Disney's Boardwalk Inn Transportation Guide

Disney’s BoardWalk Resort is a popular destination for all guests. If you’re staying at the Boardwalk, however, you’re privy to the resort’s incredible location and multiple complimentary transportation offerings. Therefore, you’ll want to know how to efficiently use those modes of transportation. That’s where we can help! We stay at Disney’s BoardWalk often and know how to get around.

Below, we’ll share our favorite ways of getting to the theme parks and other resorts. We’ve also provided photos from our stays that will jog your memory when you see them in real life. By the time you’re finished, those anxious worries about getting lost or being late will have subsided. You’ll feel confident, refreshed, and ready for vacation!

View of Disney's Boardwalk Inn from Epcot — Disney’s Boardwalk Inn offers multiple forms of transportation. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Transportation Options

The following forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort:

Transportation Mode	Take To:
Friendship Boats	Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Yacht and Beach, Swan and Dolphin Resorts
Disney’s Bus Service	Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach
Walking Paths	Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Yacht and Beach, Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Fantasia Mini Golf
Skyliner	Hollywood Studios, Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century, and Art of Animation, Epcot*

*The closest Skyliner station is at Epcot’s International Gateway, which is only a short walk away from the BoardWalk Resort.

*All of the routes we discuss below are based on our experience. Remember that transportation is subject to availability and hours of operation. We do not recommend resort transfers using complimentary transportation when you’re trying to get to another resort for an early breakfast reservation. In these cases, it’s almost always better to take a car service like Lyft, Uber, or Minnie Van.

Disney's Boardwalk side to Epcot — Disney’s Boardwalk offers guests the opportunity to walk to two theme parks. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Epcot

Perhaps the most significant benefit of staying at Disney’s BoardWalk is the proximity to Epcot. You’ll be a hop, skip, or jump away from the theme park. Well, that or a boat ride if you prefer. For travel to Epcot, you can walk or boat to Epcot’s International Gateway. It’s a short walk that averages less than ten minutes, depending on your room’s location. (It takes approximately eight minutes at an average pace from the hotel’s lobby.)

You can also take a FriendShip (boat service) from the BoardWalk’s water launch to the International Gateway. The boat dock sits in the center of the Boardwalk. You’ll join the line on the right side of the dock. Epcot is the next stop on the route. It takes about three minutes to get to Epcot from the Boardwalk via the boat service. Of course, that doesn’t include the time you wait for a boat to arrive.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Hollywood Studios

Like Epcot, you’ll have the same options for traveling from the BoardWalk to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Those options are walking and the Friendship Boat service. The walk is a bit further than the walk to Epcot. It takes about 16 minutes at an average pace from the lobby.

Walking path between Disney's Boardwalk and Hollywood Studios

We enjoy this walk, but you’ll want to consider the weather. If it’s exceptionally hot or impending weather is approaching, you might prefer the boat. If you take the boat, be aware that you’ll have two additional stops before you reach Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here’s the route:

Boardwalk’s Promenade Pier (This boat came from Epcot.)
Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club
Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Hotel
Arrives at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

When you’re leaving Hollywood Studios, the boat travels in the opposite direction, making the same stops until it finally reaches Epcot. Typically, three to four Friendship Boats travel these routes across Crescent Lake during operating hours.

It takes the boats an average of 25-30 minutes to travel the entire distance between Hollywood Studios and Epcot. TIP: On the return trip from Hollywood Studios, the boat’s captain will likely mention that if you’re staying at Disney’s Boardwalk, you might prefer to exit at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin. If you elect to exit at the Swan and Dolphin, you can walk across the bridge and be back at the Boardwalk in less than five minutes. This will be your quickest option because you won’t have to make the extra stop at Beach and Yacht Club.

Friendship Boats docked at Disney's Boardwalk.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Magic Kingdom

You’ll take a bus from the resort to the Magic Kingdom. The bus stop is down a walkway from the Boardwalk’s lobby that passes the convention center.

Buses to Magic Kingdom from Disney's Boardwalk Inn

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Animal Kingdom

You’ll also need to take the resort bus service to get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom from the Boardwalk. This bus route is shared with Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club. The bus stops in the following order: Yacht Club, Beach Club, BoardWalk, Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Boats departing Disney's Boardwalk Inn for Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Disney Springs

For Disney Springs, you’ll take the resort’s bus service. Disney Springs is not far from the resort, but the route can be congested and take longer due to multiple traffic lights. (The traffic lights in Florida are long.) When you get close to the venue, the buses join a private lane, which helps with traffic. This bus route is shared with Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club. The bus stops in the following order: Yacht Club, Beach Club, BoardWalk, Disney Springs.

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn to Disney’s Water Parks

When traveling to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, you’ll need to follow the instructions at the resort’s bus stop for which bus to take. Either a direct bus service will be provided, or you’ll have to take a transfer bus. The electronic sign at the bus stop will indicate which bus to take.

