Bus, Boat, Gondola, there’s lots of ways to get around at Walt Disney World. Here’s our detailed guide.
Disney World makes it so easy to get around for their guests that you don’t need to worry about having a car. Disney even provides free round trip transportation for those flying into Orlando International Airport.
(Updated October 2021)
Getting to Walt Disney World
Flying into Orlando
Check Your Bags Before the Disney’s Magical Express
Disney’s Magical Express Service ended for Disney World Resort at the end of 2021
The Sunshine Flyer – Is a Disney’s Magical Express replacement that started operation 1 February 2022. It’s the same type service as the Magical Express, except it’s paid and goes to Shades of Green also.
Mears Connect – Is a Disney’s Magical Express replacement that started operation 1 January 2022. It’s the same service as the Magical Express, except it’s paid and goes to Shades of Green also.
There are numerous other ways to get to DisneyWorld:
There are many Limo Companies in Orlando.
Uber and Lyft are options:
- Get a $5 Lyft credit towards your first ride when you sign up for Lyft using this link. This promo is for your first ride only. SO sign up for a new account.
You could also rent a car at the airport.
Driving to Walt Disney World
Driving your car or a rental is an option. Be aware there are associated costs in doing so
Some resorts on property have a per night parking fee:
- Shades of Green: $13 per night self park/ $18 Valet
- Disney Swan and Dolphin: $23 per night self park/ $33 Valet
If you want to drive your car to the theme parks there is a per day fee for non-Disney Resort guests to park in the parking lots. The fee is $25 per day (good all day at all parks).
Links from this section:
- Your Guide to Orlando International Airport
- Orlando International Airport’s USO Welcome Center
- Disney’s Magical Express
- Mears Connect
- Sunshine Flyer
- Shades of Green – Disney World’s Military Only Resort
- Disney Springs Hotels Military Discounts
- WDW’s Minnie Van Service
- Using Uber, Lyft, and Minnie Vans at Disney World
Getting Around Walt Disney World
Bus Service
Walt Disney World offers complimentary transportation all around Walt Disney World for their guests on its fleet of buses.
Disney’s Bus Service
Walt Disney World operates a huge fleet of buses, the use of which is free to everyone on WDW property. The buses are all handicap accessible.
Disney’s fleet of approximately 325 buses transports guests around property. The bus fleet runs on a hub and spoke system, meaning that not all locations on property have a direct bus route between each other. Wait times are typically 20 minutes between buses (sometimes more).
The Hubs are:
- The four theme parks
- Disney Springs (partial hub)
- ESPN Wide World of Sports (mini hub)
The Magic Kingdom Bus Station – Located between the Contemporary Resort and the MK Entrance
Resort Service
At each Disney Resort (with some exceptions) you will find bus service to each of the four theme parks. Buses travel back and forth between the two points along the “spoke” part of the system.
Resorts that do not have bus service to select parks have other forms of transportation, those being:
- Magic Kingdom Monorail Resorts and Fort Wilderness Campground do not have bus service to the Magic Kingdom as they have the monorail and or watercraft service.
- The Deluxe Epcot Area Resorts do not have bus service to Epcot or Hollywood Studios as they have watercraft service instead.
At each Disney Resort you will find bus service to Disney Springs.
Generally you cannot take Disney’s buses between the resorts. You must take a bus to one of the theme parks or Disney Springs to catch a bus to another Disney Resort.
While they are very limited, there are one-way exceptions, which do travel between Disney Resorts, but there are easier methods to get between the resorts in question as they are all in close proximity. The Deluxe Epcot Area Resorts are an example, while there is one way flow around the loop on three bus lines and a connection between two hotels in the opposite direction on another route, it is much easier and quicker to walk or take the watercraft service between all of them.
MDT TIP: If you want to travel between resorts use Ride Hire Services such as Uber, Lyft, or Minnie Vans.
