Disney World Transportation Guide

How do you get around Disney World? Have you wondered about using the different transport options at Disney? This Disney World transportation guide covers the different ways to travel around Disney property and reasons to give it a try.

When we were planning our first Disney holiday we wondered whether or not to use Disney World transport or whether to hire a car to get around. There is a whole host of different ways to travel around Disney World, it would be a shame not to utilise them when you are visiting.

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boat on the Sassagoula River

After stepping off the plane, getting through security and sitting down on what was once the Magical Express, we realised what a great decision we had made not to have to find the hire car and then drive to Caribbean Beach resort where we stayed.

Since the Magical Express ceased trading, it’s useful to know that a bus service between Orlando International Airport and Disney resorts still exists. Mears Transport now run the bus service between the airport and Disney resort hotels and will need to be booked in advance.

Or why not book a shuttle from MCO to Disney resort hotels

To be able to relax became one of the many reasons we love Walt Disney World Transport.

Walt Disney World transport consists of busses, a monorail, boats and the introduction of the Gondola skyline system in 2019. All of these choices give you plenty of options when travelling between parks, resorts and the airport.

Disney World Bus Transportation

Disney busses run between the theme parks, water parks and hotels during the day and night until after the parks close for the day. The schedule runs at approximately every twenty minutes, with some variations during busier times.

The bus system is a very convenient way to travel from your resort to the parks or Disney Springs. It is important to note that during busy times the busses do get crowded and you may have to stand or wait a little longer for another bus to come along.

Disney World monorail

Disney World Monorail

The Walt Disney World monorail operates over three separate lines that connect Magic Kingdom to Epcot and also travels via some of the deluxe resorts on property.

The Walt Disney World monorail operates over three separate lines that connect Magic Kingdom to Epcot and also travels via some of the deluxe resorts on property.

If you’re staying at one of the Disney monorail resorts, it may be faster to travel by another means of transport at this time of day.

Epcot monorail

There are 12 different monorails in the fleet currently at Walt Disney World, each has a different colour on it. It’s great fun when we’re standing on the platform waiting for one to arrive to guess which colour we may get.

Travelling on the Walt Disney World monorail gives you some great views across Bay Lake, and it’s a great way to tour the resorts on a day when you may not necessarily want to visit the parks.

Resort Monorail Line

Are you wondering which Disney resorts are on the monorail? Disney hotels on the monorail line include three deluxe resorts. The Grand Floridian, The Polynesian and The Contemporary resorts.

The Walt Disney World resort monorail stops at Magic Kingdom, The Contemporary Resort,  Disney Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC), Polynesian Resort, The Grand Floridian before arriving back at Magic Kingdom again.

resort monorail line

The resort monorail line is a great choice when travelling to a dining reservation at one of the resorts such as Ohana at the Polynesian, or 1900 Park Fair at Grand Floridian, or perhaps even Chef Mickeys inside the Contemporary resort.

We used the resort monorail when we experienced our Happily Ever After fireworks cruise which left from the Contemporary Resort.

Magic Kingdom Monorail Line

This monorail travels between Magic Kingdom and the Ticket and Transportation center. An example travel option for this line would be when travelling from Magic Kingdom to Epcot.

You would take the Magic Kingdom monorail line to the Ticket and Transportation Center, change monorails for the Epcot monorail line and stay on board until you reach Epcot.

This is a good alternative to driving your car if you have already parked in Magic Kingdom for the day. I also love that the monorail goes through Epcot meaning you get views of the park from different aspects.

Epcot Monorail Line

This monorail travels between Epcot and the Ticket and Transportation center. An example travel option for this line would be when travelling from Epcot to The Contemporary resort.

You would use the Epcot monorail line and change monorails at the Ticket and Transportation center. Boarding the resort monorail line, you would stay on board passing the Polynesian resort, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom before arriving at The Contemporary resort.

Why not take some time out and explore the Walt Disney World monorail system next time you visit.

Disney World Friendship boat

Boat Transportation At Disney World

Did you know about the water taxis and friendship boats at Disney World? Experiencing a variety of different travel methods at Disney World will allow you to see sights that you wouldn’t ordinarily see if just taking one mode of transport.

How Long Are Boat Rides At Disney World?

Boat rides will vary according to routes, but as a general rule of thumb the maximum time is around twenty minutes which is the route from Port Orleans Riverside to Disney Springs.

Wilderness Lodge is the furthest route from Magic Kingdom, and will take around 10-15 minutes.

When Do Disney World Boats Run From Until?

You can usually expect a ferry boat to start running around 8.30am in the morning and they will continue until around 11.30pm. It’s best to check the times of the route you wish to experience to avoid any disappointment on the day.

Does Water Transport at Disney Operate In The Rain?

During inclement weather, it’s down to the skipper to decide whether his boat will run or not. We have always generally found if there is no lightening in the area, then the service operates as normal.

Boat Transport At Magic Kingdom

If you are travelling to and from Magic Kingdom, you can enjoy a water taxi to and from the Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Resort, Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and Wilderness Lodge.

If you are travelling to the Magic Kingdom via car, then there is also a ferry boat to transport you from the car park to the front of the Magic Kingdom park.

