Part of the magic of staying in the “Disney Bubble” at Walt Disney World is the free, convenient transportation provided by Disney. Yes, you could drive your own car, rent a car from the airport, or hire a taxi or ride-share service, but all of those elements carry an increased burden that is just not magical. Luckily, Disney is well aware of this and has made sure that if you are staying within the Disney Bubble, you can get pretty much anywhere you need to be while you are within the bubble.
There are four free Disney Transportation options that operate at The Most Magical Place on Earth: Walt Disney World Bus Service, Disney Skyliner, Walt Disney World Monorail Transportation, and Walt Disney World Water Transportation. All of these options are convenient, but some of them are more convenient than others. While Walt Disney World Bus Service has the highest availability, operating from every Disney Resorts Collection Hotel and theme park as well as Disney Springs and the two water parks, there are some specific instances where it will not run between two locations. Most notably, you will see this when a hotel has an alternate form of transportation to a park (i.e. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to EPCOT due to the Disney Skyliner). Also, the Disney buses tend to get pretty crowded at times, specifically at park open and park close, so getting on that first bus (or even finding a seat if you are able to board) may be a challenge. This is a lot of the reason why some prefer the other transportation options over Walt Disney World Bus Service. Also, let’s face it: there is just something more unique about riding on the Disney Skyliner, the monorail, or a boat.
You will find the locations below where each method of transportation operates at the Walt Disney World Resort:
Walt Disney World Bus Service
– All Disney Resorts Collection Hotels*
– All Theme Parks
– Disney Springs (no direct service between theme parks and Disney Springs)
– Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park (via bus transfer at Disney Springs)
– Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park (via bus transfer at Animal Kingdom park, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, or any of the Disney All-Star Resorts)
*At Disney Resort hotels where there is an alternative method of transportation to a theme park, Disney typically will not run a bus between the hotel and that theme park unless the alternative transportation option is not in operation. Additionally, the buses do not run between hotels. If you want to take bus transportation from one hotel to another, you must take a bus to a theme park, then switch to another bus or mode of transportation that can take you to the final hotel destination of your choosing. It is NOT possible to transfer to the Disney Skyliner (or from the Skyliner to the bus) at EPCOT unless you have valid admission to EPCOT, as the buses and Skyliner operate at opposite ends of EPCOT.
Disney Skyliner
– Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
– Disney’s Pop Century Resort
– Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
– Disney’s Riviera Resort
– Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– EPCOT
While these resorts are technically not considered to be on the Skyliner route, the Skyliner is within walking distance of Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, Disney’s Yacht Club, Disney’s Beach Club, and Disney’s Beach Club Villas; as well as the Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin hotels.
Walt Disney World Monorail Transportation
– Disney’s Contemporary Resort
– Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
– Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
– Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
– Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
– The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
– Magic Kingdom
– Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)
– EPCOT (via transfer to EPCOT monorail at Transportation and Ticket Center)
Walt Disney World Water Transportation
Seven Seas Lagoon Area:
– Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
– The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
– Disney’s Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
– Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
– Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
– The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
– Magic Kingdom
Bay Lake Area (Blue Flag route):
– Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
– The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
– The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
– Disney’s Contemporary Resort
– Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Transportation and Ticket Center:
– Direct ferry service to/from Magic Kingdom
Crescent Lake Area:
– Disney’s Beach Club Resort
– Disney’s Beach Club Villas
– Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
– Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
– Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
– Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
– Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
– Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– EPCOT
In addition to these free transportation options, there is another free option rarely spoken about. Between select resorts and theme parks, there is the ability to walk safely and relatively quickly. Here are the locations you can walk between if you decide you would like a scenic stroll on your trip to Walt Disney World:
– Disney’s Contemporary Resort to/from Magic Kingdom
– Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort to/from Magic Kingdom
– Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to/from Magic Kingdom
– The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to/from Magic Kingdom
– Disney’s Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to/from Magic Kingdom
– Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows to/from Magic Kingdom
– Disney’s Beach Club Resort to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Disney’s Beach Club Villas to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Disney’s Boardwalk Villas to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Walt Disney World Swan Hotel to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Walt Disney World Swan Reserve to/from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
– Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to/from Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
Now that you have the myriad of options available to you for free Walt Disney World transportation, it’s time to develop your game plan for your next trip! As a general rule, Disney recommends you allow 90 minutes to arrive at your destination due to things like transfers and wait times. That way, you won’t miss that important reservation you made (and you avoid a possible no-show fee). Happy travel planning, and stay tuned to Mouse House News for more Disney Vacation News and Reviews For Disney Adults. As always, don’t forget that .NET at the end of our web address!
