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When you visit Walt Disney World, you don't need to worry about how you will get around. The resort offers free transportation to help you quickly move from one place to another. You have several options, like buses, cars, ferries, and monorails, which can take you to the theme parks and Disney Springs. Recently, they've introduced a new transportation system called the "Skyliner," which adds to the excitement of your trip.

However, with so many transportation options available, knowing which one to use can take a lot of work to get where you want to go. It's important to know that you don't have to stay at the resort to use these services; anyone can use them. The transportation services usually start running about an hour before the park opens and stop about an hour to an hour and a half after the park closes. If you plan to arrive early or leave when the park closes, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to travel and don't worry if it takes a little while to get where you're going.

Bus Transportation

Fun fact: Did you know that Walt Disney World has a bus fleet that is as big as a large city? It's true!

If you're planning a trip to one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels or the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts, you can enjoy the complimentary bus service to and from the theme parks and Disney Springs. However, if you want to go from one theme park to another or to Disney Springs, you might need to transfer buses to a hotel first. And if you're going to the water parks, you'll need to transfer buses at Disney Springs.

If you're eager to get to the theme parks early in the morning, we suggest using a ride-sharing service or getting to the bus stop as early as possible to catch one of the first buses of the day. But if you're not in a rush, the lines will usually get shorter after the park opens.

If you're staying at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, you can use the My Disney Experience app to check how long the bus wait times are. You can also check the display boards at the bus stops.

Monorail

When you think of transportation at Walt Disney World, the first thing that comes to mind is often the monorail. Most people prefer to take the monorail if you're heading to Magic Kingdom. There are two types of monorails - the Express Monorail and the Resort Monorail. The Express Monorail goes directly between the Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). At the same time, the Resort Monorail stops at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and Disney's Contemporary Resort.

The EPCOT monorail takes you from the TTC directly to EPCOT. Riding it, you'll see part of EPCOT, which is always fun. Remember that the monorail only goes back and forth between these two locations, so if you want to go to Magic Kingdom, you'll need to switch to the Express Monorail.

Boat Transportation

There are many different types of boats that you can take to get around Disney World. From big ferries to smaller water taxis, you have lots of options! In fact, there are so many boats at Disney World that they have the seventh largest fleet of boats in the world!

If you want to go to Magic Kingdom, you can take one of the big ferry boats that go between the park and the Transportation and Ticket Center. If you're going to some of the other resorts, like Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Village Resort or Disney's Wilderness Lodge, you can take a smaller water taxi.

If you're going to EPCOT or Disney's Hollywood Studios, or some of the hotels near EPCOT, like Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Disney's Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts and Disney's BoardWalk Inn and Villas, you can take a Friendship Boat.

Disney Skyliner

Disney World has introduced a new mode of transportation called the Disney Skyliner, which can take you between two Disney parks, EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and a few select Disney hotels. The Skyliner uses constantly moving gondolas, and you usually don't have to wait long to get on one, except at the Riviera station, which can sometimes have longer wait times.

If you're staying at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort, or Disney's Art of Animation Resort, you can use the Skyliner to get to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. However, buses will also be available if there's bad weather or other issues.

If you are staying in the EPCOT Resort area, you can walk or take a boat instead of the Skyliner. And if you're starting from Pop Century or Art of Animation, give yourself extra time to transfer to the Skyliner at the Caribbean Beach station.

Other Ways in Navigating Walt Disney World

When visiting Walt Disney World, you have a few options for getting around the parks and resorts. If you're staying at a Disney hotel, walking is often the easiest and quickest way to get to and from the parks, especially if you're staying at one of the nearby hotels like the Contemporary or Grand Floridian. If you're staying at one of the hotels near Crescent Lake, like the Beach Club or BoardWalk, you can also walk to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios.