Disney World ferry

Boat Transport At Epcot and Hollywood Studios

Travelling to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, you have the option of taking the Disney World Friendship boats to and from The Boardwalk, The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, and The Swann and Dolphin Hotels.

There is a boat dock at the rear of Epcot next to the France Pavilion and the exit to the International gateway. This boat will also take you to and from Hollywood Studios.

Boat Transport At Disney Springs

A lovely way to travel to Disney Springs is via boat along the Sassagoula River. You arrive at Disney Springs near the Landing which means you are treated to views of the hot air balloon and the Amphi Car landing station.

There are a variety of boat routes, one servicing Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside. There are also landing docks to service Saratoga Springs Resort, and Old Key West.

Boat transportation at Disney World is definitely a lovely way to travel. The crowds are a lot less on the boats and there is some amazing scenery and views to look at. Highly recommended if you haven’t experienced the water transport before.

Epcot monorail line

Disney World Skyliner

As of 2019, themed gondolas can whisk you away through the sky from selected Disney parks and resorts.

The Disney skyliner operates from Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

From these resorts, you can travel to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, which makes the alternative method of travel at Disney World fun as well as freeing up some of the queues during busy periods on the busses.

A trip on the skyliner will take around 11 minutes between Epcot and Caribbean Beach Resort. If you’re taking the skyliner between Caribbean Beach resort and The Riviera Resort, you can expect your journey to last around 3 minutes.

From Disney’s Riviera Resort to Epcot on the skyliner will take around 6 minutes. These trips are quite short but give you a completely different view point of the Disney parks and resort from the sky.

Disney World Transport Frequently Asked Questions

Which Disney resorts have boat transportation?

The Disney resorts with boat transportation are the Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin Hotel, Port Orleans Resorts, Old Key West Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort.

Can you use Disney transport if not staying on property?

Yes all Disney transport including water transport is free to use.

Is it faster to drive or take Disney transportation?

Generally it would be quicker to drive than take Disney transportation, however by not driving you take away all the stress, parking charges, sitting in traffic and forgetting where you parked.

How to get from Caribbean Beach resort to Polynesian Resort

If you are relying on Disney transportation to get from Caribbean Beach resort to Polynesian Resort, I would suggest a bus from Caribbean Beach Resort to Magic Kingdom. From Magic Kingdom you can either take the resort monorail, or the Friendship boat to Polynesian Resort.

How to get to Epcot from the Polynesian Resort

From the Polynesian Resort, take the resort monorail to the Transport And Ticket Centre. From here exit the monorail and swap to the Epcot monorail line.

How to get from Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney Springs

There is a direct bus that takes you from Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney Springs.

How often does the monorail run at Disney World?

Both Epcot and Magic Kingdom monorails begin around 30 minutes before the parks open each day. Generally you wont have to wait more than ten minutes for a monorail throughout the day unless one has broken down.

Reasons To Use Disney World Transportation

It’s Stress Free

There is something to be said about being on holiday and not having to worry about anything. Using Disney transportation means you don’t have to worry, turn up at the bus stop, enjoy the weather, sit down in the queue and wait for a bus to arrive.

If you’ve been enjoying an alcoholic drink with dinner, say at Be Our Guest, then you don’t have to worry about driving.

The roads around Disney don’t look too scary to be honest if we had chosen to drive them, however navigating the lanes and working out where to head could be stressful and that’s not something I want on my holiday.

When a park closes at the end of the night, you may queue a little while for the bus service to take you back to your resort hotel, or the monorail to take you to the Ticket and Transportation centre.

However you will also queue for ages for the ferry to get back to your car, before queuing again to leave the car park. I know which queue I would rather be in.

Disney Sun Tracker boat

Scenery

Where else can you enjoy amazing scenery whilst sitting on a Disney boat cruising across the Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian resort. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon visiting the resorts and using the boats and the monorail to transport us there.

Access To Parks

I know there are arguments for and against Walt Disney World transport, however the fact that the Disney bus service drops you off very close to the park entrances are a big positive for me.

To drive (and park), you then have to navigate a tram to take you close to the entrance, and even sometimes a boat or Monorail. Using the monorail at Disney is a great way to travel between resorts within the Magic Kingdom area.

This can add extra time on to your journey time that I think is very well offset against waiting for a bus at the resort to be collected and deposited without any extra hassle.

No Parking Charges

To park your car at a Disney park will cost you around $30 per day. There are some exceptions to this, for example annual pass holders, and I have heard of people getting the fee waived on occasion. However this is another $30 a day to factor into the holiday costs. A Walt Disney World holiday can cost an arm and a leg as it is, without all these little extras.

Epcot monorail

After our first experience of using Walt Disney World transport, we went on to use it on every Disney World trip since.

If you’re looking for alternative travel methods, you may want to check out how to utilise Lyft or Uber at Disney World. You can even hire one of the Minnie vans operated by Lyft.

Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks

Disney World transportation guide

4 thoughts on “Disney World Transportation Guide”

  1. I love Disney parks, like to know if you visited Universal park, that is great too.

    Reply
  2. My family went to Disney World a couple times when I was a kid, and I remember the public transport being great! My sister and I loved the Monorail and the boats as kids because of the exciting views!

    Reply

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