Grand Floridian Transportation Options

When it comes to Grand Floridian transportation options, there are quite a few choices. In fact, there are so many options that it might become a little overwhelming.

However, if you know which transportation option works best to get to your destination, you’ll be in good shape. With these thoughts in mind, I put together a list of transportation tips for the Grand Floridian based on my travels and experiences.

Often, when I’m visiting the resorts, I overhear guests asking for directions. Unfortunately, most families don’t visit Disney enough to be familiar with up-to-date transportation modes. And if you’re anything like me, sometimes, those memories are not always exactly how you remember them.

The other issue I’ve noticed is that not all cast members are familiar with the best ways to travel to a certain destination. Many of these employees come and go to work every day without ever visiting the parks or beyond. Therefore, they might unintentionally send you off in the wrong direction.

This article was updated on February 7, 2023.

Transportation Update per Disney:

“As we prepare to refurbish more guest rooms and buildings at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the walking path between Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom Park will be temporarily closed beginning Feb. 13 and is expected to reopen late this spring.

Boat and monorail transportation will remain available to Guests traveling to Magic Kingdom.”

Grand Floridian Transportation

Below is a list of all the different “how-to’s” we’ll cover for traveling to and from Disney’s Grand Floridian.

Transportation from the Grand Floridian to the following theme parks:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Hollywood Studios
• Animal Kingdom

Grand Floridian Transportation to these Disney destinations:

• Polynesian
• Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Boardwalk
• Disney Springs

*Details for those with mobility issues (i.e. wheelchair, ECVs) can be found here on Disney’s site.

Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom

There are several different options for transportation between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. If you’re staying at the Grand Floridian, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with these options. In the event of high crowds or inclement weather, you’ll need to know the best way to get back to your room.

Walking

You can now walk from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom in 10 minutes or so at an average pace. The walking path is located on the convention center side of the resort and continues underneath the monorail beam to the park.

For most, walking will be the simplest option for accessing the popular Disney theme park. And in some instances, it will be the quickest.

So you might consider walking when leaving Magic Kingdom in the evenings. That way, you won’t have to wait in the long line for the monorail or boats back to the Grand Floridian.

Additionally, the walkway is a pleasant place to decompress from the theme parks.

Monorail

It’s no secret that having immediate monorail access is a huge perk for planning a stay at the Grand Floridian. You can use the resort monorail to travel between Grand Floridan and Magic Kingdom.

The monorail for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is located on the second floor of the resort’s lobby. Another benefit is that you’ll go through security prior to boarding the monorail to Magic Kingdom.

Therefore, when you unload at Magic Kingdom, you can head straight to the turnstiles.

When leaving Grand Floridian via the monorail, Magic Kingdom is the first stop. It takes a few minutes to board everyone and then about three minutes to get to the park.

When leaving the Magic Kingdom, you’ll want to get in line for the resort monorail service. From there, you’ll have a couple of stops before getting back to the Grand Floridian.

The monorail travels in this order:

• Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Transportation and Ticket Center
• Disney’s Polynesian Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

With the extra stops on the resort monorail, it will take longer to return to the Grand Floridian.

Related: Disney World Monorail Guide

Boat Service

Additionally, there is another Grand Floridian transportation option for traveling to Magic Kingdom. And that’s the resort’s boat service.

Boat service starts about an hour before the park opens and then ends approximately an hour after the park close.

I recommend taking a boat over when the weather is enjoyable. It’s a pleasant ride and offers a unique viewpoint of seeing the Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian from the water.

Grand Floridian to Epcot

When visiting Epcot from the Grand Floridian, you’ll take the Epcot monorail to the park. However, you will have to travel to the Transportation and Ticket Center to board this monorail.

You’ll have two options to access the Epcot monorail from the Grand Floridian. First is walking to the Transportation and Ticket Center. This will require walking from the Grand Floridian to the Polynesian and then to the center.

Update: 2023 Construction Path Between Grand Floridian and Polynesian

Often, I walk full circle through this area and would guess it’s about a 20-minute walk from the center of the Grand Floridian to the Transportation and Ticket Center. And that guesstimate is at a moderate pace. However, I do stop for a few photos occasionally.

The other option is boarding the resort monorail and taking it around the loop to the Transportation and Ticket Center. After arriving, you’ll exit the resort monorail and board the Epcot monorail.

Taking the resort monorail around will likely take the same amount of time as it does to walk. Remember, you’re subject to every stop the monorail makes on the loop.

When you exit the resort monorail, pay attention to the overhead signs. You can walk directly across the ramp to board the monorail to Epcot. It’s a shorter walk than completely exiting and joining the line for Epcot.

The monorail ride from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Epcot is approximately 15 minutes. However, it’s really part of the Disney experience. Plan for the trip to take a minimum of 30 to 40 minutes after leaving the Grand Floridian to reach Epcot.

