All You Need to Know About Disney Transportation

UPDATED: April 16th, 2021

One of the conveniences I love about going to Disney World is the Disney Transportation. They really do think of everything and have so many options to choose from so that you can get anywhere on property without having to drive yourself around. It is one of the magical perks you get when staying at a Disney resort. If you do have a car though, Disney makes that convenient as well with their ultra organized parking systems. You’ll never find yourself circling around for a spot in a Disney parking lot. Someone (or a digital system they have a Disney Springs) is always there to guide you to your spot and then there are trams pick you up to take you to the front gates. Easy peasy!

 
In this blog post, I’d like to break down all the Disney transportation options you will have available to you. With all this knowledge of Disney transportation, you’ll feel very prepared about how to get where you want to go. First, let’s take a look at the types of Disney transportation that are offered:

• Bus – this is the most prevalent type of Disney transportation you will find. It is offered at every resort, park and Disney Springs.
• Monorail – this is a “sky-train” type of Disney transportation. It only goes to Magic Kingdom and Epcot and is connected to a select number of resorts.
• Boat – boat service is available at every park (except Animal Kingdom) and Disney Springs. The options as to which resorts you can connect to by boat do vary.
• Skyliner – a brand new gondola system that connects select resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
• Car – you can bring your own car or rent a car. Driving around Disney property is very easy and accessible.

 
**If you would like to rent a car while at Disney, there are a few sites that I would recommend: Hotwire, VroomVroomVroom or BookingBuddy.

 

Magical Express

The Magical Express will be your first experience with Disney transportation if you are flying in to Orlando and staying at a Disney resort. Disney provides complimentary bus transfers to and from the airport. You just need to make sure you register for it at least a month prior to your arrival, and Disney will take care of all the logistics for you! When you land at Orlando International, just pick up your luggage at baggage claim, and then head over to the Magical Express area. They will get you on a bus to your Disney Resort.

 

Once your vacation has come to an end, Disney will provide you with the same service back to the airport. Some airlines allow you to check your bags at the hotel, but this is not a guarantee for everyone. You will need to verify if your airline is on the list that offers this service at the Disney resorts.

 

**The Magical Express service is coming to an end on December 31st, 2021. There is another paid charter service that will be offered by Mears, but we are still waiting for more details on the cost and how it can be booked. Stay tuned!

 

Disney Transportation By Resort

 

 

Depending on the location of your resort, you may or may not have several options. You will still be able to get anywhere on property, but some resorts have more Disney transportation choices than others. Here is a breakdown by resort as to what type of Disney transportation you can find at each of them:

• Fort Wilderness
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Magic Kingdom
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• All-Star Movies
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• All-Star Music
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• All-Star Sports
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Pop Century
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Epcot & Hollywood Studios
• Art of Animation
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Epcot & Hollywood Studios
• Caribbean Beach
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Epcot & Hollywood Studios
• Port Orleans Riverside
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus, Boat
• Port Orleans French Quarter
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus, Boat
• Coronado Springs
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Contemporary
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Magic Kingdom, Monorail to Magic Kingdom and Epcot
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Wilderness Lodge
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Magic Kingdom
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Grand Floridian
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Magic Kingdom, Monorail to Magic Kingdom and Epcot
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Beach Club
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Hollywood Studios
• BoardWalk Inn
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Hollywood Studios
• Polynesian Village
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Magic Kingdom, Monorail to Magic Kingdom and Epcot
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Yacht Club
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Hollywood Studios
• Saratoga Springs
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus, Boat
• Old Key West
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus, Boat
• Riviera
  • Parks – Bus
  • Disney Springs – Bus
  • Skyliner – Epcot & Hollywood Studios
• Dolphin
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Disney Springs – Bus
• Swan
  • Parks – Bus, Boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Disney Springs – Bus

 

Options Available from the TTC

The Ticket and Transportation Center is located right across the lagoon from Magic Kingdom. It is where you would park if you wanted to drive to the Magic Kingdom. You park at the TTC and then you have 3 options to choose from to get to the front gates. The Ferryboat and Monorail are the most commonly used methods of transport from the TTC. The Monorail has a shorter traveling time, but the Ferryboat is sometimes the better option if there is a very long line to get on the Monorail.

 

The lesser known option at the TTC is the bus. When you approach the TTC from the parking lot, take a right after passing the ticket booths; there you will find the bus to the Magic Kingdom. Not a lot of people know there are buses at the TTC, so it tends to be the less-crowded option.

 

If you are traveling between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom via the monorail, then you will need to get off and switch tracks at the TTC. There are two separate monorail tracks for Magic Kingdom and Epcot, so you will have to factor in a transfer at the TTC in your traveling time.

 

Park to Park Options

If you would like to hop from park-to-park, then Disney transportation does provide you with some different options depending on which parks you are traveling between. Every park will have a bus that you can take to any of the other parks. The Monorail and Boat is available for the following parks:

 

• Monorail – between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot
• Boat – between Hollywood Studios and Epcot
• Skyliner – between Hollywood Studios and Epcot
•  

You will also find bus transportation to Disney Springs from the parks after 4 pm.

 

Disney Skyliner

The Disney Skyliner is the newer form of transportation that opened in the Fall of 2019. It connects several resorts to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, and anyone can ride it, you do not have to be a guest of those resorts. You can also use it to travel between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The resorts that the Skyliner runs through are Pop Century/Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and the Riviera Resort. I had the pleasure of riding the Skyliner and I have to say that it is a pretty quick way to travel. We went from Epcot to Hollywood Studios, and it was a much quicker way to get over there than it would be taking the bus transportation.

 

 

Now that you have all the details about Disney transportation, do you feel it makes it worth it to stay at a Disney resort?

 

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