Disney Resorts Ranked by Their Transportation Options (Best and Worst)
When choosing a resort for your Disney World vacation, things can get complicated. You can choose a resort based on price, amenities, location, or even what transportation options it offers. Each of these categories is a valid concern when narrowing down your options. Some of them might even be deciding factors. For instance, you might not want to stay at a resort that costs more than a certain amount. Or you might not want to stay at a resort that relies solely on bus transportation for every destination. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take the monorail or a boat ride to some of the parks?
The answer to that question is yes. Staying at a resort with multiple transportation options will enhance your vacation. You won’t feel like you have to rush to the bus stop each morning only to wait in a long line of guests to board the next bus. When you set sail across the lagoon on an open-air boat to Magic Kingdom, you’ll be so thankful you’re not packed on a standing-room-only bus full of strangers. When you’re leaving Epcot in the evening after the fireworks, you won’t believe how simple it is to walk back to your room. If you’d stayed somewhere else, you’d still be waiting in line for a bus back to your resort.
Unfortunately, there’s not one resort where you can have all these incredible options. So, you’ll want to choose the resort with transportation options based on what sounds most appealing to you. That’s where we can help. Below, we’ve ranked each hotel based on transportation with an explanation of why it’s so great (or not) to help you discern. You may note that the top five options allow guests to walk to select theme parks. We always like to point out that (for most) being within walking distance means not having to wait in line for transportation options. I don’t know about you, but a five to ten-minute walking commute beats a 15-20 minute wait for the next bus any day.
#16 Disney’s All-Star Resorts (Movies, Music, and Sports)
We consider Disney’s All-Star Resorts the worst option for transportation because they only offer Disney buses. These resorts also only have one bus stop. So you’ll have to walk (outside) to and from your section to the resort’s entrance to board a bus. Now, don’t get me wrong. We enjoy staying at the All-Stars when looking for a budget-friendly resort. But this is not a resort to choose based on transportation alone!
#15 Disney’s Coronado Springs
Next on our list is Disney’s Coronado Springs. This resort is our favorite of the moderates, but it’s not necessarily transportation-friendly. Coronado Springs only offers bus transportation. However, the resort has multiple bus stops. So you should be close to the bus stop no matter where you end up. If you upgrade to Gran Destino Tower (an interior hotel), you won’t have to walk across the resort’s grounds to access the bus stop. You can walk down a covered walkway to the bus stop from the lobby. For the villages, you’ll have to walk outside to and from your building to the bus stop.
#14 Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge (and Kidani Village)
We rank Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge as one of our top resorts. However, it’s the only deluxe resort that relies on bus transportation. This resort often gets a bad rap for its location. Some guests complain that it takes longer to get everywhere because of it. We’ve tracked the times and can’t justify that complaint. However, this isn’t the resort for you if based solely on transportation. If you’re even remotely interested, I invite you to learn more about the resort in our guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
#13 Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts (Riverside and French Quarter)
Disney’s Port Orleans comprises two moderate resorts: Riverside and French Quarter. They are vastly different in size, so you’ll want to research. If you want to learn more, we have a comparison of Port Orleans Riverside vs. French Quarter. However, the resorts are not different when it comes to transportation. Here are your options:
- Walk Between the Resorts
- Water Taxi Service to Disney Springs
- Bux Service is provided to all parks and Disney Springs.
Riverside is a large resort with multiple bus stops, while French Quarter is a boutique resort with only one. The resorts share a bus service to Disney Springs.
#12 Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Old Key West is next on our list. This is another tremendous resort in the Disney Springs Resort Area. We rank this resort transportation-wise for the following:
- Walk to Disney Springs (It’s a long walk.)
- Water Taxi to Disney Springs
- Bus service is provided to all parks and Disney Springs.
We love Old Key West, but it’s not the easiest resort to get around on foot unless you enjoy walking. Most will use the resort’s bus service to get to and from other areas of the resort. You can learn more about it in our Old Key West Transportation Guide.
#11 Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Of the Disney Springs Resorts, we rank Saratoga Springs the highest for transportation. As you can see from the photo below, Disney Springs is only a short walk away. Here are your options:
- Walking Paths to Both Sides of Disney Springs
- Boat Service to Disney Springs
- Bus service is provided to all parks and Disney Springs.
Like Old Key West, Saratoga Springs is a large resort. Most guests will use its bus service to get between areas within the resort. You can learn more about how things work in our Saratoga Springs Transportation Guide.
#10 Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts
Art of Animation and Pop Century are in the same resort area. They share a Skyliner station that extends to Disney’s Caribbean Beach. When you reach Caribbean Beach, you can reboard another Skyliner to the Riviera, Epcot, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Bus transportation is provided to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs.
It is essential to note that you must take the Skyliner from these resorts to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. An alternative bus is only provided when the Skyliner is down. We love the Skyliner, but understandably, anyone with a fear of heights might have qualms about riding it. You can learn more about how things work in our Disney Skyliner Guide.
It’s also important to note that Art of Animation and Pop Century only have one bus stop like the other value resorts. Both resort bus stops are at the front entrance near the lobby and gift shop. For a quick recap, you can do the following:
- Take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera Resort.
- You can walk between Pop Century and Art of Animation.
- Bus service is provided to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and water parks.
