Let’s Talk about Your Walt Disney World Transportation Options
With gas prices through the roof and unlikely to change soon due to unpleasantness in Eastern Europe, you probably don’t want to drive on vacation.
You’re spending enough at Disney already and would prefer not to portion part of your vacation budget to gas and parking fees.
Fortunately, Disney has you covered. Here’s what you need to know about Walt Disney World transportation.
The Disney Skyliner
Disney’s newest transportation offering is also the most efficient one.


Photo: Disney
Several of the various Disney resorts host Skyliner stations, like Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
At each one, you can ride a gondola system akin to one you’d find at a ski resort. It’ll transport you directly to your destination.
Disney has introduced Skyliner stations at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. More appeared all but certain before the pandemic.
I’m inclined to think that’s still the case. However, recent unpleasantness involving the Reedy Creek Improvement District could delay those plans again.
Still, the current Skyliner system in place is already good enough to satisfy most of your needs.
Most of the rides take 10 minutes or less, and the gondolas rarely stop. As such, you can safely estimate arrival times for your destinations.


Photo: Disney
Out of every transportation option we discuss today, the Gondola is the only free option that can provide that sort of certainty.
Plus, the view from the Disney Skyliner will thrill you. It’s the proverbial bird’s eye view from up in the clouds.
You can appreciate the parks in entirely new ways from here.
The Monorail at Disney World
My inner child never comes out quicker than when I notice a monorail tram heading toward me.
Seriously, I am six years old forever whenever I see one of these vehicles. After hundreds of monorail rides, my childlike sense of wonder has never gone away.
To me, the monorails embody the best of Disney as a place where the impossible turns into reality.
For you as a park guest, the monorail provides transportation to and from Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.
At the Transportation and Ticket Center, guests can take a direct route to either park.
The monorail resort line also carries guests to three of Walt Disney World’s finest hotels and Magic Kingdom.
So, the monorails combine functionality with whimsy. Frankly, this is a form of transportation that should have caught on more in this country. It’s brilliant!
The Buses
I feel the same way about buses that I do about haircuts and brushing my teeth. Yes, I know they’re necessary, but that doesn’t mean I like them.
If I’m being honest, the buses at Walt Disney World are often the bane of my existence.
Sometimes, a driver seems to see me in the rearview mirror and immediately closes the door just to make sure I don’t get on board.
In other instances, I’ve waited for a Disney bus so long that I nearly missed a flight. I wasn’t even the only one.
Someone else standing in the line called the hotel’s front desk and told them we’d all been waiting for an hour. So they sent a van instead.


Photo: ReportLoop.com
Even hotel employees don’t trust the bus system completely. So yeah, it’s like that.
However, the reality is that Walt Disney World covers tens of thousands of acres of land. You’re gonna need to take a bus at times to criss-cross this territory.
Also, many of the buses are delightful. Disney has ramped up the tech to enable USB cable charging on some of them.
Meanwhile, I love staring at the various posters for upcoming/current Disney television shows and movies. And many of the bus drivers entertain as well.
Have you ever ridden a bus wherein the driver asked Disney trivia questions? It can get oddly competitive!
To a larger point, there’s simply no avoiding buses entirely at Disney. So you might as well make your peace with it.

The Boats
Here’s the most underrated of all Disney transportation options. On a lovely day, you can and should take a Disney boat when you can.
Disney offers boat service to and from several hotels to Magic Kingdom. Also, there’s one boat system for EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well.
The Disney Skyliner proves vastly superior when you want to maximize efficiency since you know when it will arrive to pick you up.
Plus, you’ll know when you’ll reach your destination. Unfortunately, the same isn’t true of boats, which are mercurial like buses.


Photo: everything mouse.com
You may not mind the overhead, though. Some of the boat routes near the parks are absolutely breathtaking.
Here’s one of my favorites:
That’s a trip from Disney’s Old Key West Resort to Disney Springs. As you can see, the scenery exemplifies the best of Disney.
You pass Treehouse Villas and a golf course during your journey to the entertainment district.


Photo: Disney
Other boat routes offer similarly dazzling views. So don’t sleep on taking a boat ride, my friends!
Minnie Vans
Okay, out of everything I list here, this option is the only one that comes with a fee.


Photo: Disney
So, if your aim is to save money at Disney, this one’s not for you. Still, at various times, you may discover that you want to travel somewhere quickly.
That’s where Minnie Vans can really help. When the service restarts – it’s currently suspended – you can use it as a kind of official ride-sharing service.


Photo: Disney
This one isn’t like Uber and Lyft. Instead, Disney actually hires the drivers and provides them training.
They know the best places to go at the parks and can access some roads that third-party drivers cannot.
Plus, you’re riding in the most stylish vehicles in Orlando! What’s not to love?


Photo Credit: LivingbyDisney.com
Well, okay, there’s the price, but you deserve to splurge some on vacation, right?
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Feature Photo: Disney