I will be in Beijing this October for seven days just to see the sights. I have done some research but there is nothing like personal experience. I have decided on Mutianyu. I know it's silly but I really want to take that sled down the hill. it reminds me of the rottle-bahns in Germany. Anyway I am confused on how to get there. I don't really want to take a driver/tour. (Unless it does not stop anywhere else). I will be by myself and would prefer to get there myself. Some people say take the subway to the bus to the shuttle to the lift, etc. It gets a little confusing. I would really appreciate some detailed help as I cannot speak or read any Chinese. Thank you.

The 东直门外 bus stop in 东直门外斜街 is just northeast of the 东直门枢纽, Dōng Zhí Mén Bus Station, at metro Dōng Zhí Mén. Bus 867 runs Mar 15 to Nov 15 only, departing at 7am and 8.30am, returning at 2pm and 4pm; ¥16.

Alternatively, various versions of the 916 and 936 buses from both outside and inside the Dōng Zhí Mén Bus Station run to Huáiróu Bus Station (怀柔汽车站), where tiny minibuses will compete to take you to the Wall for around ¥5–10, leaving when full.

Tourist bus 1 runs Sats, Suns and public holidays mid-April to mid-October from the northeast corner of metro Xuānwǔ Mén outside the South Church, with departures until 8.30am; ¥95.

The Schoolhouse at Mùtiányù, an expat-run guesthouse, used to a daily year-round minibus service from the Kempinski Hotel at 9am, return departure 4.30pm, for ¥120, with the option of eating or staying the night (haven't tried it myself) but now seems to have suspended that for shared taxi options. You could check. See www.theschoolhouseatmutianyu.com for details and contacts, and also more public transport directions involving bus/taxi combinations.

If you decide to hire a private driver, do so ahead of time and do not ask your hotel or you'll end up overpaying. A private driver should not stop anywhere for "shopping" unless you ask him. As you generally hire the driver for 8 hours or so, you can ask him to also drive you to another "non-central" site such as the Summer Palace.
I think that the bus from the Kempinski by the Schooll House used to run on weekends only. In any case, it does not seem to exist anymore.
In any case, if you find directions confusing then hiring a driver is not that expensive.

Oooh, take one of the public transportation options! It will give you a wonderful opportunity to see local people interacting with each other in ways that you will not likely see elsewhere!

Last April, we took the bus from Dong ximen to Huairu as suggested above by temppeternh, which was fine there and back. At Huairu, we were approached by taxi drivers, making it hard to find the minivans, and eventually we caught a taxi.

Some years ago, we caught the tourist bus from Xuanwu near South Cathedral, and that was fine too, but a bit of a rush to get back for the return trip.

We find the public transport option fun, and though it can be a bit cramped for elderly large westerners, people we meet are always friendly and try to be helpful.

We were amazed at the changes in infrastructure around the Wall, though shouldn't have been, I suppose. I missed the rickety windy path and tented sellers.... Cement shops don't have the same atmosphere. The Wall itself is still magnificent.

How does this post above relate to the Great Wall?