Staying at Fort Wilderness. Trying to avoid driving because of car seat configuration. Anyone with bus experience? How early should we be leaving our campsite to get on the first bus for Epcot?
We are avid front of pack rope droppers.
I’ve asked in a specific fort group, but they are a little more “relaxed” than I am lolz
Do you have a golf cart or relying on internal transportation - that makes a big difference. If you have a cart, once you know your way around )no wrong turns you need less than 15 minutes to get to the depot.
Internal bus to bus depot depends on where you are on the bus route. Figure 15 minutes. Then bus depot to parks, figure 35 mins. It may or may not take this long but 50 minutes from campsite to park (add 5 mins for AK). Alternatively, if you are closer to the boat dock, you can take the boat across to MK and boat back to Epcot monorail through the TTC boat. That’s nice too. Less bussy.
We won’t have a cart - I’m local and it was a last minute choice to camp rather than stay at our apartment when the nieces and nephews are visit next month. Holiday weekend so I’m sure the carts are booked out.
We will have vehicles. In 2017, my husband and I camped and thinking back I think we drove to the depot in the morning even though the internal stop was not far from our site.
Hadn’t even thought of that - might do that on the way home just for fun, regardless of where our site is. Will definitely keep that in mind when we see where our site is in relation to the outpost vs the boat dock. Do you think the boat, to monorail scenario would still work for a solid rope drop??
Yes. And the boat going back from MK to TCC wont be crowded. I would check the opening times for each park. The people on the TTC monorail to Epcot will either be from the Monorail resorts or day guest. Since monorail resort guest get EE, the monorail to Epcot sould be running 60-90 mins prior to EE. I like that the monorail drop off at Epcot is super close too! And the boat at fort Wilderness and the TTC boat to MK should be running super early. Usually 60- 90 mins prior to MK EE.
Time wise, I think I’d leave 50 mins for both modes of transportation to Epcot.
I cannot imagine that a boat to MK followed by a boat/mono to TTC followed by a mono to Epcot would be faster or more convenient to Epcot than a direct bus?
So basically I could first boat to MK then take the TTC ferry or the resort monorail (thinking I would decide that based on whether or not the ferry is right there or if I have to wait for one to arrive.
Thanks for this idea!
Why don’t you just drive?? The parking lot at Epcot is pretty close.
Multiple vehicles and multiple car seats (three). We are a party of 8, and we have what we need to be safe when picking them up in vehicles from the airport, but think it will be more fun to travel together in the morning, Also the car seat configuration is not their usual comfortable configuration because we’ll be in grandparent and aunt and uncle cars instead of mom and dad cars.
I gotcha. I think that the internal Fort buses are pretty good. I’m not sure I would want to be doing THREE transfers with car seat age kids. I would just take the bus if you don’t want to drive.
It just depends on where you are in Ft Wilderness. We’ve done it (staying almost in the middle of the campground) and it’s roughly the same amount of time. Also did it from HDR. It really wasn’t bad at all.
I would think thats a good observation. Just note that you will have to walk to the monorail station from MK and the stops to get to TCC. The monorail is a quicker mode of transport than a boat but the boat is more direct and less walking.
Really it’s just a different way to get to Epcot. I don’t think you save or lose anything. The buses are terrible. Just not as much fun, lol. I’m partial to boats though. So I’m probably a little bias.
ETA: I meant the buses arent terrible, lol. Unless you have a stroller. Then I despise them.
Are or aren’t lol?
There’s no way that’s faster. Plus I believe the boat starts later than the buses.
Oh my gosh! You won’t have a cart! Thank you. From the Facebook groups, you would think that’s the only way to stay at the campground. And I just don’t have the budget for that. Let me know how your rope drop goes! We stay there for the first time next month
Lol! I meant to say aren’t. But I think the internal buses can be much worse depending on your location in the camp grounds. And the depot buses are just so-so. Not terrible but not fun either (especially if you have strollers).
We are there president’s day weekend, Feb 18 is our park day (local - so just taking visiting kiddos for a day). Are you before or after me?
After! We will be there on the 26th-March 4th
We tried this one morning. A solid hour traveling. Very disappointed.
If I had a car - I’d drive to the outpost and bus to Epcot.
Since you’re local - if you have bikes, this is the way. Especially for the Marina. We did not have fancy bikes. I think the kids had Walmart specials 
We would bike to the Marina - right out to the sand, drop our bikes in the sand along with all the other gazillion bikes and walk out on the dock to the boat. Some folks locked their bikes. Back in the day. Idk what they’re doing now.
Bringing our bikes was the best thing we did for getting around.
Aren’t. 
