Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Transportation Options + Tips
Are you planning an upcoming stay at Disney’s Polynesian? If so, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the transportation options before your arrival. One of the most critical aspects of planning a Disney vacation is learning about transportation options. If you plan your trip and forget to figure out how to get to and from your resort, you’ll find yourself at a loss while on vacation—or worse, lost.
A deluxe resort like Disney’s Polynesian Village offers different modes of transportation, which can make things confusing. For this review, we’ll look at the transportation options available at Disney’s Polynesian Resort and discuss how to get to and from the Polynesian and other popular destinations.
Polynesian Transportation Options List
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has the following transportation options available:
- Disney World Resort Monorail
- Resort Watercraft
- Disney Bus Transportation
- Walking
You can travel to and from the Polynesian to the following Disney Destinations:
- Magic Kingdom
- Epcot
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney Springs
Additionally, you can travel to Disney’s water parks like Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, and other Walt Disney World Resorts. However, most of these destinations require the use of multiple forms of transportation. We’ll discuss specifics for traveling to some of the more popular destinations below.
How to Get to Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian
First, we’ll review how to get to and from the Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Several options are available.
Take the Monorail from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom
Naturally, the monorail is the most popular mode of getting to the Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian. Disney’s Polynesian monorail platform is located on the second floor of the Great Ceremonial House.
For reference, the Great Ceremonial House is the resort’s lobby. Once you get to the lobby, you can use the staircase or elevator to reach the second floor.
Before you reach the monorail platform, you must go through security. However, when you arrive at Magic Kingdom, you’ll still be within the secure area and can walk directly to the ticket turnstiles.
Disney’s resort monorail stops at the Magic Kingdom and surrounding resorts. After you leave the Polynesian, you will have one stop at Disney’s Grand Floridian before arriving at Magic Kingdom.
When you exit Magic Kingdom, you’ll want to take the resort monorail back to the Polynesian. It is the monorail line on the left, closest to the lagoon. The resort monorail stops at Disney’s Contemporary and the TTC before it gets to the Polynesian on the return trip from Magic Kingdom.
Related: Disney Hotels on the Monorail
The line on the right at Magic Kingdom is for the express monorail, which travels directly to the Transportation and Ticket Center. If your room at the Polynesian is in a longhouse near the TTC, you might prefer to take the express monorail and then walk to your room.
The walkway between the Polynesian and Transportation and Ticket Center is relatively short. Pago Pago, Tokelau, and Moorea are the closest longhouses to the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Monorail Hours for the Polynesian
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.” (Reference: Disney Monorail Hours) These hours include early theme park benefits. Additionally, the resort monorail will continue to run for deluxe resort extended evening hours and extra-ticketed parties at Magic Kingdom.
Resort Watercraft to Magic Kingdom
Guests can also take resort watercraft to and from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian. Boat service travels directly from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom. After that, it returns to Grand Floridian before arriving back at the Polynesian.
This boat service begins one-half hour before the park opens. Boats continue to run until 45 minutes after the park closes. It’s a wonderful way to travel across Seven Seas Lagoon.
Walking between the Polynesian and Magic Kingdom
While not the shortest method, guests might also like to walk from the Polynesian to the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, due to the construction of a new DVC Resort at the Polynesian, you’ll have to take a temporary construction walkway between the Polynesian and Grand Floridian. (Update: All walkways between the resorts are closed at this time.)
We have stayed at the Polynesian many times and enjoy walking this route when the weather is pleasant. It’s an excellent way to decompress from the parks. From the Great Ceremonial House, it takes approximately 25 minutes to reach the Magic Kingdom at an average pace. You’ll take the pathway to the Grand Floridian. Then, join the walkway from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom. The entrance is just past Gasparilla Island Grill.
So, although walking isn’t necessarily the quickest option, it far beats standing in a long line for the monorail or boats after the evening fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
How to Get to Epcot from the Polynesian
You will need to take the Epcot monorail to travel to and from the Polynesian to Epcot. There are two standard options for getting to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where the Epcot monorail line is located.
First, you can walk. A walkway from the resort extends to the Transportation and Ticket Center. As mentioned earlier, Pago Pago, Tokelau, and Moorea are the closest longhouses to the Transportation and Ticket Center.
When you arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center, you’ll first go through security. Then, you’ll want to get in line for the Epcot monorail. It’s on the far right, past the entrance to the resort monorail and express monorail. Or you can take the resort monorail from the Polynesian nearly full circle to the Transportation and Ticket Center. This option often takes longer because you’ll stop at the Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary before reaching the TTC.
When you exit the resort monorail at the TTC, a separate ramp leads to the Epcot monorail. If you look up, a sign will point you in the right direction, but most people miss it. It takes approximately 11 minutes to reach Epcot via the monorail from the Transportation and Ticket Center. The ride is pleasant and travels through Epcot before exiting again near the park’s front entrance.
