Getting around Walt Disney World can be quite an adventure in and of itself. With so many places to go, things to do, and reservations to make, choosing the best form of transportation to meet your needs is extremely important. The good news is that Disney offers multiple forms of transportation (and many are complimentary). The available options will vary depending on where you’re starting and where you’re going.
All of the complimentary forms of transportation Disney offers begin approximately 45 minutes prior to Disney theme park opening time and ends one hour after Disney theme park closing time. Buses operate until 11:00pm from the Disney Springs area.
Disney Bus Transportation
One of the most common forms of transportation seen around Disney World property are the buses. Many of which are wrapped with different colorful characters, these buses can shuttle a lot of people from here to there. They’re also air-conditioned! You can grab a bus from the resorts to the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. Note that this is the only complimentary mode of Disney Transportation available to and from Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
There are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to Disney buses:
- The buses can get crowded. This is especially true at the beginning of the day and the end of the night. During peak periods, Disney will try to fill the buses as close to capacity as possible. This means not everyone is guaranteed a seat, and you may end up standing. After a long day, walking tens of thousands of steps, this is likely not how you want to end the night.
- Some resorts will share buses. There are certain resorts that will share a route with each other to get to common destinations. A common example of this is that Disney’s All Star Resorts (All Star Movies, All Star Music, and All Star Sports) share buses during certain parts of the day. You may end up waiting awhile for a bus with space to come along to pick you up or drop you off if the current bus fills up before getting to the bus stop at your resort. Other resorts like Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa also share buses to certain destinations.
- Not every resort offers bus service to every theme park. If other modes of transportation are available from a resort to one of the theme parks, buses typically will not be offered to that theme park except in certain situations. For example, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort do not offer regular bus service to the parks that are accessible via the Skyliner route. The exception to this is when there is inclement weather that causes the Skyliner to be unavailable/closed. Similarly, the resorts along the Monorail loop (Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) do not commonly offer bus transportation to Magic Kingdom since the Monorail loop connects these destinations.
- The buses can take awhile. Disney commonly states to allow approximately 90 minutes to travel around property. There are many factors that can impact how long it takes to travel by bus that go beyond the actual distance between locations. Buses can make several stops, reach capacity, be stuck in traffic on the roads, or even break down. If you’re trying to make it to a different location for a dining reservation or another time specific reason, it’s definitely important to heed the advice of allowing plenty of time to get there.
Disney Skyliner
Some forms of transportation are almost like a ride in and of themselves! The MouseHouseNews.net team previously posted information about the Disney Skyliner, and we highly suggest you check it out. The Skyliner is an aerial gondola system that connects several resorts to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Resorts located along the Skyliner route include:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
Additionally, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, and the Swan and Dolphin Hotels are all within walking distance of the Skyliner station at EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance. So these resorts also have Skyliner access to get to Hollywood Studios by way of the Caribbean Beach transfer station.
Things to keep in mind when traveling by Skyliner:
- Although it’s a continuously moving system, lines can get long at peak times of day (think around park opening and park closing times for sure).
- You may be seated with other parties. Sometimes, if it’s not a very busy time of day, you may be lucky enough to get a Skyliner gondola all to yourself! However, if it is a more popular time of day and lines are forming, it’s likely that you will have strangers seated with you in the gondola.
- The Skyliner closes for inclement weather. If there’s storms, lightning, or high winds, the Skyliner will be closed for guest safety. When it is necessary for the Skyliner to close, an alternate form of transportation (bus) will be offered to transport guests to places typically served by the Skyliner.
- The Skyliner travels high above the ground. This means if you’re averse to heights, this may not be the best form of transportation for you. Unfortunately, if you’re staying in a resort along the Skyliner route, it is literally the only form of complimentary transportation to other destinations also located on that route unless the weather causes it to close. This means you may have to pay for an Uber, Lyft, or Minnie Van to get to your destination if you really can’t tolerate heights well and want to avoid using the Skyliner.
- The Skyliner closes for annual refurbishments. Disney has already announced dates for the 2026 and 2027 Skyliner closures. Complimentary bus transportation will be available instead on those dates.
Water Transportation
Disney offers water taxis and ferryboats in several locations around Disney World. You can enjoy this relaxing mode of transportation to access Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Disney Springs depending on where you’re starting your journey.
Boat routes include:
- the ferryboat that transports guests parked at the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom
- the water taxis moving between Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- the water taxis that travel between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom
- the Blue Line water taxi that connects Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- the FriendShip boats that sail between Disney’s Yacht & Beach Clubs, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, The Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and either Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT (depending on which route you board)
- the FriendShip boats that sail across World Showcase Lagoon, connecting different docks around the Lagoon (exact routes operating each day vary, so be sure to look for the signage)
- the Sassagoula River Cruise which travels between Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside, Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter, and Disney Springs
- the water taxi which travels between Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Disney Springs
Things to keep in mind when considering Water Transportation:
- Operation of water transportation is dependent on weather conditions. There can be times in which it is deemed necessary to halt boat transportation due to inclement weather conditions or low water levels. This may mean you will unexpectedly end up on a bus instead.
