Some of my favorite conversations for Disney World vacation planning involves strategies that bring you to from your hotel bed to the magic of a Disney Theme Park!

Most of the time, I’m likely to recommend a ride-share, but it’s important to know how to use the free modes of transportation on Disney Property!

How to get around Disney World with Disney Transportation

MODES OF DISNEY TRANSPORTATION

• Buses
• Monorail
• Friendship Boats
• Ferries
• Minnie Vans
• Disney Skyliner Gondola System

Breaking this down to science: Buses will take you from point A to point B in most cases while monorail, gondolas & boats are only options in certain situations.

Minnie Vans are basically Disney’s response to UBER and LYFT, so it’s a chance to keep the Disney bubble in-tact throughout your vacation.

DISNEY RESORT TO DISNEY RESORT TRAVEL

Let’s start with the most common question, because it’s easy to overlook while you’re creating Dining Reservations. There is no official transportation method to get you from a Disney Resort to another Disney Resort without stopping at a Theme Park, Ticket & Transportation Center or Disney Springs.

Easiest way to get around when you don’t want to spend an eternity on Disney buses is to hop in an UBER.

Example:
If you’re staying at Pop Century and want to go to Victoria & Alberts for an amazing dinner, you’ll have to take a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then take the monorail to Grand Floridian.

MONORAIL RESORTS

There are three resorts that are currently being serviced by the monorails:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Guests who are travelling to and from these resorts will have the ability to take a bus to the theme parks and Disney Springs, excluding the Magic Kingdom because you’re on the Resort Monorail Line.

TRAVELLING BETWEEN DISNEY THEME PARKS

Valuable piece of content!

• Going from the Magic Kingdom:
  • EPCOT – Take the Monorail (or Ferry) to Ticket & Transportation Center and then transfer to the EPCOT monorail
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Bus
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Bus
• From EPCOT:
  • Magic Kingdom – Take the EPCOT monorail to the Transportation & Ticket Center and then transfer to the Magic Kingdom monorail (or Ferry)
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Bus, Walk, Skyliner Or Friendship Boat
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Bus
• From Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Magic Kingdom – Bus
  • EPCOT – Bus, Walk, Skyliner or Friendship Boat
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Bus
• From Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Magic Kingdom – Bus
  • EPCOT – Bus
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Bus

DISNEY SPRINGS TRANSPORTATION

With Disney Springs becoming a must-see, you’ll probably want to know how to get there from your resort. The best way is always by bus, because you’ll save yourself a little bit of money from getting an UBER. That being said, it’s important to be aware that after a certain time (around 6-7pm), you aren’t the only one thinking that Disney Springs is a good idea;)

Resort Guests can actually travel from the theme parks to Disney Springs after
4pm (and not before).

Guests who want to travel from Disney Springs to the parks HAVE to change at a resort, so the best tip actually depends on your destination.

• Magic Kingdom (Travel to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and walk across the street)
• EPCOT / Hollywood Studios (Travel to the Boardwalk or Yacht/Beach Resort and walk)
• Animal Kingdom (Travel to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and transfer to a bus)

The other option is to walk from Disney Springs to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and take the bus directly to the Theme Parks.

WANT TO AVOID DISNEY TRANSPORTATION?

This is a topic that’s become more and more prevalent due to various factors, including construction and infrequency of Disney buses. If you want to get to your destination quicker, there are three options:

• UBER – most trips will cost around $8-11, without factoring in surge pricing, which can happen. If you do find yourself in surge, just wait a few minutes because often it’s a short-term thing.
• Minnie Vans – We’ve got an entire article about the Minnie Van service, but the basics are that you’ll get a private van for you and your party starting at a flat fee of $15/Ride and an additional cost per mile.
• Mears Taxi – Not a fan, but I wanted to let you know that it’s an option.

Hope this helps you on your Disney vacation planning! I’ll be updating this article when the Gondola’s open and when transportation changes.