Transportation at Disney’s Riviera Resort (A Know-Your-Options Guide)

If you’re staying at Disney’s Riviera, you’re in for a treat when it comes to transportation, among other things. However, it’s no secret that having immediate access to the Skyliner is a game changer.  

But where can you take the Skyliner, and what other forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Riviera? We’ll answer those questions and more in this transportation guide for Disney’s Riviera Resort. 

We recommend reviewing this entire guide beforehand if you have an upcoming vacation planned. If you want, you can save it to your favorites for quick access during your visit. But if you’re already there, here are a few quick links to some of the main destinations at Walt Disney World. 

• How to Get from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Magic Kingdom
• How to Get from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Epcot 
• How to Get from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• How to Get from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• How to Get from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney Springs

Your worries about getting to and from Disney’s Riviera to other Disney World destinations will be over soon. You can shift your thoughts to more pleasant things, like what dessert you will order from Le Petit Cafe!

Disney’s Riviera Resort Transportation Options

The following forms of transportation are available at Disney’s Riviera.

• Disney Skyliner
• Disney Bus Service

You can also walk between Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. However, there is no walking path from the Riviera to a theme park. 

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Magic Kingdom

You’ll need to take a bus from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Magic Kingdom. The bus stop for Disney’s Riviera Resort is down a walkway outside the resort’s main entrance. When you exit the resort, you’ll see a covered pathway to the right that leads to the bus stop. 

Disney’s Riviera Resort offers direct bus transportation to and from Magic Kingdom. So you won’t share a bus service to Magic Kingdom with another resort. 

Wait times for the next bus are posted at the resort. We have found that the 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. 

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Epcot

You’ll take the Skyliner from Disney’s Riviera to Epcot. Disney’s Riviera Resort has its own Skyliner Station, only a few steps from the back of the resort.

The Skyliner Station at Riviera has two sides. You’ll walk to the opposite side of the Skyliner from the resort when traveling to Epcot. You’ll want to pay attention to the signs and not wait in the wrong line, especially early in the morning. 

I stress this because you would not want to see a line and automatically join it and then have to join another long line ten minutes later because you were waiting on the wrong side. It happened to us when the resort first opened.

Once you board a gondola from the Riviera, you’ll travel directly to Epcot. There are no additional stops between the Riviera and Epcot.  

You’ll exit the Skyliner and enter the park at Epcot’s International Gateway when you arrive. You’ll return to Disney’s Riviera the same way.

Tip: If you stay at Epcot until the evening fireworks, we recommend taking your time before leaving. Many shops (not in the countries) stay open later than the park. The line for the Skyliner at the end of the night is usually daunting. So allow some time for the crowds to clear before exiting the park.

What if the Skyliner goes down? 

From time to time, the Skyliner goes down, mainly due to inclement weather. If this happens, bus transportation will be provided to Disney’s Riviera. You can still exit the park at Epcot’s International Gateway. A cast member, or at least a sign, will provide details on where to find a bus back to the resort.

We’ve had this happen multiple times during our stays at Disney’s Riviera Resort. We’ve always been directed to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn or Beach Club’s bus stop.

When this happens, the bus that picks guests up will run to all the Skyliner Resorts. One evening, we had to catch a bus at the Boardwalk, and then it went to Pop Century, Art of Animation, and Caribbean Beach before we were dropped off at the Riviera. 

In hindsight, we should have taken a car service or taxi from the Boardwalk back to the Riviera, given the circumstances. But it was good to have the experience to share with you and to know what to do next time this happens. Of course, it wasn’t the end of the world, but what should have been a five-minute ride took close to an hour!

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Hollywood Studios 

You’ll take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios from Disney’s Riviera Resort, except for one catch. You’ll first take the Skyliner from Disney’s Riviera to Disney’s Caribbean Beach, where you’ll have to exit. Then, you’ll get in line at Caribbean Beach for the direct Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

When you get in line at Disney’s Riviera Resort, you’ll join the line under the covered walkway from the resort. It’s where the Tangled and Peter Pan murals are located.

When you exit at Caribbean Beach, you’ll have to join a separate line for Hollywood Studios. Don’t be surprised if you find a long line in the morning. This is common because guests of Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, Art of Animation, and the Riviera all travel from Caribbean Beach to Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Animal Kingdom

You’ll take a bus from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This is a direct resort-to-park route that won’t have any other stops. You’ll return to the resort the same way when you leave the park.

