The Complete Guide to Disney World Resort Hotel Transportation
Transportation is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a Disney World Resort Hotel. While all Disney Resorts offer complimentary transportation to and from the theme parks, the options can vary significantly by location. For example, if you’re staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, you can walk, take the monorail, or boat to Magic Kingdom. Meanwhile, guests at Disney’s All-Star Resorts would have to rely on taking the bus. The difference in convenience and options can impact both your time and planning.
This guide focuses specifically on transportation at the Disney Resort Hotels. Below, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions, an overview of each transportation option, and links to our individual hotel transportation guides. We consider our transportation resources to be one of our biggest assets. Each resort-specific guide details our experiences traveling to and from that hotel to help you better plan your stay.
Disney Resort Hotel Transportation FAQs
Below, we’ve listed some of the most frequently asked questions about transportation at Disney’s Resort Hotels. These answers are based on our experiences and ongoing updates.
What is the Best Disney Resort for Transportation?
This answer depends on what you value most: direct park access, multiple transportation options, or walking convenience. By direct park access, it’s also a matter of which you prefer: Magic Kingdom or Epcot and Hollywood Studios combined. Let me explain.
For overall convenience, we currently rank Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club (the BoardWalk is a close 2nd) as the best resort hotel for transportation. Their location is within walking distance of Epoct and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You can also access the Skyliner within a short walk, and both hotels offer boat and bus service. You have a good deal of options here.
However, we also think a hotel like Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers unique advantages, including monorail access and being only a short walk to and from Magic Kingdom. If you plan to park-hop or spend more time at Magic Kingdom, this might be the better option for you personally.
For a full breakdown of how each hotel compares, see our complete guide to the best Disney Resort for transportation.
Is transportation free at Disney’s Resort Hotels?
Yes, complimentary transportation is available when traveling to and from Disney Destinations, such as the theme parks, water parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs. (Routes between resorts may require a transfer, which we discuss more below.)
Is there a free shuttle from the airport to Disney Resort Hotels?
Guests must arrange their own transportation between the Orlando International Airport and their Disney Resort Hotel. Options include private car services, ride-share services, and motor coach transportation like Mears Connect.
Can you use Disney transportation to travel between resorts?
Yes, although most routes between hotels require at least one transfer. For example, if you’re at Disney’s Coronado Springs and want to visit Disney’s Polynesian Resort, you’ll need two forms of transportation. That scenario might look like this:
- Take a bus from Disney’s Coronado Springs to Magic Kingdom.
- Take the resort monorail or boat service from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Polynesian.
When transferring at Magic Kingdom, you will have to pass through security, but you do not need park admission unless you plan to enter the park itself.
Here’s another example of what you could do in the same scenario.
- Take a bus from Disney’s Coronado Springs to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Exit the bus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and find the bus stop for Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
- Take a bus from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the Polynesian.
Once you understand how transportation works at Disney, you’ll begin to think about things differently. Of course, hiring a car service or taxi to travel between the resorts will be quicker when you’re on a time crunch. But if you’re spending the day leisurely resort-hopping, like most things, the fun is in the journey, not the destination.
You can also explore our Best Transportation Routes Between Disney Resorts and Parks series for a complete list of routes we’ve covered. The series details the most efficient ways to travel to many popular destinations around Walt Disney World.
Tip: In most circumstances, we usually allow 1 to 1.5 hours for travel time with routes that require transfer. (e.g. resort-to-resort transfers, resort-park-resort transfers)
Can I take Disney transportation to a resort if I’m not staying at Disney World?
Yes. Disney transportation is available to all guests who are physically on Walt Disney World property. You do not need to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel to use buses, boats, monorails, or the Skyliner. For example, a guest visiting EPCOT may take a bus to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter for beignets mid-afternoon, and then return to Epcot the same way later.
Are car services (i.e., Uber, Lyft, Taxis) allowed at Disney’s Resort Hotels?
Yes. Ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft operate throughout Walt Disney World and provide pickup and drop-off at Disney Resort Hotels. (In some cases, non-resort guests may need a confirmed dining reservation to access a hotel by car.)
Disney’s Minnie Van Service is also available through the Lyft app and offers transportation across Walt Disney World property. You can read more about Minnie Vans on Disney’s site.
Do all Disney Resort Hotels provide transportation to the parks?
Yes. Every Disney-owned and operated resort hotel provides complimentary transportation to:
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Water parks (*might require transfer)
- Disney Springs
The type of transportation offered (bus, monorail, boat, Skyliner, or walking) varies by hotel. We provide a full breakdown of transportation options by hotel below.
Transportation Options at the Disney Resorts
Below, we’ve listed the resorts at Disney World based on transportation options. Sometimes, a resort has more than one form of transportation, so those resorts are listed multiple times where applicable.
Monorail Resorts
The following resorts are located on the resort monorail line at Walt Disney World.
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
For more on how the monorail works, see our Disney World Monorail Transportation Guide.
Skyliner Resorts
The following resorts all have stops on Disney’s Skyliner.
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
*Disney’s Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, the Swan and Dolphin, and Swan Reserve are all within walking distance of the Skyliner.
For more on how the Skyliner operates, see our Disney World Skyliner Guide.
Resorts Within Walking Distance of Magic Kingdom
These resorts have walking paths to the Magic Kingdom.
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
*Additionally, if you’re staying at Disney’s Polynesian, you can take the walkway between the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. Then, you can continue to the Magic Kingdom.
Resorts Within Walking Distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios
These resorts have walking paths to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
- Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort
For more details, see our overview of resorts within walking distance of a theme park at Disney World.
Resorts with Boat Service to Magic Kingdom
Each of the following resorts has boat service to and from the Magic Kingdom.
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
For more details, we have an overview of how Resort Boat Service to Magic Kingdom works.
Resorts with Boat Service to Epcot and Hollywood Studios
These resorts have boat service to and from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
- Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort
See our guide to the Friendship Boats at Disney World for more details, routes, and schedules.
Resorts with Water Taxis to Disney Springs
The following resorts offer water taxis to and from Disney Springs.
- Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
We go into the details of this offering in our guide to the Disney Springs Resort Water Taxis Service.
Resorts with Only Bus Transportation
While all the resorts listed above offer bus service to various locations, a few only offer bus service to all destinations. Those resorts are:
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Learn more about how the buses operate in our Disney Resort Bus Schedule guide.
Resort Hotel Transportation Guides
Below, we’ve listed our transportation guides for each resort. These articles will provide tips for traveling to and from each hotel. They are listed by location.
Magic Kingdom Resort Transportation Guides:
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Transportation Guide
Epcot Resort Transportation Guides:
- Disney’s Beach Club Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Yacht Club Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Transportation Guide
Disney’s Skyliner Transportation Options:
- Disney’s Riviera Resort Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Art of Animation Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Pop Century Transportation Guide
Disney Springs Resort Transportation Guides
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Old Key West Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Transportation Guide
- Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Transportation Guide
Animal Kingdom Resorts Area
Final Thoughts
We hope you found this guide helpful in planning your routes between the resorts and other destinations. Walt Disney World is a big place, and often, it’s a headache to figure out the best way to get to and from your resort to another destination on the property.
However, if you have a base idea of how everything works and what options you have, you’re far better off than most. Also, the more familiar you are, the more you’ll be willing to venture to more destinations, including some of Disney’s stunning resorts!
Who knows where you’ll end up? You can find a complete overview of the various modes of transportation offered in our beginner’s guide to transportation at Walt Disney World.
5 Memorable 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
Did you find this resort transportation guide helpful? Let us know in the comments below.