We Regret to Inform You About This Annoying Hotel Transportation Change at Disney World in 2026

You’re not gonna love this update—especially if the Skyliner is your go-to ride to the parks.

The Skyliner was closed for refurbishment

From January 25th through January 31st, 2026, the Disney Skyliner is officially going down for refurbishment. That means for a full week, the breezy, high-flying gondolas will not be running at all. Yes, complimentary buses will be available instead, but if you’ve ever relied on the Skyliner to quickly hop over to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios, you know this is kind of a bummer. So, what does this mean for your trip? Let’s break it all down and figure out what to do if this affects your plans.

First Off, Which Hotels Are Affected?

The Skyliner connects four Disney Resort hotels directly to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

If you’re staying at one of these hotels during the closure week, you’ll still be able to get to the parks using complimentary Disney buses. However, it’s going to take longer.

Buses are a solid backup, but they don’t have the constant flow and wait-time predictability that the Skyliner offers. This is especially noticeable at peak times (like park open and close), when buses can fill quickly and lines get long.

How Much Will This Affect Your Trip?

If you’re someone who books these resorts because of the Skyliner—either for convenience, the views, or just because it’s a fun ride—then this change might be enough to make you rethink your plans. The Skyliner is one of the biggest perks of these hotels, especially if you’re skipping out on deluxe prices but still want a quick, non-bus route to two major parks.

While Disney will run buses to and from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios during the refurbishment, those buses aren’t always the fastest. You may end up waiting 20–30 minutes for a bus that’s packed, then sitting in road traffic that the Skyliner would have glided over in five minutes.

What Are Some Alternatives?

If you’re flexible on your resort plans and still want to avoid relying solely on bus transportation, there are other options—depending on your budget.

Sticking with Skyliner-Tier Resorts: If you love the price point of Pop Century and Art of Animation (typically the cheapest Skyliner resorts), here are a couple of comparable options without the Skyliner, but that offer good theming and similar amenities:

Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, or Sports Resorts: These are typically the lowest-priced resorts on property. They’re fully reliant on bus transportation, so you’re not gaining anything in that department—but if you’re already dealing with bus-only travel at Pop or Art of Animation, you might as well save some extra cash.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort: A moderate resort (like Caribbean Beach) that often has surprisingly affordable prices. It’s got a more “grown-up” vibe, a fantastic pool, and arguably better food options than the value resorts.
Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter or Riverside: These have boat service to Disney Springs, which is a nice touch if you like evening dining and shopping. Again, buses are your only way to the parks, but you’re not missing out on Skyliner service here because they don’t have it to begin with.

You can take the boat to Disney Springs!

What If You Still Want to Stay on the Skyliner Route?

If your heart is set on one of the Skyliner resorts, and you’re going that week, it’s not the end of the world—you’ll just need to manage expectations.

A few tips to survive the Skyliner outage:

Plan to leave earlier than usual. Give yourself more buffer time, especially if you have a dining reservation or want to rope drop a ride.
Use ride-share services when it makes sense. Especially if you’re traveling with a group, a Lyft or Uber to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios could be faster than waiting for buses.

Is This a Regular Thing?

It is. The Skyliner typically closes for annual maintenance in late January. Disney tends to do refurbishments during low-crowd seasons, so this isn’t totally out of nowhere.

Still, it’s frustrating if your trip lands during that exact window and you were counting on the Skyliner as a major convenience.

Bottom Line

If you’re traveling between January 25th and January 31st, 2026, and staying at a Skyliner resort, you need to plan for extra transit time—and maybe some crowded buses. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but if the Skyliner was one of your key decision factors, you might want to consider switching hotels or adjusting your dates.