Maximize Your Magic With These Essential Walt Disney World Transportation Tips

Walt Disney World transportation can be convenient and makes it easy to get between the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs, from scenic boat rides and the iconic monorail to efficient buses, high-flying gondolas, and whimsical Minnie Vans. If you’re staying at a Disney resort, you can rely on Disney transportation to take you everywhere in Disney World — but not to or from the airport.

Read this guide to learn about the best ways to get around Disney World, with firsthand experiences and insider tips to get to the fun and have a good time getting there.

Getting to Disney World From the Airport

Before we tell you how to get around Disney World, let’s get you there. If you arrive at Orlando International Airport (MCO), you can take a shuttle bus, ride-sharing service, or rent a car to get to Disney World.

Shuttle Bus

Mears Connect offers a shuttle bus service between MCO and Disney World resorts. The Mears shuttle also goes to Disney Springs and other Disney World-area hotels.

We’ve taken the Mears shuttle, and it was a breeze. We walked past the rental car counters to the Mears pickup area at MCO, where we checked in and were directed to our bus. It left about 5 minutes after we boarded. Mears groups passengers based on hotel proximity, so our shuttle only had 1 nearby stop before we were dropped off at our hotel. It was a very efficient and relaxing ride.

For our return trip, Mears assigned us a pickup time based on our flight departure. We received email and text updates and could follow the shuttle’s progress toward us on a browser-based map, so we knew when to expect its arrival. The shuttle dropped us off at the terminal, so it was easy to head in and hop on our flight!

Standard service between MCO and Disney World is $17.60 one-way or $33.60 round-trip for adults and $14.30 one-way or $27.30 round-trip for kids 3 to 9. Children under 3 years ride free. Express (direct to resort) round-trip service is available for $250 for up to 4 people and $55 per additional person.

Hot Tip:

Disney World used to offer Disney’s Magical Express, a private shuttle bus and luggage delivery service for resort guests. The service was discontinued in 2022. Disney World is testing a limited resort-airline check-in service that transports baggage for Disney Value Resort hotel guests who fly with Southwest Airlines. We hope this is a step toward bringing Disney’s Magical Express back!

Ride-Sharing

Lyft and Uber operate between MCO and Disney World and can offer fast, private service with pickup just outside the terminal. Expect to pay about $40 to $50 plus tip each way for an Uber or Lyft between MCO and Disney World. If you have The Platinum Card^® from American Express or American Express^® Gold Card, you can use your Uber Cash credit.

Hot Tip:

Although Minnie Vans (powered by Lyft) are available throughout Disney World, you can’t take a Minnie Van to MCO unless you stay in a club-level room at Disney resort hotels and book a Minnie Van through Disney Signature Services. It costs $199 plus tax and tip to take a Minnie Van one-way between MCO and Disney World.

Rental Car

Rental cars can be a good option if you need a vehicle during your visit to Disney World, and they offer an easy way to get between MCO and the park.

If you’re staying at a Disney resort, using Disney transportation to get between the resort and parks, and don’t plan to do much outside of the Disney bubble, a rental car doesn’t make sense. However, a rental car can be handy if you stay where a park shuttle isn’t available or plan activities beyond Disney properties, such as visiting Universal Orlando Resort.

I typically rent with National Car Rental at MCO. It’s not the cheapest, but I get complimentary Emerald Club Executive status and save up to 25% on qualifying rentals with my Chase Sapphire Reserve^®. With Emerald Club Executive status, I can bypass the rental counter and go straight to the garage to pick any vehicle in the Emerald Aisle.

We’ve found National’s MCO location often has numerous minivans available — perfect for hauling kids around Disney World!

Disney World Transportation

Once you make it to Disney World, you have numerous transportation options. You can use Disney transportation between Disney resorts, parks (including water parks), and Disney Springs. Your mode of transportation will vary depending on where you’re going and coming from.

Here’s a look at your options with a quick comparison chart:

Bus Transportation

Shuttle buses are the most common way to get around Disney World. Even if there’s nothing else, a bus can get you between resorts and parks or between parks. The buses are typically efficient and comfortable, though they can sometimes have long waits and limited seating — it once took us an hour to catch a ride back to a resort at park closing, and we were lucky to get seats.

Bus service at Disney resort hotels starts 45 minutes before park opening and ends 1 hour after closing. Service to Disney Springs is available during Disney Springs’ operating hours and ends an hour after closing.

At Disney resorts, you can follow signs to find the bus pickup station.

The bus pickup stations typically have large, covered areas with clearly marked signs indicating which bus picks up where. Find the area for your destination — such as Hollywood Studios — and wait there for a bus.

You can check wait times on a screen at the pickup station to know when to expect the next bus. Typically, buses arrive every 15 to 20 minutes.

Buses pull up to designated spots at the pickup station and load passengers who need accessibility assistance first. If you have difficulty walking or standing and require a seat or assistance loading a mobility device, line up at the rear bus door and tell the driver before general boarding starts.

