Staying off property and using Disney buses

[DisneyJoe]

They probably don't realize:

1 - how big the property is
2 - how much time it takes to get from one point to the other

See below:

0 - What their plan is is to park at DTD
1 - take a bus to the park they plan visit that day - via a resort - 30-60 mins
2 - leave the park via bus back to DTD - via a resort - 30-60 mins
3 - so they can drive off park to get food - 60 minutes for lunch and driving
4 - take the bus back to the park for the afternoon - via resort - 30-60 minutes
yada yada yada

So for them to leave a park, go to lunch, eat lunch, and then get back to the park, will take them between 180 and 240 minutes!!!!!

This doesn't even include the time spent going thru the security checkpoint to get into the park each time.

Is that worth $11 savings?

 

[MichWolv]

I agree with others. Despite the fact that is is possible to do, to park at DTD for the sole pupose of saving $11 isn't worth it. The time lost in going back and forth will cost them more than $11 in lost enjoyment.

 

[mickey&me]

Other than saving the parking cost, what would be the point? And if you're only doing it to save the parking cost, it seems to me that you're doing your best to beat the system. While $11 may seem a little steep for parking, you knew there would be a charge when you decided to go to the parks to begin with.

Sorry if I sound harsh, but trying to get something you're not entitled to is infringing on the rights of people who are following the rules.

 

[wbt06]

I have never parked at DTD and rode the buses to the hotels then the parks. i have however parked at magic kingdom in the morning and then used the busses to get to AK. I did this because i got there an hour before the parks opened and MK is the easiest park to find. I have heard of people parking at a hotel and then riding the buses. Can this actually be done or to you have to have a parking pass for the hotels.

 

[celticdog]

They don't plan to shop at DTD though, or at least that is not their initial intention. Their initial intention is to park there to avoid having to pay for parking. What their plan is is to park at DTD, take a bus to the park they plan visit that day, leave the park via bus back to DTD so they can drive off park to get food, return to DTD to park, take the bus back to the park for the afternoon then take the bus back to DTD so they drive off park to get dinner before returning to DTD to get a bus back to the park for the evening.

Soooo, what you're saying is: your friends are cheap.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

All to save $11?? I would just stay on property, but if you are not, just pony up the $11. It is well worth it considering how much effort the alternatives are.

 

[Alexx]

If you stay offsite if you stay in a hotel most hotels do buses to the parks

 

[DisneyLeo18]

who would leave the park to go back to DTD to drive to get food, go back to DTD, take a bus to a resort, then a bus to the park, and do the same for dinner. why wouldnt some one just eat at the park? if they ate at the park it makes perfect sense to me why some one would just park at DTD. Although i would just pay the $11 if i wasnt stayin on property and only going to one park that day.

 

[amejr999]

Do they still have the security booth up on Vista Blvd (the backroad into the Magic Kingdom area)? Last time I was up there I don't remember seeing it.

 

[Mystic]

I was posting this for someone else, not me personally as I always stay on site. She would prefer to stay on site too. It's her mother and grandmother that are insisting on staying off site and trying to work around the system. I know that there are no direct buses from DTD to the parks for this exact reason.

And no you can't park at a Disney resort unless you have a parking pass as far as I'm aware. When we were checking into the Pop Century last week the Security Guard was checking our name off on a clip board before letting us through the gate.

 

[Billy6]

With all this being said...How early can you do this? Do the Busses run that early to/from DTD to resorts and vice versa. Can you make it to park opennings using this method???

$11 dollars is a snip for all the time you would save, but some people like doing what they want.

I would see if you wanted to return to DTD for dinner or PI at night, park there, get to the parks and then come back, using all the methods. Or do it just to save the money..I have thought of it, cause 1 week out of the year I stay off property...

 

[Nemo14]

I was posting this for someone else, not me personally as I always stay on site. She would prefer to stay on site too. It's her mother and grandmother that are insisting on staying off site and trying to work around the system. I know that there are no direct buses from DTD to the parks for this exact reason.

And no you can't park at a Disney resort unless you have a parking pass as far as I'm aware. When we were checking into the Pop Century last week the Security Guard was checking our name off on a clip board before letting us through the gate.

Do they realize that you only have to pay the $11 once per day, no matter how many parks you visit that day? It seems like they're doing an awful lot of nonsense to save $11?!!

