Can I resort hop if I'm not a "Disney Guest"?

[Elonwy]

I'm staying a hotel off property and I won't have a car with me but I would like to have a look at some of the resorts to plan for future visits.

Is this an easy or OK thing to do? I was planning on making a day of it just to check out the basics...lobby, pool, restaurants.

Can I get on the busses at one of the parks and check out resorts that aren't on the monorail route or do I need a resort ID?

Thanks

...only 4 days to go!!!!!! :sohappy:

 

[lamarvenoy]

Resort hopping is fine but you can't USE their facilities,ie.no swimming, no exercise room, however you can eat at the restaurants and check the places out. I have never been on a Disney bus but from what I understand they do occasionally check resort i.d.'s.

 

[dxwwf3]

Originally posted by lamarvenoy
I have never been on a Disney bus but from what I understand they do occasionally check resort i.d.'s.

In my 30+ trips to WDW I have never been asked to see a resort I.D. when using any of the transportation. Now that doesn't mean it never happens, but I have personally never seen it happen.

I would say that you should have no trouble resort hopping. You'll probably find out the huge difference in saying on site and staying off site very quickly. Have fun.

 

[Woody13]

Originally posted by Elonwy
Is this an easy or OK thing to do? I was planning on making a day of it just to check out the basics...lobby, pool, restaurants.

Can I get on the busses at one of the parks and check out resorts that aren't on the monorail route or do I need a resort ID?

The WDW transportation system is available to ALL guests with valid tickets. However, they never check tickets.

You may check out the resorts to your hearts content, however, realize that there are no "resort to resort" buses.

 

[Nansafan]

Re: Re: Can I resort hop if I'm not a "Disney Guest"?

Originally posted by Woody13
The WDW transportation system is available to ALL guests with valid tickets. However, they never check tickets.

You may check out the resorts to your hearts content, however, realize that there are no "resort to resort" buses.

Which is why we say, "you can't get there from here". Anyways, the only time someone asked about for resort I.D. was in 1998 and we were getting on the boat at the MK going to the Poly. We were staying at the Poly so it was no prob for us. I don't remember if anyone was turned away. It was late at night so maybe they were making sure people were not getting on the wrong boat for the TTC.

 

[disneypunker]

Re: Re: Can I resort hop if I'm not a "Disney Guest"?

Originally posted by Woody13
The WDW transportation system is available to ALL guests with valid tickets. However, they never check tickets.

You may check out the resorts to your hearts content, however, realize that there are no "resort to resort" buses.

It is also easy to resort hop if you are at EPCOT. If you exit the park at the International Gateway between UK and France, you will be able to walk to Boardwalk, the Dolphin, the Swan, the Yacht Club and the Beach Club. And if your over at the Magic Kingdom you can easily walk over to the Contemporary from there you can catch a boat to Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge. Or you can catch the monarail to the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian. The easiest way to hop to the other resorts would be to go to Downtown Disney and use that as a hub. You can catch a boat to Old Key West, Port Orleans: French Quarter and Port Orleans: Riverside. Then you catch bus from Downtown Disney to Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, Coronado Springs, the All-Star resorts and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Hope this helps we almost always resort hop weather we are staying on-site or off and never have a problem. Have not really seen resort ids checked since the early 90's.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

As someone else stated, I've never been asked for a resort ID boarding *ANY* Disney transportation. To stress a very important point...YOU CAN'T TRAVEL RESORT TO RESORT! With the All-Stars, you can actually walk from each one to the other and someone else mentioned the Epcot resorts. Make sure you have a plan before you do this or it'll take you a long time.

Good Luck!

Next WDW Trip: July 9 - July 16 Pop Century :sohappy:

 

[TURKEY]

Re: Re: Re: Can I resort hop if I'm not a "Disney Guest"?

Originally posted by disneypunker
It is also easy to resort hop if you are at EPCOT. If you exit the park at the International Gateway between UK and France, you will be able to walk to Boardwalk, the Dolphin, the Swan, the Yacht Club and the Beach Club. And if your over at the Magic Kingdom you can easily walk over to the Contemporary from there you can catch a boat to Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge. Or you can catch the monarail to the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian. The easiest way to hop to the other resorts would be to go to Downtown Disney and use that as a hub. You can catch a boat to Old Key West, Port Orleans: French Quarter and Port Orleans: Riverside. Then you catch bus from Downtown Disney to Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, Coronado Springs, the All-Star resorts and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Hope this helps we almost always resort hop weather we are staying on-site or off and never have a problem. Have not really seen resort ids checked since the early 90's.

Using AK a hub for the All-Stars, Coronado, and AKL would be much easier than using DTD. Same for Epcot or MGM for Carribean Beach and Pop.

 

[Scooter]

The only time my family has ever been asked for proof of Resort stay ID was during the busy season.

and even then it was only on the resort monorail.

 

[StevenT]

If I were you I would maybe use AK as a hub, as suggested by Turkey Leg Boy. Resorts that can be accesed by boat from Downtown Disney are easy to get to, but bus rides to and from DTD can by extreamly long.

