Transportation Options at Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World Resort is massive. It is roughly the size of San Francisco. Due to the massive size of the resort Disney has several modes of transportation available to get you around. One of the perks of staying at a Disney owned resort is having access to free transportation. Walt Disney World has four main transportation options.
Skyliner
My new favorite mode of transportation at Disney World is the Skyliner. The Skyliner opened in 2019 as a new mode of transportation. The Skyliner system is made up of gondolas similar in design to ski lifts around the world. The individual cars can fit around 10 people. The cars can also fit strollers and scooters.
The Skyliner is constantly moving making it a fast and efficient mode of transportation. Skyliner systems are at Epcot by the International Gateway Entrance and Hollywood Studios. The Skyliner connects these parks to several resorts. Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera Resort are all connected to these resorts. The addition of the Skyliner makes all of these resorts highly desirable to guests.
Monorail
Disney’s monorail is iconic as it was one of the original modes of transportation in 1971. Disneyland in California also has a monorail that opened in 1959. The monorail system has three lines: Epcot, Ticket and Transportation Center, and Resort Line.
Magic Kingdom is unique in that the parking lot is not directly connected to the park. As a result, guests will board either the monorail or ferry from the parking lot at the Ticket and Transportation Center.
Guests staying at Polynesian Village Resort, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary resort can easily access the monorail system to visit either Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Guests visiting Epcot will transfer at the Ticket and Transportation Center. The monorail is a big selling point for guests staying at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary.
Boats and Ferries
Disney World has several bodies of water on site making boats and ferries another option for transportation. Magic Kingdom has ferries connecting guests to the Ticket and Transportation Center. Wilderness Lodge, the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness all have boats with access to Magic Kingdom.
Epcot and Hollywood Studios also have boats that connect resort guests. Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Yacht and Beach Club, and the Swan/Dolphin resort all have boats that take guests to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Disney Springs also has boat transportation from Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside/French Quarter. A boat trip from these resorts connects guests to the amazing shopping and dining at Disney Springs.
Bus Service
Possibly the most common form of transportation are the busses. All of the Disney Resorts utilize the bus service in some capacity. Some resorts offer only bus transportation such as the All Star Resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Coronado Springs. Other resorts offer bus transportation to certain parks.
Animal Kingdom park only has bus transportation to and from all the parks. The Disney busses run about every 20-30 minutes from the parks to the resorts. Buses are also available to Disney Springs and Disney’s water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach).
Walking
Walking is another form of transportation to and from some of the parks. Yacht and Beach Club, Boardwalk, and the Swan/Dolphin resort are walkable to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The Grand Floridian and Contemporary Resort have a walking path to Magic Kingdom. Finally, Saratoga Springs has a walking path to Disney Springs.
Transporation options are one of the main factors when choosing a resort for your Walt Disney World vacation. If your family plans to spend most of your trip at Magic Kingdom you may want to pick one of the resorts with monorail or boat access. If Hollywood Studios and Epcot are your family’s favorites than Yacht/Beach, Boardwalk, or the Swan and Dolphin may be the best option.
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