Getting around the Walt Disney World Parks comes in many forms. You can ride the monorail, boats, and even Disney’s motorcoaches. In fact, some resorts and parks are close enough to each other that you can walk! One of the huge perks of staying on Disney property is using Disney’s continuous transportation around property. With a property the roughly the size of Manhattan, it is important to know how to get where you need to go so you don’t miss out on the magic! This week, I am going to share some Tips for Getting around the Walt Disney World Parks with you!
Tip #1: Learn the transportation options at your resort before you arrive at Disney. Does your resort use Disney motorcoaches exclusively? Do you have the option of a water taxi or the monorail? These are important to know before you arrive. From there, look at your dining reservations. If you are at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, how are you going to get to Epcot after breakfast? You will likely take the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center and hop on the Epcot monorail from there. If you are at Disney’s Boardwalk for dinner, how are you going to get back to Caribbean Beach? You will likely take a bus from the Boardwalk, or one of the neighboring resorts, to Disney Springs and transfer to your resort bus from there. There are lots of options, and it’s important to know how to move about property.
Tip #2: Disney transportation runs continuously. You are not on a transportation schedule when you are at Walt Disney World. The transportation starts running an hour before the parks open and up to two hours after they close. Typically the motorcoaches depart the resorts every 20 minutes or so. There are monitors at bus stops now, as well as CastMembers to help you if you have questions as to when your bus is coming. You should plan 90 minutes to get to your Disney Dining reservation, especially if you are leaving from your resort.
Tip #3: Not all Disney resorts share transportation. Whether Disney resorts share transportation is ultimately dependent on the season. The large majority of the time, the All Star Resorts share buses amongst the three of them. Occasionally the Port Orleans will share between them. As far as the Deluxe resorts go, I have seen the Epcot area and Magic Kingdom area resorts share amongst them. However, that is not on a consistent basis in my experience.
Tip #4: Consider alternatives to your destination. I know, Disney involved a lot of walking. However, walking can be a faster way to get where you need to go. You can walk to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from the Epcot Area resorts. These include Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. You can walk to Disney Springs from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. You can also walk to Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Don’t want to walk? Take a boat. Disney offers water taxi service to Disney Springs from Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter Resorts. You can also take water taxis from the Epcot resorts to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Tip #5: Be prepared to board your Disney transportation when it arrives. This is a huge time saving tip. If you have strollers or wheelchairs, be as prepared as possible to board the monorail, bus, or boat. That means having your belongings together, and possibly your stroller folded up so you can easily board the bus with your family.
Visiting Walt Disney World and getting around can take some planning. Be sure to check with your Disney resort if you have questions about the most efficient transportation options.
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