If you’re soon visiting Mickey and all his pals, the Walt Disney World transportation system might just be your best friend. This system of complimentary “shuttles” from your hotel includes boats, buses, a monorail, and now the Disney skyliner.

But how do you know what to use where when planning your Disney World vacation? This complete guide will tell you everything you need to know. We’re even offering a downloadable handout to help you get where you need to be while visiting the parks.

How to Get Around Disney World: The Transportation System Explained

Disney World’s transportation system is a unique marvel, when you consider the number of guests that are shuttled daily between the 25 resort hotels and the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs. Effectively moving that many people takes a well orcestrated effort, and at Disney World, that means utilizing more than one mode of transport.

Disne World resort transportation comes in 4 different varieties:

• Disney World buses
• Disney World watercraft
• Disney World monorail
• Disney World Skyliner

To better understand what type of Disney World shuttle to take ffrom you hotel, let’s take a deeper look at each.

Traveling on the Disney World Monorail

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When it comes to finding Disney World transportation between parks at, few options are as popular or as well known as the monorail. According to Florida Senate Transportation Chairman Nick DiCeglie, this popular transit line carries 150,000 people a day. While the statement may easily be contrived for political purposes, the point is clear. A lot of people ride the monorail line.

One thing that’s interesting about the popularity of the monorail is that fact that it doesn’t go that many places. In reality it serves only 2 parks and 3 hotels, with additional service to the transportation ticket center.

The Disney World monorail runs on 3 loops:

• Magic Kingdom resort loop: Serves the Magic Kingdom are resorts (Disney Contemporary/Disney Bay Lake Towers, Polynesian Village and Villas, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa/Vilas) with stops at the Magic Kingdom and the transportation ticket center. Guests may get off here and switch to a different line if they are traveling to EPCOT.
• Express monorail: The Express monorail runs from the transporation ticket center to the Magic Kingdom. Its sole purpose is to shuttle guests who park at the transportation ticket center to the park. This would include any guest who drives to the Magic Kingdom and parks a car.
• The EPCOT line: This track of the Disney World monorail travels from the transportation ticket center, to EPCOT and back again.

Catching the Monorail from a Magic Kingdom Area Resort

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A perk of staying at one of the Magic Kingdom-area resorts is having dedicated Walt Disney World transportation in the form of a unique monorail line. This loop begins resort service at the Contemporary/Bay Lake Towers, making stops at the transportation ticket center (TTC), Polynesian and Grand Floridian, respectively. When staying at any of these properties, you can catch the monorail to Magic Kingdom right in front of your hotel.

Since the monorail is elevated, stations are located above ground and accessed from the second floor at the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village resorts. To catch the train from the Contemporary, you’ll need to take an elevator to the fourth floor.

Returning to Your Disney World Resort from the Magic Kingdom Via the Monorail

When returning from the park from the Magic Kingdom, you’ll find two separate monorail lines. The one on the right is the Express line and travels directly to the Transportation Ticket Center (TTC). It will not stop at your resort.

The line on the left is reserved for resort guests. The monorail arriving at this station will make stops at all Magic Kingdom area resorts as well as the TTC.

The diagram below is a quick an easy way to view the Magic Kingdom monorail transit loop.

Catching the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom If You Aren’t Staying at a Magic Kingdom Resort

The important thing to understand about the monorail is that it always travels in a loop. The Magic Kingdom loop begins at the transportation ticket center (TTC). This is where day guests staying offsite, or those who prefer to drive themselves, will park to embark on their Magic Kingdom adventure. After the parking area, a short walk takes guests to the TTC where they can catch the Express Monorail to Magic Kingdom.

The Express monorail transports guests from the TTC directly to the Magic Kingdom, passing each of the deluxe Magic Kingdom resorts along the route (without stopping) before arriving at the park. To return to the TTC, guests will access the Express monorail using the monorail entrance on the right when leaving the park exits. This line travels directly to the TTC without stopping at any of the resorts, so it makes its loop faster than the Resort monorail explained below.

Walt Disney World Transportation Map Covering Monorail Lines

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Catching the Monorail to EPCOT

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A third monorail line is included in the Walt Disney World transportation system. This line departs the Transportation Ticket Center (TTC) and takes guests directly to EPCOT.

For guests staying at the Polynesian Village or Grand Floridian, you’ll take the same resort monorail that travels to the Magic Kingdom to get to EPCOT. After boarding the train at your resort, you’ll stop first at the Magic Kingdom and then the Contemporary Resort/Bay Lake Towers before reaching the Transportation and Ticket Center. For guests staying at the Contemporary, your first stop will be the TTC after boarding the monorail at your resort.

