By Getting Around Walt Disney World: Transportation Guide
Walt Disney World consists of four official forms of transportation in addition to ride-sharing services, private cars, and taxis.
Plus, you may drive to Disney and use your own car. All these options are perfectly valid, and each one comes with its own positives and negatives.
For now, let’s focus on the transportation options that Disney owns and operates since everyone is certain to use some or all of them.
The four ways you’re most likely to move around the Disney campus are:
- Boats
- Buses
- Disney Skyliner
- Monorail
Before we discuss each individual option, we want to stress something. Disney makes all these forms of transportation available to ALL guests. For example, you don’t need to stay at an official Disney hotel to use the Disney Resort Monorail. Anyone can ride the monorail whenever they want during its operating hours.
About Disney Buses
As a general rule, Disney operates its buses 45 to 60 minutes before a theme park opens and until an hour after the park closes. Every Disney theme park hosts a bus station, and it’s important to find the correct terminal. For instance, at Magic Kingdom, you’d board and exit at station 22, while at Animal Kingdom, you’d need to look for station 9. We recommend taking a photo of each park’s bus directory for reference.
Bus depots vary in convenience: Magic Kingdom has two sections across from the park entrance; EPCOT involves a longer walk to the security gates; Hollywood Studios splits its terminal into four sections; and Animal Kingdom has a U-shaped layout. Onsite hotels provide digital displays showing estimated bus arrival times.
Newer Disney buses include USB charging points under some seats, a helpful feature if your phone is low on battery. Some hotels, like Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, have multiple internal stops, so plan accordingly. Buses to and from Disney Springs operate until 1 a.m.
About Disney Boats
Walt Disney World offers two types of water transportation: Ferries and Friendship Boats. Ferries operate between the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and Magic Kingdom, running 30 minutes before park opening until 90 minutes after closing. Friendship Boats operate internally within EPCOT and between select resorts and parks.
Friendship Boats are available at the following resorts:
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney distinguishes between Magic Kingdom Ferries (also called Water Taxis) and Friendship Boats, but they work similarly. Boats generally run every 15-30 minutes and operate until 90 minutes after park closing. Disney uses a flag system to identify routes (Blue, Gold, Green, Red), with ride durations ranging from 8 to 20 minutes.
Disney Skyliner
The Disney Skyliner is a gondola system connecting two theme parks and five resorts. The main hub is at Caribbean Beach, with other stations at Art of Animation, Pop Century, Beach Club, BoardWalk, Riviera, EPCOT (International Gateway), and Hollywood Studios. Gondolas offer a bird’s eye view of the campus and feature Disney character-themed cabins. Skyliner operates from one hour before Early Theme Park Entry until 90-120 minutes after park closing. Ride times range from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on route and transfers. Gondolas do not have USB ports.
About Disney Monorails
The Disney Monorail is a classic form of transportation, first introduced at the Contemporary Resort in 1971. Walt Disney was inspired by monorails during a European vacation, seeing them as a competitive advantage. At Walt Disney World, there are two monorail loops: the EPCOT line and the Magic Kingdom Resort line.
The EPCOT line transports guests from the Transportation and Ticket Center to EPCOT. The Magic Kingdom Resort line includes stops at:
- Magic Kingdom
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Transportation and Ticket Center
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Monorails start operating 30 minutes before park openings and run until one hour after the park closes (two hours after EPCOT closes). While there are no USB chargers and seating is not guaranteed, monorails remain a signature Disney experience, embodying the spirit and convenience of the parks.