All you need to know about Disney Transportation
The first thing to remember when navigating WDW is that it takes time to get anywhere. You cannot just zip from place to place instantaneously. Always allow yourself plenty of time. For most trips a good rule of thumb is anywhere from 45-60 minutes.
The best way to visualize the system is to think in terms of various hubs. Each major destination (theme park, waterpark, Disney Springs) acts as a hub. Various transportation options leave from this and go out to other hubs or to the resorts. So if you want to go from theme park to theme park you can usually do this without any connections. If you want to go from resort to resort though you will most likely need to make a connection at one of the hubs.
5 major modes of transportation:
Monorail – the most iconic mode of transportation, opened in 1971. There are 3 lines travelling between 3 resorts hotels and 2 theme parks – Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The ticket transportation centre (TTC) is where you will start, where you can board all 3 lines. Strollers and wheelchairs are accepted.
Skyliner – opened in Sept 2019, the gondolas travel over 3 different lines – from the Caribbean Beach Resort, which is the central hub, to Hollywood Studios, to Epcot (via the new Riviera Resort) and to the Art of Animation and Pop Century. So, if you are staying in any of these properties, you have this exciting new mode of transport to look forward to. Each gondola holds up to 10 guests and are very friendly for strollers or wheelchairs, and can be up to 30 – 50 feet in the air so the views over the resort are pretty spectacular.
Water Taxis – you can actually get to over a dozen places in Disney World by travelling in a boat! You can get an express ferry boat from the TTC to the front entrance Magic Kingdom. There are various different styles of boat, so guests with strollers and wheelchairs on the smaller boats may be better using a different form of transport. From Epcot you can take a boat to the Boardwalk Resort, the Yacht and Beach Club and Hollywood Studios, although the distances are fairly short and you can also walk this route. In the Disney Springs area, you can connect to 4 resort hotels by water taxis, running on 4 different flag routes – Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts, Old Key West Resort and Saratoga Springs. Always check with a cast member before boarding to make sure you are in the right boat, and to find out what time the last boats run, as some of the experiences at Disney Springs will stay open later than the boats run.
Buses – generally you can get just about everywhere throughout the whole resort by bus. Stollers will have to be folded, but wheelchairs are accepted. Buses generally run for at least an hour or longer after the parks closing hours.
Minnie Vans – this is the only paid option, and is open to everyone, whether you are staying in a Disney Resort Hotel or not. You do have to be located within the Disney Resort area to start and finish your journey. Seating 6 people, the Chrysler mini vans have complimentary child seats, and you request the Minnie vans through the “Lyft” app. Prices are based on the distance travelled, and the price will appear on your app. Your Minnie Van has access right to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom where normal lift share services must drop you at the TTC (where you then have to get the monorail to the front entrance). I would recommend this service if you have little ones who need the car seats, or if you are short of time!
Finally, and this is only open to guests staying in a Disney resort property, the Magical Express – a complimentary coach service operating between Orlando International Airport and your hotel. I happily pre book this for clients who have booked a Walt Disney World package holiday with me, and it’s a great way to start your holiday!