Wait Time Boards and My Disney Experience App – This service is not currently available
A great service offered at the Disney Resorts are the electronic wait time boards and the bus wait times on the My Disney Experience app.
Wait Time Boards – At all Disney Resort bus stops you will see monitors which display the next arrival time for each destination. Each theme park, Disney Springs, and the Water Parks will each have the time the next bus will arrive. These times will be updated due to traffic/bus progress to stay as accurate as possible.
My Disney Experience App – The App will display the times just like the wait time boards do for the resort where you are registered. This is really handy to know if you need to get to the bus stop now or have 20 minutes to kill, whether in you room, restaurant, or gift shop. Again the app is only for your home resort, while no matter what resort you are at (for dinner or whatnot) you can see the wait time boards.
My Disney Experience App – Bus Wait Times
There are no wait time boards at the theme parks or Disney Springs! And as noted the app doesn’t work there either.
Theme Park Service
At each theme Park you will find bus routes servicing all Disney Resorts, the other three theme parks, Disney Springs, and the water parks via theme park or resort routes.
Disney Springs – Typhoon Lagoon Service
At each Disney Resort you will a find bus route that runs to Disney Springs. In the morning buses stop at Typhoon Lagoon prior to Disney Springs. Between 11 am and 2 pm buses stop at Typhoon Lagoon after stopping at Disney Springs. After 2 pm the only bus route for Typhoon Lagoon runs from Epcot.
You will not find buses to the theme parks at Disney Springs! This is because people were parking for free at Disney Springs and then using the bus service to the theme parks to avoid paying for theme park parking.
ESPN Wide World of Sports
There is bus service between ESPN Wide World of Sports and the following resorts: all three All-Star Resorts, Pop Century, and the Caribbean Beach Resorts. This is because these are the hotels at which young athletes and their families stay at when competing at ESPN. Note the Art of Animation is within walking distance of Pop Century.
Local Resort Service
Some of the bigger spread out resorts offer bus service within the resort making stops at locations spread around the resort and the resort’s main building.
Resorts with internal routes:
- Fort Wilderness Campground
- Caribbean Beach Resort
- Coronado Springs Resort
- Port Orleans Riverside
Shades of Green’s Bus Service
Shades of Green operates a small fleet of buses which run throughout the day to limited locations on WDW property.
Shades of Green currently offers bus service to:
- The Transportation and Ticket Center for: The Magic Kingdom and Epcot
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney Springs
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
Shades of Green Bus Schedule
Bus service is dependent on the daily theme park schedules. Service typically begins approximately 30 to 45 minutes prior to park opening minutes prior to a park opening.
- Magic Kingdom – Bus departs approximately every 20 minutes to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center where it stops at Bus Space C10
- Epcot – Bus departs approximately every 20 minutes to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center where it stops at Bus Space C10
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Bus service begins 45 minutes prior to park opening – Bus departs approximately every 30 minutes at 15 and 45 after the hour from Shades of Green and from the Westside Charter Bus Loop Space 60 at Hollywood Studios at 15 and 45 after the hour
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Bus service begins 45 minutes prior to park opening – Bus departs approximately every 30 minutes at 15 and 45 after the hour from Shades of Green and from the Charter Bus lot at Animal Kingdom (located to the left as you exit the park) on the hour and half hour
- Typhoon Lagoon – Bus service begins 30 minutes prior to park opening – Bus departs approximately every hour on the half hour from Shades of Green and from Bus Spaces 5 at 50 past the hour
- Disney Springs – Bus service begins 30 minutes prior to park opening – Bus departs approximately every hour on the half hour from Shades of Green and from Westside Charter Bus loop Spaces 1-7 on the hour
For the Magic Kingdon, from the Transportation and Ticket Center you can take a monorail to the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, or another option for the Magic Kingdom is to take the ferryboat.
At the Magic Kingdom you can board Disney World transportation buses for destinations all over the WDW resort.
