How to Get to Disney Springs from Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Since Disney’s Animal Kingdom often closes earlier than the rest of the park, it’s not uncommon for guests to want to continue their day at Disney Springs. The only catch? No direct form of transportation is offered between the theme park and shopping venue. So below, I’ve provided a scenario followed by a couple of options on how to get to Disney Springs from Animal Kingdom.
Say you’re spending the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the park is scheduled to close by 6:00 p.m. It’s been a relaxing day, and everyone feels up to continuing the evening at Disney Springs. You secure a dining reservation. Now, you only need to figure out how to get there. You could take a bus back to your resort and then take another to Disney Springs, but you wonder if that’s the quickest way. The answer is that it will largely depend on where you’re staying. You can indeed take a bus to any resort from Disney’s Animal Kingdom and then take another bus to Disney Springs.
Every resort at Walt Disney World offers bus transportation to Disney Springs. That said, some resorts are out of the way, and we prefer a few over others. Below, we’ll discuss these routes and when you might use them.
Update: Please note that if you’re not a Disney Resort Hotel Guest, you can take transportation to Disney Springs, but you cannot take transportation from Disney Springs. See our overview of transportation at Disney Springs for more details on how things work.
Option 1: Take a Bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Transfer to Disney Springs
If I’m leaving Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Disney Springs, I will almost always choose this route. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is next to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. It’s approximately a 6-minute bus ride from the park to the resort. Since the resort is so close to the park, the resort’s buses tend to arrive more frequently. Often, we’ll see a bus pulling away, and a new bus arrives within just a few minutes.
You’ll board the bus and take it to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge-Kidani Village. The bus has two stops. The first stop is Kidani Village, and the second is Jambo House (the main lodge). You can exit at the first stop, Kidani Village, and then board the next bus to Disney Springs. The bus stop will have a wait times sign that displays the time for the next bus to Disney Springs. The bus ride from Kidani Village to Disney Springs takes approximately 18 minutes.
This option delivers you to the Town Center entrance of Disney Springs. Town Center is toward the center of the venue. If you’re headed to a specific restaurant once you arrive, we recommend looking at the Disney Springs map in the My Disney Experience app. Disney Springs is a huge venue, and if you went right when you were supposed to go left, you could end up doing a good deal of backtracking.
Option 2: Take a Bus from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Saratoga Springs and Walk to Disney Springs
You can also take a bus from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Saratoga Springs is a large resort with many bus stops. Once you reach the resort, you’ll exit at the Congress Park bus stop. It’s the fourth stop. The first three stops are the Grandstand, the Carrousel, and the Paddock.
You’ll see a sign from the Congress Park bus stop that says walkway to Disney Springs. Follow the short path through the resort and walk toward the water. You’ll soon take in this stunning view of Disney Springs. Once you see this view, you’ll take the walkway to your left. It leads to the Marketplace entrance of the venue. You’ll pass the boat docks on your way. We have a photo report that shares the details of walking from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs if you want more details.
Other Options
If you’re leaving Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can take any bus from the park and transfer to Disney Springs. Some of the most convenient options are the Skyliner Resorts: Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera. The Epcot Resorts are also convenient: Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk. Or the Animal Kingdom Area Resorts would work: Coronado Springs or any of the All-Stars (Movies, Music, and Sports).
The resorts near Magic Kingdom are out of the way: Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness.
Lastly, you could take a bus to the Disney Springs Resorts. We’ve already discussed Saratoga Springs, but these resorts include Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter. You can take a boat or bus to Disney Springs from any of these resorts. So, this is an option if you want to take the river cruise for pure enjoyment. However, it will take longer. See the Disney Springs Water Taxi Service if you want to learn more.
The Resorts Gal Spin
As you can see, getting to Disney Springs from Disney’s Animal Kingdom will take some time. Because of the extra transfer, I would allow 45 minutes to an hour for total travel time. So consider that when planning your departure and any reservation times. As mentioned above, you will also want to know how you’ll get to the restaurant once you reach Disney Springs. If you’re unfamiliar with the layout of Disney Springs, it could take some extra time to find your way around.
One last note: The quickest option for traveling to Disney Springs from Animal Kingdom is a car service like a Minnie Van, Uber, or Lyft. Our routes focus on using complimentary transportation offered by Disney. Minnie Vans pick up at Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s bus stop, and car services pick guests up on the sidewalk outside the park. When you exit the park, the sidewalk will be to your left, and the bus stop will be to your right.
Final Thoughts
I hope this walkthrough helped you figure out the best way to get from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Disney Springs. For more of this series, you might enjoy:
Or you might like to preview all of our routes in our overview of how to travel between Disney World parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. If you’re just getting started or need a refresher, you might also enjoy our guide to transportation at Disney World for beginners. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more details.
5 Disney Resort Hopping Plans + Tips
✨ Plan a seamless resort-hopping excursion in minutes. Sign up below, and we’ll send you a copy.
In the Comments
Do you have any other questions about getting to Disney Springs from Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments section below.
