Resorts Gal Routes: Disney’s Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom (With Average Times)
As we continue our Resorts Gal Routes series, we’ll preview options for traveling between Disney’s Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. We visit the parks and resorts regularly, and I came up with the idea for this series based on my experiences traveling around Walt Disney World. One of the most significant issues we encounter is guests trying to figure out the best way to get where they’re going, or worse, going entirely the wrong way. So, this series aims to help you learn what transportation options are available to and from popular destinations.
For example, if you’re staying at Grand Floridian, you might not know that you have three options to travel between the resort and the theme park. Over a week’s stay, you might enjoy all three methods of travel and even have one you prefer over the other. Or you could stay elsewhere and have plans to visit Grand Floridian for dinner one evening. If so, you could use what we call the resort-to-resort transfer method, meaning you could travel from your resort to Magic Kingdom and then use the routes listed below to continue to Grand Floridian. Let’s look at each option!
Route 1: Taking the Monorail from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom
The monorail platform at Disney’s Grand Floridian is on the 2nd floor of the main lobby. Magic Kingdom is the next stop once you board the resort monorail at Grand Floridian. It takes approximately 4 minutes (travel time) to reach Magic Kingdom from the Grand Floridian. You’ll go through security at Grand Floridian before boarding the monorail. So once you reach the park, you can walk directly up to the ticket readers.
Return Route: The return trip from Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian is significantly longer because you must make all the stops on the resort monorail on the way back. This route averages 18 minutes. That sounds like a big difference, but you must stop at the Contemporary, TTC, and the Polynesian before reaching the Grand Floridian.
Route 2: Taking the Resort Watercraft from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom
Another option is to take the resort watercraft between Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom. The Grand Floridian boat launch is near the entrance of Narcoossee’s restaurant. This route takes 14 minutes and stops at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort on the way to the park.
Return Route: Upon returning from Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian is the first stop, so the route is shorter. The route from Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian via boat service takes approximately 6 minutes. For more information on this route and accessibility details, see our photo walkthrough of this voyage.
Route 3: Walking from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom
This route is a game changer for those who want to escape the crowds and don’t mind the extra steps. You can walk to and from Disney’s Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. We walk this route regularly and enjoy it most in the evening when the park closes. If you’re headed back to the Grand Floridian from Magic Kingdom, you can skip the long lines for the monorail and boat and take this walkway to return to the resort. Either way, it takes approximately 16 minutes and is 0.71 miles.
About this route: We enjoy walking this route immensely, but you’ll want to consider the weather. You won’t have much shade if it’s midday and the sun is beating down. The walkway is almost entirely in the direct sun. You also wouldn’t want to get caught on this long stretch if a storm were approaching. We have an entire article that details the walkway from the Grand Floridian.
The Resorts Gal Spin
We love all three options for traveling between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom, especially the boat and the walkway. We spend as much time outdoors when the temperature is comfortable. Nothing beats the warm breeze and fresh air. You’ll feel refreshed from a short ride on the boat, even after a long day in the parks.
If you’re visiting between August and December on an evening when Magic Kingdom closes early for a seasonal party, you’ll want to remember to avoid the monorail around that time at all costs. The monorail lines at the resorts get backed up because so many guests are leaving Magic Kingdom earlier than usual. This is typically between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. You can also expect long lines for the monorail on most evenings of the holiday season when guests visit to see the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found this overview of options helpful for traveling between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. You might also enjoy our Grand Floridian Transportation Guide or one of these other 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
I don’t know about you, but I would rather take a 15-minute walk to get back to my resort than stand in line for the monorail for 20 minutes plus the additional travel time. Of course, if you’re exhausted, you might not be up for the walk. What would you do?
