Disney World Transportation Woes and How to Get Around Them
Disney’s complimentary transportation is a convenient way for guests to get around to the theme parks, Disney Springs, and resorts. However, these modes of transportation aren’t available at all hours. From buses and boats to walking paths, here’s what to know about getting around property if relying solely on Disney transportation.
Buses
Problem: Sometimes it is helpful to use the bus stops at the theme parks as hubs for resort hopping. When checking out the resort lounges, don’t stay out too late. If you stay until closing, you may find that the buses have stopped running to the theme parks, and you can’t catch a bus back to your resort.
Solution: While no theme park regularly stays open until midnight like the lounges often do, Disney Springs typically closes at 11pm Sunday through Thursday and at 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Bus service to the resorts ends an hour after closing. If you leave the resort lounge by 11pm, head to Disney Springs for your resort bus.
Problem: There are no buses that run between the theme parks and Disney Springs.
Solution: If you’re at one of the theme parks and want to visit Disney Springs afterwards, you’ll have to go to a resort first and then take a bus to Disney Springs. For example, if you are at EPCOT, you may want to exit through International Gateway and walk to the Beach Club to take a bus to Disney Springs.
Problem: When staying at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, you are close enough to Disney Springs that you can use its bus stop to resort hop. However, Disney Springs often doesn’t open until 10am.
Solution: If you’re trying to get to a breakfast reservation at another resort, you may be better off heading to the nearest theme park first and then catching another bus or mode of transportation to the resort. For example, if you were going from Saratoga Springs to the Contemporary for a breakfast reservation, you could take the bus to the Magic Kingdom and then either walk to the Contemporary or take the monorail over.
Boats
Problem: There is the blue flag boat that travels to resorts along Bay Lake, including the Contemporary, Fort Wilderness, and Wilderness Lodge. It can be great for resort hopping, but it has fairly limited hours. The blue flag route is only available from 3pm to 10:45pm daily.
If you are looking to resort hop for breakfast or lunch, that route won’t be available. Also, if you’re visiting Fort Wilderness, particularly for the last showing of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at 8:30pm, don’t wait too long to head to the boat. That last show ends close to 10:30pm, which gives you only 15 minutes to catch the last blue flag boat of the night.
Solution: If trying to resort hop when the blue flag route isn’t available, you can use the Magic Kingdom as a transfer point. You can take the red flag route between Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom or the green flag route between Fort Wilderness and Magic Kingdom. (While there is no boat between the Contemporary and Magic Kingdom, you can take the monorail or use the walking path.) The red flag boats are available about 30 minutes before the Magic Kingdom opens and stop operating 30 minutes after it closes. The green flag ones start 30 minutes before park opening and run until about 90 minutes after the park closes.
Walking Paths
Problem: Even the walking paths aren’t always available 24 hours a day. For example, the walkway from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom isn’t fully open until an hour before the park opens. It is typically open until an hour after the park closes. However, the bridge along the path does close for the Electrical Water Pageant, so the floats can go in and out of their storage area. This can mean waiting to walk back to the Grand Floridian or, depending on park hours, cutting it close to park close if you’re trying to walk to the Magic Kingdom and get stuck when the bridge is up.
Solution: Take the monorail or boat to and from the Grand Floridian when the Electrical Water Pageant is about to start or end. The timing of the parade varies throughout the year, but it is currently running from 8:30pm to 10:05pm.
Bottom Line: Be sure to verify transportation hours, especially when resort hopping and park hopping.
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