Getting there once you’re there

Guru Jenn of DisSavvy is here today to guide you through the parks with the various forms of Disney transportation. As you can see Guru Jenn is quite the Disney genius…after all she has visited WDW some 67 times…give or take a few trips. Don’t forget when you book your next Disney World vacation with us you get a FREE itinerary planning session with Guru Jenn…she is AMAZING!!

Months of planning, weeks of anticipation, days/hours of travelling and you’re finally at Walt Disney World!  You’ve done all your research and you’ve checked in to your resort.  So let’s go to a park!  Oh wait, how do you get there?  Today’s discussion will center on Walt Disney World Transportation.

The seemingly simplest mode of transport would be your own vehicle.  If you drove to WDW, sometimes taking your car is the most logical choice.  Resort guests do not have to pay for parking at theme parks which helps (at check in you will receive a parking pass which you keep on your windshield).  Let’s face it, you’re on vacation and the last thing you want to do after traveling in a car for many hours (21 in our case) is to jump back into that car if you don’t have to!  For those of you flying, you don’t have to rent a car since Disney will transport you to your resort at no cost to you on Disney’s Magical Express Motor Coaches.

We’re going to explore transportation options park by park to help you understand what is available.  When we travel, we try to use everything.  We live in the suburbs of Chicago and travel by minivan everywhere.  Disney transportation for some kids can be its own attraction!

We begin at the Magic Kingdom (MK).  This is the only park that doesn’t have a parking lot directly attached to the park.  The designated parking lot for the Magic Kingdom is called the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) which is located about 1 mile away from  MK.

The TTC offers the monorail line and the ferry boat to get you on your way.  There are three monorail tracks.  One runs to and from EPCOT only.  The other two service the MK in two different ways.  The Resort Line circles the Seven Seas Lagoon and makes stops at each deluxe resort along the way and at MK.  The Express Line circles the lagoon and only stops at MK and TTC.  If you drove to MK, you will be parking at the TTC and will choose a method of transport to MK.  The Ferry Boat and the monorail take about the same amount of time to get to MK.  Which should you take?  It depends on which looks busier and which you prefer.  We never have chances to boat in our lives, so we will take the ferry occasionally.  My girls LOVE the monorail, so we will ride the highway in sky as well.  If the monorail line is down the ramp, we will opt for the ferry.  The ferry holds more people than a monorail does.

If you are staying at the Polynesian, you can either walk to the Great Ceremonial House and catch the monorail or walk to the TTC next door and travel from there.  You can also take a resort launch if you’re closer to the marina.

Grand Floridian guests can take the resort line on the monorail or a resort launch.

At the Contemporary? Skip the lines at the monorail and follow the pathway and walk to MK.  At the end of the day you can always take a monorail back to save your aching feet!

If you are staying at Wilderness Lodge, you can take a resort launch (boat) to MK or drive yourself.  If you are staying at Fort Wilderness Campground, you can take a resort launch or bus to MK.  If you are staying at other resorts further from MK, you will be taking a bus to MK.  The bus drop off area from other resorts is located right in front of MK so you will not have to use another means of transportation to get to the entrance.

Now that you can get yourself to and from the Magic Kingdom, let’s talk about EPCOT.

If you are staying in a resort on the monorail line, simply take your monorail to the TTC and switch over to the EPCOT line.  If you are staying at Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, moderate or value level resorts, you can take a bus directly to EPCOT.

If you are staying at EPCOT area resorts – Yacht and Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan or Dolphin, you have a couple of options.  Buses do not take guests to EPCOT from these resorts.  EPCOT has two entrances.  The most used is the front entrance into Future World with Spaceship Earth right in front of you.  There is a second entrance located in World Showcase between France and the UK.  Disney calls it the International Gateway and it is the primary entrance for guests staying at EPCOT area resorts.

Yacht and Beach Club guests can walk from their resort to EPCOT.  Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin guests can walk (but it’s farther) or take Friendships which make stops at all the EPCOT area resorts, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

Resort guests staying at moderate and value level hotels will use bus transportation to get to EPCOT and back.

Hollywood Studios has less options than EPCOT.  If you are staying at an EPCOT area hotel, you can take a Friendship or walk (I suggest from Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin only).  Bus transportation or your own car work for other resorts.

 

Animal Kingdom is located at the south end of WDW property and it can only be accessed by bus or your own car.  Even if you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge you will have to take some kind of vehicle to the park.

Don’t let this article freak you out about your upcoming trip!  There are several ways to get to your theme park of choice once you’re settled in your resort.  There are always helpful cast members around to guide you in the right direction!

Keep in mind that transportation isn’t limited to getting to and from the parks!  Magic Kingdom has some creative ways to get from here to there located inside!

Take a trip around the park in a Steam train.  Walt LOVED trains and this one makes stops at Main Street, Frontierland and Fantasyland.

Try a Main Street Trolley for fun.  At least snap a photo of your kids next to the horse!

Sometimes you might be able to hop a ride on a vintage car down Main Street as well!

On days we drive to a park, even the parking trams can be a fun ride – our girls BEG to go on this one.  It’s also my secret dream to be a cast member that rides on the back of these and makes those important announcements about park hours.

Remember that transportation is always subject to crowd issues and sometimes can be frustrating (waiting 40 minutes for a Magic Kingdom bus and watching 20 EPCOT buses drive by you).  We always plan on commuting to take 45 minutes.  If you are trying to get to a park at a specific time, be at your method of transport 45-60 minutes ahead of that arrival time.  Always better to be early than late!