Disney's Old Key West Transportation Guide

Disney’s Old Key West is a sprawling resort that some might find challenging regarding transportation. On our first visit to the resort many years ago, I remember thinking I would never be able to figure it out. Was Old Key West so large that it required five bus stops? My first impression made me feel like this wasn’t the resort for me.

But I was wrong. While Old Key West is so spread out that it requires an internal bus system, it isn’t that difficult to figure out. It’s also a beautiful resort with spacious rooms and picturesque views everywhere you look. Considering our experiences, I designed a guide to help you conquer transportation at Disney’s Old Key West. If you have an upcoming vacation, you’ll want to review this guide beforehand.

By the time we’re done, you’ll have a good overview of how to get around the resort during your stay. Additionally, you’ll feel confident about getting from the resort to the theme parks and other popular destinations at Walt Disney World. You’ll also want to check the end of this guide for an opportunity to get our free transportation cheat sheet. It’s a great reference to use while on vacation.

So grab a slice of Key Lime pie from your fridge, relax in your backyard lounger, and join me as we tackle transportation options at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

Arriving at Old Key West via a water taxi. — Arriving at Disney’s Old Key West via a Disney Springs water taxi. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West Transportation Options

The following forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Old Key West.

Disney Bus Service
Disney Water Taxis
Walking

You can walk between Old Key West, Disney Springs, and Saratoga Springs. We’ll discuss these options below, but they are lengthy.

Disney’s Old Key West to Magic Kingdom

You’ll need to take a bus from Disney’s Old Key West Resort to the Magic Kingdom. Buses pick up in the following order at Old Key West:

Peninsular Road
South Point
Old Turtle Pond Road
Miller’s Road
Hospitality House

Wait times for the next bus are posted at each bus stop. We have found that wait times are pretty accurate. They are transmitted to the sign via a signal from the bus’s location. So, if you notice a fluctuation, it’s probably because the bus stopped at a light or ran into traffic.

You’ll return to Old Key West from the bus stop at Magic Kingdom. Buses will drop off in the same order when they arrive at Old Key West.

*If you need to visit the resort’s main lobby on the way back, you’ll want to exit the bus at Hospitality House. Hospitality House is the bus’s last stop before returning to Magic Kingdom.

Or you can exit at Peninsular Road (the first stop) and walk to Hospitality House. It’s approximately 0.25 miles, but it will be quicker than going through all the bus stops.

Disney's Old Key West to Magic Kingdom — The North Cove Road bus stop at Old Key West’s Hospitality House. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Epcot

You’ll take a bus from Disney’s Old Key West to Epcot. Buses continue to pick up in the same order for Epcot:

Peninsular Road
South Point
Old Turtle Pond Road
Miller’s Road
Hospitality House

Old Key West Bus Stop — The Turtle Pond Road bus stop at Disney’s Old Key West. | Resorts Gal

You’ll return from Epcot the same way. Remember to exit at Hospitality House if you want to pick up something from the gift shop or restaurant before returning to the room.

Or you can exit at Peninsular Road (the first stop) and walk to Hospitality House. You’ll have to cross an internal road, but you can see Hospitality House from the bus stop.

Shows the walk between Peninsular bus stop and the Old Key West lobby. — To avoid the entire bus loop, exit at Peninsular and walk to Hospitality House. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Hollywood Studios

You’ll take a bus from Old Key West to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Buses continue to pick up in the same order as the other parks.

Peninsular Road
South Point
Old Turtle Pond Road
Miller’s Road
Hospitality House

You’ll return from Hollywood Studios to Old Key West the same way. Remember to exit at Hospitality House if you want to pick up something from the gift shop or restaurant before returning to the room. Or you can exit at Peninsular Road (the first stop) and walk to Hospitality House.

Millers Road at Old Key West — Millers Road Bus Stop at Disney’s Old Key West Resort | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Animal Kingdom

You’ll take a bus from Disney’s Old Key West to Animal Kingdom. Buses continue to pick up in the same order:

Peninsular Road
South Point
Old Turtle Pond Road
Miller’s Road
Hospitality House

You’ll return from Animal Kingdom the same way. Remember to exit at Hospitality House if you want to pick up something from the gift shop or restaurant before going back to the room. Or exit at Peninsular Road (the first stop) and walk to Hospitality House.

Hospitality House at Old Key West — Hospitality House is where you’ll find the resort’s gift shop, restaurants, and feature pool. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs

You’ll have two options for traveling from Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs. You can take a bus or a boat from the resort to Disney Springs.

Buses pick up in a different order for the Disney Springs route:

Hospitality House
Peninsular Road
South Point
Old Turtle Pond Road
Miller’s Road
Hospitality House

The Disney Springs bus is the resort’s internal bus that guests can take from Hospitality House to the bus stop nearest their accommodations. However, all buses will stop at Hospitality House before leaving the resort. So you can take any bus from your resort area to Hospitality House. (Only the Disney Springs bus makes the additional second stop at Hospitality House before leaving the resort.)

Technically, you can walk from Old Key West to Disney Springs. But it’s a reasonably remote path that crosses part of the golf course. We have only done the path on bicycles, but I would say it’s a long walk from Old Key West to Disney Springs. So, I wouldn’t recommend walking as a viable option for getting to Disney Springs.

Old Key West to Disney Springs boat — Water Taxis travel from Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs. | Resorts Gal

#1 Take a Bus from Old Key West to Disney Springs

You can take a bus from Old Key West to Disney Springs. Buses run regularly to and from Old Key West to Disney Springs.

