Different Types of Walt Disney World Transportation

Part of the draw of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel is that you can take Disney’s Magical Express. That means you won’t have to rent a car, but Walt Disney World is huge. How will you get around? That’s simple, just use Walt Disney World transportation. It’s efficient, and it can get you where you need to be. If you have questions, just ask at your hotel’s front desk.

You do not have to be staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel in order to use Disney transportation. If you’re headed to the Magic Kingdom, you will have to use Disney transportation of some type because there is no parking at the park. Here’s a quick rundown of the current options. Give yourself plenty of time, and remember that you can always take a cab or use a ride sharing service and pay out of pocket if these options won’t work for you.

Buses

The main type of transportation that you will find is the Disney buses. They’re everywhere! The buses run from the resorts to and from the parks and water parks. They also go park to park. You can take a bus from your resort to Disney Springs, but you can’t take a bus from Disney Springs to a theme park. Too many people used the free Disney Springs parking and took the bus to a theme park, they ruined it for everyone else. Buses do run from the parks to Disney Springs late in the day, but not the other way around. Remember that the bus drivers need to follow the rules of the road, so don’t expect your grandchild to be able to stay in the stroller.

Monorail

The most iconic transportation at Walt Disney World is the monorail. The main monorail station is at the Transportation & Ticket Center, that’s also where you’ll park for the Magic Kingdom. One side of the monorail will take you to the Magic Kingdom, and it also stops at three of the Magic Kingdom Area Resorts. An express monorail runs during the busiest hours of the day that does not stop at the resorts. There is another monorail that runs between the Transportation & Ticket Center and Epcot. You have to change monorails if you want to go from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom and vice versa, there is no direct monorail between parks.

Water Transportation

Several of the Deluxe Resorts also have boats that provide transportation to the parks. You’ll find them for the Magic Kingdom, and also Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There is also a ferryboat that runs to and from the Magic Kingdom and the Transportation & Ticket Center, and it is sometimes faster than the monorail at the end of the night because the boat’s capacity is huge.

Minnie Vans

For an extra fee, you can hire a Minnie Van. The service is expanding, so ask about it at the front desk of your hotel. Minnie Vans use the Lyft App, but the drivers are Disney Cast Members. The service can be convenient if you are running short on time.

Disney Skyliner

Disney has exciting plans when it comes to transportation. Disney Skyliner is going to be a gondola system that runs between several resorts and both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Not much is yet known about the Disney Skyliner, including when the system will be up and running, but it is a fairly safe bet that it will be working by the time Walt Disney World celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021.