Here To There And There To Here

The transportation system at Walt Disney World is vast and complex. When facing the daunting task of providing an overview that is simplistic and yet informative, it's hard to know where to begin and where to end. Therefore, please consider this post as an introduction to transportaion available at Disney. There are many, many, MANY details that will be covered in future posts. Some aspects of transportation are most relevant to resorts, some to parks, and some to off-site guests. Here, I'll merely introduce you to how you can get around and offer a few pointers on how NOT to get around.

At the center of the Walt Disney World Transportation is the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). You can think of this place as Disney's Grand Central Station. You can get almost anywhere from here, and its parking lot is actually the parking lot for The Magic Kingdom. You must take a monorail or ferry boat from here to get to the park itself. It is worth a mention that the TTC is not listed on the road signs as "Transportation and Ticket Center." Instead, it is posted as "Magic Kingdom Parking." April learned this the hard way trying to drive to the TTC one day.

As a guest, you have several options for getting around the Walt Disney World resort property. There are advantages and disadvantages to using any given mode at any given time. Definitions and general guidelines of each mode of conveyance are as follows:

• The Monorail - (You knew we had to start here, didn't you?!) The monorail is the easiest system to figure out because it really has very few stops. Monorails can only take you to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Contemporary Resort (connected to Bay Lake Towers), Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and the Transportation and Ticket Center. There are two routes for the monorail: one to Epcot and one to the Magic Kingdom. The second route with a stop at Magic Kingdom has two options: an Express that only stops at the TTC and the Magic Kingdom, and a Resort line that stops at Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Magic Kingdom, and Contemporary/Bay Lake Towers. This is a favorite for children. Many kids have told their parents after a week at Disney that the monorail was their favorite ride!
  
  
• Boats - There are waterways all throughout the resort and various boats can carry you various places. Not all waterways are connected though, so don't assume that because you see water you can get to another place where you've seen water. Detailing routes at this point would be a bit mind-boggling, but in general, every park except Animal Kingdom and (oddly enough) the water parks has a boat option to get there (but not from just anywhere in the park... see previous comment about waterways not connected). You can also get from some locations to Downtown Disney by boat. If you are prone to motion sickness or just don't like boats, choose your resort carefully. Sometimes, it's your only option for a particular park if you don't have a car with you.
  
  
• Buses - The fleet of buses that Disney operates daily is nothing short of spectacular in scope. They dart in and out of everywhere and there is no posted schedule because they adjust routes on the fly to send buses to deal with the largest crowds. For the most part, the bus system runs very well. A typical bus journey should take between 15 and 45 minutes depending on season, time of day, and distance between destinations. The note of caution I would extend is to avoid taking a bus to or from Downtown Disney if at all possible. Consistently, over the last three years, I have had a very long wait, ride, or both related to going to or coming from Downtown Disney. And when you are traveling with a young one, a 45 minute wait for a bus is not welcome at all. Nor are the long delays once on board.
  
  
• Cars (personal or rental) - Parking is free if you stay on site. Off site guests currently pay $12 a day for parking. All parks have a lot, although as I mentioned before, the Magic Kingdom lot is actually across a body of water. So if you park here, you have to ride a ferry over or (...wait for it...) take the monorail! The biggest advantage to driving a car is control... this gives you the most control over your schedule for coming and going. That said, there are accidents and traffic jams on Disney property as well, so nothing is a sure bet when it comes to travel time at Disney.
  
  
• Hoofing It - It's true you will do a lot of walking at Disney, but sometimes the extra walk is still worth it. You can walk from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom very easily. You can also walk from the Polynesian to the TTC. Most people don't realize that Disney's Hollywood Studios is within a reasonable walk from the Epcot resorts. It's a great way to avoid the crowded buses just after Fantasmic lets out. Just be sure that you are wearing good walking shoes that you have worn before.

All these options can be interchanged on a trip to maximize your time. Unfortunately, sometimes it is very difficult to know the best choice at the time you need to make it. The good news is, all choices will usually get you there. Don't hesitate to ask Cast Members to help you make the best decision about how to get from here to there or from there to here.

Judge Me By My Size, Do You?

One of the most terrible mistakes you can make when planning a Disney vacation is talking up a ride to your young one... telling her how totally super-awesome it will be to ride Soarin', only to find when you get there that Suzie isn't tall enough to ride. Tragic. No, I mean it... I speak from experience. Biggest. Meltdown. Ever.

So how do we avoid this? Check height requirements ahead of time, and then if your child is close (within two inches), don't set any expectations for riding the attraction in question. The only measurement accepted is the one taken at the ride itself. And although we were sure our daughter was tall enough when we measured at home, she did not measure up when we got to Soarin'. Did I mention the meltdown? I did? It's worth mentioning again. Big. Huge. Meltdown.

I'm sure it's not necessary for me to point out that these height restrictions are based on safety. I've heard stories of parents putting lifts in their kids' shoes or teaching them to sneak a tippy-toe in. Remember, this is their personal safety your dealing with. The measurements are based on where safety belts reach among other things. I don't believe it's worth the risk to sneak a kid who is not tall enough onto a ride.

