Transportation Options at Disney’s Pop Century Resort (Every Way to Get Where You’re Going)
If you’re planning a stay at Disney’s Pop Century, you might wonder how you’ll travel from the resort to various other destinations at Walt Disney World. Figuring out how you’ll get to each park or resort can be overwhelming!
So, in this article, we’ll look at the various transportation options at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Then, we’ll discuss how to get to the most popular destinations, including some of the other resorts.
This guide will help you plan your routes if you have an upcoming stay. But if you’re already on vacation, here are a few quick links to some of the major Disney destinations from Pop Century:
- Pop Century to Magic Kingdom
- Pop Century to Epcot
- Pop Century to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Pop Century to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Pop Century to Disney Springs
Whether you’re headed to ‘Ohana for breakfast or Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning, we’ve got you covered! When we finish, you’ll know how transportation works at Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
These tips are based on our experience traveling around Walt Disney World.
Transportation Options at Disney’s Pop Century
The following forms of transportation are immediately available to guests of Disney’s Pop Century Resort:
- Disney Skyliner
- Disney’s Bus Service
- Walking
Transportation Hours at Pop Century
Complimentary transportation schedules are based primarily around the theme park’s hours of operation. During your stay, the exact hours for the Skyliner will be posted near the Skyliner Station’s entrance. We like to take a photo of the sign when we first use the Skyliner as a reference during our stay.
Here is information from Disney about how hours for transportation are generally calculated:
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.
Per Disney, the Disney Skyliner is “available each day one hour before early theme park entry begins. It closes each day 90 minutes after Epcot or Hollywood Studios closes. Additionally, on evenings when Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios stay opens for extended evening hour benefits, the Skyliner will close one hour after the park closes.
Pop Century to Magic Kingdom
Guests can take a bus from Pop Century to Magic Kingdom. The bus stop at Pop Century sits near the resort’s main entrance. You can exit Classic Hall or the Everything Pop Gift Shop to access the resort’s bus stop.
You’ll return to Pop Century from Magic Kingdom in the same area. This bus service is not shared with any other resorts.
A sign at the Pop Century bus stop indicates the wait for the next bus. These times are based on the bus’s proximity to the resort via a signal from its location. We have found the posted wait times for the next bus reasonably accurate. However, the time might fluctuate if the bus runs into traffic or stops at a light.
Pop Century to Epcot
You’ll take the Disney Skyliner to Epcot from Pop Century Resort. First, you must board the Skyliner and take it to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. (This is the only option when leaving Pop Century.)
Then, you’ll exit the Skyliner at Caribbean Beach and transfer to Epcot. Here, you’ll find a line for both Hollywood Studios and Epcot (which includes Riviera Resort). You’ll want to continue straight across the walkway and join the line for Epcot.
When you leave Epcot, you’ll take the Skyliner back to Caribbean Beach (don’t exit at the Riviera). At Caribbean Beach, everyone must exit. From there, you’ll board another gondola back to Pop Century.
Pop Century to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
You’ll take the Skyliner from Pop Century to Disney’s Caribbean Beach when traveling to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. From Caribbean Beach, you’ll exit and take a hard left to join the queue for Hollywood Studios.
If you happen upon a long line at any of the Skyliner stations, a cast member will direct you to the end of the line for your destination. Someone usually holds up a sign indicating the end of the line.
You will likely see long lines during the busier times of the day, like early morning and after the park closes. Don’t be too discouraged if you run into a long line. The Skyliner boarding process tends to move quickly. However, it will pause from time to time to board guests with an ECV or wheelchair.
You’ll return to Pop Century the same way. We have a few notes below that discuss what to expect in inclement weather or if the Skyliner experiences downtime.
Pop Century to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Guests will use Disney’s bus service when traveling to and from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a pretty direct route from Pop Century to Animal Kingdom.
Pop Century to Disney Springs
Bus service is available to and from Pop Century to Disney Springs. Bus service from Disney Springs only travels back to Disney Resorts.
So, if you’re visiting Disney Springs and want to go to Magic Kingdom later, there is no direct option between the two venues. For example, you might go to Disney Springs for lunch and then plan to spend the afternoon and evening at the Magic Kingdom. In this instance, you would want to take a bus from Disney Springs to a monorail resort and then take the monorail to Magic Kingdom.
How to Get to Disney’s Water Parks from Pop Century
It is rare to see direct bus service to and from Disney’s Water Parks. When Blizzard Beach is open, you’ll take a bus from Pop Century to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
From there, you’ll find the bus stop that provides a transfer bus to Blizzard Beach. You’ll return to the Pop Century the same way.
You’ll take a bus from Pop Century to Disney Springs for Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. From there, you’ll take a transfer bus to Typhoon Lagoon across the street.
When you return to Disney Springs, you’ll have to locate the bus stop that returns to Pop Century. We find the return trip to be a bit of a hassle.