Shades of Green guests have access to the Walt Disney Transportation System, which includes monorail, ferry boat and bus transportation to destinations all over Disney World property.
Shades buses do start running early and run late for specific theme parks on days that they have Extra Magic Hours and also for special late night events like Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Here are some bus etiquette tips:
- All buses board walk on guests through the front door only. The rear doors are only used for loading scooters and wheelchairs
- You may exit through the front and rear doors.
- Offer seats to those who might need them
- keep your voice to a reasonable level
- No phone conversations, please
- At night dim your phone screen (a lot)
- Strollers must be folded to enter and ride the bus
- Fold your stroller before boarding (preferably ahead of time so you don’t hold up the line)
- Bring or rent a reasonable sized stroller that folds up compactly (no big “running” wheels)
- If possible, once onboard, take your folded stroller to the open area near the rear door to stand with it (this keeps the aisle free and in an emergency you can quickly throw it out the door to allow everyone to exit quickly)
Links from this section:
- Disney World Security Theme Park Overview
- Disney World Transportation Overview Page
- Shades of Green Transportation Overview Page
- Shades of Green’s bus loading area and bus lines
- Shades of Green’s bus stops at the theme parks
Monorail Service
Walt Disney World’s monorail system was a look at the future of transportation when it was first built in 1971, many airports now use similar systems to move travelers between terminals.
A Magic Kingdom Monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center
WDW’s monorail system consists of 12 electric monorail trains, which ride on elevated concrete tracks. There are three different routes: the two Magic Kingdom routes (the Express and the Resort) and the Epcot route.
The Express route runs counter clockwise around the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom and back, with no stops in between. This loop’s primary users are guests who have parked in the Magic Kingdom’s parking lot, who have arrived at the TTC on non-Disney buses (such as Shades of Green’s buses), or are transferring from the Epcot Monorail loop. Excluding any wait time, this is the fastest way between these two monorail stations.
The Magic Kingdom Resort Loop runs clockwise around the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Transportation and Ticket Center with stops at the Polynesian Village Resort. The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary Resort before arriving back at the TTC. This route takes longer to travel between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom with the stops at the resorts on the way and is designed mainly for the use of Disney Monorail Resort guests.
The Epcot Monorail Loop runs through Epcot on its way to the Epcot Station
The Epcot Monorail Loop runs from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Epcot Station which is approximately three and a half miles away. The Main users of this line are Disney Monorail Resort guests, Shades of Green guests (there is no Shades bus to Epcot), and those wishing to park hop between the two parks.
Monorail Operating Hours
The Walt Disney World Monorail System operates from 30 minutes prior to earliest park opening until one hour after latest park closing.
Watercraft Service
Disney World also operated a small navy of water launches, water taxis, and ferry boats, most of which are dedicated to guest transportation and entertainment.
Disney’s watercraft operate mainly on four bodies of water and their attached waterways:
- The Seven Seas Lagoon
- Bay lake
- Crescent Lake
- Village Lake
Most routes run on 15- to 30-minute intervals.
Seven Seas Lagoon – The western Magic Kingdom Resort area. Water Launches run on a circular route that encompasses the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the Polynesian Village Resort, and the Magic Kingdom. Large ferry boats operate between the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom as an alternate to taking the monorail.
Magic Kingdom Ferry Boat
Bay Lake – The eastern Magic Kingdom Resort area. Water Launches ferry passengers between Fort Wilderness Campground, the Wilderness Lodge, the Contemporary Resort, and the Magic Kingdom.
Crescent Lake and attached waterway – Deluxe Epcot Area Resorts. Water Taxis ferry guests on a route that includes Epcot’s International Gateway, the BoardWalk Inn, the Beach and Yacht Club Resorts, the Disney Swan and Dolphin Resorts, and Disney Hollywood Studios.
Crescent Lake Water Taxis – Serve Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the Epcot Resorts
Village Lake and attached waterway – Disney Springs Resort Area. Water Taxis ferry guests on a route that include Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Saratoga Springs Resort, Old Key West Resort, and Disney Springs.
Water Taxis also ferry guests between 3 stations within Disney Springs.
Disney Springs Resort Area Water Taxi At Port Orleans Riverside
At Epcot, Water Taxis run on two routes across the World Showcase Lagoon, both routes run from points just east and west of the entrance to the World Showcase from Future World to Morocco and Germany respectively.
Watercraft Operating Hours
Hours of operation vary subject to water and weather conditions. Please note that no luggage or alcohol of any type is permitted on Disney watercraft. All strollers must be folded and stowed out of the aisle.
Disney Skyliner Service
The Skyliner gondola system connects Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and the Riviera Resorts with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot’s International Gateway.
There are 5 stations and 1 Turn Station (no on or off):
- Art of Animation/Pop Century (right bottom red square) – This station is located on the bridge between the 2 resorts
- Caribbean Beach (right middle red square) – This station services the southern portion of the Caribbean Beach and is a Transfer Station.
- Riviera DVC Resort (top right red square) – This station services the Rivera and northern portion of the Caribbean Beach
- Hollywood Studios (left bottom red square)
- Epcot (top left red square)
- Turn Station (yellow square)
With 3 Routes or Lines
- Caribbean Beach – Riviera – Epcot
- Caribbean Beach – Hollywood Studios
- Caribbean – Pop Century/ Art of Animation
The system is not a single uninterrupted cable that runs entirely around all routes. Rather it is divided into 3 sections which you need to transfer between (by getting off and on again) at the Caribbean Beach Transfer Station.
The three sections are:
- Epcot – Rivera – Caribbean Beach section – Ride Time 11 minutes
- Disney Hollywood Studios – Caribbean Beach section – Ride Time 5 minutes
- Pop Century/Art of Animation – Caribbean Beach section – Ride Time 4 minutes
The cars slow for normal boarding and exiting or can be disengaged from the cable for handicap access. There are 2 loading areas at each station: a regular one, and one for loading ECV/Scooters and wheelchairs with a drive on flush load surface.
The cars are open air (no air-conditioning), as the long retired Skyway in the Magic Kingdom was, and has seating for up to 10 people on 2 wood park bench style seats on the front and rear of the cabin. ECVs can roll into the space between the benches.
Check out our Skyliner Video!
Let’s take a ride to see how this may operate:
- Boarding at the Epcot International Gateway Station, you’ll pass by the side and rear of Epcot’s France Pavilion, by the BoardWalk Inn Convention Center and over the BoardWalk parking lot.
- You’ll make a left turn at the turn station (Yellow square) to parallel Buena Vista Drive and then pass over it arriving at the Riviera Station.
- You will be able to get off here or stay on to continue your journey (without having to exit and re-board).
- Then it’s on to the Caribbean Beach Station, passing over the west side of the resort.
- You will have to get off here and then re-board either the Hollywood Studios or Pop Century/Art of Animation Routes if desired.
As I mentioned these aren’t the first gondolas at Disney World. One of the opening day attractions was the Skyway that ran between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom.
The Walt Disney World Skyway Circa 1975
Disney Skyliner Operating Hours
Hours of operation vary but are typically 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. but can vary.
See our Skyliner Page for Full Details and Tips!
Taxis and Ride Hailing Services
Taxis at Walt Disney World
A taxi fare between the furthest points on Disney World property should rarely exceed $20 plus tip.
When using taxis on Disney property, use only the ones colored yellow that have meters! They have various names on the side (Yellow Cab, Checker, City or Safety), but are all operated by Mears Transport, which has an official relationship with Disney.
Your resort concierge can call a cab for you or you can call yourself at (407) 699-9999.
We discussed Ride Hailing Services above as a method to get to Disney World, but they are an even better option for getting around WDW.
Uber & Lyft
Using Ubering and Lyft to get around property is very convenient and often the cheapest paid method of getting around.
Uber – Get a free ride up to $15 by signing up with this promo code:steveb14703ue this promo is for your first ride only, any value not used expires so this is not good for a quick hop across WDW property, but it is perfect for a ride from Orlando International to Shades of Green. The one-way fare from the airport is about $25. If you are already a member, have someone else in your party sign up.
Lyft – $5 credit towards your first ride when you sign up for Lyft using this link. This promo is for your first ride only; this is perfect for a quick hop across WDW property.
A Minnie Van
Minnie Vans
Minnie Van Service has been discontinued. Disney has not yet decided if they will bring it back at some point.
In 2017 Disney World began offering a new “uber like” service called Minnie Vans. These are a fleet of polka dotted (they look like Minnie’s dress) SUVs and cargo vans (with the ability to carry scooters). For about 25 dollars they will take you anywhere on property. They can seat up to six guests, and car seats are on board at no additional fee. Several larger vehicles are available and can transport up to 2 wheelchair/ECV guests.
Minnie Vans service all locations on WDW property. The Minnie Vans can be requested via the Lyft app (keep swiping left through ride types) or by calling 407-828-3500.
Minnie Van Operating Hours
Minnie Van service operates from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. daily.
Links from this section:
Walking
There are a few instances where walking is possible at Walt Disney World.
It is possible to walk to the Magic Kingdom from the Monorail Resorts. The Contemporary Resort is located an easy 5 minute walking distance (0.5 miles) to the Magic Kingdom. The walk from the Grand Floridian is 10 minutes (0.7 miles) and it is 15 minutes (1.2 miles) from the Polynesian to the Magic Kingdom.
The Deluxe Epcot Resorts are also a fairly short walk to Epcot’s International Gateway. It’s .25 miles from the BoardWalk (the closest) to .70 miles from the Dolphin (the furthest).
There is a walking path from the Deluxe Epcot Resorts (starting between the Boardwalk and the Swan & Dolphin) to Disney Hollywood Studios which is 0.8 miles long. The walk starts .37 miles from the Beach Club (the furthest away).
It’s possible to walk from the Saratoga Springs Resort to Disney Springs. It’s roughly 0.6 miles from the lobby to the north edge of Disney Springs.
Shades of Green is located within walking distance of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s about a ten to fifteen minute walk. From there you can take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, the Transportation and Ticket Center (to transfer to the EPCOT monorail, or visit other Magic Kingdom Resorts.
Links from this section:
Long Distance – Universal, SeaWorld, etc.
In order to get to Universal Studios Orlando, Disney Resort Guests will need to arrange for either a taxi, limo, rental car, or Uber. Taxis and limos can be anywhere from $80 to $120 round trip.
There is an Alamo Rent a Car kiosk just off the Shades of Green lobby where you could rent a car for the day or more if you have other excursions planned.
Those who rent a car will also have to pay for parking:
- Universal – $25
- SeaWorld – $17
- Legoland – $23
Well that wraps it up for Walt Disney World Transportation.
I hope that you fine this a useful resource!
Do you have any WDW Transportation Tips? Please share them in the comments section below!
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This MDT Post By: Steve Bell Steve is the the Military Disney Tips Founder. He a retired U.S. Military Member who's been touring the Disney Parks since 1971! Steve's mission is to help military families with their Disney vacations in every way. Check out Steve's Bio. Subscribe to Steve's email newsletter to get website updates and news by clicking this link. |
Planning a Disney Trip? Want to get the best military discounts that are available? Feeling a little confused? See Our Great Disney Discount and Planning Info:
- Disney Veteran & Military Discount Eligibility Guide
- The Military Family’s Walt Disney World Comprehensive Vacation Planning and Preparation Guide
- Military Disney Tips Disney Packing Checklist
- Disney Military Tickets – Your Start to Finish Guide
- Resorts/Hotel Overview Page
- Dining Overview Page
- Transportation Overview Page
- Technology Overview Page
- Shades of Green, WDW’s Military Only Resort
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Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put into providing so many resources to the military community and everyone that visits your blog! We will be leaving soon for our first Disney vacation in over 5 years and so much has changed. We have a dinner ADR for O’hana during our visit and was wondering if we will have to pay for parking at the Polynesian or or is there a visitors lot with free parking?
On a completely different topic, we’re unclear about the military memory maker promotion. If I purchase the memory maker, does it have to be linked to my MDE account or can it be linked to any family member’s account?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi there Judith,
I truly love serving our community! It’s so nice to hear that I’m helping.
Yes, so much has changes in that timeframe!!!
Great job snagging the O’hana ADR! We’ve been trying the last 3 (family) trips to get one. No charge to park when visiting the resort. When you pull up to the gate just tell the Security Host that you have an ADR. They will probably scan your Magic Band or look you up by name it you don’t have bands, then direct you to the parking area.
As long as the other person is with you when you purchase the memory maker I believe there won’t be an issue linking it to theirs. Just explain they are more tech savvy, lol.
Great, thanks so much for the quick response! One other memory maker question, if I may – the kids in our party don’t have an MDE account, just magic bands linked to my account. If pictures are taken of them on rides, how do we get access to them? Is it enough that the kids are friends on my MDE account? Thanks again for your time!
You bet!
Yes you should see pics of all your linked friends and family in your MDE account. And if their bands are linked to your account it’s like they are part of your family and you will see their pics.
Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for the quick response! We’ve never done O’Hana so we’re looking forward to our ADR. We must’ve gotten lucky – our ADR is early for dinner but we were able to book for a party of 12. We’ll definitely talk to the person at guest relations and see what we can do with the memory maker. Thanks again for your help!
This is such a good breakdown of transportation at Disney World. I like how you explained everything and provided all necessary details. I cannot wait to ride the new Skyliners!
Thanks so much Mariah,
I had fun putting it all together!
I’ll be there in Sept to ride them myself. I can’t wait either.
I’ll be there before (lol) but they won’t be in service yet…
Hi Steve,
Any insight into how the different transportation options are working with the current groups/crowd size restrictions? You mentioned the monorail. What about the buses or ferries? Are wait times increased or are they close to “normal” since overall capacity is limited?
Sean
Hey again Sean,
While buses and ferries do have reduced capacity as well, I did not feel that things were much different than normal Due to the reduced attendance levels.
The monorails have always been a choke point on the MK loops, with lots of people trying to use them. A big percentage of that being locals and off property guests who drove. And this has only continued with only 4 parties per monorail train.
The only other really bad choke point was the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station with guests from 8 Resorts all lining up to ride to Hollywood Studios. The move to allowing guests to join boarding groups outside the park at 7 definitely helped, but it was still kind of bad on our 2nd trip back. I’ll see how this goes next week.
Hi Steve,
I really appreciate the map and explanation of the skyway. One thing, you may want to drop your note about the monorail to Epcot. It has been running again, I believe since July 2021.
Thank you for this site and your newsletters. I use them often when planning my trips.
Thanks Deb, I missed this spot. You are of course correct.
Hi there, my family of four are renting a townhouse but we are military retirees and wondered if we are allowed to come to shades of green and park to catch Disney transportation to the parks?
Hi there,
No sorry you cannot. Shades of Green has a policy against that. A Shades of Green Resort ID is required to ride on their buses as well as your military ID. Their stated position is that they have limited parking available and need to keep it for their guests.
You can park there to use their shopping and dining services.
Keep in mind that have an hourly parking rate. https://www.militarydisneytips.com/blog/shades-of-green-resort-at-walt-disney-world/shades-of-green-transportation-options/ (see parking near bottom)
We are currently at a resort to compete at ESPN and there is no transportation unless arranged ahead of time. I went to the ESPN website and it says the following for transportation:
All guests are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and other event competition venues unless special transportation has been arranged specifically for your event.