 

[soccer9miahamm]

You should be fine. They have never checked for my ID and I don't think that they do. Once you're at a hotel, I wouldn't think that they would stop you either. It does take a considerable amount of time though, since you would have to take a bus or monorail each time. You can't get into a Disney resort without an ID if you are driving yourself however.

 

[ISTCrew20]

I have never been asked to show ID either, and I have been on those busses hundreds of times. Wait, actually I was..You may have a problem if you are getting a bus from DTD early in the morning, and you are at the stop before busses start running. This has only happened to me once. I was dropped off there 15 minutes before busses started running, and a guy came out of a van and told me I could not ride any busses. They do this so guests staying on Hotel Plaza Blvd. do not board Disney busses to get to parks. It has only happened to me once though.

And keep in mind...Some busses do run resort to resort. Some run to Contemporary first, and the second stop is the Poly. Same with WL and FW. Monorails are for Contemp, Poly, and GF. Boat service goes to BW,YC,BC,Swan, and Dolphin.

Besides, the only bus signs that still say "please present proper ID" are at PI. You should have no problem at all.

 

[Bill]

Originally posted by soccer9miahamm
You should be fine. They have never checked for my ID and I don't think that they do. Once you're at a hotel, I wouldn't think that they would stop you either. It does take a considerable amount of time though, since you would have to take a bus or monorail each time. You can't get into a Disney resort without an ID if you are driving yourself however.

Ummm, yes you can...

Well, I mean, you don't need a resort ID. Just a Driver's License.

 

[wdwjmp239]

Originally posted by dxwwf3
In my 30+ trips to WDW I have never been asked to see a resort I.D. when using any of the transportation. Now that doesn't mean it never happens, but I have personally never seen it happen.

I would say that you should have no trouble resort hopping. You'll probably find out the huge difference in saying on site and staying off site very quickly. Have fun.

I'd have to say I've done about the same amount of Disney trips, but unlike you, I've seen about three times when the driver asked for ID. I saw it once at The Contemporary Resort, once at Disney's All-Star Movie Resort, and once at Disney's Polynesian Resort. When they ask for it, just make sure you have it on hand. Not a big thing.

 

[Woody13]

I apologize. I was not clear in my previous post on this subject. Resort ID's have NOTHING to do with Disney transportation (they did many years ago, but not today). Disney transportation (bus, boat, monorail, etc.) comes with your purchase of ANY ticket to visit WDW. If you have valid admission media (i.e. "a ticket") you have paid in advance to use ANY AND ALL of the WDW transportation system.

P.S. The "old days" were different.:wave:

 

[djmatthews]

On our last trip we visited the Boardwalk. We drove there and were wasked for photo ID by security there. We also went from the TTC to the Contemporary on the Monorail, then took a Monorail (sat up front :sohappy to the Poly..... however, a Monorail broke down so we were delayed, then took a boat to the MK. It was a great afternoon. We didn't eat, but we hired a mouseboat from the Contemporary. No ID was needed at the MK resorts.

 

[tigsmom]

We travel to different resorts all the time. Sometimes we use WDW transportation other times we use our own car. We have never been denied access or asked for ID or our tickets. We love to check out the other facilities, use the restautants and plan future trips. :wave:

 

[Elonwy]

Thanks for your help everyone. I'm really looking forward to checking out a few of the resorts...particularly Wilderness Lodge and AK Lodge.

If anyone has some I "shouldn't miss" let me know...though I suppose everyone has a different favorite


.....only 3 days to go!!!! :sohappy:

 

[tigsmom]

If you are in the WL around 9 pm head to the dock or beach (just to the right of the pool) to catch the Electric Water Parade. Pull up a hammock & relax. :wave:

 

[Brad]

Originally posted by Woody13
I apologize. I was not clear in my previous post on this subject. Resort ID's have NOTHING to do with Disney transportation (they did many years ago, but not today). Disney transportation (bus, boat, monorail, etc.) comes with your purchase of ANY ticket to visit WDW. If you have valid admission media (i.e. "a ticket") you have paid in advance to use ANY AND ALL of the WDW transportation system.

P.S. The "old days" were different.:wave:

This wasn't my experience on a recent trip.

I was staying at a non-Disney hotel and drove to EPCOT in the morning. I paid to park and bought a ticket to EPCOT. I then left the park around lunch time and drove over to Wide World of Sports for a baseball game. I then drove to Downtown Disney and parked mid-afternoon.
My plan was to take a Disney bus back to EPCOT for the rest of the day and then take a bus back to Downtown Disney and pay to enter Pleasure Island after the park closed.
I asked a CM with transportation for help with routes and she asked which resort I was staying at. When I told her it was off-site she said I wasn't allowed to use Disney buses. I explained that I had purchased parking, EPCOT entry, Wide World of Sports tickets, was going to pay to enter PI and had/would spend who knows how much in food, drink etc. She said it didn't matter, I had to be staying at a Disney Resort.
I have to say I was a little disappointed and now wonder if she was wrong.