A Complete Guide to the Disney Skyliner (With Routes and Travel Times)

Disney’s Skyliner is a game-changer regarding transportation at Walt Disney World. Whether taking a ride for enjoyment or traveling to a specific destination, you’ll likely want to use it during your vacation. Below, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about riding the Skyliner. We’ll review its schedule, travel times, and routes.

If you plan to stay at a Skyliner Resort, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with this transportation option ahead of time. In most cases, the Skyliner will be your only option when visiting Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You’ll also want to be prepared to handle long lines first thing in the morning or last thing at night when the park closes.

When the Skyliner initially debuted, I was excited to try it. But when we took off, I was more nervous than anticipated. Those nerves wore off quickly. Almost immediately, I found myself overwhelmed by the stunning aerial views of the surrounding Disney Resort Hotels. For a long time, I felt that same sense of overwhelm every time I rode the Skyliner. It seemed like the newness would never wear off.

A while ago, my son and I took the Skyliner from Hollywood Studios to Caribbean Beach. When we took off, he mentioned how it still made him nervous. I smiled and realized I had finally gotten used to riding it. So, even though it took a while, the Skyliner has finally become the norm. We update this guide yearly, and I always like to leave this excerpt from my initial review. I imagine that most people feel this way, and I wanted to make sure you knew it was completely normal to have a few nervous jitters.

The Skyliner Station at Caribbean Beach

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is home to the central gondola station for the Disney Skyliner system. You can think of Caribbean Beach as the Skyliner’s main hub. All of the gondola lines eventually lead back to it.

The Skyliner Station at Disney’s Riviera

Disney’s Riviera Resort offers a direct Skyliner line to Epcot. So when you leave Riviera, your initial destination options are Epcot or Caribbean Beach. As you approach the Skyliner from the Riviera, the line on the resort side goes to Caribbean Beach. If you’re going to Epcot, you’ll walk around to the opposite side of the station. (You’ll want to make sure you get in the correct line.)

On the way to Epcot, you’ll encounter a turn station above the Buena Vista Drive and Epcot Resorts Blvd intersection. Here the gondola will slow as it approaches the turnaround. Then, you’ll go through an area where it changes direction and passes the back of Disney’s Boardwalk. Shortly after, you’ll begin to descend close to the France Pavilion as you arrive at Epcot’s International Gateway. From here, you can enter Epcot or visit the resorts in the surrounding area.

Guests traveling from Disney’s Riviera to Hollywood Studios will board a gondola from the resort to Caribbean Beach. At Caribbean Beach, you’ll exit and join the line for Hollywood Studios. You also have the option to walk to the Skyliner station at Caribbean Beach. It’s a pretty walk but a reasonably long distance.

Related: Disney’s Riviera Resort Review

Skyliner at Pop Century and Art of Animation

Guests staying at Disney’s Pop Century or Art of Animation Resorts will have a similar experience. These resorts share a Skyliner station, which sits on the bridge across Hour Glass Lake.

From these resorts, Skyliner guests will travel to Caribbean Beach’s central station. From there, they will exit their gondola and get in line for Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The main difference is that there’s no option to walk to Disney’s Caribbean Beach station from either of these Disney value resorts. So, while they are relatively close, no walkway connects them. It takes approximately five minutes to travel between Pop Century or Art of Animation to Disney’s Caribbean Beach. Here’s a look at the station.

When staying at Pop Century or Art of Animation, know you’ll always have to exit at Disney’s Caribbean Beach. Then, you’ll get in line for your next destination. Also, remember that both resorts share this gondola station. So, if you’re headed out at the park opening, be prepared to wait in a long line.

However, bus service to and from these specific parks and resorts is only available when there is an issue. Lines for the Skyliner tend to move fairly quickly since guests are constantly boarding.

Related Resort Reviews:

• Disney’s Pop Century Review
• Disney’s Art of Animation Review

Skyliner Hours

Disney’s Skyliner hours typically correlate with the operating hours of the theme parks. Usually, the Skyliner begins running one hour before the park opens and an hour or so after the park closes.

That time typically includes the early morning benefit extended to resort guests. So, if the park opens at 8:30 a.m., resort guests can enter the park as early as 8:00 a.m. In that instance, the Skyliner would start running by at least 7:00 a.m.

Hours are posted outside the various Skyliner stations at the parks and resorts. The signs have interchangeable elements, so you might want to take a photo of the hours at the beginning of your vacation for reference.

Per Disney, the Disney Skyliner is “available each day one hour before early theme park entry begins. It closes each day 90 minutes after Epcot or Hollywood Studios closes. Additionally, on evenings when Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios stay opens for extended evening hour benefits, the Skyliner will close one hour after the park closes. 

Here is a photo of the hours posted at Pop Century and Art of Animation during the Spring.

The Skyliner runs late enough to accommodate guests who have access to extended evening hours. However, if the Skyliner closes early, buses will be available to take you back to your resort.

What happens if the Skyliner goes down?

It is not uncommon for the Skyliner to close, especially in the summer during inclement weather. When this happens, bus transportation will be provided to the various Skyliner Resorts.

For example, we were at Epcot one evening, and the Skyliner was down when we got to the International Gateway. It was only a few minutes before the park closed for the evening. Cast members at the exit directed us to walk or take a boat to Disney’s Boardwalk. From there, a bus picked us up at the Boardwalk bus stop and returned us to the resort.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for a bus. But that bus went to Pop Century and Art of Animation before going to Caribbean Beach. After that, it dropped off guests at Disney’s Riviera Resort. So it took some time.

On another visit, we were directed to walk to Disney’s Beach Club and catch a bus at their bus stop. Unfortunately, we had to wait almost 30 minutes for a bus to arrive this time. So, my best advice is to remain patient when things like this happen. If you’re in a hurry to return, you might prefer to take a car service from the transfer bus stop to where you’re staying.

