This will be my family’s first trip in over 30 years, so I want to make sure we don’t miss anything. We plan to RD almost every day, except for the PPO ADRs we have. But this parking lot thing is giving me headaches (since we are offsite). We are all relatively fit people with no strollers or hold ups, so we can keep a good pace. Can anyone confirm if the timing I have here seems like we would make it? Do I need to plan to give more time?
MK Opening at 8 am - plan to lock car in lot and start journey towards park at 7:15 am
Side Note: Is it better to try for the monorail or the ferry at the TTC this early in the morning?
Epcot PPO ADR at 8 am - plan to lock car in lot and start walking at 7:30 am
MK Opening at 9 am, but we have PPO ADR at 8 am - plan to lock car and start journey towards park at 7:15 am
I think this timing is good. At that hour, I did not observe the monorail to be at all busy and I feel it’s more comfortable and faster than the ferry. Though I’m not sure for the later open if you can use the monorail then? In any case however you get there 7:15 should be fine. And if you’re parking at EP 7:30 is plenty early.
Agreed. Despite what they say, I feel the Ferry is usually slower than the monorail UNLESS there is a long line at the monorail and you have to wait for one or two trains. We usually do the ferry at least once just to mix things up.
Thanks so much for the confirmation. It’s making me feel a little better about our timing, since it’s going to be hard enough to get everyone up that early anyway. Sigh.
I think we will try for the monorail, because my DH gets motion sickness on even the smallest of boat rides. He may just have to deal with it if the monorail is busy, but it sounds like we will be good without the ferry.
We always drive and I agree that your timing looks totally fine to me. Our experience has been that if you are that early you are going to be parking in one of the first few rows and the walk to AK, HS, and Epcot is not long at all from there. MK is, of course, a different animal. I also prefer to take the monorail, but a couple of times we have been there where it was not yet running and we had to take the ferry. No big deal either way. The ferry can get a bit cool in the early morning depending on what time of year you are going though.
I have a general time plan of 45m–60m to get from “hotel” (anywhere within 5 miles of WDW) to standing in line at the tapstiles (for any park). This includes getting a coffee at Joffrey’s as the penultimate segment of the route.
Just wanted to add, there’s nothing quite as magical as seeing Cinderella’s castle for the first time from the ferry, imo.
I still remember the wow moment my boys had on their very first visit. As much as I love the monorail, and even given our home DVC resort is Bay Lake, I’m determined we’ll do that ferry ride from the TTC at least once next time. Just for nostalgic reasons.
You all make the ferry sound so appealing. Maybe I should send my DH off on the monorail while the rest of us take the ferry! Tell him we will meet him at the gates
Interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever ONCE in all the times I’ve been on the Ferry, paid any attention to the castle.
For me, though, it is about the monorail. When we are the TTC, and we’re approaching the point where we have to choose between the Ferry and the Monorail, I die a little death when I see my wife head toward the ferry. But…but…the monorail. It’s right THERE! But I have to put on my big boy pants and suck it up.
The ferry is fine. But, I mean come on. It is a ferry. But a monorail is a MONORAIL!
If that first trip in is at night, it can be tough to miss the castle all lit up coming in off the ferry. Bonus points if you can catch part of the Electrical Water Pageant at the same time to exponentially magnify the magic…
