A Guide to Disney World’s Resort Bus Schedule (With Hours and Destinations)
If you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation, you’re likely experiencing some overwhelm. After making major decisions like hotel reservations and purchasing tickets, you realize that you’ve got to figure out the little things like dining, what to ride, and how on earth you are going to get from your resort to all of these places. We get it, and it took us years of staying at every hotel to figure it out!
To help you simplify things, we’ve put together a Disney Resort bus schedule. It lists every hotel’s bus route and the general hours it runs. You can locate your hotel on the schedule to see the corresponding bus routes.
What Time Do the Resort Buses Run at Disney World?
The most common question we get is: What time do the buses run? According to Disney’s website, they run on the following schedule.
Bus service between Disney Resort hotels and Disney theme parks begins 45 minutes prior to opening and ends one hour after closing.
Bus service between Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs is available during Disney Springs operating hours—and ends one hour after closing.
Reference
However, we have found that buses generally begin running 60 to 90 minutes before the park opens. Then, the buses tend to run after the park closes until they get everyone back to their resort. It’s important to note that the parks don’t completely close at the listed closing hours. For example, the shops on Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom, the Creations Shop at Epcot, and the shops on Hollywood Boulevard at Hollywood Studios remain open one hour after the park closes. So, if Magic Kingdom closes at 11:00 p.m., the shops are open until midnight. (Animal Kingdom is similar but is rarely open late.)
Where Do the Resort Buses Take You?
Every Disney Resort Hotel offers bus transportation. However, the destinations will vary depending on where you’re staying. Below, we’ve compiled a list of hotels by location and where bus service is offered.
It is important to note that all destinations below are not necessarily limited to these transportation options. Some resorts offer multiple modes of transportation to get to the parks. For example, if you’re staying at the Wilderness Lodge, you can take a bus or a boat to Magic Kingdom. You’re not limited to the bus, but it is an option.
We’ll start with the monorail hotels. Because of the monorail, these hotels do not offer bus service to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot.
| Monorail Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Grand Floridian | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Grand Floridian | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Grand Floridian | Disney Springs |
| Grand Floridian | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Polynesian | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Polynesian | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Polynesian | Disney Springs |
| Polynesian | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Contemporary | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Contemporary | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Contemporary | Disney Springs |
| Contemporary | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
Here are a few extras about these resort bus services:
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort shares a bus service with Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The bus stops at the Polynesian first and then the Grand Floridian.
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort shares a bus service with the Wilderness Lodge for Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs.
Next, we have options for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. These resorts offer bus service to all the theme parks. You can also take a bus between the two resorts.
| Wilderness Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Wilderness Lodge | Magic Kingdom |
| Wilderness Lodge | Epcot |
| Wilderness Lodge | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Wilderness Lodge | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Wilderness Lodge | Disney Springs |
| Wilderness Lodge | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Wilderness Lodge | Fort Wilderness |
| Fort Wilderness | Magic Kingdom |
| Fort Wilderness | Epcot |
| Fort Wilderness | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Fort Wilderness | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Fort Wilderness | Disney Springs |
| Fort Wilderness | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Fort Wilderness | Wilderness Lodge |
Here are a few extras to know about these resort bus services:
- Wilderness Lodge shares a resort bus service with Fort Wilderness for Epcot. Before arriving at Epcot, the bus stops at Fort Wilderness and then at Wilderness Epcot.
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge shares a bus service with the Contemporary for Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs.
- Fort Wilderness has many internal bus stops. If you’re staying there, make sure to read our Fort Wilderness Transportation Guide!
This next set of hotels makes up the Epcot Resorts Area. These hotels do not offer bus service to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. (They offer a boat service or the option to walk to those parks.)
| Epcot Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Beach Club | Magic Kingdom |
| Beach Club | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Beach Club | Disney Springs |
| Beach Club | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Yacht Club | Magic Kingdom |
| Yacht Club | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Yacht Club | Disney Springs |
| Yacht Club | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Boardwalk Inn | Magic Kingdom |
| Boardwalk Inn | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Boardwalk Inn | Disney Springs |
| Boardwalk Inn | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Swan, Dolphin, Reserve | Transportation and Ticket Center |
| Swan, Dolphin, Reserve | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Swan, Dolphin, Reserve | Disney Springs |
Here are a few more details about the bus services at these resorts:
- Beach Club and Yacht Club Resort share buses. During the slower portions of the day, these buses may stop at the Boardwalk Inn.
- The Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve bus will drop guests off at the Transportation and Ticket Center for Magic Kingdom. You’ll have the option to take the monorail or ferry to Magic Kingdom from there.
- The Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve drop guests off near the main entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The following hotels are serviced by the Disney Skyliner. These resorts do not offer bus transportation to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios unless the Skyliner is down. (The Skyliner usually closes about 1-2 weeks in January for routine maintenance. It doesn’t run during inclement weather.)
| Skyliner Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Riviera Resort | Magic Kingdom |
| Riviera Resort | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Riviera Resort | Disney Springs |
| Riviera Resort | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Caribbean Beach | Magic Kingdom |
| Caribbean Beach | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Caribbean Beach | Disney Springs |
| Caribbean Beach | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Pop Century | Magic Kingdom |
| Pop Century | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Pop Century | Disney Springs |
| Pop Century | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Art of Animation | Magic Kingdom |
| Art of Animation | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Art of Animation | Disney Springs |
| Art of Animation | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
Extras about these bus services include:
- Caribbean Beach is a tremendous resort with six bus stops. An internal bus services the resort and an additional stop at the Skyliner.
