constantly playing with the bus routes and bus schedules based on demand...which is what makes it a difficult question to answer precisely.

 

[HamFam]

No worries. There are park to park buses. Should take 10 minutes or so. Have fun!

 

[englanddg]

Well, lets let the thread play out. There are a few Disney Bus Drivers who frequent who may have some insight.

 

[Rob562]

As a general rule, there are no "park to park" direct busses, outside of what I mentioned. Hence why I've resort hopped so much in past trips. It's just easier to hop to a resort in that general area and snag a bus from there.

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. There *are* direct park-to-park transportation options. The only exception is the Magic Kingdom, where all park-to-park connections are done via the TTC, but it's presumed that once the under-construction third bus loop at the MK is done, bus connections to the Studios and AK will move there.

If you are remembering a stop at Blizzard Beach and AKL, it's because you were on an AKL bus.
There are no buses from a resort to a resort (with the exception of resorts that share a bus route).
There are no buses between the parks and Downtown Disney.

So to give a complete rundown:

Magic Kingdom, you must monorail or ferry to the TTC.
From there:
-Monorail to Epcot
-Bus to Studios
-Bus to Animal Kingdom

Epcot front entrance:
-Monorail to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Studios
-Bus to AK

Epcot International Gateway:
-Boat or walk to Studios

Studios:
-Bus to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Epcot front entrance
-Boat to Epcot IG
-Bus to AK

AK:
-Bus to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Epcot
-Bus to Studios

As an example, here's the bus board at Studios (not my pic):

-Rob

 

[JohnD]

. . . . There *are* direct park-to-park transportation options. . . .

...
Studios:
-Bus to AK

...
AK:
-Bus to Studios

-Rob

Thanks!

 

[englanddg]

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect. There *are* direct park-to-park transportation options. The only exception is the Magic Kingdom, where all park-to-park connections are done via the TTC, but it's presumed that once the under-construction third bus loop at the MK is done, bus connections to the Studios and AK will move there.

If you are remembering a stop at Blizzard Beach and AKL, it's because you were on an AKL bus.
There are no buses from a resort to a resort (with the exception of resorts that share a bus route).
There are no buses between the parks and Downtown Disney.

So to give a complete rundown:

Magic Kingdom, you must monorail or ferry to the TTC.
From there:
-Monorail to Epcot
-Bus to Studios
-Bus to Animal Kingdom

Epcot front entrance:
-Monorail to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Studios
-Bus to AK

Epcot International Gateway:
-Boat or walk to Studios

Studios:
-Bus to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Epcot front entrance
-Boat to Epcot IG
-Bus to AK

AK:
-Bus to TTC to connect to MK
-Bus to Epcot
-Bus to Studios

As an example, here's the bus board at Studios (not my pic):

-Rob

I mentioned (but you didn't quote) some of those routes.

But, I stand, rather thoroughly, corrected. <grin>