Traveling Walt Disney World in 90 minutes (or less!)

When it comes to Walt Disney World there are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 1 massive shopping & entertainment district, and 32 different resorts! That is a lot of ground to cover - so how do you do it?

Before we get into what transportation is offered please keep in mind that Disney strongly recommends giving yourself 90 minutes of travel time within Disney property. This is especially necessary if you are attempting to make dining reservations, shows, or any lightning lanes.

Staying off Property

If you choose to stay off property, say at an airbnb, a good neighbor hotel, etc., you will be limited in the transportation options to and from the parks. Most good neighbor hotels, and even hotels that are not considered part of the good neighbor hotel program offer park shuttles. They will not run the same clockwork schedules that Disney buses run, but you can always check with the front desk to find out what they offer. Staying at an airbnb or with family means your only option for traversing the parks is your own car, or perhaps scheduling a rideshare.

Staying on Property

If you are staying on property you will have direct access to the free transportation provided by Disney. This includes all Disney-owned buses, the Monorail, the Ferryboat, Friendship Boats, and the Disney Skyliner. Below I will describe each option and note which resorts have access to what kind of transportation. When you stay on property you can move throughout the entire resort and in some cases you can even walk between destinations! All transportation within the Disney bubble is complimentary and will run consistent schedules starting early in the morning and running until well after parks close.

Disney Buses

Let's talk about those colorfully wrapped Disney buses! If you have been anywhere within the Disney network, you have seen these guys moving about property. Every resort has a bus service of some kind, but due to some of the other unique transportation options, not all resorts offer a bus to all 4 parks. You can check with the front desk about their available transportation options, including where the bus stop is located and how early/late the buses will run. At this time there is direct bus services from resorts to the parks, or resorts to Disney Springs.

Please note: There is no direct bus service from the parks to Disney Springs or from Disney Springs to the parks!

Disney Skyliner

We're going to discuss the newest friend to the transportation fleet. The Disney Skyliner opened in 2019 and they are adorable little gondolas that take you through some of Disney's prettiest resorts. Not only are they cute as a button, they connect you directly to Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Below are the resorts that offer Skyliner access:

• POP Century

• Art of Animation

• Caribbean Beach

• Riviera

So there are 5 stations in total. If you are staying at POP/ AoA you share a hub and will transfer at Caribbean Beach. If you are staying at Caribbean Beach you are already at the main hub and can choose to head to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. If you are staying at the Riviera you can go directly to EPCOT or head to the Caribbean Beach hub to go to Hollywood Studios.

An unexpected perk about using the Skyliner is that when you go to EPCOT (specifically for early entry) you will be entering the park through International Gateway which is at the back of EPCOT - making it easier to rope drop some highly coveted rides such as Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen: Ever After.

Me on the Skyliner!

Disney's Monorail

"Please Stand Clear of the Doors." This is by far my favorite mode of Disney transportation! Did you know that if you stay at certain resorts, you have direct access to the monorail - that's right no parking at the TTC for you! This is unfortunately a very, very small group of resorts and we're talking Deluxe Resorts, y'all. The three "Monorail Resorts" are:

• Contemporary Resort

• Grand Floridian Resort

• Polynesian Resort

The monorail of course can be accessed by parking at the Ticket and Transportation Center and from there you can head to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT.

The Ferryboat

Getting even more restrictive with transportation I wanted to at least mention the Ferry. This is an option I think most people overlook, or simply don't find as flashy as the Monorail. While you cannot access this mode of transportation from a resort, this guy sits at the TTC waiting to take you to Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning, and will be ready at park close to take you back to the TTC. The ferry has more capacity than the Monorail or a bus, so it can be the more efficient way to get to Magic Kingdom - but it is not necessarily the fastest as you sometimes have to wait for the boat to fill before it takes off.

Friendship Boats

A boat you CAN access from a resort! Friendship boats live in the EPCOT resort area. They will pick you up from the following resorts and take you either to Hollywood Studios or EPCOT:

• BoardWalk Inn & Villas

• Beach Club

• Yacht Club

• Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve

Same perk for EPCOT as the Skyliner, you can also get in through International Gateway by taking the boat.

Your Own Feet!

Bet you didn't think you'd be walking distance from a Disney park, well in some cases you just might be! Walking can give you the freedom to come and go as you please, without dealing with crowds, or waiting in transportation lines. While there are some resorts you could walk from (but it's not necessarily the quickest way to get there) here are a list of resorts that are a short walk:

• Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom (you can technically walk from the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian as well due to the new walking train, however that is a 15-25 minute walk around the lagoon, so you might be better off going to the monorail station)

• BoardWalk Inn & Villas to EPCOT

• Beach Club Resort to EPCOT (you can technically walk from here to Hollywood Studios but it is about a 20 minute walk)

• Yacht Club Resort to EPCOT (you can technically walk from here to Hollywood Studios but it is about a 20 minute walk)

• Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios

So if you have learned nothing else from this post - please note that going to Disney's Animal Kingdom can only be done via Disney bus or traveling by car (either yours or a rideshare).

If a resort has special transportation to a certain park like the Skyliner or Monorail, don't be surprised to see that they don't also use a bus. Instead they reserve buses for the parks they do not have special transportation to. For example, POP Century has a Skyliner hub to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, so they will not run buses there, but they will run the buses to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs.

I hope this was helpful and eases any confusion people have about Disney transportation. This is why having a travel planner in your party, or using one (like me!) can save you valuable money and time as you navigate the ever changing landscape that is Walt Disney World.

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