Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort Transportation Guide

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is a gigantic resort that covers a lot of ground. We have stayed at the resort several times over the years, and I would say that, other than Fort Wilderness, it’s been the most challenging resort to learn about transportation.

Sure, your main transportation option will be taking a bus to and from the theme parks. But you’ll want to identify the bus stop nearest your room location. Not only that, if you’re spending a few days or more at Saratoga Springs, you will want to know how to use the bus system to your advantage.

Trust me, just because you can walk from the resort to Disney Springs doesn’t mean you would want to walk that distance if your room is in The Carousel. You’d probably want to take a bus from The Carousel to the walkway closest to Disney Springs. That’s just one example. With Saratoga Springs sitting on over 65 acres, we have several scenarios to discuss.

For anyone planning a stay, we recommend reviewing this transportation guide before your trip and saving it in case you need a quick reference during your visit. All of the tips and information in this article are from our practiced experience. When we stay at a resort, we ride all the routes, ask lots of questions, and take photos to share our experiences. 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.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Transportation Options

The following forms of transportation are available to guests of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.

Buses
Water Taxis
Walking

water feature in lake at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

Saratoga Springs to Magic Kingdom

You’ll need to take a bus from Saratoga Springs to Magic Kingdom. Upon arrival at the resort, you’ll want to locate the bus stop nearest your room. Each section of the resort has a bus stop. The Magic Kingdom bus stops in the following order when it arrives at the resort:

The Grandstand
The Carousel
The Paddock
Congress Park
The Springs

So, if you’re at The Springs bus stop, you’ll be picked up last. However, you’ll immediately leave the resort. On the return trip, you’ll be the last stop before the bus leaves the resort again.

bus to Magic Kingdom from Saratoga Springs

Saratoga Springs to Epcot

You’ll take a bus to visit Epcot, similar to the Magic Kingdom. The Epcot bus stops in the same order every time it arrives and departs the resort:

The Grandstand
The Carousel
The Paddock
Congress Park
The Springs

Note: In the mornings, when it’s busy, Disney will have extra buses servicing the resorts. There might be times when a bus is too full to pick anyone else up. So, Disney will radio another bus to come in and pick up where that bus left off. This also often happens for guests in ECVs or wheelchairs. If the bus driver cannot load you, they will call someone else.

bus to Epcot from Disney Saratoga Springs — The Grandstand Bus Stop

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Once again, the Hollywood Studios bus makes the same stops when it arrives and departs the resort.

The Grandstand
The Carousel
The Paddock
Congress Park
The Springs

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lastly, buses to and from Animal Kingdom continue in the same order as the other theme parks.

The Grandstand
The Carousel
The Paddock
Congress Park
The Springs

Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs

One of the perks of Saratoga Springs is being so close to Disney Springs. You can walk, boat, or take a bus from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs.

View of Disney Springs from Disney's Saratoga Springs — Disney Springs sits across the lake from Saratoga Springs Resort.

Boat to Disney Springs

For starters, the boat dock at Saratoga Springs is at The Springs. It sits adjacent to the golf course. If you’re staying at the resort, you can walk to the Carriage House (the lobby) and then walk through the back of the lobby (or around it) to get to the boat dock. It sits immediately behind The Turf Club and the Pro Shop.

You can also take a bus to The Springs and walk to the boat dock. For instance, if your room is in the back of The Paddock, you might board a bus to Magic Kingdom and then exit at The Springs. But make sure to tell the bus driver that’s what you plan to do. If, for some reason, the bus fills up, he might not make it to The Springs.

Walk to Disney Springs

Most guests will enjoy the walkway from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs. That article details how you can walk to Disney Springs with a map and photos. But most will want to take a bus to the Congress Park bus stop and exit.

A sign sits directly behind the bus stop that points to the walkway. You’ll stay straight until you reach the water, and then take a left toward Rainforest Cafe. Within a few minutes, you’ll cross a bridge and reach the Marketplace entrance to Disney Springs.

The bridge between Saratoga Springs and The Marketplace at Disney Springs.

Bus to Disney Springs

Guests can also take a bus from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs. This bus doubles as the resort’s internal bus and works differently from the other routes.

