Walt Disney World Resort

Getting around

Every Disney Resort hotel at Walt Disney World_® Resort includes free transportation. You can ride to the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs_® Area.

Buses, boats, the monorail, and the Disney Skyliner connect the entire property. Most families do not need a car. The best option depends on where you stay and which parks you plan to visit.

Getting from the airport

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is about 25 miles from Walt Disney World Resort. Disney used to run a free shuttle called Magical Express, but it ended in 2022. Today, families have four main ways to get from the airport to their Disney Resort hotel.

• Shuttle services. Mears Connect is the most prominent shuttle between MCO and Walt Disney World Resort. The Standard service is a shared bus that makes a few stops along the way. The Express service makes your Disney Resort hotel the first stop. Private shuttles like Away We Go drive your family straight to your Disney Resort hotel. A travel advisor can help you book any of these options.

• Rideshare. Uber and Lyft both operate at MCO. The ride takes about 25 to 40 minutes. For groups of three or more, the per-person cost is close to a shuttle. You can also make a grocery stop along the way.

• Rental cars. Rent a car if you plan to visit places outside Walt Disney World Resort. If you plan to stay on Disney property the whole trip, you don’t need one. Self-parking at Disney Resort hotels is free.

• Minnie Van™ Service. Airport pickup is available for guests at Deluxe Disney Resort hotels, Deluxe Villas, and Club Level rooms. A Disney Cast Member drives you in a polka-dot vehicle with child car seats already installed. Book up to 60 days in advance. Once on property, any Disney Resort hotel guest can use the Minnie Van service.

Transportation options at every Disney Resort hotel

Walt Disney World transportation comes in five types: buses, monorail, Disney Skyliner, boats, and walking paths. Every Disney Resort hotel connects to every theme park, both water parks, and Disney Springs Area.

Most resorts use buses for every destination. Disney Skyliner resorts use the gondola system instead of buses for EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some resorts also offer monorail, boat, or walking access.

Buses

Buses are the backbone of Walt Disney World transportation. Every Disney Resort hotel has bus service to Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, both water parks, and Disney Springs Area.

Most resort hotels also have bus service to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The exception is Disney Skyliner resorts: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. At those resorts, the Disney Skyliner replaces buses for those two parks. Buses start running before the first theme park opens and run until after the last park closes.

Buses arrive at each bus stop regularly throughout the day. The My Disney Experience app shows real-time arrival times. You can time your walk to the bus stop.

Fold your stroller before you board a bus. Wheelchairs and ECVs can use the accessible ramp to board.

Monorail

The Walt Disney World Monorail is an elevated train that glides above the ground on a single rail. It connects three Disney Resort hotels to Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT. Three lines run from the Transportation and Ticket Center:

• Resort Monorail. Loops through Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the Transportation and Ticket Center, and Magic Kingdom Park.
• Express Monorail. Runs nonstop between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Magic Kingdom Park.
• EPCOT Monorail. Runs between the Transportation and Ticket Center and EPCOT.

To ride from a monorail Disney Resort hotel to EPCOT, take the Resort Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Then, transfer to the EPCOT Monorail.

Strollers, wheelchairs, and ECVs board the monorail without folding.

Disney Skyliner

The Disney Skyliner is a gondola system. It glides above the treetops. It runs between select Disney Resort hotels, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The hub station is at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. Four routes branch out from there:

• Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• EPCOT (International Gateway entrance)
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Single strollers and tandem double strollers — like the UPPAbaby Vista — ride the Disney Skyliner without folding. Fold side-by-side double strollers before you board. Wheelchairs and ECVs can use the accessible gondola cabin.

Boats and water taxis

Boats connect several Disney Resort hotels to the theme parks and Disney Springs Area.

• Magic Kingdom Park. Ferryboats run from the Transportation and Ticket Center across the Seven Seas Lagoon. Boats also serve Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
• EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. FriendShip Boats circle Crescent Lake, connecting Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn to both parks. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels also connect by boat.
• Disney Springs Area. The Sassagoula River Cruise connects Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter and Riverside, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa to Disney Springs Area.

Strollers, wheelchairs, and ECVs board boats without folding.

Walking to the parks and between resorts

Several Disney Resort hotels sit close enough to walk to a theme park. Walking means you don’t wait for a bus, boat, or monorail. Your family gets a nice stroll along Disney’s landscaped paths.

Some resorts are also walkable to each other:

• Crescent Lake loop. Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn sit around the same lake as the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels. Walk between them in about 8 minutes.
• Magic Kingdom monorail resorts. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort connect by a walkway along Seven Seas Lagoon. Both are also walkable to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Magic Kingdom Park.
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort. The Generation Gap Bridge connects them across Hourglass Lake.
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort. A path around Barefoot Bay connects them. The walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter and Riverside. A riverside path connects the two resorts.
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. A nature trail connects the two resorts through Florida woodland.

