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Wilderness Lodge Transportation
- Thread starter Ergens2
- Start date
KaliSplash
Well-Known Member
This may be only complaint with the Wilderness Lodge, which is our favorite hotel at WDW.
From our trip in July, we went to Ft. Wilderness a couple of times, which is a pain to get in and out of. But even worse, we then headed out toward Bonnett Creek, then down toward Downtown Disney and then across to MGM or Animal Kingdom (I can't remember which park we were heading to and it may happened both times. Understand, we didn't stop at Bonnett Creek GC or at Downtown Disney, but that most assuredly didn't seem the most direct route to the parks.
We did also stop at Grand Floridian a couple of mornings. Again, I'm sorry I can't remember our destination then (I think it was Epcot), but it didn't seem to add too much to the trip since we were heading across in front of TTC anyway.
As to the non-peak times, we are early morning commandos and maybe it wasn't peak yet, but it sure did delay us in getting to Early Entry. Seemed peak to me.
From our trip in July, we went to Ft. Wilderness a couple of times, which is a pain to get in and out of. But even worse, we then headed out toward Bonnett Creek, then down toward Downtown Disney and then across to MGM or Animal Kingdom (I can't remember which park we were heading to and it may happened both times. Understand, we didn't stop at Bonnett Creek GC or at Downtown Disney, but that most assuredly didn't seem the most direct route to the parks.
We did also stop at Grand Floridian a couple of mornings. Again, I'm sorry I can't remember our destination then (I think it was Epcot), but it didn't seem to add too much to the trip since we were heading across in front of TTC anyway.
As to the non-peak times, we are early morning commandos and maybe it wasn't peak yet, but it sure did delay us in getting to Early Entry. Seemed peak to me.
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Invero
Well-Known Member
Wilderness Lodge has the following routes:
Stop #1
WL -> Transportation & Ticket Center
WL -> Fort Wilderness Settlement -> Orange Route -> Outpost
Stop #2
WL -> Fort Wilderness Outpost -> Epcot (via Vista Blvd/Bonnet Creek, the most direct route)
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Blizzard Beach -> Animal Kingdom
Stop #3
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Downtown Disney (via Vista Blvd/Bonnet Creek, the most direct route)
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Disney-MGM Studios (Pre 11am)
WL -> Fort Wilderness Settlement (the side closest to WL) -> Disney-MGM Studios (Post 11am, via World Drive)
Stop #1
WL -> Transportation & Ticket Center
WL -> Fort Wilderness Settlement -> Orange Route -> Outpost
Stop #2
WL -> Fort Wilderness Outpost -> Epcot (via Vista Blvd/Bonnet Creek, the most direct route)
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Blizzard Beach -> Animal Kingdom
Stop #3
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Downtown Disney (via Vista Blvd/Bonnet Creek, the most direct route)
WL -> Grand Floridian -> Disney-MGM Studios (Pre 11am)
WL -> Fort Wilderness Settlement (the side closest to WL) -> Disney-MGM Studios (Post 11am, via World Drive)
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Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
Before I start, here is a little note....I loved the Wilderness Lodge. It is incredibly themed and is beautiful. My only complaint is the transportation. It is pretty bad.
The busses do share. You either share with the Grand Floridian or Fort Wilderness depending on where you are going. The GF routes aren't too bad, but the FW ones seem to take forever. The boats are a little annoying too (for the MK). You are better off taking the bus to the TTC and then the monorail as opposed to taking the slow boats.
The busses do share. You either share with the Grand Floridian or Fort Wilderness depending on where you are going. The GF routes aren't too bad, but the FW ones seem to take forever. The boats are a little annoying too (for the MK). You are better off taking the bus to the TTC and then the monorail as opposed to taking the slow boats.
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Thank you everyone for your replys!! Tyler, as usual your are the best!!! You have hit the nail on the head. My husband and I are Epcot people and usually stay at Y&B but our October trip we are thinking of WL. We love it there but I do remember it taking awhile to get to some spots and as we will be spending most of our time at Epcot for F&W fest we would like a more direct route. With what you have posted it looks like the quickest way to get to Epcot is via TTC to the monoral. Thanks again!
Shelley :wave:
Shelley :wave:
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Lauriebar
Well-Known Member
For us, the problem wasn't the actual time of the ride. Once we are on the bus headed for our destination we are happy to relax and enjoy the scenery. Our issue was the long wait for the busses at WL. We have stayed at many different resort hotels and have never experienced the wait time that we did at WL. By the end of the trip we had begun taking the boat to the Contemporary or the TTC to get on the monorail or catch a bus just to feel like we were getting somewhere!! Perhaps this has changed since our last trip but, it certainly was a thorn in our side.
