Walt Disney World’s complex of theme parks, resorts, dining, and shopping is enormous, and all together is about twice the size of Manhattan. Thankfully, there are complimentary systems of transportation to help guests get around at Walt Disney World – but if you’re traveling for the first time, all the different transportation types can seem a bit confusing. Here’s a quick introduction to Walt Disney World’s transportation system.
Walt Disney World’s transportation has one main goal: to get guests staying at Walt Disney World’s on-site resorts to the theme parks, and back to their resort. Thus, there is direct transportation of some kind from every on-site hotel to each theme park, as well as to Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s shopping and dining district. Depending on the resort you’re staying at, you may have different options for transportation.
By Bus – The most common form of transportation is by bus. Every on-site resort has bus transportation of some kind, and for all value and most moderate resorts, buses are the only form of transportation to the theme parks. Buses typically arrive about every 20 minutes, and there are bus stops for each resort located outside each theme park and Disney Springs. Theme parks also have buses that transport guests directly between theme parks.
By Boat – Boat transportation is also available in some locations. For example, boats transport guests from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Wilderness Lodge, and Grand Floridian Resort to the Magic Kingdom. They also run from Disney’s BoardWalk and Yacht & Beach Club, to Epcot and to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Other resorts, such as Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, Port Orleans – French Quarter, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs have boat access to Disney Springs. Guests can also use boat transportation to go between Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
By Monorail – Perhaps the most iconic form of transportation available is the monorail. There is a monorail loop that circles the Seven Seas Lagoon outside the Magic Kingdom, and connects the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary resorts. A second monorail loop, available to access at the Transportation and Ticket Center, allows guests to transfer from the Magic Kingdom Monorail to the Epcot monorail, which of course travels directly to Epcot.
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By Skyliner – The most recent transportation option is the Disney Skyliner, which allows guests to cruise around Walt Disney World Resort in style—riding incredible, new aerial gondolas. This grand, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot to 4 different resorts – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort, as well asDisney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort. Plus, the Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot is conveniently located just a short stroll away from Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
While it is simple to plan direct transportation from a resort to a theme park, or even between theme parks, direct transportation is often not available between resorts. If you are staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, for instance, and need to go to a dining reservation at one of Walt Disney World’s other on-site resorts, you will often need to take a bus or the Skyliner to a theme park first, and then transfer to another bus, boat, or monorail to get to your destination.
Walt Disney World transportation can take time to arrive, depending upon crowds and traffic, so it’s best to plan plenty of time to get where you are going. You will want to plan at least 40-45 minutes for transportation, and more than that if you are visiting during a busier time of year. If you are going somewhere that requires transferring, plan at least an hour for transportation time. To learn more about the transportation options available at your resort, ask your travel agent.
Whether by land, by water, or by “the sky”, without a doubt, getting around Walt Disney World can often be half the fun!
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