You may think you know Walt Disney World like the back of your hand, but you may be surprised at how easy it is to get lost — or at least to feel a bit overwhelmed — while traveling around the resort area!
Today, we’re going to chat about why it’s so easy to get lost or overwhelmed and share tips to keep in mind when using Disney World’s transportation systems!
The World is Big!
Disney World is simply massive! At over 42 square miles, it’s roughly twice the size of Manhattan island and roughly the size of San Francisco. In those 42 square miles, you’ll come across four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping and dining district, and dozens of resort hotels.
It’s easier to think of Disney World as a small city when navigating around the resort. That way, you’ll know that you’re in for bus trips that can take up to a half hour or being stuck in miles of traffic leading up to parking lot entrances on the busiest days of the year.
Disney World relies on multiple modes of transportation to bring their guests from point A to point B without getting lost along the way — let’s review them!
First up, there’s the Monorail. The Monorail is an iconic mode of transportation in Disney World, but it also serves an important function. The Monorail services both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and it brings guests to the Transportation and Ticket Center. At Magic Kingdom, the Monorail also has a resort loop that stops at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Guests visiting Magic Kingdom by car can take the Monorail to the park from the Transportation and Ticket Center, or they can use the Ferryboat. There are multiple boats used as transportation around Disney World. Several resorts use boats to access Magic Kingdom, including Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, and the Monorail resorts.
Boats are also used to travel between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’re staying at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, or Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, a boat can serve as a way to reach the theme parks. Over at Disney Springs, you can hop on a Sassagoula water taxi and travel to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside, and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter.
EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are also accessible via the Disney Skyliner. The Skyliner, which opened in 2019, is a gondola system that connects those two theme parks to the following resort hotels: Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
No matter which Disney World Resort hotel you’re staying in, you’ll be able to hop on a bus and travel to any of the four theme parks, the two water parks, and Disney Springs. The buses run continuously throughout the day.
If you wish to rely on other modes of transportation, ride share services like Uber and Lyft can be used throughout Disney World. You can also always rent your own car. This may be particularly useful if you’re considering traveling off Disney World property at any point during your vacation.
No matter how you choose to travel around Disney World, Cast Members are always available to answer any questions you may have, including which modes of transportation are more convenient to get to where you want to be, how frequently each mode of transportation runs, and much more!
Click here to read a history of Disney World’s roller coasters!
Which mode of Disney World transportation is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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Bus system has always served us well until the Covid induced rider reductions caused the buses to be inefficient. Hopefully everyone will finally understand the importance of vaccinations and Covid will become a thing of the past. If I had to complain about anything, it would be how Disney does a GREAT job of marking roadways with easy to understand directions to just about everything Disney, although, not directing you in the shortest route for those who know their way around, BUT not really giving any directions getting you back off property and sometimes not even back to your on property resort. It took me many years and well over 15 trips of driving on property to really get comfortable navigating my way thru park property. Of course, once I really got good, they made sensible renovations to the roadways at the front of MK and I had to relearn that area again.
We always use the bus system. I know a lot of people complain about it, but we find it efficient for our needs. Also, the bus can redirect when there’s a road issue. That happened to us a couple of times when the driver said he was rerouting to avoid a major wreck and traffic which just happened. It’s kind of funny how people complain about waiting for a bus, but have no issues waiting in a 2 hour line for a ride. Something we would never do.