Resort Hopping Advice...Parking/Transportation

[DRD]

Hey everyone.

We are planning on resort hopping the day before our resort reservation begins (Wilderness Lodge). We are staying at the Holiday Inn next to Disney Springs/Downtown Disney but would rather spend the afternoon/evening resort hopping.

How is parking at the resorts for non-guests? Can we just pull into a resort & park without a pass? Is there a fee? What about Disney busses...is that a better way to see the resorts? If so, do the busses run from Disney Springs to the resorts?

We are wanting to visit AKL first and see the animals and hopefully take the culinary tour of Boma and Jiko. Then end up at Boardwalk for the evening to see the entertainers there.

Thanks so much!

 

[Carl Fredricksen]

Just park at Downtown Disney (free parking) as the buses will take you to every WDW resort from that location. I would recommend taking your first bus to the Wilderness Lodge due to the fact that I believe it is on the same bus route as the Contemporary Resort. Once done at the Wilderness Lodge, get back on the bus to take you to the Contemporary. From here, you'll have access to not only the Contemporary, but also the monorail which will link you to the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom. I'd recommend checking out all of the hotels along this route as they are all Disney's "deluxe" properties. Back at the Magic Kingdom you will once again have a large selection of bus routes to choose from to either get you back to Downtown Disney, or the Animal Kingdom lodge.

 

[LAKid53]

If there is parking for visitors without a room reservation, the guard at the gate may let you through. Those parking permits they gave you at the guardhouse? According to the guard during one of my previous visits, they don't check the parking lot for cars without the permit. The permit is more for free parking at the parks. And now you may or may not get the permit. I cannot remember if we got one for our stay at WL in August - for once, I wasn't driving.

But Carl is on target. Depending on how close your hotel is to Disney Springs, you may be able to walk to Disney Springs and then take the bus to a resort.

 

[DRD]

Thought I'd follow back up to provide an answer to my own question in case anyone else has the same question in the future. We had absolutely no problems just driving and parking at the resorts. You'll have to show an ID to park, but just explain to the ranger you're visiting and we had no issues whatsoever. I think taking Disney transportation to and from the resorts would have been time consuming and confusing, personally.