Welcome back to planDisney, Sophie. We love that you keep coming back to get all of your
Disney vacation planning questions answered!
Currently, Guests staying at the
Waldorf Astoria Orlando are eligible for
Early Theme Park Entry, which means they can enter any theme park 30 minutes ahead of park opening time. If you'd like to be ahead of the crowds, I recommend arriving 30-60 minutes before this time to get through security and be ahead of the pack. Regarding rideshares, pricing can vary wildly depending on the service used, the type of vehicle you choose, and the time and day. However, I recommend budgeting between $10-20 each way.
When you arrive at your hotel, you'll want to check the transportation schedule as their website indicates that as of writing this answer, they offer a complimentary shuttle service to the parks for their Guests. But regardless of whether you use their shuttle service or a rideshare, I should warn you that you'll want to plan for extra travel time when it comes to
Magic Kingdom Park. You see, for this park in particular, only
Walt Disney World Resort Buses and the
Minnie Van Service (both exclusively for Guests staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel) can pull up to the dropoff for the gate. In your rideshare and shuttle service's case, they will drop you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, from which you'll either need to ride the
Walt Disney World Monorail or a
ferry to get to the park entrance. While these locations aren't usually
that crowded an hour before Early Theme Park Entry, they
will be the closer you get to park opening and it's an extra step for which you'll want to plan. With the 3 other theme parks, you will be dropped off closer to the park entrance and won't need another form of transportation to get to the gate.
Sophie, enjoy your October visit, and be sure to check and see if there's a
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party running when you're there. It's the perfect way to celebrate the
Halloween season at the resort. Oh, and make sure you follow along with
Disney Eats. Trust me, you'll want to be kept fully abreast of the new and returning seasonal treats!
If you have any other questions,
please reach out again. We've got your back!
Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate’s life for you,
Matt
P.S. Pro-tip: don't tell your family to go to
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom Park during Early Theme Park Entry. At this time, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are the only lands to open during this extra time. As such, they will be very confused and will text you wondering why they can't ride it until the park opens for everyone. Not that this planDisney Panelist has EVER done something like this!