Transportation at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World provides various forms of complimentary transportation once you’ve arrived in the Disney bubble. Buses, monorail service and boats all run frequently to transport you to your destination.  When staying on property you will have direct access to all of the theme parks, water parks, resorts and Disney Springs. 

Depending on which Disney resort you’re staying at, modes of transportation may vary.  Buses run to all of the resorts, and some will also offer boat service, monorail transport or transportation using the skyliner. The skyliner is a gondola system that has a route to Hollywood Studios and Epcot from four different resorts; Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and Disney’s Riviera resort.  Even if you’re not staying at a skyliner resort, you’re more than welcome to take a ride.  We recently took a bus from Disney Springs to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, hopped on the skyliner, and rode it to the hub at Carribean Beach.  Here we transferred to Epcot for fireworks.  It’s a nice relaxing ride, with little wait times when running. They are constantly loading and unloading passengers. Our most recent visit was during spring break. The parks and resorts were quite busy. The skyliner was easy to navigate and lines moved quickly when it was open.  They may appear long before they open in the morning, but they move quickly, and I did not find it necessary to get there early and be first in line.

Disney also offers several boating options around property.  Ferryboats run constantly throughout the day from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. Smaller boats called water taxi’s run between Magic Kingdom and the following resorts: Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.  Friendship Boats run between Epcot and Hollywood Studios – making stops at Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts. Last but not least, the Sassagoula River Cruise boats run between Disney Springs and Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside Resorts.  Most boats run every 15-30 minutes. We’ve always been lucky and experienced shorter waiting periods.  Taking the boats is always a scenic and pleasant alternative to the buses.   

The Monorail is a quick way to travel between the Transportation and Ticket Center, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the monorail resorts (Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and the Contemporary). The monorail has great elevated views of the parks and resorts on its routes and can be a quick way to travel with a short wait time.  It travels consistently throughout the day, approximately every 5-10 minutes. We always make time for a monorail ride when visiting Walt Disney World. Especially on days we try to conquer all four parks in one day! It is a great alternative to busing between Magic Kingdom and Epcot, even during peak times.

Even though there are buses, monorails, and boats to help you get around.  We’ve also discovered lovely walking paths between several resorts and parks that offer beautiful scenery and ambiance. It’s fun to walk the paths and visit different resorts on an off-park day. There’s so much to see and do.

When using Disney’s complimentary transportation system, there are a few things that you might want to consider. Most modes of transport begin running forty-five minutes to an hour before early entry park hours, and stop running an hour after the latest park closure for the evening. Buses can run up to two hours after park closure, depending on the crowd levels. The My Disney Experience(MDE) app can be very helpful. Make sure to download and use it.  You can check estimated wait times here as well.

Always allow extra time (up to an hour and half) when using Disney transportation for a dining or other reservation.  Give yourself this extra time for unexpected transportation delays, which can happen. If you arrive early, there are always things to do and see around the parks, resorts and Disney Springs.

It’s also important to note that during inclement weather, the skyliners, boats, and monorail may close. If this is the case, buses will be used to transport guests. Although, we’ve found that this isn’t always communicated efficiently. Signs are posted at the boarding location if transportation is closed, but often this means walking to the area to see it. The MDE app has not always updated these closures while frustrated guests walk in-between modes of transportation, not sure if a bus is coming as a replacement.  This has happened to us multiple times at a skyliner resort, where buses only run to Hollywood Studios and Epcot when the skyliner is down.

Staying on different resorts can offer different transportation experiences and wait times.  We’ve found staying at smaller resorts like Port Orleans French Quarter, where there is only one bus stop, much easier to navigate then staying at a larger resort like Riverside or Saratoga Springs that have multiple bus stops where buses are full during peak hours, leaving guests to wait for multiple buses to pass before boarding.  In saying this, the bus drivers, boat captains and other cast members are always helpful and will help by calling for another bus if you let them know you’ve been waiting an extended period.

Generally, being in the Disney bubble and only using Disney transportation to get around really does add to the experience.  There are times where we have called Uber or Lyft when we were running late, but not often.  We enjoy all modes of Walt Disney World Transportation and have very few complaints. Take a moment to enjoy them all on your next trip.