Transportation Options at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (With Helpful How To’s)

How to Get to Magic Kingdom from Fort Wilderness

There are two options for traveling to and from Magic Kingdom at Disney’s Fort Wilderness: resort watercraft and Disney buses.

Boat Service Between Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Fort Wilderness

Fort Wilderness has an extensive boat dock near The Settlement. It sits along the shores of Bay Lake. Guests can take the green flag watercraft from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom.

Bus Service Between Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness

Guests can also take a bus to Magic Kingdom from Fort Wilderness. A bus stop is available on the opposite end of the Settlement from the boat dock.

For reference, the Settlement is home to the Settlement Trading Post, Crockett’s Tavern, Pioneer Hall, and Hoop Dee Doo Revue, among other things. The Settlement ends at the resort’s boat dock. The Settlement Bus Depot is on a walkway that extends from Pioneer Hall. Below is a photo of the path from Pioneer Hall to the bus stop.

It’s common to find an attendant wearing an orange vest at this bus stop. Someone is usually available from late afternoon to early evening when Hoop Dee Doo Revue is open. They work to get everyone on the right bus after dinner. (See How to Get to Hoop Dee Doo Revue for more details.)

So, to make this clear, the Settlement bus stop is the only place you can take a bus to Magic Kingdom. (For all other major destinations, you’ll have to take a bus to the Outpost, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.) Don’t be surprised if five or more buses come through while you wait. Fort Wilderness has lots of internal buses that never leave the resort. On a slow day, those buses come through often.

How to Get to Epcot from Disney’s Fort Wilderness

Guests traveling to Epcot will want to take an internal bus from their location at Fort Wilderness to the Outpost. This is where the resort’s primary bus stop is located. Again, the Outpost is on the opposite end of the resort from the Settlement.

You’ll want to locate the bus stop nearest your campground. Then, board the Orange, Yellow, or Purple line bus and take it to the Outpost.

At the Outpost, you’ll wait for the next bus to Epcot. This bus service is shared with Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. So don’t be surprised if you have an extra stop on the way to the parks. The bus usually stops at Fort Wilderness, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and then Epcot.

How to Get to Hollywood Studios from Disney’s Fort Wilderness

To get to Hollywood Studios, you’ll need to catch the Orange, Yellow, or Purple line bus from your location to The Outpost. These lines travel through different areas of the resort. Bus service to Hollywood Studios is not usually shared with another resort.

To give you an idea of how it works, each route starts at The Outpost and ends at The Settlement. Then, the bus driver turns around and starts over. We’ve added a section below that discusses the internal bus system in more detail.

How to Get to Disney Springs from Fort Wilderness

Those traveling to Disney Springs will also want to take the Orange, Yellow, or Purple line bus to the Outpost. There, you’ll board a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Bus service to Disney Springs from Fort Wilderness is not usually shared with another resort.

Below is a photo of the golf cart parking lot at the Outpost bus stop. Many guests will leave their carts or bicycles at the Outpost bus stop and retrieve them when they return from the parks instead of taking the internal resort buses. An additional golf cart parking lot is available at the Settlement boat dock.

Related: How To’s for Transportation at Disney Springs

I’ve walked the resort from the Outpost to the Settlement multiple times for leisure. It’s a straight shot through the center of the resort. Looking at the directory above, you can see where the sidewalk begins near the Outpost. Follow the dotted yellow line to the next intersection.

At that intersection, you’ll cross the road diagonally. Then, you’ll follow the dotted orange line down the same road (the sidewalk continues on the opposite side of the road). Once you reach the Meadow, you’ll cross the road where the sidewalk ends and picks up on the opposite side.

You’ll continue down this sidewalk until you reach the Settlement. It is a long walk that takes approximately 20-25 minutes. I usually stop in the Meadow Trading Post for a water or ginger ale.

One other thing to point out is that the bus stops regardless of the direction. Below is a photo of the bus stop across the street from the Meadow Trading Post.

If the bus stops on the same side as the waiting area, it will be going toward the Outpost. However, if it stops where I’m standing to take the photo, it will be going to the Settlement.

How to Get to the Wilderness Lodge from Fort Wilderness

Fort Wilderness guests have the convenience of direct transportation to and from the Wilderness Lodge. Unfortunately, the walking path between the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness closed in 2019. It was repaved in 2024, and we are hopeful it will eventually reopen.

Guests can board a bus at the Settlement to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This bus runs from early in the morning until late in the evening. It’s a short five-minute ride between the resorts.

How to Get to Disney’s Contemporary from Fort Wilderness

Guests can also take the blue flag watercraft to Disney’s Contemporary. This service is available between 3:00 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. However, remember that transportation times are subject to change. We always try to take a photo of the posted hours of operation when we first use transportation on our trips.

Related: Transportation Tips for Disney’s Contemporary

Tips to Remember

• You can take a bus from the Settlement to the Wilderness Lodge, Magic Kingdom, or the orange, yellow, and purple lines.

• You can take a bus at the Outpost to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Water Parks, or the orange, yellow, and purple lines.

• The yellow and orange lines will also drop you off at the Meadow. The orange line will drop you off at the Meadow Trading Post. The yellow line will drop you off at the back of the Meadow Swimming Pool.