Complimentary transportation is an incredible amenity offered by Disney. However, you are on their schedule when you elect to use it. Most of the time, everything works smoothly. But there are times when it doesn’t. So, it’s best to keep a positive attitude or be aware of extra-cost alternatives if you’re in a hurry to get back to your resort.

Skyliner Travel Times

While wait times for the Skyliner can vary depending on the number of guests in line, travel times are usually fairly consistent.

Here are the approximate travel times for each route:

• Between Epcot and Disney’s Riviera Resort (10 minutes)
• Disney’s Riviera Resort to Caribbean Beach (5 minutes)
• Caribbean Beach to Art of Animation and Pop Century (4 minutes)
• Between Caribbean Beach and Hollywood Studios (8 minutes)

If you would like a little more data, on one afternoon, I left Epcot and traveled to Art of Animation via the Skyliner. Here’s how that experience went:

• At 5:27 p.m., I boarded a gondola from Epcot.
• The doors opened at Riviera Resort at 5:37 p.m. (10 minutes)
• Exited the Skyliner at Caribbean Beach at 5:42 p.m. (5 minutes)
• Boarded from Caribbean Beach to the Values at 5:43 p.m. (1 minute)
• Arrived at Art of Animation (and Pop Century) at 5:47 p.m. (4 minutes)

It took approximately 20 minutes to leave Epcot and arrive at the values. For comparison, I timed the same route back to see if there were any variances.

• Boarded the Skyliner from Art of Animation at 6:31 p.m.
• Arrived and exited Caribbean Beach at 6:35 p.m. (4 minutes)
• Boarded new gondola at 6:35 p.m. (1 minute)
• Went through Riviera at 6:39 p.m. (4 minutes)
• Arrived at Epcot at 6:48 p.m. (9 minutes)

My timing was a record 18 minutes that time around, so I don’t think you’ll do better than that. But you are more than welcome to try.

Although already mentioned, I think it’s important to reiterate that you will likely encounter long lines to board the Skyliner at certain times of the day-especially within two hours of the park opening and immediately around the park closing. These lines tend to move quickly, but they will appear overwhelming.

You do not have to exit the park as soon as it closes. Guests will still be lingering in lines and at dining locations, so take your time leaving. Would you rather stand in a long line for 30 minutes or sit on a bench enjoying the park while the crowds clear?

A few times, I’ve had to wait for the Skyliner longer than I would have liked. For example, on my last stay at Caribbean Beach, I waited for 15 minutes in a line that didn’t move. This stay was in the Aruba section of Caribbean Beach, which is close to the Riviera Skyliner station. Therefore, I used the Riviera station when traveling to Epcot.

The problem is that many guests are coming from the Caribbean Beach station to Epcot. These gondolas are often full when they drop into the Riviera station. So the doors open, and there isn’t enough room for other guests to board.

In the meantime, Riviera’s line for Epcot begins to build since there aren’t any empty gondolas coming from Caribbean Beach. Now, this isn’t an issue all of the time. But if you are trying to get to a park at opening, you’ll more than likely run into this same issue.

Riding the Skyliner

Before we wrap things up, I wanted to give you a walk-through of what it’s like to ride the Disney Skyliner so that if you haven’t ridden before, you’ll be prepared. As you approach the Skyliner, a cast member will direct you to stand on a specific marker. The gondolas move slowly through the loading area but do not stop.

So when it’s time to board, it’s time to board. You’ll step into the gondola and keep moving to your seat. If you are anything like me, you’ll want to sit facing forward in the direction you are headed.

A standard Skyliner cabin can accommodate a maximum of 10 guests, five guests per row. Additionally, accessible cabins allow a maximum of 6 guests.

Guests in Wheelchairs and ECVS

Mobility aids must fit within a 30″ x 48″ area for access. A separate line is available for guests with mobility aids, as shown in the photo below. These gondolas will pause for guests and their families to load.

*Details for those with mobility issues (i.e., wheelchair, ECVs) can be found on Disney’s site.

If you have a double-wide stroller, you must fold it before you enter the Skyliner station.

While you’re waiting to take off, it will appear that the gondola ahead of you has gotten relatively far away. At that point, your gondola will take flight.

Initially, you’ll experience a rocking motion as your gondola ascends. Then, before you know it, you’ll find yourself above everything else.

These views of Disney are unlike anything you’ve seen before. In the distance, you’ll see various landmarks like the Swan and Dolphin Hotel and the Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror. Below is a photo of Caribbean Cay, the island at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

You’ll pass others traveling in the opposite direction.

Audio recording plays in the background inside the gondola, pointing out various landmarks. An emergency kit is secured underneath the seat of the gondola. Hopefully, you won’t ever have any use for it.

As you descend at the International Gateway, you’ll be able to see Epcot’s France Pavilion. This is where Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is located.

Final Thoughts on the Disney Skyliner

Disney’s Skyliner is a game changer for anyone staying at the resorts offering the service. After riding it a time or two, you’ll get a feel of how it all works. Before you know it, you’ll be a seasoned pro.

But don’t hesitate to use it if you’re not staying at one of the Skyliner Resorts. Disney transportation is available to all guests at Walt Disney World. Often, we’ll hop on the Skyliner to do a little resort-hopping just for the fun of it. One of our favorite times to ride the Skyliner is around sunset when the views are astounding.

Some will take the Skyliner between Hollywood Studios and Epcot to hop between parks. You’ll want to make sure you have a park hopper ticket for entry to both parks. However, you can also walk or boat between the two parks.

Related: Disney’s Friendship Boat Service