Disney World: 5 Transportation Tips To Help You Save Time

Disney World in Orlando, Florida occupies a massive amount of land. Once you arrive at the airport and find transportation from MCO to Disney World, your transportation needs are not complete. You’ll have to make a decision regarding the best way to get around the park and see the plethora of entertaining sights. 

While renting a car to drive around Disney World and Orlando is the easiest solution, it’s not the most affordable. During peak travel times, the rental car fleets in and around Orlando International Airport have excessively high prices. Having a rental car is convenient, but Orlando and Kissimmee traffic can be slow and stressful – making your vacation anything but enjoyable. If you plan to visit Disney World, consider alternative options that help you get around the park.

Boat Service

Most of the resorts offer boat service to and from Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The boats are speedy, affordable, and relaxing. The boat services are within walking distance of the resorts. Walking is the most affordable way to get around the park, but most parks and resorts are too far away from each other to walk in a reasonable time.

Monorail Service

The iconic monorail is available for guests staying at the resorts and hotels near the Magic Kingdom. When booking your accommodations, consider those with monorail access like the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, or Polynesian, as the monorail is one of the most reliable and under-utilized transportation options at Disney World.

If you rent a car and drive to the Magic Kingdom, you can take the monorail from the parking lot to the ticket gate. You can also take the monorail to EPCOT when you arrive at the Ticket & Transportation Center.

Disney Skyliner Gondola Service

You can also get a great view of Disney World from the Disney Skyliner Gondolas. They connect EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as the Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. The Skyliner gondolas are another relaxing and comfortable way to get around the resort, especially from the more affordable resort spots.

The boats, gondolas, and monorails start moving guests two hours before the parks open, and they bring guests back to their resorts for about an hour after the parks close. During the peak seasons, the transportation services stay open longer, and most have loading and unloading zones close to resort entrances, park entrances, and parking lots.

Disney Buses

Disney provides a robust bus system with its own traffic lights. The buses are on a 20-minute schedule, meaning you’ll never have to wait too long to get to where you want to go. The buses go to all corners of the park so you can travel from Magic Kingdom to All-Star Movies and everywhere in between.

Local Hotel Transportation

Another possibility is staying at a nearby hotel with shuttle service to and from the park. Disney does not provide off-site transportation, but many nearby hotels do at no additional cost. Before you book your off-site hotel, ask about shuttle service to Disney. Some hotels have daily shuttle service, while others only offer it a few days per week.