[jpbeason]

I will be going to the MK with two 7 year olds. I would like to see the fireworks but I am concerned about the late hour and getting caught in the mob leaving the park afterwards.

I read somewhere that you can take a boat from the park just as the fireworks begin and that the view is terrific. This sounds good to me since we can escape the park before thr throng. Any thoughts?

[trishb]

Jen...where will you be staying?
If you are parked at the TTC, consider watching the fireworks from the shores of the Polynesian Resort. You can catch a boat to the Polynesian from the MK that will drop you off near the beach. And..it is within walking distance of the main parking lot (and the trams).

[jpbeason]

I will be staying at Port Orleans Reiverside. I think we will take a bus to MK. My plan was to take the boat over to the TTC druing the fireworks and then a bus to Port Orleans. But it might be neat to see the Polynesian.

If we take the boat to the Polynesian (during or just prior to the fireworks), will we be able to walk over to TTC and then catch a bus to Port Orleans?

[mickey]

The TTC and the Poly are next to each other, it is less than a 5 minute walk from the main beach at the Poly to the TTC.

[wdwspider]

Hey, just to let you know, I am hearing that 15th floor viewing from the Contemporary is now restricted to California Grill Diners only. There is a seperate 4th floor viewing area for general public to go to from now on.

[trishb]

Check to make sure that the Port Orleans bus goes to the TTC, before you decide to do that. Otherwise, you will be stuck! You should be able to see the fireworks from the area outside of the gates (on the way to the bus stop)...and be way ahead of the crowds!

[jpbeason]

Thank you to all of you for the information. I will definitely make sure about the buses from TTC to Port Orleans (I hadn't thought about checking).

WDWfan - with only 4 days to go - you must be really really excited. I almost went for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But this is our first trip and I thought the 7 year old kids would like being a bit closer to some of the parks. But next time it will be Animal Kingdom Lodge all the way. Something else to look forward to.

[MickeyMac]

Jpbeason - just an alternative suggestion - we ate at Cosmic Ray's one night during the fireworks - it was great - Tinkerbell flew right over our heads. We took our time eating, and the crowds had thinned considerably by the time we left.

We also had also taken the ferry across to the Polynesian and watched them from the beach there, too, then taken the ferry back across the bay and picked up our bus to our resort. Absolutely heaven. Both ways left a little bit later, but beat the crowds.

[grammy]

While we were in WDW (last week!) we rented a pontoon boat from the marina at the Contemporary. The boat rental was one of the smartest things we did during our Disney vacation! It had rained all afternoon but stopped about an hour before the fireworks started. We weren't sure whether or not the fireworks would continue -- but they did! When we got to the boat, the driver had warmed towels in the dryer and lined all the boat seats and backs with the warm towels. He also had a big stack of warm towels for us to dry and warm ourselves with. He also had blanket in case we got cold. We had a big tour of the lagoon area which was wonderful and especially beautiful in the dark with all the lights. We parked really close to the main MK entrance and had a wonderful spot for viewing the fireworks. Then we had a leisurely return to the Comtemporary where we had a late dinner reservation. The dinner at Chef Mickey's was good and great fun! Then we spent a few minutes in the shops in the Contemporary only to find that the buses back to AK where we were staying had stopped running at 9pm. The only way to return to AK using the bus system was to get a bus to Downtown Disney and then to AK with a warning that the buses were quite a bit slower (longer periods during buses) at that time of day. My son-in-law had developed a bit of a stomach virus during our dinner so he left about an hour earlier than the rest of our group. He caught the bus to DD and then to AK. After shopping for a few minutes, we caught a taxi for about $20 back to AK. My son-in-law did not arrive for another two hours! He said he was really glad that we had brought the children in the taxi because he did not want them to be exposed to the patrons on the buses who had been partying and probably had too much to drink. We were all worried about him ( he didn't have a cell phone!). And he was worried about us! Disney should really be quite a bit more up-front with their bus schedule so that their clients can plan things like this. :devil ALWAYS be aware of the bus schedules especially if you are dependent on them! The pontoon boat was wonderful! :) :) :)

[jpbeason]

If we tack the ferry across to the Polynesian - I will need to be sure there are buses from the Polynesian to Port Orleans. Is there anyway to find out ahead of time?

Also, I could just drive to the Polynesian, take the monorail to the park and take the ferry prior to the fireworks. Do you think it will be OK and convenient to park at the Polynesian for a few hours (approximately 3pm until 8 or 9 pm)?

Thanks

[grammy]

Wish I had some good advice for you but unfortunately I don't have any experience with the Polynesian at all. I do think if you call the basic Disney reservation line, they can tell you about the current bus schedule. I would warn you to be careful about that and check within a few days of the date you are considering. We traveled to WDW on Oct 11 and as it turned out lots of their schedules including park hours changed on Oct 1. Basically you just can't make too many phone calls to double-check -- and the added bonus is that everyone I called and spoke to someone new, I always picked-up one or two news tidbits!

[trishb]

I have successfully parked at the Polynesian by telling the guard that we were having dinner at the resort. Some resorts, like the Contemporary, require a confirmation number..so be aware of that.
As far as I know, there is no direct bus to PO from the Polynesian. Check to see if there is one from the TTC. Or you could catch a monorail to Epcot and pick up the bus there.

[jfmoe]

If I remeber correctly there are no buses to any of the resorts from TTC.

[jpbeason]

Can I park at the TTC then go to the park then take the boat ride to the Polynesian just before the fireworks and then walk to the TTC to get back to the car?

Or would it be best just do deal with the crowds?