The Resorts Gal Guide to Tackling Transportation at Disney World's Resort Hotels

Transportation options are an important consideration when choosing a Disney World Resort Hotel. For instance, if you stay at a resort like Disney’s Grand Floridian, you can walk, take the monorail, hop on a boat, or use buses, depending on where you’re going. However, if you stay at one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts, Disney’s complimentary bus service is the only transportation option. It’s probably needless to say, but you’ll find a vast difference between the types of transportation offered among the resorts.

Below, we’ll review some of the most frequently asked questions regarding transportation at Walt Disney World’s Resorts. Then, we’ve listed each transportation mode with the resorts that offer that option listed underneath. For example, under Disney Skyliner, we have listed the resorts that offer the gondola service. Lastly, you’ll find our individual transportation guides for each resort.

When you decide on a resort, we recommend reading the corresponding transportation guide. Our resort-specific transportation guides detail our experiences traveling to and from that resort. We provide as many travel experiences as possible to help save you time on vacation.

a monorail and bus stop at a Disney Resort

Disney Resort Transportation FAQs

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding transportation at Walt Disney World Resorts. Of course, all of these answers are based on our experience.

What is the Best Disney Resort for Transportation?

Okay, we’ve thought long and hard about this question, and ultimately, our answer has to be Disney’s Contemporary. Why? The Contemporary not only has access to the monorail, but the monorail runs through it! So, if you’re a transportation nerd (like me), this is the most incredible hotel!

Is transportation free at Disney’s Resorts?

Yes, complimentary transportation is available when traveling to and from Disney Destinations, such as the theme parks, water parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs.

Is a free shuttle or bus service available from the airport to the resorts at Disney?

Unfortunately, Disney no longer offers complimentary transportation between the resorts and the airport. The former Magical Express service option ended a few years back. Instead, you’ll need to arrange a car service or motor coach transportation to and from the airport. Mears Connect is the most common bus service we see at the resorts.

Mears Connect Bus picking up guests to take them to MCO airport.

Can you use Disney transportation to travel between resorts?

Yes, but in most cases, you must make at least one transfer on your way to a resort. For example, if you’re at Disney’s Coronado Springs and want to visit Disney’s Polynesian Resort, you’ll need two forms of transportation. That scenario might look like this:

Take a bus from Disney’s Coronado Springs to Magic Kingdom.
Take the resort monorail or boat service from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Polynesian.

*When you arrive at Magic Kingdom, you’ll have to walk from the bus stop through the security clearance to access these forms of transportation. However, you won’t have to walk through the park’s ticketed entry area, so a ticket isn’t required.

Here’s another example of what you could do in the same scenario.

Take a bus from Disney’s Coronado Springs to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Exit the bus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and find the bus stop for Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
Take a bus from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the Polynesian.

Once you understand how transportation works at Disney, you’ll begin to think about things differently. Of course, hiring a car service or taxi to travel between the resorts will be quicker when you’re on a time crunch. But if you’re spending the day leisurely resort-hopping, like most things, the fun is in the journey, not the destination.

Check out our popular Resorts Gal Routes series for a complete list of routes we’ve covered. The series details the most efficient ways to travel to many popular destinations around Walt Disney World.

Tip: In most circumstances, we usually allow 1 to 1.5 hours for travel time with routes that require transfer. (e.g. resort-to-resort transfers, resort-park-resort transfers)

Can I take Disney transportation to a resort if I’m not staying at Disney World?

All Walt Disney World guests (resort or off-site guests) are welcome to use Disney’s transportation options to and from its destinations, such as theme parks, resorts, water parks, and Disney Springs. Of course, you’ll have to be on the property to use the transportation system. But if you’re at Epcot and want to visit Port Orleans French Quarter for beignets mid-afternoon, you can take a bus from the park to the resort. Then, return to Epcot the same way later.

Are car services (i.e., Uber, Lyft, Taxis) allowed at Disney’s Resorts?

Yes, various car services (Uber and Lyft) drop off and pick up guests at Disney World’s Resorts. However, in some instances, you might be required to have a confirmed dining reservation at the resort if you’re not staying there.

Additionally, Disney’s Minnie Van Service is available via the Lyft app. You can read more about Minnie Vans on Disney’s site.

Do all Disney Resorts provide transportation to the parks?

Yes. All Walt Disney World-owned and operated resorts provide complimentary transportation to and from the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs.

view of Disney's Polynesian across Seven Seas Lagoon

Resort Transportation Guides

Below, we’ve listed our transportation guides for each resort. These articles will provide tips for traveling to and from each hotel. They are listed by location.

Magic Kingdom Resort Transportation Guides:

Epcot Resort Transportation Guides:

Disney’s Skyliner Transportation Options:

Disney Springs Resort Transportation Guides

Animal Kingdom Resorts Area

We have a number of individual transportation guides for various routes around the Walt Disney World Resorts. You might enjoy one of the following.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Walkway to Magic Kingdom: This guide shares the distance, photos, and tips for walking between Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. We love this route and take it often.

How to Get to Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness: If you have plans to dine at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, read this guide! Many people will offer you basic directions, but those well-intended directions are often wrong. We know for a fact.

Walking to Disney Springs from Saratoga Springs (Both Paths): Disney Saratoga Springs Resort is a hop, skip, and a few steps away from Disney Springs. Determine where you’re going first and take the best walking path.

Walking from Hollywood Studios to Epcot: We cut through the Epcot resort area from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Epcot. If you’re staying at the Boardwalk, don’t miss this shortcut to Hollywood Studios.

Transportation Options at the Disney Resorts

Below, we’ve listed the resorts at Disney World based on transportation options. Sometimes, a resort has more than one form of transportation, so those resorts are listed multiple times where applicable.

Monorail Resorts

The following resorts are located on the resort monorail line at Walt Disney World.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Skyliner Resorts

The following resorts all have stops on Disney’s Skyliner.

Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Related: Disney World Skyliner Guide

sunset over the Disney Skyliner from Disney's Riviera

Resorts Within Walking Distance of Magic Kingdom

These resorts have walking paths to Magic Kingdom.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney’s Contemporary Resort

*Additionally, if you’re staying at Disney’s Polynesian, you can take the walkway between the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. Then, you can continue to Magic Kingdom.

Resorts Within Walking Distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios

These resorts have walking paths to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort

Resorts with Boat Service to Magic Kingdom

Each of these resorts has boat service to and from Magic Kingdom.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Resorts with Boat Service to Epcot and Hollywood Studios

These resorts have boat service to and from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort

Resorts with Water Taxis to Disney Springs

The following resorts offer water taxis to and from Disney Springs.

Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

Resorts with Only Bus Transportation

While all the resorts listed above offer bus service to various locations, a few only offer bus service to all destinations. Those resorts are:

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

Related: Disney Resort Bus Schedule

Final Thoughts

We hope you found this guide helpful in planning your routes between the resorts and other destinations. Walt Disney World is a big place, and often, it’s a headache to figure out the best way to get to and from your resort to another destination on the property.

However, if you have a base idea of how everything works and what options you have, you’re far better off than most. Also, the more familiar you are, the more you’ll be willing to venture to more destinations, including some of Disney’s stunning resorts!

Who knows where you’ll end up? You can find a complete overview of the various modes of transportation offered in our Disney World Transportation Guide, or you might like these planning articles:

Get Our 5 Best Transportation Tips

Want to save time and energy on your vacation? Get a copy of our 5 best transportation tips for Walt Disney World.

In the Comments

Do you have any other questions on transportation at Disney World’s Resorts? Did you find this guide helpful? What is your favorite resort transportation option?