At the TTC, you will need to exit the Resort Monorail and cross over to the EPCOT Monorail. From there, it’s a fun and rather scenic fifteen-minute jaunt to reach the park.

Sailing on Walt Disney World Water Transportation

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If the monorail is the king of the Walt Disney World transportation system, boats are a close second. Water taxis, as Disney has christened them, were instituted to ease congestion on the primary modes of transportation or as an alternative to walking. Water taxis range from the fun and frivolous canopied vessel that plies the water between the Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village and the Magic Kingdom, to the serious and stern ferry that departs the Beach and Yacht Club for Disney Studios (with stops at nearby resorts). The granddaddy of them all is the Magic Kingdom steamship that transports guests from the TTC to the park.

Sailing the open waters has its advantages on pleasant breezy days if you can be outside, but keep in mind that open-air seating on some ferries is limited. In the heat of summer, you might prefer being inside the cabin as most are air conditioned.

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The chart below illustrates when you can take a Disney World water taxi to reach your destination.

Downloadable Water Taxi Cheat Sheet

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Disney World Transportation System Buses

The Disney World Transportation system would be nowhere without its stalwart line of buses. Disney World bus routes travel between all on-property resorts and theme parks.

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Disney’s well-maintained fleet is in a continuous cycle of updates. In 2013, Disney began testing all-electric buses for quieter travel and fewer emissions. Modern GPS is also now used to signal public announcements over the PA system regarding points of interest or nearby attractions on some vehicles.

Where to Catch a Disney World Bus at Your Resort Hotel

You’ll catch a bus at your resort’s depot. Deluxe resorts generally have one bus stop with multiple pullup stations, while value and moderate resorts have multiple pick-up locations. Keep in mind that the closest stop to you may be located at the end of the route. In this case, you can expect to stand up while you travel to your destination if you’re traveling close to park opening or closing.

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Within the last five years, Disney has updated its bus depots at each resort. Status boards now give guests an idea of when the next bus to their destination will arrive. Since many things can delay a bus in transit, times are updated automatically.

Most recently, Disney added bus arrival times to the My Disney Experience App as well. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, definitely do so before your Disney World vacation. It’s like having a Disney World bus schedule app in your pocket and could save you a lot of time hanging around on cold hard benches waiting for the next bus to your destination.

If you’re wondering how often Disney World buses run, the standard answer is about every 20 minutes. However, you’ll find that more buses run an hour before and after park opening and closing, making the time between pick ups shorter. At midday, you can easily expect a 20 minute or longer wait for a bus to arrive at your depot.

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Disney World Transportation Between Parks: Introducing the Skyliner

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In fall of 2019, Disney unveiled the new Skyliner gondola system. This long-awaited addition to the slate of Walt Disney World transportation options has generated a lot of excitement with Disney aficionados, but like the monorail, it won’t be a feasible choice for all visitors. The Skyliner transports guests to Disney Hollywood Studios or EPCOT from one of four resort hotels: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach and the Riviera Resort vacation club property.

The Skyliner, while a fun way to travel from your resort to the parks and is quite convenient. In the beginning, guests reported long lines at depots before park opening, with some guests arriving up to an hour before the line starts officially running. Since then, things have smoothed out considerably, with waits of 10-15 minutes more standard at peak travel times.

You can pick up the Skyliner at one of several stations:

• EPCOT station
• Hollywood Studios station
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort

It’s important to note that you may be required to get off at a station and transfer to another Skyliner line to get where you are going. Guests picking up the Skyliner at Hollywood Studios for example, will need to disembark at the Riviera Station and transfer to the EPCOT line.

The Caribbean Beach station is the central hub for all travel and two separate lines leave this station. One travels to EPCOT. The other makes its way to Hollywood Studios. If you get on the Skyliner at another resort, you may be required to transfer here. This is how it works for each resort:

For more complete information on the Disney Skyliner, including travel times, maps and more, read our complete Skyliner article.

Skyliner travel from Art of Animation/Pop Century

• To Hollywood Studios: direct flight, no transfer necessary
• To EPCOT: disembark the Skyliner at the Caribbean Beach Station and transfer to the EPCOT line

Skyliner travel from Caribbean Beach

• To Hollywood Studios: direct flight, no transfer necessary
• To EPCOT: direct flight, no transfer necessary

Skyliner travel from Riviera Resort

• To Hollywood Studios: disembark the Skyliner at the Caribbean Beach Station and transfer to the Hollywood Studios line
• To EPCOT: direct flight, no transfer necessary

To travel back to your resort from any of the parks listed above, plan to do the same, only in reverse.