You’ll want to pack a change of clothes and give yourself time to dry out for the ride back. The buses are freezing, and you’ll join guests at the bus stop who are coming from Disney Springs.
Accessibility at Disney’s Pop Century
Most transportation options at Disney’s Pop Century Resort accommodate guests with accessibility needs. Disney provides an overview of each form of transportation on their website. Learn More: Transportation and Mobility Disabilities at Disney World
If you’re using a wheelchair or ECV, there’s a separate boarding area when you enter the Skyliner’s queue. A cast member will assist you with the loading process.
Additionally, a separate waiting area is available at the bus stop. You’ll want to wait in this area so the bus driver can quickly identify you upon arrival.
The bus driver will board you before allowing anyone else on the bus. Then your family will get to board first. This ensures that you aren’t separated from your party. Upon arrival, all guests will exit the bus. Then, the bus driver will lower the ramp so you can exit.
Overview of the Skyliner at Disney’s Pop Century
Guests staying at Disney’s Pop Century or Art of Animation Resorts will find a similar experience. These resorts share a Skyliner station on a bridge across Hour Glass Lake.
Skyliner guests will travel to Caribbean Beach’s central station from these resorts. From there, they will depart their gondola and get in line for Epcot or Hollywood Studios.
Traveling between Art of Animation and Disney’s Caribbean Beach takes approximately five minutes. You can expect long lines at each station during the busier parts of the day (morning and night).
Tip: You do not have to be in a hurry to leave the parks when they close. Many shops stay open, and some guests have dining reservations that extend past closing time. We like to let the crowds clear out as much as possible when leaving the parks late to avoid long lines at the Skyliner.
What if the Skyliner is Down?
Sometimes, the Skyliner goes down for inclement weather or other reasons. For example, during the summer months, it’s common for the Skyliner to go down as storms pass through the area.
When the Skyliner is unavailable, bus service is provided to and from Pop Century to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. However, that is usually the only time bus service is available to these locations.
If you’re leaving Epcot (at the International Gateway) and find the Skyliner down, a sign will be posted with instructions on where to proceed. Often, a cast member is also out providing directions to guests.
From our experience, we have been redirected to Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Boardwalk. Both resorts are within a 5-10 minute walking distance of the International Gateway.
Both times, buses were sent to pick us up. That bus dropped guests off at Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. So make sure you exit at your resort.
From Hollywood Studios, you’ll walk to the corresponding bus stop past the Skyliner station. Signage outside the bus area will list the number of the resort’s bus stop.
Walking to Art of Animation from Pop Century
Guests can walk back and forth between Pop Century and Art of Animation. You can cut between the resorts on the bridge where the Skyliner station is located. Or you can take the walking path around Hourglass Lake to reach either resort. It’s a beautiful walk that we especially enjoy at sunset.
Disney’s Pop Century to Other 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.
Pop Century to Disney’s Boardwalk (and Epcot Resorts)
You can climb aboard a gondola to visit the Epcot Resorts Area. Take the Skyliner to Epcot’s International Gateway. Then you’ll be within short walking distance of the following hotels:
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Swan and Dolphin
If you don’t want to walk to the Epcot Resorts, you can take the Friendship Boats from the International Gateway to all three resorts.
Pop Century to the Monorail Resorts
Most guests will want to visit the monorail resorts for dining or touring. You can take a bus from Pop Century 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)
Pop Century to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness
Additionally, you can take a bus from Disney’s Pop Century to Magic Kingdom to visit Disney’s 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 will 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.
Pop Century to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
If you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can take a bus from Pop Century to the theme park. Then, board a bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Animal Kingdom Lodge has two stops, Kidani Village and Jambo House. So you’ll want to know which stop you want before you get there.
Pop Century to the Resorts near Disney Springs
If you want to visit one of the resorts near Disney Springs, you can take a bus from Pop Century to Disney Springs. You’ll have these 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 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 a bus to Hollywood Studios (during hours of operation) and then take a bus to that resort.
Related: Disney Springs Transportation Guide
Airport to Disney’s Pop Century 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 back to our hotel.
Final Thoughts on Transportation at Pop Century
Hopefully, this guide gave you an idea of how to efficiently get to and from Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Trying to figure out how to travel from one place to another can be overwhelming.
Of course, there are always alternatives. For example, if you’re in a pinch for time, you might take a Minnie Van or other car service from the resort’s lobby.
For more information about the resort, all of our articles are listed in a resort guide:
Or you might enjoy the following individual articles:
- Disney’s Pop Century Review
- The Pools at Disney’s Pop Century
- Pop Century vs. Art of Animation
- Everything Pop Food Court at Pop Century
In the Comments
Did you find this guide helpful? Do you have any questions about getting to and from Disney’s Pop Century Resort?