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney Springs

You’ll take a bus from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney Springs. When you leave Disney Springs, you’ll want to locate the bus stop for the Riviera. As a reference point, there’s a walkway to the bus stops near the Coca-Cola Store and Wolfgang Pucks.

If you want to learn more about getting around Disney Springs, we have a guide with Disney Springs transportation tips.

Walking Between Disney’s Riviera and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resorts

While you cannot walk to a theme park from Disney’s Riviera, you can walk to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. We’ve mapped the walk between the Riviera and Old Port Royale, the central hub of Caribbean Beach. The distance between the resorts is 0.28 miles.

In the photo below (taken from a room in the Riviera), you can see the sidewalk that extends around the resort to Caribbean Beach. You’ll want to follow the path around the lake. If you want to walk for leisure, it’s approximately 1.5 miles roundtrip around the lake.

Accessibility at Disney’s Riviera Resort 

Most transportation options at Disney’s Riviera Resort accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website.

For the Skyliner: Mobility aids must fit within a 30″ x 48″ area for access. A separate line is available for guests with mobility aids. These gondolas will pause for guests and their families to load.

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

Disney’s Riviera Resort 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.

Disney’s Riviera Resort to the Monorail Resorts 

Additionally, most guests will want to visit the monorail resorts for dining or touring. You can take a bus from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Magic Kingdom to do this.

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 can take the Skyliner to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and then take a bus to any of the above-mentioned resorts. Remember that complimentary transportation is subject to Disney’s hours of operation.

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Disney’s Boardwalk 

You can travel via the Skyliner to Disney’s Boardwalk or other Epcot Resorts. Epcot Resorts include Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s Swan and Dolphin. 

The quickest way to get to these resorts is to take the Skyliner to Epcot’s International Gateway. Then, you can walk to any of these resorts or take a Friendship Boat.

If you stay out late, you might have to order a car service (i.e., Lyft, Uber, Taxi, or Minnie Van) if the Skyliner is 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 Riviera Resort to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness

Additionally, you can take a bus to Magic Kingdom for Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. 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.

Disney’s Riviera Resort to the Other Skyliner Resorts

While at Disney’s Riviera, you might also want to visit one of the other Skyliner Resorts. As we discussed, it’s much easier to walk to Caribbean Beach. However, you’ll need to take the Skyliner from Caribbean Beach to reach Art of Animation or Pop Century. 

We love to take the Skyliner to Disney’s Art of Animation for a sunset walk around the resort. When you exit the Skyliner, you’ll take a right at the bridge and walk straight to Art of Animation. You can follow the path around the lake and tour The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King, and Cars section of the resort. 

We have a separate guide that details Disney’s Skyliner’s route if you want to learn more. 

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

Disney’s Riviera Resort to Animal Kingdom Lodge

To visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, we usually take a bus from the Riviera 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.

You can also take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Remember that complimentary transportation is subject to hours of operation.

Disney’s Riviera to the Resorts Near Disney Springs

If you would like to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can take a bus from Riviera to Disney Springs. Then, you can walk to the Marketplace Boat Dock. You’ll have the following options:

• Walk or take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.
• Take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Old Key West Resort, Port Orleans-French Quarter, or Port Orleans-Riverside.

If you do not want to walk across Disney Springs to the Marketplace and boat to these resorts, an alternative would be to take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios (during hours of operation) and then take a bus to the desired resort. 

Related: Disney Springs Transportation Guide

Airport to Disney’s Riviera Resort 

Lastly, when traveling from the Orlando International Airport (MCO), you’ll need to arrange transportation to the resort. Disney no longer offers transportation between the airport and the Walt Disney World Resort. 

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.

Final Thoughts on Transportation at Disney’s Riviera Resort 

Hopefully, this article gave you a few essential tips for getting to and from Disney’s Riviera Resort. When tackling transportation at the Disney Resort Hotels, things can feel overwhelming if you’re unprepared.

But if you have a good base knowledge of how things work, you’re already off to a good start! Those who plan can relax when they arrive.

For more articles related to Disney’s Riviera Resort, you might enjoy the following:

• Disney’s Rivera Resort Restaurants Guide
• The Two Pools at Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Bar Riva Review
• Disney’s Riviera Resort Review

In the Comments

Did you find these tips for transportation at Disney’s Riviera Resort helpful? Will they factor into your planning a stay here? Please share your thoughts, experiences, and questions in the comments below. We value your opinion and can assure you other readers do as well.