Is it true that off-site (downtown disney) guests are held

[w8ting4pooh]

back at the TTC until they open the MK gates at park opening time?

Has anyone been to the parks recently (staying in downtown disney)? How close to opening were you able to get thru the security lines to stand in line at the turnstiles?

Other than MK, how close to the actual opening time are you allowed at the parks?

 

[LADYnTRAMP]

Bump....

 

[Margie J]

Early Entry for Disney Resort guests was suspended a few months ago, due to cost cuts. So, every guest now enters at the same time.

 

[kevind65]

If all possible, MK is the one park at Disney World that you want to avoid driving to. It is much more convenient to take the buses to MK. They drop you off right at the front gates basically.

 

[ivanova]

Kevind65,

If we are staying offsite (HGVC condos), where could we park within WDW to catch a bus to MK gates (bypassing TTC)?

 

[kevind65]

well, I probably shouldn't say this( on site guest will probably not like it) but just about anywhere really. We have stayed on-site every time down and seen people who has done it. now saying that, disney may be a little more stringent after 9/11 with who goes where and for how long. I'm not sure about that.

 

[kevind65]

Also, I thought the Downtown Disney hotels had buses to the parks? Do these not go directly to the park like the regular resort buses? If not, then I was misinformed. sorry

 

[Margie J]

Many of the Disney Resorts, especially near the MK, often issue 3 hour parking passes to those who try to enter their lots. This is to discourage people from parking there all day to avoid the parking fee at the theme parks. So, I wouldn't recommend you to park somewhere else on property just to take a Disney bus to the MK or others. Cars can and have been towed.

The HGVC is not a Downtown Disney Hotel, as far as I remember. However, they may have their own park transportation also.

 

[w8ting4pooh]

When I made reservations last year for the Hotel Royal Plaza in DD, the reservationist said the DD busses dropped the guests off in the MK parking lot near the TTC. You have to take the monorail or boat from there.

That's why I wanted to know how much of a head start the onsite guests would have over the offsite guests.

 

[LeahA]

When I stayed at the Grosvenor a few years back, we did take the bus to TTC and we were held back.

Leah

 

[BonnieA]

If the bus lets you off at the TTC you will be held until 8:50 before you can board the monorail or ferry to MK. Those buses from onsite will drop off passengers right at the MK and they will be held at the turnstiles until 9am sharp. And everyone goes through security at MK before getting to the turnstiles..

 

[ivanova]

Can we park at a WDW resort (although we are staying offsite) if we have an annual pass? With an AP parking is free anyway ... but we might want to bus directly to MK to bypass the TTC. And we were thinking of parking at Y&BC to enter Epcot via the International Gateway.

If we're limited to 3-5 hours, then parking at a resort won't do us any good.

 

[kevind65]

If that is the case, resort guests will have a pretty good headstart on you because they will be dropped off right at the front gates of MK as opposed to the TTC. I was not suggesting that you try to avoid paying the parking fee as much as I was saying to avoid the TTC. That said, does anyone know when the monorail starts running from epcot to the MK? I would rather park my car in epcot, ride the rail over to MK, then ride it back to epcot in the afternoon. I don't mind paying for parking, I just hate the TTC. thanks if anyone can help. this is my first time staying off property and I didn't really think about getting to MK. thanks.

 

[nhpm]

Ok, I'm kind of a rookie, what's TTC? Is there anywhere on the DIS boards where they have some kind of glossary of all the abbreviations?

 

[ivanova]

Nhpm,

don't know about a glossary of abbreviations ... just ask ... one of us will know the answer.

anyway, TTC = Ticket & Transportation Center or something like that. It is actually where you park and purchase tickets for Magic Kingdom. You then have to take the monorail or ferry boats over to the park where you go through the actual turnstiles.

 

[nhpm]

Thanks Ivanova!

I'm learning something new every day, here

 

[BonnieA]

I don't think the monorail from epcot to MK starts running until 9am. I was at the front of the line held at the TTC and no monorails arrived from epcot to let anyone off the whole time while we were there waiting.

 

[Dreaming of Disney]

I was wondering, should get to the TTC earlier in order to be on the first monorail over to MK or does it really matter? I have 3 children 5 and under and I'm really not looking forward to waiting in line at the TTC, but I will if I have to. We were hoping to get to MK early to have a good chance of getting fantasy land done before the lines get to bad. I guess I should mention we are going May 20 - 24.

Thanks!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Getting held up at the TTC does not make a tremendous difference. I have been to the MK twice since the new security measures. Each time we took the second monorail over. We got through security and were waiting in line at the turnstiles to get into the park before the park even opened. So yes the on-site resort guests may have been at the front of the line, but we weren't too far behind. I would not worry about this.