- None of these resorts share a bus service.
The next hotels are part of the Disney Springs Resort area. They offer bus transportation to every major destination and between each other. (They also have a secondary boat option between each other and Disney Springs.) If you are staying here, sometimes the sign at the bus stops says, “Take a boat” to Disney Springs. You do not have to take the boat, a bus is coming and often the bus is the faster of the two options.
| Port Orleans Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Port Orleans Riverside | Magic Kingdom |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Epcot |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Disney Springs |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Port Orleans Riverside | Port Orleans French Quarter |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Magic Kingdom |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Epcot |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Disney Springs |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Port Orleans French Quarter | Port Orleans Riverside |
To know about the Port Orleans Resorts buses:
- Riverside is a large resort with four stops, while the French Quarter only has one. The Disney Springs bus doubles as an internal bus. It stops at the French Quarter, makes an entire loop around Riverside, stops at the French Quarter again, and then heads to Disney Springs. (On the first stop, the bus displays Riverside as the destination. Then, the sign changes to Disney Springs on the second drop-off. There are usually two buses that run this route simultaneously.)
The following hotels are also part of the Disney Springs Resort area. They, too, offer bus or boat transportation to and from Disney Springs. Again, sometimes, the signs at the bus stop indicate that guests should take a boat to Disney Springs. It is confusing. But the bus for Disney Springs runs all day.
| DVC Resorts Near Disney Springs | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| Old Key West | Magic Kingdom |
| Old Key West | Epcot |
| Old Key West | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Old Key West | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Old Key West | Disney Springs |
| Old Key West | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Magic Kingdom |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Epcot |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Disney Springs |
| Saratoga Springs Resort | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
Extras about these resort bus stops include:
- Both Old Key West and Saratoga Springs have many bus stops due to the size of the resorts. You will want to identify your stop and remember where to exit when returning to the resort.
Lastly, we have the resorts near Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. These resorts only offer bus transportation. So the bus will be your only way to travel from the resorts to other destinations. The All-Star Resorts are comprised of Music, Movies, and Sports. Each has a bus stop that travels to the destinations listed below. Additionally, Animal Kingdom is comprised of two resorts: Jambo House and Kidani Village.
| Animal Kingdom Area Resorts | Bus Destinations |
|---|---|
| All-Star Resorts | Magic Kingdom |
| All-Star Resorts | Epcot |
| All-Star Resorts | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| All-Star Resorts | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| All-Star Resorts | Disney Springs |
| All-Star Resorts | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer)* |
| Coronado Springs | Magic Kingdom |
| Coronado Springs | Epcot |
| Coronado Springs | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Coronado Springs | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Coronado Springs | Disney Springs |
| Coronado Springs | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer)* |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Magic Kingdom |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Epcot |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Disney’s Hollywood Studios |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Disney’s Animal Kingdom |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Disney Springs |
| Animal Kingdom Lodge | Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (Transfer) |
*Disney’s All-Star Resorts and Coronado Springs offer direct bus service to Blizzard Beach when it’s open. At this time, the water parks are open seasonally.
- Coronado Springs is another large resort with four stops.
- Jambo House and Kidani Village are two separate resorts that make up the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Except for Disney Springs, Kidani Village is the first stop on a return trip to the resort before Jambo House, the main lodge.
Extras for Using Disney Bus Transportation
Rules: Disney has rules posted at the bus stop. For starters, guests must remain behind the yellow line. The bus driver will not pull up to the stop if anyone is over it.
Rules: Guests are supposed to enter the bus from the front door. When the bus arrives, everyone should wait for guests to exit. Then, the bus driver will close the back door, allowing guests to enter at the front door.
Rules: All strollers are required to be folded before boarding.
Tip: An alternative to using the Disney Bus system would be to take an Uber, Lyft, taxi, or Minnie Van. This might be your best option if you’re running late for a dining reservation. We like to allow 60-90 minutes when traveling from one resort to another using complimentary transportation. In most instances, you’ll have to use a transfer strategy to travel between resorts.
Tip: If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, the bus times are usually listed in the “My Hotel” section of the My Disney Experience app. If your room is near the resort bus stop, checking the times might help.
Tip: Most of the resort bus stops are covered. However, the buses at the value resorts are not covered. So you will want to ensure you have umbrellas or ponchos in the event of rain.
Accessibility: Guests in wheelchairs and ECVS have an indicated place to wait for the bus to pick them up. Bus drivers board guests in wheelchairs and ECVS first. On return or drop-off, they will unload them after everyone has exited at their stop.
We hope you found this resort bus schedule helpful in planning your vacation! For more information, our Disney World Transportation Guide is an excellent place to start. Or you might like the following:
- Tackling Transportation at the Disney Resort Hotels
- Everything You Need to Know About Disney Buses
- Disney Bus Travel Times List
- Disney World Monorail Guide
- Taking the FriendShips (Boats) at Disney World
- How to Take the Disney World Skyliner (Hours + Routes)
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
Did you find this schedule helpful? Do you have questions or concerns about the buses at the Disney Resorts? Leave us a comment with your thoughts or experiences. We appreciate your feedback and read all of your responses.