This bus leaves Disney Springs and enters the resort in a different area. It then travels in this order:

The Springs
The Grandstand
The Carousel
The Paddock
Congress Park
Disney Springs

*If you’re at The Springs and want to take a bus back to your room, you can take the Disney Springs bus. You cannot do this on any of the other buses because they leave Saratoga Springs after The Springs stop. If you’re confused, always ask the bus driver. They generally know the routes and will get you in the right direction.

The Springs Bus Stop at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

Bus Schedule at Saratoga Springs

Per Disney, “Bus service between Disney Resort Hotels and Disney Theme Parks begins 45 minutes prior to opening and ends one hour after closing.” That time includes extended theme park hours in the morning for resort guests and extended evening hours for deluxe resort guests. From our experience, the buses begin running anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours before the parks open.

When you arrive at the resort bus stop, you’ll notice the wait times for the next bus are posted. 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. Buses generally arrive every 15-20 minutes.

Treehouse Villas Bus

If you’re staying in the Treehouse Villas (this is a unique accommodation that is booked separately), you’ll have to take a bus from the Treehouse Villas bus stop to The Springs. From there, you can take a bus to wherever you’re going. When you return, you’ll exit at The Springs and board another bus back to the Treehouse Villas.

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Water Parks

Usually, Disney requires guests to take a transfer bus to its waterparks. If this system is in use, a sign at the bus stop will indicate that you must transfer buses.

To get to Typhoon Lagoon, you’ll take a bus to Disney Springs, then a transfer bus to Typhoon Lagoon.
To get to Blizzard Beach, you’ll take a bus to Animal Kingdom, where you’ll transfer to Blizzard Beach.

Both routes will work the same on the return trip. *You probably do not want to walk from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs to catch the water park bus. It’s a long walk, and you could easily get turned around if you’re unfamiliar with Disney Springs. The bus to Disney Springs will drop you off immediately next to the bus for Typhoon Lagoon.

Saratoga Springs to other Disney Resorts

Lastly, I wanted to discuss the best ways to get to a few popular resort destinations for touring or dining reservations. I don’t know about you, but we tend to spend a good deal of time resort-hopping.

Saratoga Springs to Nearby Disney Springs Resorts

If you want to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can walk to the Marketplace Boat Dock. It sits on the bridge between Saratoga Springs and Disney Springs.

You’ll have the following options:

Take a water taxi from the Disney Springs Marketplace to Old Key West Resort, Port Orleans-French Quarter, or Port Orleans-Riverside.

An alternative would be to take a bus to Disney Springs and another bus to one of these resorts. (Hint: You can do this to get to any resort, but it won’t always be the most efficient route.)

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Boardwalk

If you want to travel to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn or other Epcot Resorts, take a bus from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa 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 Saratoga Springs 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.

Saratoga Springs to the Skyliner Resorts

If you want to ride the Disney Skyliner (for leisure), take a bus from Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and board the Skyliner. We have a separate guide that details the 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.

Saratoga Springs 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 Saratoga Springs to the 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 could take a bus from Disney’s Saratoga Springs to Hollywood Studios. Then, take a bus from Hollywood Studios to any of the monorail resorts.

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness

For Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, you can take a bus to Magic Kingdom. Once you arrive at Magic Kingdom, take a bus or the red flag boat to either resort.

*During inclement weather, you’ll have to 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.

Saratoga Springs to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

To visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, we usually take a bus to the Animal Kingdom and then 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.

Tip: If you need to travel outside of complimentary transportation hours, you can order a car service (e.g., 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 something comparable, we would take a car service back to our hotel.

Accessibility at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

Most transportation options at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website. Learn More: Mobility Disabilities at Disney World

All bus stops at Disney World have a separate spot for guests in wheelchairs and ECVs to wait. Additionally, the water taxis accommodate most wheelchairs and ECVs.

waiting area for guests with accessibility needs at a bus stop

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you found this article helpful in planning your Walt Disney World vacation. We are in the parks several times a week, and it never fails that we run into guests who have no idea how to get where they are going. These guests have inspired us to create these resort hotel transportation guides. For more details about Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, you might enjoy the following:

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.