Unfortunately, if you need to make a transfer at a station, you will need to enter a new queue and wait your turn to board again. While the wait is usually minimal midday, you could find yourself waiting for a few minutes if you travel close to park opening or closing.

Need Help Booking Your Disney World Vacation? Contact Us!

With decades of experience in hand, we provide customized guidance, cutting through the confusion with clear explanations and actionable tips. We’ll help you create the best experience, with recommendations and travel planning advice based on the trip you want to have and the memories you want to make.

As travel agents with Mickey World Travel, we at Seconds to Go can take the fuss out of a Disney World vacation. Request your free Disney World vacation quote today or email kathleen@mickeyworldtravel.com!

Other Disney World Transportation Options

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While the skyliner and other options listed above are part of the complimentary Disney World transportation system, you may also opt to take an Uber or Lyft. If you don’t mind paying a few dollars, this is a quick and usually comfortable ride to many locations across the Disney acreage. It’s also the best way to travel between resorts, say for a dinner reservation. Just be careful when using ride sharing, and make sure the driver and vehicle that arrive to pick you up are the same ones shown in the app. We have had a few instances where a different driver has shown up piloting the vehicle described in the app.

For a paid ride sprinkled with a little Disney Magic, try a Minnie Van.  These Minnie Mouse-inspired vehicles are operated by Disney employees who are willing to chat about the parks and share their knowledge. We’ve found Minnie Vans to be a far superior ride to Uber or Lyft, but it’s a privilege you will pay a premium to enjoy. (Minnie Van Service may be temporarily unavailable during your travel dates. Please check with resort concierge upon your arrival)

For a comparison between the complimentary Disney World transportation system and paid transportation between the parks, be sure to check out our Walt Disney World transportation comparison. We rated each mode against several criteria, including ease of use, speed of service and how enjoyable the experience was overall. The results may surprise you.

Which Disney World Transportation Option Is Right for Me?

If you’re looking for a simple way to find the best transportation option for you, check the chart below or download our Walt Disney World transportation guide. This comprehensive card provides you with a handy resource that you can stick in your purse or pocket to easily find your way around.

Disney World Transportation to the Parks: What to Take When

If your resort is not listed below, plan to use bus transportation to all parks.

Disney World Transportation FAQs

What is the difference between the Disney World Resort Monorail and the Disney World Express monorail?

The Disney World resort monorail is reserved for use of guests who are staying at a Magic Kingdom area resort. Monorails on this line stop at each Disney resort as well as the transportation ticket center.

The Express Monorail is designed for day guests traveling to Disney World who need to reach the parking area via the transportation ticket center. This line is also used by guests who want to park hop to EPCOT from the Magick Kingdom.

Is using ridesharing (Uber) safe at Disney World?

Using ridesharing via Uber or Lyft is as safe at Disney World as it is anywhere else. You will want to exercise simple precautions, such as ensuring that the driver and vehicle that arrive for pick up are the same as those listed in the app. We regularly use Lyft while traveling at Disney World and have only ever had one questionable ride. In this instance, instance the driver was traveling at 20-30 miles per hour over the speed limit and getting angry at simple things, like having to stop at the park entry gates. If this happens to you, it’s simple to report unsafe driver behavior via the app.

What is the Transportation Ticket Center?

The Transportation Ticket Center was once the hub of Disney World transportation activity, at least in regards to the Magic Kingdom. Today, you will find it primarily used by guests who drive to Disney World and park a car. The TTC is where these visitors will catch the monorail or steamship to Magic Kingdom.

Guests who stay at other Disney World resorts, such as the Swan and Dolphin or Shades of Green will also get dropped off at the TTC, to catch the morail or steamship to the Magic Kingdom.

Is ridesharing faster than using the Disney World transportation system?

Surprisingly, ridesharing is not always faster than traveling via the Disney World transportation system. In some cases, travel and wait times are quite comparable. You can check out our comparison blog to learn all of the details.

Why do some resorts only offer bus transportation to and from the parks?

Rumor has it that the original plan for Walt Disney World called for connecting all parks and resorts via the monorail. However, cost constraints won out in the end. With out one single source of connected transport, Disney World turned to buses in areas where there is no monorail line or waterway for providing water taxis. In recent years, the Disney Skyliner was added as an additional alternative to bus, monorail and boat transport.

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