Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Buses (Schedule, Stops, and Average Route Times)

Staying at Disney’s Art of Animation has its perks. One of those perks is having access to complimentary transportation. You’ll have the option to take the bus and the Skyliner (depending on your destination) at Art of Animation. For this article, we’ll focus specifically on the bus system, including average travel times, internal bus stops, and what to expect during your stay.

Upfront, it’s important to note the resort does not offer bus transportation to the Skyliner destinations unless the gondola system is not operating. So you will need to take the Skyliner when visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. (I try to mention this because some people think the Skyliner is an alternative, and if you fear heights, you would probably want to know that before deciding on a resort.)

Now, for the buses. Unfortunately, I can’t estimate how long you’ll have to wait for the bus. We visit often, and I rarely wait more than 15 minutes. That said, we can provide the average time it takes to travel from Disney’s Art of Animation to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. During our stays, we track the time each route takes (multiple times) to provide an estimate of what to expect.

An Important Observation

Art of Animation’s bus stop is in front of Animation Hall. It’s accessible via the resort’s lobby or the Ink and Paint Gift Shop. Each bus stop has a chain-link queue with signage. As you can imagine, it’s a busy place first thing in the morning, so expect long lines. If it’s raining, you’ll want to have an umbrella. Some of the stops are partially covered but not entirely.

On our last stay, we were waiting for a bus in a long line in the pouring rain. When the rain intensified, I decided to exit the line to seek shelter. Well, only a few of us moved. When the bus arrived, it quickly filled up, and we were left to wait for the next bus.

Average Bus Travel Times for Disney’s Art of Animation

Here are our travel times for the buses at Disney’s Art of Animation. Remember, our travel times do not include how long we waited for the bus. Wait time signs are posted at the resort bus stop, indicating when the next bus will arrive. The times below are how long it takes to get between the resort and the destination. Again, these are the averages of several trips and do not consider extenuating circumstances like significant traffic.

Buses From:	To:	Time:
Art of Animation	Magic Kingdom	16 minutes
Art of Animation	Disney’s Animal Kingdom	10 minutes
Art of Animation	Disney Springs	11 minutes

Want a quick reference? Download our Art of Animation Bus Travel Times Printable. (No email required.)

We hope you enjoyed this preview of the bus times at Disney’s Art of Animation. For a more detailed look at the buses, you might enjoy our guide: Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s Buses. You might enjoy our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Art of Animation. Or you might like to preview our Disney Bus Travel Times Guide.

For more transportation guides related to the resort, you might like:

• Disney’s Art of Animation Transportation Guide
• Transportation Map with Bus Stops and Skyliner for Art of Animation
• Are the Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Really That Far?

Not sure how to get from your resort to the Magic Kingdom or another resort for dining? Our free Disney Art of Animation PDF Cheat Sheet includes the best routes (bus, boat, monorail, or Skyliner) to popular destinations. 

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Explore our resources, including our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is a wonderful resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.