When Mr Disney and I went to Walt Disney World for the first time, I was surprised at just how big it is compared to Disneyland Paris (where we’ve become seasoned pros at going). Unlike France, where you can happily walk between the resorts and the parks, in Florida transportation is your friend.
Depending on which resort you’re staying in, there’s a real variety of ways to get around: fun themed buses, the Skyliner cable car system, water taxis across Seven Seas Lagoon, and of course the classic monorail. And if you’re feeling a bit bougie, there’s the fun Minnie Van service. , it’s completely free to use - well, most of it is anyway, and anyone can use.
The monorail — ★★★★
The monorail is pure Disney history. Walt was inspired to bring monorails to his parks after a trip to Germany in the late 1950s. There are two sections to the monorail at Walt Disney World. The first is the resort loop, which opened with the park in 1971 and runs around Seven Seas Lagoon, connecting the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts with Magic Kingdom and the TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center). The second is the Epcot line, which connects the TTC to Epcot, where it does a scenic loop around World Celebration as it arrives, gliding right past Spaceship Earth, before stopping at the main entrance.
When you board and the doors close, you’ll hear the now-infamous lines: “Please stand clear of the doors / ¡Por favor, manténgase alejado de las puertas!” It’s pure Disney nostalgia.
At night the monorail takes on a whole new appearance, as neon-coloured lights illuminate the underside of the trains as they go round the track. And a tip: if you’re staying at a resort on the monorail loop, it can get busy, especially after the fireworks in Magic Kingdom or at park close.
Buses — ★★★
These are pretty much the backbone of the Walt Disney World transportation system, running from your resort to the parks, between parks, to Disney Springs (Disney’s retail and leisure complex) and the water parks.
The buses start running to the parks around an hour before opening from the resorts, and generally run every 20–30 minutes. Each bus is air-conditioned and is also accessible if you’re in a wheelchair. Parents with strollers need to fold them before boarding. Many of the newer buses also have USB charging ports between the seats, and some now offer onboard WiFi.
One thing I love about the buses at Walt Disney World is that most of them have decorative wrapping featuring our favourite Disney characters. Mr Disney isn’t a huge lover of the buses, but we do use them.
When you arrive at your destination on the Disney bus, the drop-off and pick-up locations aren’t necessarily the same place. Near the entrance to the bus stops there will be a sign featuring the resorts and destinations, showing you which stop to go to for your ride back.
The Skyliner — ★★★★½
This is our favourite Disney transport service, and also Disney’s newest. It’s one of the most fun ways to get around, too. There are four resorts on the Skyliner network. Art of Animation and Pop Century share a Skyliner station on the edge of Hourglass Lake. Then there’s Caribbean Beach, where the Skyliner hub is located. From here you have a choice of three lines: one to Art of Animation and Pop Century, one to Hollywood Studios, and one to Epcot via the Riviera. There are toilets in the hub, and for those who like a coffee, there’s also a Joffrey’s coffee stand nearby.
Each Skyliner gondola is wrapped in a colourful print featuring all our favourite Disney characters. One thing worth mentioning: if there’s lightning in the area, the Skyliner stops running, and if you’re staying at a Skyliner resort, buses will operate from the parks. The same applies when the Skyliner is closed for maintenance.
A lot of people wonder whether you get hot up there, as there’s no air con in the gondolas. You don’t. There are vents in each car that open to allow airflow, and they also carry an emergency kit in case you do get stuck. Mr Disney really likes riding the Skyliner as well.
Boats and ferries — ★★★
The next transport method is boats and ferries. There are quite a few waterways around Walt Disney World, so Disney thought, why not have boats as a form of transport too?
We haven’t used the ferries across Seven Seas Lagoon (we prefer the monorail), but we have used the Friendship boat from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs and it’s not a bad little service.
It’s a pleasant way to travel. As with the other methods, the boats do get very busy at park closing, and they’re weather-dependent: as a rule of safety, if there’s lightning in the area, all water transport stops.
Minnie Vans — ★★★★★+
If you’ve had a long day in the park and the queues are really long for your chosen transport service, one thing you may want to consider is Disney’s “private” car hire service, Minnie Vans. These were started by a couple of cast members and are very popular. You book your ride via the “Lyft” app, and when your ride is confirmed you’ll get a car number and driver name. All the drivers are really lovely, and many have been cast members in the parks before. The cars themselves are fun, painted red with white dots, hence the name Minnie Van, and inside there are seat-back TVs showing Disney cartoons. The cars have car seats if you require them for your little people, and they also have a larger van for guests who use wheelchairs. We quite like using Minnie Vans as a treat, especially if we’re heading to an after-hours event or party night in the parks.
As well as being a transport option around the parks, if you’re staying in one of Walt Disney World’s Deluxe resorts then you can book a Minnie Van to pick you up and return you to the airport as well.
Final thoughts
So that is my brief guide to the main ways to get around Walt Disney World. You really are spoilt for choice, and best of all most of it won’t cost you a penny. Whether you’re gliding over the resort in a Skyliner gondola, doing the loop into Epcot on the monorail, hopping on a character-wrapped bus, or treating yourselves to a Minnie Van after a long day, getting around becomes part of the fun rather than a chore.
Disclaimer: all information is correct at the time of writing. I am also not paid for any of my Disney content.