When bus service is busy, you may not get a seat in general boarding, so be prepared to stand and make a game plan if you have small children who may need help standing on the bus. Strollers must be folded before boarding, and stroller wagons are not permitted.

When you leave a park and head back to your resort or go to a different park, check the bus directory sign to find out where to catch your shuttle bus.

Hot Tip:

Disney resort buses are the only shuttles that pick up at the Magic Kingdom front gate. If you stay off-site, you can pick up a Minnie Van in the same spot as the buses. Otherwise, take the monorail or ferry to the Transportation & Ticket Center to get to the parking lot, ride-sharing pickup, and shuttle bus pickup for off-site hotels.

Once you’ve found the pickup gate, get in line under the covered stations and wait for your bus to arrive. Each bus has its destination name displayed on digital signs at the front and side, so you can be sure you get on the right bus. Disney buses have various designs, and it’s fun to pass the wait times by looking at the buses driving by.

As with resort pickup, bus drivers load passengers requiring accessibility assistance first, and strollers must be folded up.

Buses back to the resorts at closing time can be busy and fill up fast, so try to be patient even if you’re tired from a long park day. If you’re considering a ride-sharing app or Minnie Van, a late-night ride back to the resort is the time to do it!

Off-Site Resort Buses

Some Disney World area resorts offer shuttle buses to the parks and Disney Springs. Details for these buses vary, so check out the shuttle policies before your visit to know what to expect. Some require that you make a reservation to ride the bus, and there may be limited dates and times.

You can usually find shuttle bus information on the resort’s website, at the check-in desk, or on signs throughout the resort.

Like the Disney resort buses, there’s typically a covered pickup spot near the lobby.

In our experience, the off-site shuttle buses are busier and slower than the Disney resort buses, but that’s highly dependent on the resort. Some resort shuttles visit multiple resorts to pick up and drop off or may visit multiple Disney parks. For example, you might get picked up at Hollywood Studios and pick up more passengers at Animal Kingdom. Or your bus might stop at other resorts before you get dropped off at yours.

Still, these buses are usually a complimentary service and a comfortable ride — we’ve seen many kids (and some adults) snoozing on the ride back to the resort!

Hot Tip:

If you’re staying within walking distance of Disney Springs and thinking about picking up a park bus there, think again. Disney Springs buses only go to Disney resorts, not the parks.

Boats

Hop on a Disney boat for complimentary transportation on Seven Seas Lagoon, Crescent Lake, or the Sassagoula River. Disney boat rides are typically the most scenic way to get around Disney World — enjoy the ride!

Ferryboat

The Magic Kingdom ferryboat takes guests from the Transportation & Ticket Center to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom. Your other option is the monorail, but we prefer the ferryboat for heading into the park because it’s a great way to arrive. You can take in the scenery, see Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and watch as Cinderella’s castle grows closer until you reach the front gate.

As you line up for the ferryboat, you’ll be instructed to fill in all available space, which can be uncomfortable considering the ferry holds up to 600 passengers. But once you get on the boat, there’s more breathing room, and you can go upstairs if you’d like a seat. Strollers can stay open on the ferryboat, and scooters and wheelchairs can roll in.

Magic Kingdom ferryboats typically start 45 minutes before the park opens and end 45 minutes after park closing.

FriendShip Boats

FriendShip Boats are on Crescent Lake in the EPCOT resort area. They run between EPCOT’s International Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with stops for 5 EPCOT-area resorts:

• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
• Walt Disney World Swan Hotel

Boats pick up about every 15 to 30 minutes, and a trip between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios takes about 30 to 45 minutes, including resort stops. The boats start running about 45 minutes before the parks open and stop 30 minutes after park closing.

FriendShip boats offer a leisurely and entertaining ride. When we rode the boat, the captain shared fun facts and pointed out interesting spots, like the bald eagle nests on top of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin statues.

Water Taxi

Water taxis operate between the Magic Kingdom and area resorts:

• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

There are 4 water taxi routes identified by colored flags: gold, green, red, and blue. Each typically starts 30 minutes before park opening and until 1 and a half hours after park closing.

The gold route goes to the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resort, green goes to Fort Wilderness, red goes to Wilderness Lodge, and blue goes between Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. For a scenic route, take the green route to spot the bear-face-shaped main building of Wilderness Lodge and see the closed Discovery Island and River Country Water Park.

Hot Tip:

Near River Country on the green route, you might see a tree with white shoes on it, where retiring water pilots traditionally throw their shoes.

Sassagoula River Cruise

Guests can take the Sassagoula River Cruise from nearby resorts:

• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
• Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter

The cruise is available from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., except the red route, which runs until 1 a.m. Boats depart about every 20 minutes.

There are 4 routes serving various resorts and Disney Springs destinations. The yellow route serves Port Orleans and drops off at the Marketplace dock, green goes between Old Key West and the Landing, blue between Saratoga Springs and the Landing, and red between the West Side, the Landing, and the Marketplace.