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Ringo8n24
Active Member
The only time I really felt the delay in bus/boat service at WL was the week of Halloween during MNSSHP nights at MK. We waited 45 minutes for a bus after they had redirected us from the wait at the boat which was quoted to be an hour due to having to wait for it to come from other stops. When it arrived, it was already full of everyone dressed in their costumes and filled up quickly when new passengers. It was frustrating to not have one dedicated to WL specifically, but after they realized we had waited for so long a bus driver going to another park called dispatch and had a bus specifically sent to WL only for the MK. Other than event nights, the waits were not unbearable.
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K-dub
Member
We've stayed numerous times @ WL and absolutely "Love It"!!
During our "Many Travels" to the Fort Wilderness Campground enroute to the parks and back, I've often wondered why the buses didn't have a dedicated entrance that bypassed all the restricted access gates that raise and lower for campers coming and going @ the Campground.
For Example: Why not have a couple WDW "Buses Only" lanes to the extreme left of the Camper's Registration Building entrance? That would eliminate 3/4s of the weaving and winding through and around the parking lots and waiting for gates to raise and lower for each vehicle in front of the buses.
This may not seem like a great amount of time saved, but from Disney's Transportation Dept. point of view, If you save a bus 2-3 minutes worth of winding around those parking lots by giving them direct access, multiplied by however many buses that visit the campgrounds a day multiplied by 365 days/year, you begin to wonder why they haven't done this or something like it.
During our "Many Travels" to the Fort Wilderness Campground enroute to the parks and back, I've often wondered why the buses didn't have a dedicated entrance that bypassed all the restricted access gates that raise and lower for campers coming and going @ the Campground.
For Example: Why not have a couple WDW "Buses Only" lanes to the extreme left of the Camper's Registration Building entrance? That would eliminate 3/4s of the weaving and winding through and around the parking lots and waiting for gates to raise and lower for each vehicle in front of the buses.
This may not seem like a great amount of time saved, but from Disney's Transportation Dept. point of view, If you save a bus 2-3 minutes worth of winding around those parking lots by giving them direct access, multiplied by however many buses that visit the campgrounds a day multiplied by 365 days/year, you begin to wonder why they haven't done this or something like it.
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Invero
Well-Known Member
K-dub said:
Um, we do. For the Settlement Depot (the one close to WL), that entire road is WDW Bus Only.
For the Outpost Depot (main check-in area of FW), our lane is to the right of the kiosk, and is marked "WDW BUS ONLY" (of course, "BUS ONLY" loosely translates to "I have a camper... I guess that means I should go down the bus lane..." or "I am in my regular car, but I'm late, so I'll go down the bus lane")
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K-dub
Member
Invero said:
Thanks Tyler!
The Outpost Depot, (Main Check-in area), is the stop I was referring to.
So, the buses don't weave through and around the camper's/visitor's parking area to get into the bus stop anymore? They have their own entrance now?
The last time I was @ WL was in May 2004, so there could have been improvements made already.
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Invero
Well-Known Member
I thought you were referring to the security kiosk. As it stands right now though, the bus stop is temporarily out in a closed section of the parking lot while they redo the outpost bus stop. It will be more streamlined, to provide easier and quicker access for the buses.
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KaliSplash
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info on where the WL bus routes go and when. It sure would be nice if this info was available on-line somewhere.
When you say they use Bonnett Creek as the most direct route to Epcot, I assume you mean after you've gone to Ft. Wilderness, because it can't be the most direct route directly from the lodge.
It is the Ft. Wilderness loop (and yes, in July we always did a little weave in the parking lot and waited for gates, etc.), followed by the Bonnett Creek route that seems especially long.
Of course, what I really want to see is NO route sharing, especially early in the morning. I assume this is prohibitively expensive.
Again, thanks for the info.
When you say they use Bonnett Creek as the most direct route to Epcot, I assume you mean after you've gone to Ft. Wilderness, because it can't be the most direct route directly from the lodge.
It is the Ft. Wilderness loop (and yes, in July we always did a little weave in the parking lot and waited for gates, etc.), followed by the Bonnett Creek route that seems especially long.
Of course, what I really want to see is NO route sharing, especially early in the morning. I assume this is prohibitively expensive.
Again, thanks for the info.
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evanssc
Member
Our next trip to Disney will be the last full week of Oct and we plan to stay at WL. Does anyone have an estimate of how long it takes to catch the boat to the MK? Would it be better to take the boat back from MK at the end of the day to enjoy the view instead of waiting for a spot in the morning?
Thanks
Thanks
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goofyman
New Member
OK WL is our Fav and we never have problems with transportation. The boat to MK is a nice relaxing ride. And only sometimes depending on how many boats are runing do you ever go to FW. And For what ever reason ( maybe because we usally go in the summer) We have never stopped atany other places when taking the bus to and from WL. Only once did we actually go to FW. It maybe also that the bus is usally packed to start with.
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