Park Hopping questions - MK to Epcot

JChoma

JChoma

Active Member
Original Poster
We'll be using Park Hopper for the first time on our trip this year and I have some questions about getting from park to park. We will have our own car. One day, we're planning to go to MK from rope drop-3ish then Epcot World Showcase for late afternoon rides, dinner @ World Showcase and Illuminations.

Would you recommend driving from MK over to Epcot, or taking the monorail there from the TTC? That means we would have to take the monorail back to TTC after Illuminations to get our car from the lot. How much time should we budget for either option?
 
sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
In this scenario we leave our car at TTC and just use the monorail to Epcot or sometimes we move our car. Takes about the same time either way being you have to go to the TTC to switch to the Epcot monorail or get your car. Choose whichever works best for you. Do you want to just have your car at Epcot at the end of the evening to get back to the resort quicker or do you not mind having to go to the TTC to get your car? Going to Epcot either way is about the same but leaving Epcot it's faster to just have your car there. ;)
 
JChoma

JChoma

Active Member
Original Poster
Panda WDW said:
Buy the express transportation for a day if you can its amazing!
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I just had to google what that is. It does look pretty great! Not sure I can justify the extra $60, but nice to have that option!!

sxeensweet said:
In this scenario we leave our car at TTC and just use the monorail to Epcot or sometimes we move our car. Takes about the same time either way being you have to go to the TTC to switch to the Epcot monorail or get your car. Choose whichever works best for you. Do you want to just have your car at Epcot at the end of the evening to get back to the resort quicker or do you not mind having to go to the TTC to get your car? Going to Epcot either way is about the same but leaving Epcot it's faster to just have your car there. ;)
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Hmmmm I'm thinking with tired kids, getting back to the resort quicker might be helpful. The fun of the monorail after Illuminations may be a better idea in theory than real life! :) Thanks for the tip!!
 
sxeensweet

sxeensweet

Love a little Disney every day!! ;)
JChoma said:
I just had to google what that is. It does look pretty great! Not sure I can justify the extra $60, but nice to have that option!!



Hmmmm I'm thinking with tired kids, getting back to the resort quicker might be helpful. The fun of the monorail after Illuminations may be a better idea in theory than real life! :) Thanks for the tip!!
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Your very welcome! And you drill get to ride the monorail going into MK from TTC if it's running when you arrive early that morning and also going back to TTC to get to your car to drive to Epcot. You ride the monorail or ferry to get to MK from TTC and vice versa. :)
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
Nobody is suggesting the two best options.

Option 1: Park at Epcot in the morning, then monorail to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. Then your car will be waiting for you when you're done at Epcot that night.

Option 2: Skip driving and just rely on Disney transportation that day. Even when I have a car (about half the time), I prefer taking the bus on Magic Kingdom days due to the hassle of the TTC.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
JChoma said:
I just had to google what that is. It does look pretty great! Not sure I can justify the extra $60, but nice to have that option!!

Hmmmm I'm thinking with tired kids, getting back to the resort quicker might be helpful. The fun of the monorail after Illuminations may be a better idea in theory than real life! :) Thanks for the tip!!
Click to expand...
This is what I do. I park at Epcot and before even entering the park I get on the Monorail and go to MK. I spend what ever time I want there and then take the Monorail back to Epcot, watch Illuminations and then go to the parking lot and jump in the car.

For the rest of the stuff, it is possible to use the extra cost stuff, but, frankly you couldn't force me at gunpoint to spend money on that when I had my car right there. It does take a little time, but, not all that much to drive between places, however, I have never found it that much of a burden and it breaks up the time a little and gives the kids time to decompress between parks.

Animal Kingdom really is the only park that is a ways away from either the Monorail or boat or bus transportation. If for example I decide that I am going to split my time between Epcot and DHS I have parked at DHS and taken the boat to Epcot. That is more of a strain coming back at night, but, it is a relaxing ride.

My way of looking at it is, I'm on vacation, I am not going to run around like a beheaded chicken while on vacation. I will sit back and enjoy my total experience and part of the total experience is getting from one spot to another. when it comes to DAK, I take my car and drive to the next park, it is much more convenient at the end of the day and isn't all that much of a hassle, at least not to me. All that said, with the exception of MK and Epcot any and all inter-park transportation can be frustrating. Even the high price one, only gets there at certain times so you have to wait or leave earlier then you might want or later, and you have to figure all that out. The special Express is not on demand, it arrives at scheduled times and is subject to traffic problems just like all of the buses. What that means is that with the exception of MK/Epcot I just used my car almost every time and I park hop with the best of them. Sometimes 3 a day. Haven't quite found the need for 4 yet.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Nobody is suggesting the two best options.

Option 1: Park at Epcot in the morning, then monorail to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. Then your car will be waiting for you when you're done at Epcot that night.

Option 2: Skip driving and just rely on Disney transportation that day. Even when I have a car (about half the time), I prefer taking the bus on Magic Kingdom days due to the hassle of the TTC.
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This^^^

Having you car as close to you as possible at the end of the day is almost always the best option. It is a little extra time in the morning, but it is much easier to do it when you are rested and full of pixie dust and coffee vs when you are beat after a 14 hour day.
 
JChoma

JChoma

Active Member
Original Poster
This is great advice. I didn't consider parking at Epcot in the a.m., just figured it might take extra time but we might just do that.
 
RustySpork

RustySpork

Oscar Mayer Memer
CaptainAmerica said:
Nobody is suggesting the two best options.

Option 1: Park at Epcot in the morning, then monorail to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. Then your car will be waiting for you when you're done at Epcot that night.

Option 2: Skip driving and just rely on Disney transportation that day. Even when I have a car (about half the time), I prefer taking the bus on Magic Kingdom days due to the hassle of the TTC.
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Option #1, I do that often and it's pretty convenient if you're going to end the day at Epcot.
 
Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
JChoma said:
This is great advice. I didn't consider parking at Epcot in the a.m., just figured it might take extra time but we might just do that.
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If you elect to do that it, you might want to consider doing it solo. You take the car to Epcot and then take the monorail back to MK. The wife and kids could then just take the bus straight to MK.

They can sneak out about 1/2 hour extra sleep, you won't have to drag them from one park to another and the best part is you will get roughly an hour of near total silence.:D
 
JChoma

JChoma

Active Member
Original Poster
Master Yoda said:
If you elect to do that it, you might want to consider doing it solo. You take the car to Epcot and then take the monorail back to MK. The wife and kids could then just take the bus straight to MK.

They can sneak out about 1/2 hour extra sleep, you won't have to drag them from one park to another and the best part is you will get roughly an hour of near total silence.:D
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Another good idea (I'm the wife, though lol).
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
@CaptainAmerica has the best idea with Option #1, if you choose to drive. That way you will, hopefully, get a parking space close to Epcot's entrance and you don't have to drive in the madness between MK and Epcot in the afternoon.
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Nobody is suggesting the two best options.

Option 1: Park at Epcot in the morning, then monorail to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop. Then your car will be waiting for you when you're done at Epcot that night.

Option 2: Skip driving and just rely on Disney transportation that day. Even when I have a car (about half the time), I prefer taking the bus on Magic Kingdom days due to the hassle of the TTC.
Click to expand...

Any estimates on how long the Epcot->MK Monorail journey would take at that time of day, figuring in pre-rope-drop crowds?
 

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