How To Get From Your Resort to Disney Parks – 6 Things You Should Know

One of the best perks of staying at an official Disney Resort hotel is the availability of free transportation. Even if you drive your own car to Disney, you really won’t need to use it. Before you arrive in Orlando for your vacation, you should take some time to familiarize yourself the ins and outs of Disney transportation. Here is a quick list of important things to keep in mind.

1.Disney transportation is completely free

Once you are on official Walt Disney World Resort property, the use of any official Walt Disney World transportation is free of charge.

2.Type of transportation depends on location

Disney offers three different means of transportation between resorts and theme parks. These are bus, boat, and Monorail. Buses are the most popular type of transportation, and are available between most resorts and each theme park regardless of location. Certain resorts offer additional or alternative forms of transportation. For example, all of the resorts located around Crescent Lake (the Swan, Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Club, and Boardwalk Inn) offer transportation to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot via boat. Monorail Resorts (Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian) offer transportation via Monorail to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Conversely, you cannot reach the Magic Kingdom via Monorail from any of the non-Monorail resorts, or by boat from Boardwalk Inn. It’s important that you understand exactly what type of transportation you need to get to each theme park from your resort. Please refer to the list below for additional information on transportation from each resort hotel.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – MONORAIL
• Epcot – MONORAIL
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS, BOAT
• Hollywood Studios – BUS, BOAT

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS, BOAT
• Hollywood Studios – BUS, BOAT

Disney’s Contemporary Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – MONORAIL
• Epcot – MONORAIL
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – MONORAIL, BOAT
• Epcot – MONORAIL
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Polynesian Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – MONORAIL, BOAT
• Epcot – MONORAIL
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS, BOAT
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS, BOAT
• Hollywood Studios – BUS, BOAT

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS, BOAT
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

• Animal Kingdom – BUS
• Magic Kingdom – BUS
• Epcot – BUS
• Hollywood Studios – BUS

3. Transportation takes time

Some Disney novices don’t appreciate the amount of time it takes to travel from one destination to another in Walt Disney World. I’ve seen many people aboard one mode of transportation or another in an utter panic because they have underestimated their transportation time and have missed a dining reservation or performance. Disney recommends allowing two hours to travel from one destination to another. In my experience, one hour is generally sufficient if no transfer is needed mid-trip (ie, you’re leaving your hotel and going directly to a theme park or vice versa without having to transfer from one bus to another bus or mode of transportation).

4.Transportation can be crowded

If you can’t quite appreciate the phrase “packed like sardines”, be prepared to familiarize yourself with that experience during your Disney vacation. Buses are a particular culprit here, as drivers are apt to squeeze as many bodies on as humanly possible. Keep in mind that buses will be especially packed in the thirty minutes prior to any park opening time. If you want to avoid the crowds, plan to arrive at the resort bus stop at least one hour in advance of any official park opening time. It’s important to arrive at any form of transportation well in advance of your planned arrival time to any destination in Walt Disney World because they all tend to run on a 20-30 minute schedule. This means if you “just miss” a bus or boat, it may be another 20-30 minutes before another comes.

5. People don’t always mind their manners

Everything about Disney is completely magical with one single caveat; other guests. Unfortunately, the one variable on your vacation may be others who aren’t always as courteous or polite as we might normally like. Don’t expect that just because you are traveling with an infant or a small child that you will get a seat on a bus. Don’t expect that people won’t try to cut the queue to get on a boat or the monorail ahead of you. If you’re feeling the mode of transportation you’re about to board is too crowded, it may be best to wait for the next bus, boat or monorail to come. Don’t depend on others to follow the golden rule. But please continue to follow it yourself.

Related Articles:

– Boats, Monorails and Busses Oh My! 4 Things You Need to Know About Disney Transportation

– 8 Things You Should Never Do On Disney’s Monorail

– 8 Disney Bus Riding Etiquette Tips

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best price for your vacation, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius!