Walt Disney World is enormous; if you are expecting to walk between parks, hotels, and all the amenities; think again! Covering 40 square miles, there are 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, the Disney Springs shopping area, and everything in between, as well of course everything else that Florida has to offer. Getting around can be a challenging task, so do you need a car?
Let look at why you shouldn’t first.
- Parking is charged at EVERY resort on site, per night stay.
- Every resort and park have their own bus link at the very least.
- Every mode of transport that Disney provides is free, even if you are not staying on site or visiting a park.
- There are a number of ways to get around on the property.
- Magic Kingdom and EPCOT benefit from the Monorail trains, as well as bus and a ferry link.
- Hollywood Studios and EPCOT benefit from the Skyliner cable cars, as well as bus and boat links.
- Animal Kingdom only has bus links from other parks or resorts on site.
- Taxis are widely available through Uber or Lynx, or on site Minnie Vans.
The main modes of free transport around Walt Disney World
There are four main alternatives to a car for getting around the parks from your Walt Disney resort.
The Bus
Every on site property has bus transportation to the every park. Most resorts will require a bus to the parks if you not on the monorail or Skyliner line, but they are frequent, and can take a lot of passengers. There are hundreds of buses on site at Disney, operating throughout the day to make sure you get where you need to.
Buses serve all parks and Disney Springs, and can link you to other resorts via Disney Springs or any other park.
At the end of the night, it can be a long wait for a bus. Be prepared to wait! Note as well; resorts with the Skyliner have reduced bus services to as low as once an hour, so if you don’t like heights, take that into account!
There is only bus transportation to Animal Kingdom. Being a bit away from the rest of the park, this means that they are trying to keep noise and pollution down for the wildlife in the Animal Kingdom park. There is no Skyliner, no boat, no monorail. You will have to get a bus to Animal Kingdom.
The Monorail
The classic monorail carries people from the Grand Floridian, Contemporary resort, Polynesian hotel, and the Ticket and Transportation Centre to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The link helps getting between these two parks quick and easy!
The Ferry from Transportation and Ticket Centre
There is a ferry over from the main parking area of the Ticket and Transportation Centre, and where external bus companies drop you off. From here, you can decide on the monorail or the ferry over. There is only a difference of about 10 minutes, and the experience and excitement that builds on your first crossing is a moment in itself!
The Skyliner
The newest form of transportation to Walt Disney World, the Skyliner drops you at the ‘back’ of the park, at World Showcase at EPCOT. You enter the park through the International Gateway, next to the France and United Kingdom and Ireland pavilion.
At Hollywood Studios, this drops you at the front of the park, and is by far the fastest way to get around. Because of the system, queues are very short or non existent at many times.
The Skyliner serves guests staying at the Riviera resort, Caribbean Beach resort, Pop Century, and Art of Animation.
Note; resorts with the Skyliner have reduced bus services to as low as once an hour, so if you don’t like heights, take that into account!
The boats
A charming way to get from Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club and the Swan and Dolphin hotels, a boat up and down the small river system makes getting to and from EPCOT a great experience!
A second route for the boat is from Port Orleans resort to Disney Springs. A very unique way to travel in the Florida sun!
Disney From Ireland 