Taking the Bus at Disney's Art of Animation: Destinations and Travel Times

As you plan your Disney World vacation, you’ll want to be aware of the many benefits offered to resort guests. We consider complimentary transportation one of the most essential perks. It’s a relief not to worry about driving for a week. Think about it. You won’t make any wrong turns or miss your exit on the way to the parks as anxiety levels in the car rise for everyone. You’ll hop on the bus and let Disney take care of the rest. It’s what they do. But how long do the bus routes at Art of Animation take? Thankfully, we can fill in the blanks.

Those staying at Disney’s Art of Animation can access two forms of complimentary transportation from the resort: buses and the Disney Skyliner. However, it’s important to note the resort does not offer bus transportation to the Skyliner destinations unless the gondola system is not operating. So you will need to take the Skyliner when visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. (I try to mention this because some people think the Skyliner is an alternative, and if you fear heights, you would probably want to know that before deciding on a resort.)

Now, for the buses. Unfortunately, I can’t estimate how long you’ll have to wait for the bus. We visit often, and I rarely wait more than 15 minutes. That said, we can provide the average time it takes to travel from Disney’s Art of Animation to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. During our stays, we track the time each route takes (multiple times) to provide an estimate of what to expect.

Art of Animation’s bus stop is in front of Animation Hall. It’s accessible via the resort’s lobby or the Ink and Paint Gift Shop. Each bus stop has a chain-link queue with signage. As you can imagine, it’s a busy place first thing in the morning, so expect long lines. If it’s raining, you’ll want to have an umbrella. Some of the stops are partially covered but not entirely.

On our last stay, we were waiting for a bus in a long line in the pouring rain. When the rain intensified, I decided to exit the line to seek shelter. Well, only a few of us moved. When the bus arrived, it quickly filled up, and we were left to wait on the next bus.

Animation Hall near the bus stop at Disney's Art of Animation

Here are our travel times for the buses at Disney’s Art of Animation. Remember, our travel times do not include how long we waited for the bus. Wait times signs are posted at the resort bus stop, indicating when the next bus will arrive. The times below are how long it takes to get between the resort and the destination. Again, these are the average of several trips and do not consider extenuating circumstances like significant traffic.

Buses From:	To:	Time:
Art of Animation	Magic Kingdom	16 minutes
Art of Animation	Disney’s Animal Kingdom	10 minutes
Art of Animation	Disney Springs	11 minutes

We hope you enjoyed this preview of the bus times at Disney’s Art of Animation. For a more detailed look at the buses, you might enjoy our guide: Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Buses. To save a copy to your mobile device, click the button below.

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