#9 Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney’s Caribbean Beach is our next transportation choice. It has a slight edge over Pop Century and Art of Animation because the resort has multiple bus stops. You can also walk to Disney’s Riviera Resort or board a gondola from either resort’s Skyliner stations (Caribbean Beach or Riviera) to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Skyliner service is provided to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Riviera, and Pop Century or Art of Animation.
- You can walk to Disney’s Riviera from Caribbean Beach.
- Bus transportation is provided to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and water parks.
- Caribbean Beach has an internal shuttle that drops guests off at each village, Old Port Royale, or the Skyliner Station.
#8 Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Riviera is another of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts. It is an interior hotel with a covered walkway to the bus stop and Skyliner station. You can board a gondola directly from the resort to Epcot. You can also board a gondola to Caribbean Beach and then transfer to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Skyliner service is provided to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation.
- You can walk to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
- Bus transportation is provided to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and water parks.
#7 Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Our next stop is at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, which includes the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Fort Wilderness is a massive resort with an internal bus system. In addition to that bus system, guests can take a resort watercraft to Magic Kingdom.
- Bus service is provided to Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge from the Settlement.
- Bus service is provided to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks from the Outpost.
- Boat service is provided to Magic Kingdom from the Settlement.
- Boat service is provided to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Contemporary from the Settlement between 3:00 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.
Learn More>> How the Magic Kingdom Resorts Boat Service Works
#6 Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is the last resort before we reach the resorts within walking distance of a theme park. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a massive resort with two Disney Vacation Club wings. The resort offers boat service to Magic Kingdom and bus service elsewhere. Ask any regulars, and they’ll tell you how much they enjoy taking the boat to Magic Kingdom.
- Boat service is provided from the resort to and from Magic Kingdom.
- Boat service is available to Disney’s Contemporary and Fort Wilderness between 3:00 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.
- Bus service is provided to Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks.
#5 Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
We’ve finally reached our top five resorts based on their transportation options! Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort offers boat service, monorail service, bus service, and walking paths. You can do any of the following:
- Boat, Walk, or Monorail to Magic Kingdom or Grand Floridian
- Monorail to Epcot from the Transportation and Ticket Center
- Monorail to Disney’s Contemporary
- Walk or Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center
- Take a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or the water parks.
We get into many specifics in Disney’s Polynesian Transportation Guide.
#4 Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Next on our list is Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, which sits next door to the Polynesian. We give this resort a slight edge regarding transportation because it’s a shorter walking distance to Magic Kingdom. You can do any of the following from the resort.
- Boat, Walk, or Monorail to Magic Kingdom or the Polynesian
- Monorail to Disney’s Contemporary
- Walk or Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center
- Monorail to Epcot from the Transportation and Ticket Center
- Take a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or the water parks.
It’s important to know that all three monorail resorts require a transfer to Epcot at the Transportation and Ticket Center. It will likely take longer than most routes.
#3 Disney’s Contemporary Resort
A part of me wanted to rank Disney’s Contemporary Resort as the top transportation option because the monorail runs right through the center of it. But when I began arranging the rankings, I had to give the Epcot Resorts a little extra for the walkability to two theme parks. So, if you’re leaning toward spending more time at Magic Kingdom, I would go with any of the three monorail resorts regarding transportation and the Epcot Resorts for more days at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At the Contemporary, you’re privy to the following:
- Walk or Monorail to Magic Kingdom
- Monorail to TTC and transfer to Epcot
- Monorail to Polynesian and Grand Floridian
- Boat to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness between 3:00 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.
- You can take a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks.
We love staying at Disney’s Contemporary when attending a special event at Magic Kingdom, such as a seasonal party or Disney After Hours. It’s lovely to be back at the resort so quickly.
#2 Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
Our final three resorts are all within the same area. We like the Beach Club a bit more than the Boardwalk because it offers the shortest walk to Epcot. However, you won’t find any real differences between transportation options. From the Boardwalk, you can:
- Walk to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Walk to the surrounding Resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin, Swan Reserve)
- Boat to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or surrounding Resorts
- Walk to Epcot and take the Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Riviera Resort, Pop Century, or Art of Animation
- Take a bus to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or water parks
#1 Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resort
Our last option is Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resort. Technically, they are considered separate but connecting resorts that share amenities. Here’s what you can do regarding transportation from either one.
- Walk to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Walk to the surrounding Resorts (BoardWalk Resort, Swan and Dolphin, Swan Reserve)
- Boat to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or surrounding Resorts
- Walk to Epcot and take the Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Riviera Resort, Pop Century, or Art of Animation
- Take a bus to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or water parks
It’s hard to top walking out of Epcot after the evening fireworks and hitting the hot shower in your room in less than 15 minutes. If you stay in this resort area, we recommend a ticket option allowing you to park-hop. You might enjoy an entire day at Animal Kingdom, take a break back at the room, and then walk over to Epcot for dinner or to see the fireworks. The options are endless!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, our rankings gave you an idea of which resort will work best for your vacation based on its transportation options. For more on transportation at Disney World, you might enjoy the following:
- Our Guide to Disney Bus Travel Times (For Every Resort)
- The Most Efficient Routes to Popular Disney World Destinations
- List of Transportation Guides for Every Disney Resort Hotel
- Disney Resorts That Share Bus Services with Other Resorts
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
Which hotel is your favorite based on transportation? Do you agree with our rankings? Let us know in the comments below.