- Disney operates different styles of boats. Some of the boats are open air, while some also have more “indoor” seating available. Some people may be uncomfortable having nothing but a railing between you and the water. If this is you, you may not like riding in some of the boats that are available around the Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon area (the ones serving Magic Kingdom). The types of boats in use each day vary, but you can see which type is approaching as you are waiting at the boat dock. The FriendShip boats that operate around EPCOT, the EPCOT area resorts, and Hollywood Studios all offer enclosed seating.
- Boats may keep you waiting. While Disney tends to run the boats on a regular interval, you may still end up waiting a bit if you show up at the dock right after the previous boat has departed. Again, always allow yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go just in case of delays. Disney states most routes run at 15 – 30 minute intervals.
Boat transportation can be a lot of fun. Many of the boat captains tell jokes or share interesting Disney facts along the way. If you want a different way to see Disney World, the boats offer a unique vantage point.
The Monorail
This is my personal favorite form of complimentary Disney transportation. So iconic and beautiful, the Monorail is what many people imagine when they picture Disney World. Talk about a ride in itself! There are multiple Monorail vehicles, each painted with a different color stripe and delta pattern. It can be a fun checklist to see just how many different color Monorails you can ride during a trip.
There are actually three different routes that the Monorail travels:
- The Express Monorail takes guests back and forth between the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and the entrance to Magic Kingdom
- The Resort Monorail travels around Seven Seas Lagoon, stopping at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the TTC, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and ends with a stop at the entrance to Magic Kingdom
- The EPCOT Monorail takes guests back and forth between the TTC and the main entrance to EPCOT
The Monorail is not the only form of transportation available to take guests from Polynesian Village and the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom. The other option is to go by boat, which we covered in the previous segment. Additionally, as the MouseHouseNews.net team recently explained, there is also a walking path that connects these resorts to the Magic Kingdom.
The Contemporary does not have another form of transportation to Magic Kingdom, but it does have a short walking path directly from the lobby to the park entrance.
Some things to keep in mind about the Monorail:
- As with the other forms of transportation we’ve discussed, it can get crowded during peak times. The Monorail is similar to the buses in that you may end up standing during your trip. As the famous recorded announcement that plays on the Monorail states: “Please stand clear of the doors” if you are in this situation.
- Pay attention to which Monorail you are boarding. As previously mentioned, there are two different Monorail routes serving Magic Kingdom. One will take you directly to the TTC without stopping, and the other makes a loop that stops at every resort along the route. If you get on the wrong one, it may cause confusion or wasted time.
- Sometimes the Monorail experiences delays. We’ve heard of Monorails breaking down (but we should point out that this is not a frequent occurrence). You may also find yourself on a stopped Monorail that must wait for Monorail traffic ahead on the line to clear before it can continue moving.
- An advantage of the Monorail is that security checkpoints are located prior to the monorail loading area. This can save time from having to wait in longer security lines once you arrive at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. Once you pass through one of these security checkpoints, you do not have to repeat the process again, unless you exit the theme parks or at one of the connected resorts.
Minnie Vans™
Finally, although it’s not complimentary, we still want to mention the Minnie Van™ service offered through Lyft. This service features cheerful, polka-dotted vehicles reminiscent of Minnie Mouse (hence, the name). You can order a Minnie Van™ through the Lyft app. Again, this is not a complimentary service and requires payment through the Lyft app.
Things to know if you’re using the Minnie Van™ Service:
- Minnie Vans™ are Disney-owned vehicles driven by Disney Cast Members.
- Minnie Vans™ are the only form of vehicle transportation besides the monorail, ferry, and Disney buses that can drop you off right near the gates of Magic Kingdom. All other rideshares or personal vehicles must go to the TTC, and guests will then need to use the ferryboat or Monorail to access Magic Kingdom’s gates.
- Minnie Vans™ also tend to be significantly more expensive than “regular” Lyft or Uber rides. They may also be subject to surge pricing at popular/busy times of day.
With so many ways to get around Disney World, it can be hard to choose which one is right for you. My suggestion: try them all to find your favorite! You may surprise yourself by discovering a new favorite mode of transportation. Plus, so many of them double as “rides you can enjoy without a theme park ticket”. Just remember to pack your patience, allow plenty of time, and be kind to others. For more Disney information, tips, and news, stay tuned to MouseHouseNews.net.
