Disney World Transportation Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Disney World transportation is one of the pros of staying at a Walt Disney World resort. Here is everything you need to know when traveling to Disney World.

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Disney World transportation is one of the pros of staying at a Walt Disney World resort. When you visit Disney World it’s so nice not to have to drive anywhere. It also saves on car rental and parking fees, not to mention gas. Using the complimentary transportation at Walt Disney World is part of the Disney vacation experience. Here is everything you need to know before you go.

No Hassle

One of the greatest perks of staying at the Walt Disney World resort is that you don’t need a car to get anywhere. All of the transportation is taken care of, and it’s complimentary. There are some ways to get around more quickly that involve some additional cost, but those are optional and unnecessary. Once you land at Orlando International Airport, a Magical Express coach whisks you away to your Disney resort. From there, your complimentary travel options depend on your resort tier and location. Deluxe resorts have the best transportation options and value resorts, mostly have only buses. That has recently begun to change.

Disney World Transportation is Almost Always Free

There are a few ways to pay for faster transportation, but there is always a free way to get from one place to another. Walt Disney World has the best public transportation system anywhere. People complain about the buses, but the truth is, they cover a lot of ground, and they run a tight schedule. Walt Disney World’s Infrastructure makes transit smooth even if it can be a little bit lengthy.

…But It Can Take a While

No matter where you are in the Walt Disney World resort area, you can count on a free mode of transportation. It can be challenging to do some things, such as travel from one resort to another in a different area. For example, to get from Yacht Club to the Polynesian Village, you would have to take a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then take a bus or monorail or boat to the Polynesian village. However, resort hopping within the same resort area, such as Boardwalk to Yacht Club, or Grand Floridian to the Polynesian Village, is a snap.

It can also take time if you are at one of those resorts that only have bus transit. These are situated near Animal Kingdom, far from the rest of the action, or near Disney Springs where a boat takes you there, but nowhere else. Disney Springs is a good bus hub for travel to other resorts, so keep that in mind if you are close to there.

Types of Disney World Transportation

Monorail

There are two monorail lines. One is a loop that covers the Magic Kingdom, the COntemporary, the Transportation and Ticket Center, the Polynesian Village and the Grand Floridian. The second runs from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Epcot. The monorail makes resort hopping easy within the Seven Seas Lagoon area; it also provides easy access to the Magic Kingdom and a smooth park hopping experience from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot.

Boat

There are a lot of lakes in Walt Disney World, and boats help get around them in various resort areas. In Epcot, Crescent Lake connects Epcot with Disney’s Hollywood studios as well as the Boardwalk Inn, the Yacht and Beach Club, and the Swan and Dolphin.

The Seven Seas Lagoon has boats and ferries that operate in the Magic Kingdom area. Bay Lake is also part of this area, and it connects Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary with Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. These resorts have boats that launch for the Magic Kingdom and a route that connects them.

The Sassagoula River runs to Disney Springs, and along it are Port Orleans, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West. Water taxis conveniently take the hotel guests to Disney Springs.

Skyliner

The new Skyliner has three lines that connect the value resorts Art of Animation and Pop Century with Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Caribbean Beach, a moderate resort, and the Riviera, a Disney Vacation Club resort, also have access to these parks via the overhead Skyliner gondolas.

Bus

Every resort has bus transportation to every park. Hotel transportation is available from every park and Disney Springs.

Minnie Van

If you are willing to pay to get somewhere faster, Minnie Vans are a Lyft-powered service that is operated by Disney cast members. You can use Minnie Vans all around Walt Disney World, or for transportation to and from the airport.