One of the perks of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is the complimentary transportation. From the moment you step off the plane, everything has been taken care of for you: Disney's Magical Express will take you from the Orlando International Airport to your resort, and you have a variety of methods to travel to and from the Disney parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. Learn more about Disney's Magical Express here.
If you have not been before, here is a guide to understanding how Walt Disney World transportation operates. You'll also find friendly Cast Members who are happy to help direct you, should you have questions while on vacation.
Transportation Basics
You can travel directly between:
- Park to Park: mostly by bus. Going between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot is by Monorail, and you also have the option to take the boat, Skyliner or walk between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
- Resort to Park: mostly by bus. Most Deluxe and Moderate Resorts also have an alternative form of transportation for at least one park- such as Monorail, Skyliner, boat, or walking path.
- Resort to Disney Springs: mostly by bus (Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West have boats as well)
You CANNOT go directly from resort to resort, or from Disney Springs to the theme parks.
Resort to Resort: You'll need to take two methods of transportation.
- You can take the first bus that arrives to any park or Disney Springs. From there, you can transfer to the resort you wish to visit.
- If you are going to a Deluxe Resort, you may want to go to the park nearest that resort, and take the alternative transportation from that park to the resort. For example, when going to the Contemporary, you could take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, and then either walk or take the Monorail to your final destination. (See below for full list of Deluxe Resort transportation options)
Transportation Beyond Buses
Magic Kingdom Area
- The Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Polynesian are all located on the Magic Kingdom Monorail loop, which connects to the Magic Kingdom and Transportation and Ticket Center/ Magic Kingdom Parking as well. The Grand Floridian and Polynesian also have boat service to the Magic Kingdom.
- The Contemporary has a walkway to the Magic Kingdom
- The Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campground have boat service to the Magic Kingdom.
- The Contemporary, Fort Wilderness, and Wilderness Lodge all have boat service between one another. There is also a walking path connecting Wilderness Lodge with Fort Wilderness campground.
Epcot Area
- The Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk Inn are all within walking distance of Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and each other. The walk from the Studios is about a mile, but the walk to Epcot and between each other is not very long.
- All 3 of these Epcot area resorts are also connected to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios by boat.
- From outside the Epcot International Gateway, guests of these resorts can also hop on the Disney Skyliner.
Animal Kingdom Area
- The Animal Kingdom Lodge is only reachable by bus- from all theme parks and Disney Springs.
Disney Skyliner
- This new, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney's Hollywood Studios and International Gateway at Epcot to the following Resort hotels: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Riviera Resort.
Disney Springs Area
- There is a river that connects a handful of Disney Resorts to Disney Springs, and from these resorts you can take a boat over to the dining, shopping and entertainment hub. These resorts are Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Old Key West Resort and Saratoga Springs Resort.