Grand Floridian to Hollywood Studios

There is only one Grand Floridian transportation option for accessing Hollywood Studios. You’ll need to take Disney’s bus transportation from the Grand Floridian to the Studios.

Grand Floridian’s bus stop is located outside the lobby’s front entrance to the far right. The bus stop has monitors that indicated the wait time for the next bus.

As for returning to the Grand Floridian from Hollywood Studios, here is a tip. If you were to happen upon a Polynesian bus while waiting, technically, you can take it back to the Polynesian. Then you’ll have to walk or monorail back over to the Grand Floridian.

Sometimes we do this intentionally to enjoy the walk between the resorts. You might even pick up a counter-service meal at Capt. Cook’s or a Dole Whip to take back with you to the Grand Floridian.

Realistically, we are usually doing this to stop by the Tiki Terrace, but you probably already know that. And hopefully, it’s about the time the Electrical Water Pageant is drifting by.

Related: Grand Floridian Resort Review

Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom

Similar to visiting Hollywood Studios, your only option for getting from the Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom is the resort’s bus service. This will be your return option as well.

Additionally, the same tip mentioned above can be used if you wanted to stop by the Polynesian on your way back to the resort. It really is a pleasant walk.

The bus ride from the Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom takes approximately 15 minutes. Of course, that doesn’t take into account the time you’ll have to wait at the bus stop.

Other Grand Floridian Transportation Options

Since I’ve already mentioned it several times, I wanted to briefly go over the walk between the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian. The walkway starts on the Grand Floridian Villas side of the resort. It continues around the shoreline and ends at the Polynesian’s Great Ceremonial House.

Related: Disney’s Polynesian Resort Review

This is one of my favorite walks at Disney, and I encourage everyone to take a leisurely sunset stroll through the area when visiting.

While we’re on the subject of transportation to and from the Grand Floridian, here are a few more tips for accessing other destinations.

You have probably heard the Wilderness Lodge is a popular dining destination at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it’s a little difficult to access using transportation from the Grand Floridian.

Related: List of Wilderness Lodge Restaurants

When leaving the Grand Floridian, you’ll want to walk, monorail, or boat to Magic Kingdom. After that, you’ll want to get in line for the boat to the Wilderness Lodge from Magic Kingdom.

Or you can take a bus from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. However, the boat is really the most enjoyable way to go when the weather is pleasant.

The boat ride between the park and the lodge takes 10-15 minutes. Make sure to dress appropriately in the event of cooler temperatures and potential rain. Some of the larger boats have interior seating. But some have exterior seating.

Disney’s Boardwalk, along with the entire Epcot Resorts Area, is another popular dining destination for guests. If you want to visit Boardwalk Inn using Disney’s transportation options, you’ll want to take a bus from the Grand Floridian to Hollywood Studios.

From Studios, you’ll exit the bus stop area and take an immediate right to access the walkway to the resort area. It’s about a 12-minute walk at a steady pace to reach the Boardwalk from the bus stop at Hollywood Studios.

Related: Disney’s Boardwalk Restaurants

If you don’t want to walk, you can join the line for the Friendship Boats. However, the boats will make several stops before arriving at the Boardwalk. In most instances, you’ll want to get off at the first stop (Swan and Dolphin) and then walk over the bridge to the Boardwalk.

When leaving the Boardwalk, the quickest option is to take a bus from that resort back to Magic Kingdom. Then use the walkway, boat, or monorail to get back across the water to the Grand Floridian.

Make sure you are aware of the park’s closing time. You might have to take a car service back to the Grand Floridian if you happen to be out late.

Additionally, you can always take a bus to Disney Springs from any resort at Disney. After that, you can locate the bus stop to return to Grand Floridian. This option can be fairly time-consuming. However, the only cost is your time.

Related: Disney Springs Transportation Guide

I would keep in mind that you are at the mercy of transportation in any of these scenarios. Meaning it could work smoothly or take much longer than desired. When on your way to dining reservations, leave plenty of room for travel time.

Most guests visit Disney Springs, or I assume they do, at least once during a vacation to Walt Disney World. Disney’s Grand Floridian provides bus transportation to and from the popular shopping, dining, and entertainment venue.

Lastly, Grand Floridian provides bus service to and from Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks. Both parks are excellent for planning an off day during your Disney World vacation.

For more information, all our articles are listed in our resort guide:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Additionally, we have a list of all the resorts at Walt Disney World that links to each resort. Or you might enjoy these popular forms of Disney Transportation:

• Disney Skyliner Resorts with Travel Times
• Using the Magic Kingdom Ferry
• Polynesian Transportation Options
• Parking at the Disney World Resorts
• Transportation Options for Every Hotel at Disney World

Hopefully, this review helped you determine the main options for Grand Floridian transportation. It’s taken many years of experience and practice to learn my way around Disney World.

In the comments:

What are your thoughts on the transportation options available at Grand Floridian? Will they factor into your planning a stay here?