Rumor Alert! I have heard that if a child is not tall enough to ride (but is very close), you can ask for a certificate from the cast member there that will entitle them to "instant Fast Pass rights" when they return on their next trip and ARE tall enough. I've not been able to confirm this though. Anyone know if this is truth or mere urban legend? - UPDATE! Ryan over at Main Street Gazette has not only been able to confirm this as truth, but now has pictures to prove it! Check it out!

Here is a handy guide to check the height requirement of attractions before you go, just to get an idea of what will and won't work for your child. I should add that the guide was assembled by Beth from North Carolina (TeachLuvsDisney on Scrapping the Magic) and touched up by yours truly. And by "touched up," I mean "snarking added." Future posts will detail these rides more completely in regards to appeal and fright factors, but this gives you a fine starting point.

Animal Kingdom

• Dinosaur: Height minimum is 40 inches (102 cm). (This ride is too intense for some 30-somethings I know. The effects are realistic and alarming. Grown men have been known to need an underwear change. I'm just sayin'....)
• Expedition Everest: Must be at least 44 inches (112 cm) tall to ride. (You might want to pre-warn your children that they will meet a yeti and travel backwards for part of the journey. Unless you want your child to detest you for the next 24 hours, of course. In which case, feel free to remain silent.)
• Kali River Rapids: Must be at least 38 inches (97 cm) tall to ride. (You will get wet. Icy cold water will pour down all over you. My preschoolers did not understand that until it happened.)
• Primeval Whirl: Must Be at least 48 inches (122cm) tall.

Epcot

• Maelstrom: (Norway) Minimum age 3 to ride. (Isn't that weird?)
• Mission: SPACE: Must be at least 44 inches (112 cm) tall to ride. (Folks, this one is intense. Save it for the older kids. It's easy enough to walk right past it. Oh, the stories I can tell of the after-effects of this ride...)
• Soarin': Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride.
• Test Track: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (This ride may surprise you and your preschooler. My daughter freaked out under the heat lamps. Be prepared for anything.)

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (Great first "real" roller coaster)
• Goofy's Barnstormer: 35 inch (89 cm) height requirement (Great test to see how well your child will like thrill rides.)
• Space Mountain: Must be at least 44 inches (112 cm) tall to ride.
• Splash Mountain: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (This drop is really scary for younger kids. They can see it before they ride, so chat with them about it before hand. I don't recommend tricking them into it.)
• Stitch's Great Escape: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (This is completely inappropriate for young children. Their imaginations will totally buy this concept and the nightmares will be terrible. Adults and even older kids find it a joke, but small kids will not be laughing.)
• Tomorrowland Speedway: Minimum 32 inches (81cm) to ride. Must be at least 54 inches (137 cm) to drive solo, but if an adult is in the car, that requirement is lower.
  

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Rock N Roller Coaster: High Speed (3 inverts) Coaster; Must be 48" tall (122 cm).
• Star Tours: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (Talk your youngster through this one before boarding. It's immersive, and they will be tricked completely by the motion simulator.)
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm) tall to ride. (Another one to talk them through first. It's not just the drop... there are "ghosts" on this ride. Don't let that be a surprise!)

Blizzard Beach
It goes without saying, since Blizzard Beach is a water park, be sure you are comfortable with your child's swimming skills before going.

• Chair Lift: Must be at least 32 (81 cm) inches tall to ride.
• Downhill Double Dipper (mat slide): Must be at least 48" (122 cm) tall to ride.
• Slush Gusher - speed slide: Must be at least 48" (122 cm) tall to ride.
• Summit Plummet - speed slide: Must be at least 48" (122 cm) tall to ride.
• Tike's Peak (children's area): Must be UNDER 48" (122 cm) tall to visit.

Typhoon Lagoon
Another water park. Again, be sure your child is comfortable in water.

• Crush 'n' Gusher: Must be at least 48" tall (122 cm) to ride
• Bay Slide: Must be UNDER 60" (152 cm)
• Humunga Kowabunga (speed slide): Must be at least 48" (122 cm) tall to ride
• Ketchakiddee Creek (children's area): Must be UNDER 48" tall (122 cm) to experience; especially for children ages 2-5 and their parents.
• Shark Reef (saltwater reef environment): Guests under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Silly Shots: Singin' in the Studios

As we stated in our welcome, every Friday we will be featuring a Silly Shot photo. This feature will give you some locations and/or props around the Walt Disney World resort where you can create and capture some unique memories. The shots can lead to some funny moments and really add some laughs to your vacation memories! For our first shot we are going to head over to Hollywood Studios for my favorite photo op!

The Singin' in the Rain umbrella might be familiar to experienced Disney travelers, but tends to be overlooked by newcomers. It is located on the Streets of America and is just another little touch that lets you be a part of a movie! When properly working, it even has a little magic of its own, so watch out!

Have any photos of you and your family Singin' in the Studios? Share with us on Scrapping the Magic or post them on our Facebook page! Or have an idea for a location to be featured as a Silly Shot? Email your photo to photos@takethemonorail.com and we might just use it in a future post!