Hello everyone, I hope you are well! Today I’m starting a series of posts all about planning a trip to Walt Disney World! I’ve done some of these posts a while ago so they will be getting updates, and I will be adding more like today’s post! Today we are talking all about transportation at Walt Disney World The different ways to get around, and any benefits or disadvantages of the different methods. Okay, let’s jump in!
Monorail
The Monorail might be the most well know modes of transportation in Walt Disney World, and it definitely one of the easiest! If you are travelling with small children (and using strollers), you won’t have to fold up your stroller to get on the monorail which is a huge benefit! You can get to the following locations using the monorail:
- Magic Kingdom
- Contemporary Resort
- Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)
- Polynesian Resort
- Grand Floridian Resort
- Epcot
The monorails holds a lot of guests and run frequently, but of course they also have their issues. They can break down (I’ve never experiences this but it does happen), but Disney will have another option as soon as possible like buses to limit the inconvenience.
Boats
The boats are a fun way to get around! I find it fun and relaxing, and it’s always nice to do something a little different. Boats run regularly all day. You can find smaller boats at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts, and larger boats to the Epcot resorts and from Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom (because it’s not on the monorail and boat is the only option to Magic Kingdom).
You can get to Magic Kingdom by boat from:
- Wilderness Lodge
- Polynesian Resort
- Grand Floridian
You can get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios by boat from:
- Boardwalk Resort
- Beach Club/Yacht Club Resort
- Swan and Dolphin Resorts
You can get to Disney Springs via boat from:
- Port Orleans: Riverside
- Saratoga Springs
- Old Key West
Buses
Ah the Disney buses. Not always the most efficient method of transportation, but it gets you where you need to go! Boards are available at the bus stops with estimated times of the next bus, and that information is also available in the My Disney Experience App. Just keep in mind they are estimated times, and sometimes delays happen. You can get buses:
- from all Disney Resort Hotels to all 4 theme parks, Disney Springs, and the pater parks and vice versa
- from the theme parks to the other parks
- from Disney Springs to the theme parks.
One negative that I wanted to mention about the buses in regard to the larger Moderate Resorts (Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans: Riverside), is the multiple bus stops. Because these resorts are so large there are multiple bus stops around the resort. When the buses come to the resort, they always start at the same stop (usually the main one) before heading to the other bus stops, and during high times the buses can fill up before making it to all of the stops. I would suggest walking to the main bus stop to ensure you don’t spend too much time waiting for the bus, and get off at the closest one to your room when you are going back to your resort. When Ethan and I stayed at Port Orleans: Riverside we used this strategy and found it worked well.
Skyliner
The newest method of transportation opening Fall 2019, and it looks fun! There’s not a lot of information available at this time, so I will do a follow up post once I’ve experienced it for myself and can share more information! You can get the Skyliner from:
- Caribbean Beach and Riviera Resort
- Art of Animation Resort and Pop Cenurty Resort
to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. One thing we do know, the cars are not air conditioned. So keep that in mind!
(picture from Disney Parks Blog)
Walking
The fastest method of transportation! There are quite a few Disney Resorts within walking distance to the parks, which is probably one of the biggest benefits there could be!
You can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios from:
- Boardwalk Resort
- Beach Club/Yacht Club Resort
- The Swan (not an official Disney Resort)
- The Dolphin (same as above)
You can walk to Magic Kingdom from:
- Contemporary Resort
You can walk to Disney Spring from:
- Saratoga Springs
Transportation and Ticket Centre
The Ticket and Transportation Centre in located across Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom, and is the parking lot and transportation hub for Magic Kingdom. If you are bringing a car to Magic Kingdom, you will park at the TTC, and take either the monorail or ferry.
- monorail to Polynesian Resort, Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort, Express to Magic Kingdom, or to Epcot
- Ferry to Magic Kingdom
Always give yourself plenty of time!
One thing to always remember when using Disney transportation, is to give yourself time to get from point A to point B. I would suggest at least 45 minutes to and hour (or more) before your reservation or the time you need to be somewhere. Walt Disney World is massive and they run things as efficiently as possible, but things happen and transportation can be slow. If you are really running close, you could user Uber, Lyft, a taxi or Minnie Van to get to your destination for a fee.
If you’d like to hear more about the different transportation methods at Walt Disney World, check out the video below!
What’s your favourite method of Disney transportation? Let me know in the comments below! Mine is the monorail 🙂
Disney Vacation Planning Posts
Your Guide to Walt Disney World Transportation (you’re here!)
Thank you so much for reading!
