How Disney’s Skyliner Works During Inclement Weather (Rain and Delays)
If you’ve ever wondered how the Disney Skyliner operates during rain or a thunderstorm, picture this. It’s a beautiful day at Disney World. The sun is shining bright, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky that morning when you hopped on board the Skyliner to spend the day at Epcot. But now it’s a little after 2:00 p.m., and you’ve managed to get soaked in a torrential downpour after exiting Frozen Ever After. There is no way you’ll make it the rest of the day without a change of clothes. Plus, an hour or two break will hopefully allow the thunderstorm to pass.
As you put on a poncho and trudge toward Epcot’s International Gateway, the only thing on your mind is getting out of these icky wet clothes. About the time you make it to the France Pavilion, it dawns on you that the Skyliner is probably not working! Sure enough, the Skyliner is at a complete standstill when it comes into view. As you approach the park’s exit, you see signage indicating the Skyliner is not operating.
If this is the case, you will need to continue to the front of the park, where bus service will be provided back to your resort. You’ll want to be prepared that it’s a long walk from the International Gateway to Epcot’s front entrance, especially if the weather is terrible.
As far as how the Skyliner operates, it continues to run when it’s raining. It does not, however, operate in the event of inclement weather. So if lightning is within a certain mile radius, the Skyliner will close.
In our experience, Disney has also offered bus service from the Beach Club and the Boardwalk to the Skyliner Resorts when the Skyliner was down. For example, one evening we were leaving the park at closing and were directed to the BoardWalk to catch a bus. A bus picked us up and carried us back to our resort.
Another afternoon, we were directed to the Beach Club and a bus picked us up there. On those occasions, we rode a shared bus back to the Skyliner Resorts. The bus driver ensured everyone knew which resorts they were visiting and in what order they would be dropped off. Here’s how it worked:
- We exited the International Gateway at Epcot, and a cast member directed us to continue to Disney Beach Club.
- We boarded a bus from the Beach Club to the Skyliner Resorts. (We had to wait about 15 minutes for the bus to arrive.)
- The bus driver dropped guests off at Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resort, which are in the same area.
- The bus driver then stopped at Caribbean Beach, which is nearby. However, the bus only stopped at the Skyliner Station. So, from the Skyliner Station, you would have to wait on the internal bus at Caribbean Beach to get back to your resort area.
- Then, the bus driver dropped the rest of us off at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
This situation has happened to us a couple of times, and we usually stick with complimentary transportation to share our experiences with readers. That said, if I were visiting with family or needed to get back to my resort quickly, we would do things differently.
For example, we would take a Minnie Van or car service back to the resort from the Beach Club. The Skyliner Resorts are less than ten minutes away by car, and a car service can take you directly to your building if you’re at one of the larger resorts. (This is one of the few times I’d recommend the extra cost of taking a car service.)
If you’re near the front of Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios when the Skyliner is down, a cast member will direct you to the correct bus stop. A bus will take you back to the resort. So it’s a little more straightforward than being at the International Gateway.
If you’re at the resort and the Skyliner is down, buses are routed to pick you up at the resort bus stops. Hopefully, you won’t have any issues during your stay. But Florida is prone to daily afternoon thunderstorms during the hotter months. While the Skyliner continues to run in rain, it will cease to operate during lightning and/or windy conditions.
Final Thoughts
Overall, depending on the severity of the weather, the Skyliner might not be running. We hope this article was helpful in your planning process. For more of our coverage of the Skyliner, you might enjoy the following:
For more on transportation, see our guide to getting around Disney World. Check back with ResortsGal.com for more details.
In the Comments
Have you ever experienced weather delays while visiting Disney World? If so, please let us know in the comments section below.