Monorail

The iconic Disney monorail has 3 lines:

• Resort Monorail
• EPCOT Monorail
• Express Monorail

The Resort Monorail runs from Magic Kingdom to Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and the Transportation & Ticket Center. Both the EPCOT Monorail and Express Monorail start at the Transportation & Ticket Center. The EPCOT Monorail goes between the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and the Express Monorail goes to the Magic Kingdom.

The Resort Monorail and Express Monorail start running 30 minutes before the Magic Kingdom opens and stop 1 hour after park closing. The EPCOT Monorail runs from 30 minutes before EPCOT opens and stops 2 hours after park closing.

You may face crowds boarding the Express Monorail to and from the Magic Kingdom, especially if you arrive at Magic Kingdom in the morning or leave the park at closing. Like at the ferryboat, you may be asked to fill in all available space, which can be uncomfortable. During busy times, monorail cars fill up quickly, and you may not get a seat.

Taking the monorail is an easy way to get around, especially between EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom.

Hot Tip:

If you have a wheelchair or scooter, you can roll into the monorail without transferring. Strollers don’t have to be folded down on the monorail unless it’s busy, so kids can stay in strollers — perfect for a quick nap.

Skyliner

The Disney Skyliner is a suspended gondola ride with a great view. It connects Hollywood Studios, the EPCOT International Gateway, and 4 resort hotels:

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort

If you’re riding the Skyliner between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, you get off and transfer at the resort Skyliner station. The Skyliner runs from 1 hour before park opening at EPCOT or Hollywood Studios until 90 minutes after closing. There’s limited service during extended evening hours.

The Skyliner sometimes has long lines, but loading moves fast. You might get a private gondola during slow times, but cast members fill up gondola seats with passengers during busy times.

Riding the Skyliner can be fun or terrifying, depending on whether you’re prone to motion sickness or have a fear of heights. It’s a smooth, breezy ride except for gentle bumps as you pass each pole, but you’re suspended high in the air without anything below you, and there’s some swaying. The Skyliner might not be for you if that makes you queasy or anxious.

Hot Tip:

If you’re prone to motion sickness, face forward and look out the window at the horizon. If you’re nervous about riding, try facing backward so you see where you’ve been, not where you’re going.

Minnie Van

Minnie Vans are a Disney ride-sharing service on the Lyft platform. You can request a Minnie Van via the Lyft app, and a Disney cast member will pick you up in a whimsical Minnie-themed SUV or van. It’s typically the most convenient and relaxing way to get to or from a Disney resort, seating up to 6 people. If you’re overwhelmed with the crowds and can’t face the thought of packing in with yet another crowd to get on the ferryboat, monorail, Skyliner, or bus, a Minnie Van could be just the ticket — though you’ll pay for it.

While other forms of Disney transportation are complimentary, Minnie Vans are not free. How much you pay depends on where and when you’re taking a ride, but expect to pay about $30 to $70 for a Minnie Van. We paid $54 plus tip at Magic Kingdom closing time to get to Animal Kingdom Lodge via Minnie Van.

A standard Minnie Van includes up to 2 complimentary child seats, which are required for kids 6 and under. Accessible Minnie Vans can seat up to 5 people and include 1 complimentary child car seat and 2 spaces for mobility devices — a maximum capacity of 7 people.

The Minnie Van pickup spot at Magic Kingdom is one of the first gates in the bus area. At Hollywood Studios, we were picked up slightly closer to the front entrance than the bus gates.

When we left Magic Kingdom, we could request a Minnie Van as late as midnight, but the latest pickup hour depends on each park’s closing time. Generally, you should plan to get a Minnie Van within an hour of the park closing.

Our Minnie Van arrived within 5 minutes — it was a very comfortable Chevy Suburban wrapped in Minnie Mouse red and white polka dots.

The Minnie Van was a quiet and relaxing ride with a friendly cast member who offered to set the temperature and entertainment to our preferences. It’s the most comfortable way to get around the parks, though it’s pricey!

Hot Tip:

You can use regular Lyft or Uber services if you want lower rates than Minnie Vans offers. Just don’t expect the same premium pickup spots or service you’d get with Minnie Vans.

Final Thoughts

Disney World’s transportation network is more than just a way to get from point A to point B — it’s part of the experience, whether you’re riding the monorail, floating Seven Seas Lagoon, gliding through the sky, or cruising in a Minnie Van. How you travel around the parks can add magic to your trip.

There are so many ways to get around Disney World, and each option has its strengths. Buses offer reliability, while boats are scenic, and the monorail and Skyliner offer thrilling glides through the air. And if you want the ultimate convenience, you can hire a Minnie Van. The best choice depends on your itinerary, budget, and travel style. Traveling with little ones or trying to avoid crowds? Consider a ride-sharing service or Minnie Van when convenience matters most.

With a little planning, getting around Disney World can be almost as fun as the parks.