We are always looking for the fastest ways to get from point A to point B in Disney World.
Not only are there shortcuts in all the parks, but there are tons of shortcuts around Disney World hotels. Some of the most popular hotels to visit are the Magic Kingdom area hotels that include Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, The Cabins and Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Even if you are just visiting or staying at one of these resorts, these shortcuts can save you time and take you around parts of the resort that you might not know existed!
These resorts all offer transportation to and from the Magic Kingdom either by bus, boat, or Monorail. Some resorts even have a walking path.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary Resort is the closest to the Magic Kingdom, and while it may seem obvious, one shortcut you can take is by skipping the Monorail and taking the walking path that goes across the street and past the bus station. Suppose you are looking to save some extra time in the morning, and you are staying at the Contemporary. In that case, we suggest walking instead of taking the Monorail since the Magic Kingdom is the last stop on the Resort Monorail loop when getting on at the Contemporary.
Bay Lake Tower is part of the Contemporary Resort, and while you can take the Sky Bridge, located on the fifth floor of Bay Lake Tower, the two hotels are also connected via a pathway on the ground. The path connects both at the front of Bay Lake Tower and also in the back by the pool. You can take this path all the way to the back of the Contemporary and enter through the sliding glass doors near Steakhouse 71.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Just like the Contemporary, you can take the Monorail from the Polynesian to the Magic Kingdom, or if you want to get your steps in, you can walk. Currently, this path is a little wonky and sometimes is closed due to ongoing construction on the new Island Tower at the Polynesian. Still, typically, you can take this path all the way to the Grand Floridian, which leads us to our next shortcut.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
The Grand Floridian has a walking path to Magic Kingdom! So, to continue your walk from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom, you can take the path through the Grand Floridian.
This newer pathway takes you over the Seven Seas Lagoon and right to security. We love that Disney made sure to build a bridge to accommodate the Electrical Water Pageant. Depending on the time of day, you may see the floats parked, or you may even get a view of the Pageant out performing on the water.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
While the Wilderness Lodge is not a Monorail resort, it is still part of the Magic Kingdom Resort area, and boat transportation is provided to the Magic Kingdom.
We love to take the wooden bridge to walk between the Boulder Ridge Villas to the Wilderness Lodge and Copper Creek Villas side of the resort.
The Wilderness Lodge is also home to a geyser, and you can get up close to it by taking the path near it. If you want to get wet, go when it is spewing, but if not, wait until it is not going off.
The Cabins and Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Just like the Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness may not be a Monorail hotel, but it still provides boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom.
To get around the main area of the resort, you will need to take either the bus loop or rent/bring your golf cart. Sometimes, the busses can stop traffic, so if you are riding a golf cart or walking, it can be helpful to go into one of the loops and come out the other way to avoid being stopped.
If you are near the Meadow Trading Post, you can take a bridge to the recreation activities area; if you keep following this path, you will end up in the campground area.
We love exploring these resorts and discovering hidden paths and shortcuts. Not only will these paths save you some time, but they will also give you a new perspective or look at these resorts. For more Disney tips and news, make sure to continue to follow along with AllEars!
I Just Discovered This Potential Magic Kingdom Shortcut and It Would Be a Total Game Changer
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Stayed at Bay Lake Tower last February. First time staying there. And yes you can walk to the MK from there (takes like 5-10 minutes), I also took long walks on non theme park days from Bay Lake past the MK to the Grand Floridian and back. Very enjoyable and you can check out the other resorts while on your walk as well. Now that the construction at Polynesian has been completed, that can now be included . This is true of the Epcot resort area hotels and at Saratoga Springs. Great walking at those places too.