Note: Often, when you get to the bus stop at Old Key West, the sign will indicate to take a water taxi to Disney Springs. It isn’t very clear. But if you wait, the bus to Disney Springs will come. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually have the estimated time listed.

Bus Wait times at Disney's Old Key West — Wait Times Sign for the Bus at Disney’s Old Key West | Resorts Gal

#2 Take the Disney Vacation Ferry (Water Taxi) to Disney Springs

Most will want to take the water taxi from Old Key West to Disney Springs. It is a pleasant boat ride back and forth between the two destinations. A green flag identifies Old Key West water taxis. They dock at the Marketplace at Disney Springs.

You’ll experience scenic views on the boat ride to Disney Springs. | Resorts Gal

Walking Between Disney’s Old Key West and Saratoga Springs

Similar to walking to Disney Springs, you can walk from Old Key West to the Treehouse Villas, Saratoga Springs, or Disney Springs. Again, this is an exceptionally remote path. We enjoy renting bikes at either resort and using the trail. But other than that, you will not likely see anyone except for an occasional boat passing. Here is a photo of the walkway from the afternoon we rented bicycles at Saratoga Springs.

remote walkway between Old Key West and Disney Springs — Conch Flats Trail at Disney’s Old Key West | Resorts Gal

Accessibility at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

Most transportation options at Disney’s Old Key West 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 water taxis accommodate most wheelchairs and ECVs. Disney has an excellent resource on their site if you want to learn more: Mobility Disabilities at Disney World.

DVC Ferry waiting area at Disney's Old Key West — Entrance to the DVC Ferry at Disney’s Old Key West Resort | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney’s Water Parks

Occasionally, Disney offers direct bus service to and from the resort to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. However, that is rare. When you reach the bus stop, the electronic sign will indicate which bus to take to which water park.

Usually, guests must take the bus to Disney Springs when traveling to Typhoon Lagoon. When you reach Disney Springs, you’ll exit that bus and board a transfer bus to Disney Springs. Someone will be in the area to direct you to the correct bus stop. It’s not far. However, when you leave Typhoon Lagoon, you’ll have to walk further to find the resort bus stop at Disney Springs. So you’ll want to make sure to have a change of clothes for the return trip.

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

*Important Note–You do not want to take the boat from Old Key West to Disney Springs to visit Typhoon Lagoon. The water taxi service drops off at The Marketplace. From there, you must walk to the Marketplace entrance at Disney Springs. Then, you would walk across most of the venue to reach the transfer bus to Typhoon Lagoon. I haven’t timed it precisely, but I estimate that the route would take close to an hour and involve a good deal of walking.

View of Disney Springs from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to the Monorail Resorts

Additionally, most guests will want to visit the monorail resorts for dining or touring. To do this, you can take a bus from Disney’s Old Key West 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)

Alternatively, you could take a bus from Old Key West to Hollywood Studios. Then, take a bus from Hollywood Studios to any of the monorail resorts.

Disney’s Polynesian is one of three monorail resorts. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney’s Boardwalk

If you want to travel to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn or other Epcot Resorts, take a bus from Old Key West to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Epcot Resorts include Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Swan and Dolphin.

From Hollywood Studios, you can walk to the Boardwalk or take a Friendship Boat. You’ll want to return to Old Key West in the same manner. However, if you’re staying out past theme park hours, you might have to order a car service (i.e., Lyft, Uber, Taxi, or Minnie Van) if the buses are no longer running.

Those would be pretty late hours to keep. But the Boardwalk does have a few places geared toward adults that are open relatively late.

Disney’s Boardwalk is a popular destination when visiting Walt Disney World. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness

For Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, you’ll take a bus from the resort to the Magic Kingdom. Once you arrive at Magic Kingdom, take a bus or the red flag boat to either resort.

*During inclement weather, you must take a bus from Magic Kingdom to Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness. Hopefully, you’ll get to take the boat, though. It’s a pleasant ride and part of the fun.

Boulder Ridge Lobby at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to the Skyliner Resorts

If you want to take a ride (for leisure) on the Disney Skyliner, take a bus from Old Key West 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 Resort, Art of Animation, Pop Century, Riviera Resort, and Epcot’s International Gateway.

*Remember, these tips are subject to Disney’s transportation hours of operation.

Disney’s Old Key West to Animal Kingdom Lodge

To visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, we usually take a bus 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 location is your intended destination.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is an excellent place to visit for dining and touring. | Resorts Gal

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs Area Resorts

If you want to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can boat from Old Key West to Disney Springs. You’ll have the following options:

Walk or take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Disney’s Saratoga Springs.
Take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter or Port Orleans Riverside Resorts.

Don’t miss these friendly alligators if you take the boat to Disney’s French Quarter. | Resorts Gal

Tip: If you find yourself in need of travel outside of complimentary transportation hours, you can order a car service (i.e., Lyft, Uber, Taxi, or Minnie Van). We try to avoid the extra expense as much as possible. But if we had late dining reservations or comparable, we would take a car service back to our hotel.

Final Thoughts on Transportation at Disney’s Old Key West

Hopefully, you received a few essential tips for getting to and from Disney’s Old Key West. Transportation can be challenging at first. But if you have a good base knowledge of how things work, you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly. For more articles related to Disney’s Old Key West Resort, you might enjoy the following:

Or you might like our entire list of Disney Resort Hotel Transportation Guides. For more on transportation, see our Disney World Transportation Guide. You might also enjoy our other popular resources for the Disney World Resorts and Dining at Disney World. Make sure to get a copy of our free PDF 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.