Disney’s Contemporary Resort Transportation Options (With How-To’s For Each Destination)

Contemporary Transportation Options List

Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers the following forms of transportation.

• Monorail
• Resort Watercraft
• Disney Buses
• Walking

You can travel directly to and from Disney’s Contemporary to the following Disney Destinations:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disney Springs

Additionally, you can use Disney transportation to travel to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and other Walt Disney World Resorts. However, most of these destinations require multiple forms of transportation. We’ll discuss specifics for traveling to some of the more popular destinations below.

Resorts Gal Disclaimer: All of the photos and information provided (including travel times) are from our experience, time spent at the resort, and expenditures.

How to Get To Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary

First, we’ll review how to get to the Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary.

Take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary

For starters, you can take the resort monorail from the resort to Disney’s Contemporary. To access the monorail, you’ll need to head up (or possibly down) to the fourth floor, commonly known as the Grand Concourse.

If you’re coming in from the lobby, Bay Lake Tower, or the Garden Wing, you can take the stairs, escalator, or elevator up to the monorail. You’ll have to walk through a security screening on the Grand Concourse level to access the monorail.

Tip: Security always says to hold any significant metal objects out in front of me when I walk through. I try to have my camera and umbrella in my hands before I get to the area. Then, I hold them out as far as possible when I walk through the metal detector.

If the metal detector alerts and security can’t visibly identify what caused it, you’ll be asked to step to the side for further screening. They will go through your personal belongings to identify the cause.

So if you don’t know, you don’t know. But if you know what’s causing the issue, it’s much easier to have it held out in front of you. Security is there for a reason. That reason is not to give you a hard time. On a side note, cell phones and car keys typically don’t alert the detectors.

After going through the security checkpoint at the Contemporary, you’ll take an escalator to the next level. An elevator is available for those who need it and wait for the next monorail.

Walkway to Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Contemporary

In addition to the monorail, you can also walk from Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom. This direct route is often the shortest for those who don’t mind a few extra steps.

Disney’s Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower guests can access the walkway beyond the resort bus stop. The walkway from Disney’s Contemporary to Magic Kingdom is a little shy of half a mile and takes approximately 10 minutes.

Along the way, you will cross a few intersections in the parking lot and one moderately busy road. However, a crosswalk is provided.

You’ll run into a security clearance area about halfway to Magic Kingdom. So you will not have to go through security again once you reach Magic Kingdom.

How to Get to Epcot from the Contemporary

Traveling to Epcot from Disney’s Contemporary Resort requires a few steps. You must take the resort monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Then, you’ll exit and board another monorail to Epcot.

*Bus service is only provided during inclement weather or when the monorail goes down.

Thankfully, the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) is the first stop after leaving the Contemporary. So you don’t have far to travel. After you exit the resort monorail, you’ll usually have the option to go left to the exit or a separate walkway to the right leads directly to the Epcot monorail platform. Both ways will get you to the right place. But, if you remember to follow the signs, the ramp to Epcot will save you a couple of extra steps. (It’s also covered.) However, if you are in a crowd and aren’t paying attention, you’ll want to join the line for the Epcot monorail once you reach the bottom. Most people miss it.

It takes approximately 11 minutes to travel from the TTC to Epcot. It’s a pleasant ride that offers a glimpse inside Epcot before arriving back outside the park’s gates.

One good thing about this route is that you only have to go through security at the Contemporary. During your travels, you’ll remain in a secure area.

When you arrive at Epcot, you’ll exit the platform and head straight to the ticket turnstiles. Upon leaving Epcot, you’ll reboard the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Then, you’ll take the exit ramp and reboard the resort monorail. (There are no special ramps on the way back.)

You’ll then have to stop at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Magic Kingdom before returning to the Contemporary. Therefore, the return route will take longer with the extra stops on the resort monorail.

Monorail Hours at Disney’s Contemporary

Per Disney, “The Resort Monorail and Express Monorail begin operating 30 minutes prior to when Magic Kingdom park opens and stop one hour after Magic Kingdom park closes.”

Hours include the extra half-hour early theme park benefit offered daily. Additionally, the resort monorail continues to run for deluxe resort extended evening hours and extra-ticketed parties at Magic Kingdom.

How to Get to Hollywood Studios from the Contemporary

You’ll need to use Disney’s complimentary bus transportation when traveling to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The bus stop is to the immediate right when you exit the Contemporary’s main entrance, as shown in the photo below.

Bus service at Disney’s Contemporary is *often shared with Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Buses stop in the following order: Disney Destination, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Disney’s Contemporary.

So, if you’re leaving the Contemporary to visit Hollywood Studios, you’ll head directly to the theme park. However, when you leave Hollywood Studios, you’ll make a pit stop to drop off and pick up guests at the Wilderness Lodge.

*Often means most of the day. But this is not always the case when many guests are headed to the park first thing in the morning.

How to Get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom from the Contemporary

Those traveling to Disney’s Animal Kingdom will also want to take the resort bus service from Disney’s Contemporary to the park. Remember, the bus will likely stop at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge on the return trip.

How to Get to Disney Springs from the Contemporary

Disney’s Contemporary also provides bus service to Disney Springs. It takes approximately 20 minutes to reach Disney Springs from the Contemporary. Disney buses drop guests off at Town Center, the middle entrance to Disney Springs.

It’s not uncommon to encounter traffic around the Disney Springs area. So allow 45 minutes to an hour to get to the venue, which will account for traffic and how long you have to wait for the bus.

When you leave Disney Springs, you’ll want to locate the bus stop for the Contemporary. As a reference point, there’s a walkway to the bus stops near the Coca-Cola Store and Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill.

Resort watercraft has returned to Disney’s Contemporary after being missing for many years. The resort boat service travels in the following orders:

• Disney’s Contemporary
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

or

• Disney’s Contemporary
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness

Typically, two boats are running in opposite directions. Either boat should get you where you’re going. This is known as the Blug Flag service. For more details, you might like to read our transportation tips for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. We also have a separate guide that discusses transportation at Fort Wilderness.

How to Get from the Contemporary to Other Disney Destinations

Here are a few tips for traveling to other popular destinations from the Contemporary.

• Take the resort monorail to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

• Take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. From there, take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Note that the first stop at Animal Kingdom Lodge will be Kidani Village, and the second stop will be Jambo House.

• If you visit Disney’s Boardwalk from the Contemporary, take a bus to Hollywood Studios. Then you can walk or take a Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk. (Check to ensure that transportation is within operating hours if you have an early breakfast or late dinner.)

• If you want to ride the Disney Skyliner, take a bus from the Contemporary to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and board the Skyliner. We have a separate guide that details Disney’s Skyliner’s route. Stops include Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation, Pop Century, Riviera Resort, and Epcot’s International Gateway.

Related: Transportation Options at Disney’s Hotels

Final Thoughts on Transportation at Disney’s Contemporary

Hopefully, this article gave you an idea of how to get around Walt Disney World when staying at the Contemporary. We love this resort for many reasons, but most of all, for its convenience.

If you want to learn more about Disney’s Contemporary Resort, we have several popular articles:

• Garden Wing Resort Review at the Contemporary
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort Review
• Incredibles Room Tour at Disney’s Contemporary
• Disney’s Contemporary Restaurants List
• The Pools at Disney’s Contemporary
• Disney’s Bay Lake Tower Review