Disney Transportation, Explained - Part 1 - the FREE stuff
Monorails, and skyliners, and boats - oh my!
Buses, and walking, and trams - oh my!
Walt Disney World has a free transportation system that would put a city's to shame. This week, we are going to explain all your transportation options, complete with it all mapped out on images from Google Earth so you can visualize the size of the property and the routes.
Walt Disney World is a big place, encompassing 40 square miles! But don't worry because Disney makes getting from place to place easy. Depending on where you stay and where you want to go, you might have one or more of these options available to you:
The Monorail
A common misconception about the monorail is that it goes everywhere on property. It does not. In fact, it only serves two of the theme parks (Magic Kingdom and EPCOT), the Transportation and Ticket Center, and three resorts - the Polynesian Village Resort, the Grand Floridian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort.
When available, though, generally you should use it. That's because it holds a LOT of people at a time and moves pretty quickly compared to other transportation options.
Be aware that there are three loops.
Magic Kingdom Express - goes from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom and back. This or the boat will need to be used if you drive, because you must park at the TTC (the Magic Kingdom has no parking lot other than the TTC).
Magic Kingdom Resort Loop - moves clockwise from Magic Kingdom, to the Contemporary, the TTC, the Polynesian, and Grand Floridian.
EPCOT loop - moves only between the TTC and EPCOT.
So, if you are going from the Magic Kingdom to EPCOT, or a resort to EPCOT, you will need to transfer at the TTC.
Each ride is pretty quick at about 15-20 minutes, with about 10 minutes between monorails.
Here is a map of the entire property with the monorail loops in blue:
Map data: Google
Boats
Even if boats sometimes take a little longer, I find it's just so nice to be on one in the Florida sunshine that it's a nice way to get around, if available.
There are three major areas where you may find a boat available:
The Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake - these bodies of water are by the Magic Kingdom. If you stay at the Contemporary Resort, Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, Disney's Polynesian Village, or the Grand Floridian, you can use a resort boat launch to get to the Magic Kingdom.
There are two loops:
Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian Village, then back in reverse order
Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Wilderness Resort and Campground and back in reverse order
There is also a very large capacity boat that goes between the Magic Kingdom and the TTC only (again, this is another option if you drive to the Magic Kingdom and park at the TTC).
How long it takes to get to the theme park relies heavily on the resort's proximity to the theme park. When staying at the Polynesian, we found the boat to be very quick, though not quite as quick as the monorail.
Map data: Google
EPCOT and Disney Hollywood Studios (and resorts in between) - There is a boat that travels between these two theme parks, and there are also resort launches to either theme park from the Boardwalk Resort, Disney Yacht and Beach Club, and Disney Swan and Dolphin.
Be aware that the boat launch at EPCOT is by the International Gateway in World Showcase, NOT the front of the park. If entering at the front of the park from another resort, you would have to walk all the way through EPCOT and out the International Gateway to get to the boat launch.
Map data: Google
Sassagoula River (hello!) - This river serves Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Disney Springs. You can also get from Saratoga Springs resort to Disney Springs, and Old Key West Resort to Disney Springs.
Map data: Google
Skyliner
In the Fall of 2019 when it opens after much anticipation, the skyliner will be the newest mode of transportation at Walt Disney World. These will be enclosed gondolas that glide over the parks like a ski gondola in the alps. They are bound to offer amazing views!
Since it isn't yet open, we can't predict how fast they will be, but we are guessing this will be a leisurely mode of transportation that people will want to take more for the experience. However, the beeline path this can take as it goes over the trees and roads may just prove to make this more efficient than we predict.
The skyliner will initially serve two theme parks (Disney Hollywood Studios and EPCOT) and three resorts (Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation). There is also planned expansion to the Riviera resort when it opens.
Map data: Google
Walking
Walking is not designed to be a primary mode of transportation between parks or resorts at Walt Disney World, partly because it is so large, and also partly because it is basically swampland.
However, when possible, it eliminates the need to wait up to 20 minutes for transportation to arrive. Here are the cases where it's possible to get somewhere significant by walking:
Disney Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and resorts in between - there is a nice walking path that runs between EPCOT's international gateway and Disney Hollywood Studios. This makes it possible for those staying at the Boardwalk resort, Disney Yacht and Beach Club resorts, and Disney's Swan and Dolphin to walk to either park.
The entire length is a 15 minute walk at a moderate pace, and it's along water the entire way.
Map data: Google
Contemporary Resort to the Magic Kingdom - This one is golden. It's right next door! There's nothing better than being able to walk back to your resort after fireworks rather than wait in a long line. I would say from entrance to entrance, it's about a 10 minute walk.
Also, on the Seven Seas Lagoon loop...
Grand Floridian and/or Polynesian Village to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) - This is nice to know if you're going to EPCOT and don't want to ride the long way around the monorail loop. From the Polynesian, the TTC is a 5 minute walk.
Another common misconception is that you can walk all the way around the Seven Seas Lagoon. While that was originally the plan, Disney abandoned the idea. While a lot of this area is paved, there are not bridges over the waterways. So although it looks walkable from the Magic Kingdom, you cannot in fact walk from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom.
Map data: Google
Finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that it's also possible to walk between several resorts, like between both Port Orleans resorts, or between Pop Century and Art of Animation.
Buses
Buses are the most common form of transportation at Walt Disney World. While the capacity is lower than the monorail or ferry, they go where these can't. Buses can serve one or more resorts on their route, so you may find that you make several stops on the way to your destination. Whether multiple resorts are served on a route, and the exact route itself varies based on time of year and time of day to best avoid congestion.
Larger resorts may also have several bus stops so people don't have to walk a long way from their room. The buses that serve these resorts will stop at each stop before continuing to the ultimate destination.
Theme parks and Disney Springs work like bus hubs. You can take a bus there from any resort, and you can get a bus to any resort from these locations. So if you are going resort to resort and they aren't on a monorail or boat loop, you may have to use one of the parks or Disney Springs as a hub to make a transfer to another bus.
You can also catch a bus directly to a theme park from another theme park, but you can't get a bus from Disney Springs to a theme park.
Buses run about every 20 minutes. The bus stops at Disney resorts are outfitted with nice TV displays that show you when the next bus is expected so that you are aware of how long you will need to wait. The theme parks are not yet outfitted with these displays.
Buses are very full at park opening and park closing and you may find yourself standing. This is also true for the monorail, but the bus makes sharper turns and starts and stops so hold on tight and if you are lucky enough to score a seat, give it up for those who may need it more than you.
This is a map of the entire Disney property, with the 5 bus "hubs" marked. Resorts are circled. Those circled in yellow share a bus with at least one other resort. Those circled in red have dedicated bus service but might have several stops.
Map data: Google
Finally, as a reward for making it through this post, I must share with you these two amazing resources.
First, this most gorgeous piece of Disney transportation art I stumbled upon when researching for this post. If you are familiar with the modern London Underground map, you'll appreciate this interactive Disney Transportation map. Isn't it lovely? I confess, I'm a bit jealous.
Second, the site Our Laughing Place has an awesome transportation wizard that lets you choose your starting park or resort, and ending park or resort, and see transportation options and times for each.
So, rest assured, there are several FREE ways to get around Walt Disney World. If you are not sure how to get from place to place, you can always ask a Cast Member or Concierge at your resort. There are other paid options as well but we will deal with those in another post.
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