Here’s how the transfer process works if direct bus service isn’t provided:

For Typhoon Lagoon, you’ll take the bus to Disney Springs. When you reach Disney Springs, you’ll exit that bus and board a transfer bus to Typhoon Lagoon. Someone is usually in the area to direct you to the correct bus stop. It’s only a short walk. Upon leaving, you’ll take a bus from Typhoon Lagoon back to Disney Springs. Then, you’ll have to walk a little further to find the BoardWalk’s bus stop at Disney Springs.

For Blizzard Beach, you’ll take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Then, you’ll board a nearby transfer bus to Blizzard Beach. You’ll return in the same manner.

The Skyliner

Guests often enjoy experiencing the Disney Skyliner for leisure. If you’re staying at the BoardWalk, there’s no real need to take the Skyliner to a theme park. (It would be out of the way.) But you might want to take a gondola ride to visit the resorts on the Skyliner or to Hollywood Studios for the fun of it. Here’s how to do that.

Walk or boat to the Skyliner Station at Epcot’s International Gateway and board the Skyliner.

From there, you’ll go directly to the following:

Disney’s Riviera (can exit here if desired or continue to Caribbean Beach)
Disney’s Caribbean Beach (all guests have to exit here and reboard)

From Disney’s Caribbean Beach, you can board an individual line to the following:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Pop Century or Art of Animation (same stop)
Back to Disney’s Riviera (can exit here or continue to Epcot)

Once you board the Skyliner, a recording will play over the loudspeaker, indicating where you are headed and whether or not you’ll need to exit. So, while it might feel overwhelming, it’s a fairly simple process. Cast members are at each drop-down to assist guests.

Boardwalk Inn to the Disney Skyliner — Disney’s Skyliner is a unique and scenic way to travel at Walt Disney World. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Boardwalk to the Monorail Resorts

Most guests will want to visit the monorail resorts for dining or touring. To do this, you can take a bus from Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Magic Kingdom. From there, you will have to walk through security at Magic Kingdom. Then you can walk, boat, or monorail to the following resorts:

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (walk, boat, monorail)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (boat, monorail, technically can walk via the Grand Floridian walkway to Magic Kingdom)
Disney’s Contemporary Resort (walk or monorail)

the resort monorail entrance at Magic Kingdom

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness

For Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, take a boat from the BoardWalk to Magic Kingdom. From there, you can take a bus or a boat to either resort. (The bus is quicker since you’re already at the bus stop, but the boat is a wonderful way to travel if you’re not in a hurry.)

Alternatively, you can walk or boat to Hollywood Studios. After you get to Hollywood Studios, you can catch a bus to any of the Magic Kingdom Resorts.

Disney’s Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom Lodge

To visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, we usually take a bus from the Boardwalk to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Then, we’ll take a bus from the Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Note that the bus makes two stops at the Lodge. The first is Kidani Village, and the second is Jambo House. You’ll want to know which bus stop is your intended destination.

You can also boat or walk to Hollywood Studios and take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Remember that complimentary transportation is subject to hours of operation.

the Boardwalk sign near the resort entrance

Disney’s Boardwalk to the Resorts Near Disney Springs

If you would like to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can take a bus from the Boardwalk to Disney Springs. You’ll have these options:

Disney’s Saratoga Springs (Walk or take a water taxi from Disney Springs Marketplace.)
Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Old Key West (Take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to these resorts.)

Alternate: Take a bus to Disney Springs and board another bus to these resorts. The Disney Springs Resorts bus stops are all on the front row, closest to the venue.

Alternate: You can also boat or walk to Hollywood Studios from the BoardWalk. Then, take a bus to any of the resorts near Disney Springs.

Accessibility

Most transportation options at Disney World accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website. All bus stops have a separate spot for guests in wheelchairs and ECVs to wait. Additionally, the Friendship Boats and the Skyliner accommodate most wheelchairs and ECVs. Disney has an excellent resource on their site if you want to learn more: Transportation and Mobility Disabilities at Disney World

Place for ECVS and wheelchairs to wait at the bus stop.

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide helped you figure out how to get to and from Disney’s BoardWalk Resort. While getting around the property isn’t necessarily challenging, it is often frustrating not knowing the best way to do it. When you stay somewhere as convenient as the BoardWalk, you certainly want to know how to take advantage of the prime location.

Make sure to get a copy of our mini-pocket transportation PDF for the BoardWalk. You can save it to your mobile device to use as a reference on your vacation.

For more information about Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, you might enjoy these individual articles:

Additionally, we have a full list of transportation options at Disney World and a separate list of our hotel transportation guides.

In the Comments

Did this article help you figure out how to get to and from Disney’s Boardwalk? Do you have a form of transportation you prefer?