Minnie Van service

The Minnie Van™ Service is a premium way to get around Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Cast Members drive vehicles painted in Minnie Mouse’s classic red-and-white polka dots. These are not regular rideshare drivers. The experience feels different from the moment you climb in.

Cast Members know the property by heart. They play Disney music. They share tips about the parks. They treat your family like VIP guests from pickup to drop-off. If you don’t mind paying more, a Minnie Van ride can turn a routine trip into part of the Disney experience.

• Door-to-door pickup. Minnie Van vehicles pick you up at your building, not a main bus stop. At larger resorts like Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, this saves a long walk.

• Magic Kingdom drop-off advantage. Regular rideshare drops you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center. You still need a monorail or ferry to reach the park. Minnie Van vehicles drop off at the bus plaza, right in front of Magic Kingdom Park. You skip the transfer and save 15 to 20 minutes on a busy morning.

• Car seats included. Every Minnie Van carries two child car seats. Cast Members handle the installation. You don’t need to carry your own car seat through the airport or struggle with a rental.

• Accessibility. Accessible Minnie Van vehicles seat up to seven guests with space for two mobility devices. Any guest can request one through the Lyft app.

• How to book. Open the Lyft app anywhere on Walt Disney World Resort property and select Minnie Van as the vehicle type. Minnie Van rides cost more than a standard Uber or Lyft. The value comes from time savings, the Cast Member experience, included car seats, and the Magic Kingdom Park drop-off. For families with young children, it’s worth the cost.

Strollers

The biggest stroller question for families: is it worth bringing your own? The answer depends on how you plan to use it.

Your stroller from home goes everywhere with you. It goes to the parks, back to the Disney Resort hotel, through Disney Springs Area, and into restaurants. A stroller rented inside a theme park stays at the park. If you leave and come back, you need to check in for a new one. If you hop to a different park, you need a new one.

Disney has a size rule for strollers in the theme parks. Strollers must be no larger than 31 inches wide and 52 inches long. Most single strollers and tandem double strollers fit within the limits. Most side-by-side double strollers do not. Stroller wagons are not allowed in the theme parks regardless of size. Disney checks at every park entrance.

Different transportation options handle strollers differently:

• Buses. Fold your stroller before you board.
• Disney Skyliner. Single strollers and tandem double strollers ride without folding. Fold side-by-side double strollers.
• Monorail. Strollers ride as-is. You don’t need to fold.
• Boats. Strollers ride as-is.

You can rent a stroller two ways. Inside the theme parks, strollers are available at each park entrance in single and double sizes. The stroller stays at the park — it does not come back to your Disney Resort hotel. If you park-hop, show your receipt at the next park for a replacement at no extra charge.

When renting from an outside company, the stroller is delivered to your Disney Resort hotel before you arrive. You keep it for your entire trip — parks, the resort, Disney Springs Area, and restaurants. A travel advisor can arrange this for you.

Wheelchairs and ECVs

Wheelchairs and ECVs (electric convenience vehicles, sometimes called scooters) can be rented the same two ways as strollers. Inside the theme parks, Disney rents them at each park entrance. They stay at the park — if you leave or hop to a different park, you check out a new one.

Outside rental companies deliver to your Disney Resort hotel. The chair or scooter stays with you for the full trip: parks, the resort, Disney Springs Area, and Disney transportation. Outside rentals also cost less per day for multi-day trips. A travel advisor can arrange wheelchair and ECV rentals from trusted outside companies.

Using My Disney Experience for navigation

Getting around Disney World is easier than most people expect. The My Disney Experience app takes the guesswork out of it. Check real-time bus arrival times at your stop. Pull up walking directions between any two points on property. Compare every route for your trip.

Tap the map icon, enter where you are and where you want to go, and the app lays out your options — bus, monorail, Disney Skyliner, boat, or walking — with estimated travel times for each. Everything updates in real time. You can see when the next bus is due before you leave your room.

Parking and driving

If you drive to Walt Disney World Resort or rent a car, here’s what to expect at each destination.

• Disney Resort hotel guests. Self-parking at your Disney Resort hotel is free. Theme park parking is also free. Bring your MagicBand/MagicBand+ or room key card for validation at the toll plaza. Valet parking is available at Deluxe Disney Resort hotels and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort for an extra nightly fee.

• Day visitors. Standard parking is available at every theme park. One fee covers all four parks for the day. Keep your receipt if you move your car. Preferred parking (closer spots) costs more. Both options are available at the toll plaza when you arrive.

• Disney Springs. Parking at Disney Springs Area is free for everyone. Three garages and several surface lots surround the area. On busy nights, the garages fill up. Arrive early or use Disney transportation from your Disney Resort hotel.

• Rideshare. Uber and Lyft operate across Walt Disney World Resort property. Each theme park has a rideshare pickup and drop-off area. At Magic Kingdom Park, rideshare drops off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, not the park entrance. You still need a monorail or ferryboat ride from there.

FAQ