Once you exit the Epcot monorail, you’ll remain in a secured area. This allows you to walk directly to the ticket turnstiles instead of going through another security checkpoint.
*Bus service is only provided during inclement weather or when the monorail goes down.
How to Get to Hollywood Studios from the Polynesian
You’ll need to use Disney’s bus transportation when traveling to and from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Polynesian bus stop sits near the parking lot in front of the former Lilo’s Playhouse.
A walkway from the Great Ceremonial House leads directly to the bus stop. Signage at the bus stop will indicate the wait times for the next bus.
It takes approximately 15 minutes to travel from Disney’s Polynesian to Hollywood Studios. When you leave Hollywood Studios, the bus stop for Disney’s Polynesian is usually Gate 6, which is within the first bay.
Bus service at the Polynesian is shared with Disney’s Grand Floridian. Buses stop in the following order: Disney’s Polynesian, Disney’s Grand Floridian, and then the Disney Destination. They will then leave the destination and return to the resorts in the same order.
How to Get to Animal Kingdom from the Polynesian
Those looking to get from the Polynesian to Disney’s Animal Kingdom will also want to take the resort bus service. It takes approximately 20 minutes to travel between Disney’s Polynesian and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
How to Get to Disney Springs from the Polynesian
Disney’s Polynesian also provides bus service to Disney Springs. The bus ride from the Polynesian to Disney Springs averages 17 minutes. 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 a good 45 minutes to an hour to get to the venue, depending on how long you have to wait for the bus.
When you leave Disney Springs, you’ll want to locate the bus stop for the Polynesian. As a reference point, there’s a walkway to the bus stops near the Coca-Cola Store and Wolf Gang Pucks.
How to Get to Disney’s Water Parks from the Polynesian
When visiting Typhoon Lagoon, you’ll take a bus to Disney Springs from the Polynesian. From there, you’ll reboard a bus to Typhoon Lagoon. At the end of your visit, you’ll take a bus from Typhoon Lagoon back to Disney Springs. Then, you’ll locate the Polynesian’s bus stop.
Tip: All the stops are a bit of a nuisance on the way back to the resort. We usually drive or take a car service on the return trip.
If you want to learn more about getting around Disney Springs, we have an entire guide with different Disney Springs transportation tips. For Blizzard Beach, you’ll take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. From there, you’ll take a transfer bus to Blizzard Beach. You’ll follow the same methods to return.
From time to time, Disney offers direct bus service to the water parks. When you get to the bus stop, you can check the wait time screen. It will indicate a separate slot when direct bus service is running. But in most cases, it will say, “Take a transfer bus to the destination.”
How to Get From the Polynesian to Other Popular Destinations
Here are a few other transportation tips for Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
- Take the resort monorail to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
- If you are visiting Disney’s Boardwalk from the Polynesian, take a bus to Hollywood Studios. Then you can walk or take a Friendship Boat to the Boardwalk. (Check to make certain that transportation is within operating hours if you have an early breakfast or late dinner.)
- To reach Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, then take another bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. There are two stops at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. One is at Kidani Village, and the other is at Jambo House (the main lodge). Make sure to exit at the correct stop.
- If you would like to take a ride (for leisure) on the Disney Skyliner, take a bus 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.
*Remember these tips are subject to Disney’s transportation hours of operation.
Accessibility at Walt Disney World
Most transportation options at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website.
As far as Polynesian transportation goes, the resort watercraft might not always be an option for those in wheelchairs and ECVs. It will depend on which type of boat is running and other existing conditions like the water level. Learn More: Transportation and Mobility Disabilities at Disney World
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, a Disney vacation requires a good deal of planning. Here at Resorts Gal, we like to focus on the time you’ll spend at the resorts. That includes getting to and from them. For more information about transportation at Disney World, you might like to browse our resort guides:
If you want to learn more about Disney’s Polynesian Resort Hotel, you might enjoy:
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort Review
- A Club-Level Stay in the King Kamehameha Club
- Preview the Moana Rooms at the Polynesian
- Bora Bora Bungalows at the Polynesian
- Deluxe Studio at Disney’s Polynesian
- Restaurants at Disney’s Polynesian
Want to save time and energy on your vacation? Get a copy of our 5 best transportation tips for Walt Disney World.
Resorts Gal Disclaimer: All of the photos and information provided (including travel times) are from our experience, time spent at the resort, and expenditures.
What Do You Think?
Hopefully, these tips were able to help you learn how to utilize transportation at Disney’s Polynesian. Do you have any other questions about using transportation at Disney’s Polynesian? Which methods will you use the most during your stay? Please leave your thoughts, questions, and experience in the comments section below. Your comments and feedback help guide us in the right direction and benefit other readers.
