Shuttle Bus -- So Much for Sleep....

[DD]

Just booked the 5:30 am shuttle bus to Wonder Lake two days in a row. In theory this is a good idea. I'm not sure how bad the reality will be when the alarm clock goes off!

 

The next later times are 6:15, 6:45, and 7:15. Any of them seem civilized by comparison. I don't know, I guess I'm just a nerd...5:30 it is for us.

[Budget Queen]

Just booked the 5:30 am shuttle bus to Wonder Lake two days in a row. In theory this is a good idea. I'm not sure how bad the reality will be when the alarm clock goes off!

 

The next later times are 6:15, 6:45, and 7:15. Any of them seem civilized by comparison. I don't know, I guess I'm just a nerd...5:30 it is for us.

 

You had the opportunity for a third free day, well worth it for me. :)

 

Anyway, you can bail out of Wonder Lake if McKinley is not viewable the second trip in. But consider doing so by Eielson, IF you want more buses available to you for the return. There are some interesting ranger programs that go on at Eielson, that may be of interest. I'm just about always on the first bus out too. No problem with the time, since I tend to keep East Coast time on the back burner. :) It's never a problem with my early touring.

[Foxhill]

Is it really necessary to book time on the Denali Park shuttle this early? I had planned to book it when we got there in July, but now I am concerned that perhaps I should book it soon. Any real reason to book this far in advance? If we wait will we be in danger of not getting a seat on the bus? There are three of us.

 

Did you have to pay the cost of the shuttle when you booked it? We also want to see the sled dog demo. Do we need to book a seat on that this early also?

[wolfie11]

You can't book the dog sled demo, you just get on a shuttle bus that will take you up the road to the kennels.

 

I don't think you have to book the shuttles this early, but if you want a particular time, you should do it well in advance (several weeks) of your arrival. I always book at least to Eielson.

 

I think some people just enjoy the peace of mind knowing that everything is done far in advance.

[PennyAgain]

I have been camping out in the park long before the shuttle buses come chugging along the road. The animals are always there, you just may not see them. They don't have a barn to shelter in. As the day warms up some are likely to rest. That is the whole theory of getting on an early shuttle.

 

There are no guarantees. Obsiously when I'm staying out there, I have plenty of time to see what is going on. I've usually been up and about for a few hours before the first shuttles go by.

[vbmom87]

We pre-booked because of what was posted on this board. I was led to believe that the shuttles and tours could get sold out. I can only presume that sometimes this happens or people would not have said so. I was not about to find out if the posters were correct or not. We went end of June 2008 when the economy was already affecting travel in Alaska. Our bus driver told us some shuttles were going out with as few as 6 people. We had originally booked the 5:30 a.m. shuttle to Wonder Lake, but unfortunately I was under the weather on our land tour and the thought of getting up before 4:00 a.m. was not appealing when I was sick. We were able to rebook without any trouble. There was a lot of availability for the following day. However, I would again pre-book. I am one of those who does like to know her ducks are in order. ;)

[PennyAgain]

Yes, I do agree with doing that.

 

Some shuttles do seem to have fewer people, but like any transport system, the shuttles have to keep going down the road and back. After decades of doing it, they know how many shuttles they need to have where.

 

Especially if you are a family who want and need to be on the same shuttle, organizing your ducks is a really good idea.

 

Don't forget your lunch and bottled water!

[DD]

As far as booking for 2010, bookings opened today, December 1st.

 

I knew about the buy 2, get 1 free, but it didn't work for us. It is a great deal, though!

[perlgirlnj]

Just booked the 5:30 am shuttle bus to Wonder Lake two days in a row. In theory this is a good idea. I'm not sure how bad the reality will be when the alarm clock goes off!

 

The next later times are 6:15, 6:45, and 7:15. Any of them seem civilized by comparison. I don't know, I guess I'm just a nerd...5:30 it is for us.

 

I was all set to book today but for some reason, I looked at the website yesterday to do a "dry run" and they were already doing bookings.

 

I sat there with my finger over the button for 5:30 AM or 6:15 AM for a really long time and ultimately choose 6:15. I just couldn't do it; we'd have to be up at 4:30 in the morning, to leave the hotel by 5, to get there at 5:15 for the 5:30 shuttle. 4:30 AM isn't the morning; it's the middle of the night! :eek:

 

I guess we'll miss the very first animals and make do with the lazier ones. :p

[PennyAgain]

but you'll miss me taking my bath! Maybe that is a good thing. My camping bathing ritual also keeps bears away.

[DD]

Perlgirl, thanks for the laugh! Like you, I sat there not able to pull the trigger on 5:30 or 6:15 for quite a while! Ultimately I bit the bullet, but second thoughts have been in my brain all day. I haven't yet told DH....

[knorrisb07]

5:30 is quite a challenge for me back then. But we survived. :)

[Budget Queen]

Yes, you do need to book shuttle buses in advance, UNLESS you are planning on several days at Denali park. The shuttle buses can be full, and waits can be days. In the past, (verify for current policy) they held back 30% of the seats and released them 2 days prior. I have called for seats at 7am doing this, and getting my exact choice of bus with no problem.

 

A couple hour range of bus times, isn't going to make a lot of differece. BUT do think more carefully of time, in the major heat of the summer, where the first buses out is of great advantage.