If walking isn't an option, you can use ride-sharing apps like Uber or Lyft. While this can be convenient, it can also get expensive if you're travelling with a group. Another option is to rent a car, which can be more convenient if you're staying off-site or want more flexibility. However, keep in mind that there may be parking fees at both the hotels and parks.

If you're unsure what to do, it's also worth considering how close your hotel is to Disney Springs. You can take the free resort buses there and transfer to other buses to the parks. However, if you plan to enter the parks early (before 10 am), there may be better options than this.

Estimated Journey Times

Here is a an estimated Journey Time to help you plan when navigating the Disney Transportation System:

Grand Floridian

Magic Kingdom - 10 Minutes (Via Monorail)
EPCOT - 30 Minutes (Via Monorail)
Animal Kingdom - 25 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 30 Minute
Disney Springs - 25 Minutes

Contemporary

Magic Kingdom - 10 Minutes (Via Monorail)
EPCOT - 20 Minutes (Via Monorail)
Animal Kingdom - 25 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 30 Minutes
Disney Springs - 25 Minutes

Polynesian

Magic Kingdom - 10 Minutes (Via Monorail)
EPCOT - 35 Minutes (Via Monorail)
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 20 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 30 Minutes
Disney Springs - 25 Minutes

Wilderness Lodge

Magic Kingdom - 15 Minutes
EPCOT - 20 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 35 Minutes
Disney Springs - 30 Minutes

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Magic Kingdom - 35 Minutes
EPCOT - 25 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 10 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 25 Minutes
Disney Springs - 20 Minutes

Beach & Yacht Club

Magic Kingdom - 30 Minutes
EPCOT - 15 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 30 Minutes
Disney Springs - 25 Minutes

Swan & Dolphin

Magic Kingdom - 20 Minutes
EPCOT - 10 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 10 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 40 Minutes
Disney Springs - 35 Minutes

Disney's Boardwalk

Magic Kingdom - 20 Minutes
EPCOT - 10 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 10 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 20 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 40 Minutes
Disney Springs - 35 Minutes

Old Key West

Magic Kingdom - 25 Minutes
EPCOT - 20 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 15 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 20 Minutes
Disney Springs - 15 Minutes

Saratoga Springs

Magic Kingdom - 10 Minutes
EPCOT - 15 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 15 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 10 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 25 Minutes
Disney Springs - 20 Minutes

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Magic Kingdom - 25 Minutes
EPCOT - 12 Minutes (Via Skyliner)
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 5 Minutes (Via Skyliner)
Blizzard Beach - 25 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 20 Minutes
Disney Springs - 15 Minutes

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Magic Kingdom - 25 Minutes
EPCOT - 20 Minutes 
Animal Kingdom - 15 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 15 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 10 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 25 Minutes
Disney Springs - 20 Minutes

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Magic Kingdom - 15 Minutes
EPCOT - 40 Minutes 
Animal Kingdom - 40 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 40 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 35 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 30 Minutes
Disney Springs - 25 Minutes

Disney's Port Orleans Resort

Magic Kingdom - 25 Minutes
EPCOT - 25 Minutes 
Animal Kingdom - 30 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 25 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 25 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 25 Minutes
Disney Springs - 20 Minutes

Disney's All Stars Resorts

Magic Kingdom - 20 Minutes
EPCOT - 25 Minutes
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 20 Minutes
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 35 Minutes
Disney Springs - 30 Minutes

Disney's Pop Century Resort

Magic Kingdom - 25 Minutes
EPCOT - 15 Minutes (Disney Skyliner)
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 10 Minutes (Disney Skyliner)
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 25 Minutes
Disney Springs - 20 Minutes

Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Magic Kingdom - 20 Minutes
EPCOT - 15 Minutes (Disney Skyliner)
Animal Kingdom - 20 Minutes
Hollywood Studios - 10 Minutes (Disney Skyliner)
Blizzard Beach - 15 Minutes
Typhoon Lagoon - 20 Minutes
Disney Springs - 15 Minutes