 

[L Fisher]

What I don't understand area those that stay off property, leave for lunch outside of the park, come back, and then leave again for dinner. Too much time spent driving back and forth. What people don't realize is that they can get a really nice meal and split the cost and have plenty to fill them up with. Or even have a counter service, split it and buy a desert or something extra to make it a little more filling. There are ways to cut your costs at Disney. Everyone thinks that they are so expensive, but they are no more than most parks and their food is ten times better than most. We have a park here in Missouri that is called Worlds of Fun and their food is HORRIBLE!!!!!:hurl::hurl::hurl: Anyway, I have always stayed on property, so I guess I'm just used to doing things the same way!! If I was your friends, I'd just stay on property or pay the parking.

 

[MIDisneyFamily]

If your friends all dress in camo, sneak into the parks under cover of darkness, and wait in hiding spots till the park is crowded, they could save money on the park tickets to.

 

[tigsmom]

I was posting this for someone else, not me personally as I always stay on site. She would prefer to stay on site too. It's her mother and grandmother that are insisting on staying off site and trying to work around the system. I know that there are no direct buses from DTD to the parks for this exact reason.

And no you can't park at a Disney resort unless you have a parking pass as far as I'm aware. When we were checking into the Pop Century last week the Security Guard was checking our name off on a clip board before letting us through the gate.

Actually, you can. People do it all the time (especially those who live locally). You cannot stay there all day though. You will be allowed to go in to dine, shop or just look around. You get a short term parking pass. They do this to keep people from using the parking lot and then spending all day at the parks.

 

[RiversideBunny]

I don't understand the logic of going to WDW but not staying in a Disney hotel, unless there are relatives or vacation club accomdations, etc. already in Orlando.
It's like missing half of the magic.

Of course, I also don't understand why my wife has 45 pairs of shoes in our closet.

:king:

 

[DisneyChick1984]

Actually, you can. People do it all the time (especially those who live locally). You cannot stay there all day though. You will be allowed to go in to dine, shop or just look around. You get a short term parking pass.

*Raises hand*

Yes...you can do this. I do it from time to time.

 

[Nemo14]

I don't understand the logic of going to WDW but not staying in a Disney hotel, unless there are relatives or vacation club accomdations, etc. already in Orlando.
It's like missing half of the magic.

There are those who disagree with that. To me, the magic is there no matter where I sleep!

 

[wickedfan07]

I was posting this for someone else, not me personally as I always stay on site. She would prefer to stay on site too. It's her mother and grandmother that are insisting on staying off site and trying to work around the system. I know that there are no direct buses from DTD to the parks for this exact reason.

If they are giving her such a hard time about this before they even get there, I can't even begin to imagine what her trip will be like. They are obviously worried about money, and most people are. But a trip to Walt Disney World isn't a cheap adventure for anyone, even if you do try to beat the system. Like many people have said before, what they might save on parking fees and food isn't going to equal the time they spend in the car or on a bus. Buses aren't magical and eating off-site isn't magical. Parking once and being there for the whole day without having to worry is magical. You're paying for convenience; by not paying the extra $11 they only inconvenience themselves.

 

[MichWolv]

I don't understand the logic of going to WDW but not staying in a Disney hotel, unless there are relatives or vacation club accomdations, etc. already in Orlando.
It's like missing half of the magic.

Of course, I also don't understand why my wife has 45 pairs of shoes in our closet.

:king:

The logic is clear to me. Money. I have enough to afford to stay wherever I want, but not enough that I don't notice the difference between a $5,000 vacation and a $3,000 vacation.

When I go to WDW these days, it's me, my wife, and my 4-year-old son. My parents who live in West Palm will likely come up for a few days. My son needs a place he can take a nap (not always, but after 7 hours at the MK, he's usually ready), and both he and my parents go to bed earlier than my wife and I. So, we feel most comfortable with three rooms (two bedrooms and a living room), even though we could squeeze into a room at POR or a Deluxe that sleeps five. Or, I can rent a 1,000 square foot condo offsite. The offsite two-bedroom condo can usually be had for about $70/day, and will be far more comfortable than the cheapest we could get at WDW, which would run around $150/day. Plus, the condo has a washing machine, a kitchen, two bathrooms, etc. Sure, I could go for a $250/night two-bedroom DVC unit, and I've done that from time to time. But the $150/night we save pays for a really nice dinner for the five of us, and on balance, that's what we usually decide to do.