Time Savers: Saving Time with Disney World Transportation

Buses, Monorails, and Skyliners – Oh My! We know first-hand that one of the most complicated things to navigate for someone that may not be super familiar with Walt Disney World is the transportation. Getting from point A to point B can be overwhelming! More importantly, however, is your time at this most magical place on earth! Let your transportation woes go as we share a few points for saving time with Disney transportation.

Keep in mind! Disney transportation can be somewhat unpredictable. Monorails go down, Skyliners hold, buses get backed up, and boats are slow-moving. These tips are based on our experiences. If the unexpected happens, be prepared for Plan B. Fingers crossed that Plan A will go off smoothly!

1 – Understand the Basics:

• Disney transportation is FREE for all and includes buses, boats, ferries, trams, Monorail, and Skyliner. Enjoy the perk of having a built-in driver!
• Have a game plan BEFORE you plan to depart for the day. Why waste time trying to figure out where to go next when you could have already had this mapped out.
• Leave plenty of time before park opening, dining reservations, or whatever else you have lined up for the day. If staying on property, we’d recommend leaving 90 minutes before you need to be somewhere.
• Download the MyDisneyExperience App if you haven’t already. You can see the bus wait times and the estimated arrival time of the next bus! Not always the most accurate… but it has been super helpful from time to time.
• Avoid the nighttime rush and plan to leave either prior to the nighttime spectacular/park closing or plan to stroll out very slowly after.
• Have your items ready. Be ready when transportation arrives. This means strollers folded, backpacks on, and kiddos ready to roll.
• If you have a car on-site, consider driving (except for Magic Kingdom – see below). In all honesty, sometimes driving to and from a park is the fastest option, especially depending on crowd levels at Disney.

2 – To and From MAGIC KINGDOM:

• Don’t drive! Magic Kingdom is the one park we do not recommend driving to.
• The Magic Kingdom parking lot, Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), is over a mile away from the park entrance and a significant time killer.
• If you do park at the TTC, watch the crowds and decide if you should go with the Ferry or Monorail to reach the park entrance. We find the Monorail to be a faster option, but it all depends on the crowd.
• If the TTC opens a bus transportation option (which happens when it’s really busy), busing from the TTC to the park entrance is the fastest option.
• If the Monorail line is super long at the TTC, consider the Resort Monorail line. The Resort Monorail line will stop off at the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian Resorts. However, in some cases, it is still a faster option than waiting for the direct Monorail.
• If staying at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian Resorts, the Monorail is the fastest transportation option. There is also a walkway that connects the Grand Floridian Resort and Magic Kingdom. It’s about a 10-15 walk and may be faster in the closing rush.
• If staying at the Contemporary or Bay Lake Tower Resorts, walking to the park is the fastest option.
• You can also boat from these three Monorail resorts above, but it is slower. Boating from Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness is a good idea, however!
• Take the bus when staying at all other Disney Resorts. The bus system will drop you off right in front of the park entrance instead of at the TTC.
• Uber, Lyft, or Taxi must drop off at the TTC. This means if you decide to pay for one of these, you’ll want to tell them to drop you off at the Contemporary Resort so you can walk to the park.

3 – To and From EPCOT:

• If you have a car, consider driving. Epcot has a great parking lot and easy access from many of the Disney Resorts.
• Epcot is unique in that there are several ways to access the park, including the Monorail, Skyliner, buses, boats, and walking.
• Take the Monorail if staying at one of the Monorail Resorts or if at the TTC.
• Take the Skyliner if staying at one of the Skyliner Resorts or park hopping from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• Considering taking the boat transportation if staying at Swan and Dolphin.
• We’d recommend walking if staying at Disney’s Boardwalk, Beach Club, or Yacht Club Resort.
• The fastest route from all other Disney Resorts is taking bus transportation.
• Finally, you’ll find paid services such as Uber, Lyft, and Taxi are popular at this park and are time-saving.

4 – To and From HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:

• If you have a car, consider driving. Hollywood Studios’ parking isn’t as great as Epcot, but it still does the trick.
• Hollywood Studios’ transportation options include Skyliner, buses, boats, and walking.
• Take the Skyliner if staying at one of the Skyliner Resorts or park hopping from Epcot.
• Considering taking the boat transportation if staying at Crescent Lake Resorts (Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club, or Swan and Dolphin).
• We don’t recommend walking from Crescent Lake Resorts unless you are wanting the exercise. We’ve timed out both, and typically the boat saves time.
• The fastest route from all other Disney Resorts is taking bus transportation.
• Paid services such as Uber, Lyft, and Taxi are available and a quick way to go if you’re willing to pay the extra.

5 – To and From ANIMAL KINGDOM:

• If you have a car, here’s another park we’d recommend driving to as it is usually faster than waiting for bus transportation to arrive.
• The ONLY complimentary Disney transportation to and from Animal Kingdom is bus transportation. Buses go to and from all resorts.
• If you plan to spend a lot of time at this park, you may want to look at staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge as this resort is super close.
• Paid services such as Uber, Lyft, and Taxi are available and a quick way to go if you’re willing to pay the extra.

6 –  To and From DISNEY SPRINGS:

• Consider driving, as free parking is made easy with Disney Springs’ three parking garages and surface lots.
• You can bus to and from all Disney Resorts directly to Disney Springs.
• It’s important to note, however, that currently, you cannot bus to or from Disney Springs and any of the parks. Since bus service from the parks to Disney Springs used to be offered, we’re hoping this is temporary and will come back in the future.
• You can boat to and from Old Key West, Port Orleans, and Saratoga Springs Resorts. This isn’t necessarily the fastest option, but the views are beautiful!
• If staying at Saratoga Springs, you can also walk, which is only the faster option if staying in one of the Villas close to the Marketplace path/bridge.
• Paid services such as Uber, Lyft, and Taxi are available and a quick way to go if you’re willing to pay the extra. 

7 – To and From DISNEY RESORTS:

• Sometimes you’ll find the need to go from one Disney Resort to another, especially if you have a resort dining reservation or want to resort hop.
• This is when having a car on property is ideal, so you can easily drive to another resort if needed.
• There are NO buses that travel resort to resort.
• If you don’t have a car, your best bet is to take a ride on the Monorail, Skyliner, or Boat – depending on which resort you are traveling to and from.
• Since many Disney Resorts aren’t part of the Monorail or Skyliner system, you may want to look into a paid service (Uber, Lyft, etc.).
• Get creative! No car on property, but really don’t want to pay for transportation? Do a little research and get creative. For example, let’s say you’re staying at Disney’s Old Key West and need to get to Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. You could take a bus to Magic Kingdom and then walk over to Disney’s Contemporary for your Chef Mickey reservation!

That you have it… the to and from time-saving tips! Now your job is to go enjoy the in-between time!