disney world transportation | The Memorable Journey ~ The Affordable Mouse

Tuesday Disney Tips: Tools for Getting Around at Walt Disney World

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Tuesday Disney Tips March 1, 2011March 2, 2011disney world busses, disney world monorail, disney world transportation, getting around walt disney world 2 Comments

Last week in Tuesday Disney Tips, Brenda shared some great information on the different types of transportation at Disney World, and how to use each. This week, she is back to provide some helpful tools and tips to make the most of your time getting around the Disney parks.

There are two valuable tools I use that have helped me out when planning my transportation at Walt Disney World: a copy of the WDW Resort Area map and a PDF file I created of WDW Travel Times.

The WDW Resort Area map is a great tool to use when planning the best routes to get you where you are going. As you can see, each resort is labeled as being located in a certain area (MK resort, Epcot resort, AK resort, or DHS resort).

Used in combination with the WDW Travel Times, a listing I made of the approximate time it takes to get from each resort to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, you should be able to figure out the approximate time to get from your starting point to your destination. In my times list, I have listed the quickest method to travel, whether bus, monorail or boat. Using the map and the list of travel times, let’s check out some scenarios:

Thrifty Thursday: Travel on the Walt Disney World Ferry Boat

Brenda Thrifty Thursday February 24, 2011February 25, 2011disney ferryboats, disney world ferries, disney world transportation, thrifty thursday, walt disney world 6 Comments

Photo courtesy of www.disneyshawn.blogspot.com

Disney’s ferry boat system is one of the great, FREE ways to travel during your visit to Walt Disney World. The ferries are similar to any you would find in any city in America; with an upper and a lower deck connected by two interior stairways. There are three different ferryboats that run from the Transportation & Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom park and back. Although not as much a part of the Disney transportation system that they once were, but I am hoping to encourage you to try this treasure as part of your next WDW trip.

One of the special things I really enjoy during our annual trip is riding the ferry on the way to the Magic Kingdom on our first day in the park. While many people flood to the front of the boat, I like to head upstairs to grab a great spot from which to see the beautiful scenery. The ride reminds me of when I was a little girl growing up in Galveston, Texas. My grandfather was a Ferryboat Captain with the Galveston Island-Port Bolivar Ferry and I spent many hours through the years on journeys across Galveston Bay. My grandpa used to let me into the wheelhouse to sit upon his lap and “drive” the ferry. As the Disney Ferryboat glides through the water toward our most anticipated destination, I reminisce of many special memories and revel in every second of it. For those of you who don’t have special childhood memories of ferry rides, I would like to try to convince you to give the ferry system a try.