The public transportation available at Walt Disney World makes it easy to get around the property without a car. If you’re flying in to Orlando and staying on property, Disney’s Magical Express will deliver you to your hotel, and other on-site options can get you anywhere you need to go.
While there’s always at least one obvious route between destinations, direct transportation is often extremely busy. If there’s a long line for the bus, you might find that you can shave off a chunk of time and avoid the over-crowded vehicle by taking a different route. Consider these transportation tricks to reach your destination as quickly as comfortably as possible.
To the Magic Kingdom
- Take a bus to the Contemporary or Polynesian Resort and walk to the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary in particular is extremely close to the park entrance.
- Take the monorail from the Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian
- Take a boat from the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian, Fort Wilderness, or Wilderness Lodge. You can bus to one of these hotels from another park for two-step transportation if the direct bus has a long line. If you’re staying at a monorail resort, consider the boat as a less-busy alternative.
- Take the monorail from Epcot. If there’s a long line for a Magic Kingdom bus but a shorter one for Epcot, try going to Epcot first and taking the scenic monorail directly from there.
To Epcot
- Bus to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, or Swan and Dolphin Resorts and walk to Epcot
- Bus to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, or Swan and Dolphin Resorts and take a boat to Epcot
- Take a boat from Hollywood Studios
- Take a monorail from the Magic Kingdom. If you’re at a hotel within walking or boating distance of Magic Kingdom, it may be worth it to use this route rather than a direct bus when there’s a long wait.
To Hollywood Studios
- Bus to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, or Swan and Dolphin Resorts and walk to Hollywood Studios.
- Bus to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, or Swan and Dolphin Resorts and take a boat to Hollywood Studios
- Take a boat from Epcot
To Disney Springs
- Bus to Port Orleans, Old Key West, or Saratoga Springs and take a boat
Streamlining Two-Step Transportation
While you can easily play it by ear when determining which route is fastest, you can also plan ahead for two-step transportation. Options like the boats and monorail aren’t only convenient – they’re also fun. Kids can collect stickers or transportation cards from various forms of transportation, and nearly everyone loves the sleek feeling of racing along on the monorail.
Consider planning your resort dining to coordinate with great transportation options to the parks. Disney’s resorts have some of the best dining options on property. Consider these delicious choices for their transportation perks.
For a Boat Ride to Epcot or Hollywood Studios
- The Flying Fish at Disney’s Boardwalk
- Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club *offers character dining*
- Garden Grove at Walt Disney World Swan Hotel *offers character dining*
- Il Mulino at Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Shula’s Steak House at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
For a Monorail Ride to Magic Kingdom
- 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian *offers character dining*
- California Grill at the Contemporary
- Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary *offers character dining*
- Citricos at the Grand Floridian
- Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian
- ‘Ohana at the Polynesian *offers character dining*
- Victoria & Alberts at the Grand Floridian
- The Wave… of American Flavors at the Contemporary
For a Boat to Disney Springs
- The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Saratoga Springs
- Olivia’s Café at Old Key West
When to Ditch the Bus
If the line for a bus to your destination wraps around the queue or even extends beyond it, you’ll probably end up waiting for at least one bus to leave, if not two. You’ll also be packed in like sardines in these situations. Glance around at the comparable lines for the resorts mentioned here to see if you can hop directly on to those busses instead.
If you can get on a resort bus quickly, you should keep in mind that it’s still a bit of a gamble as to how busy the boat or bus will be from that destination. In the mornings or at the end of the day, nearly everything is busy, so simply choose the route that you’ll enjoy the most. If you’re picking a resort you can walk from, however, you’ll be line-free for the rest of your trip.
Understanding your transportation options can help you streamline your trip and enjoy a broader view of what Disney has to offer as you hop about the property.
