One of the fun (and sometimes frustrating) part of your trips is getting around your resort and the parks and Disney Springs with Disney Transpiration. With complimentary monorails, Skyliner, and busses there are many ways to get from Point A to Point B in an exciting way. Many feature characters or other wraps that make it fun just to watch them go by.
On the flip side, sitting in long lines waiting to get back to your resort when you just want to get back to your resort after a long night at the parks can seem like forever, especially if you have some tired kids (or grown-ups.) While there is no Lighting Lane pass to get you back to your resorts, there are some techniques to avoid some of the longest lines.
Monorail
There is nothing that says Disney World more than the Monorail. Even 50 years after opening, watching the monorail glide through the Contemporary resort is a joy to watch. With the quick access to the Magic Kingdom and a panoramic entrance to Epcot, it’s no wonder that some of most expensive room at Disney World are on the monorail loop
There are two lines that leave from the Ticket and Transpiration Center, one that goes directly to Epcot and one for the resorts. The resort Monorail has stops at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary Resorts along with Magic Kingdom Park and an express that goes just to the magic Kingdom. There is a separate line that goes to Epcot and travels through the front of the park before the stop by the entrance of the park.
Boats
There is a lot of water around Walt Disney World, and going via a boat is one of the most relaxing ways to get around. There are three main areas that feature boats are around the magic Kingdom, around Epcot and from Disney Springs to select resorts.
For the Magic Kingdom, there are boats from Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, Fort Wilderness, and the Polynesian. There are also boats the connect the Magic Kingdom to the Ticket and Transpiration for those driving or using rideshares.
Around Epcot, there is connections to Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, and The Swan and Dolphin resorts. There is also a boat in the World Showplace at Epcot that runs between Morocco and Canada which can save you some steps.
Finally, there is a boat service to Disney Springs to Port Orleans French Quarter/Riverside, Saratoga Springs and Old Key West resorts along the Sassagoula River.
The newest form of transpiration, the skyliner is a gondola, like you would see at ski resorts and connects resorts to Epcot and Hollywood studios. The Hub is a Caribbean Beach and there is a line to Pop Century and Art of Animation and Epcot route has a stop at the Rivera Resort and can be used by the Epcot area resorts such as Boardwalk, Yacht Club and Beach Club.
The Skyliner starts running around 60 minutes before early entry for the parks and 90 minutes after park close. The gondola is moving slowly when you enter but there is a separate line for people using Wheelchairs, Electronic scooters or strollers with a Red Tag that comes to a complete stop. The Gondola have bench seating for 5 on each side and depending on your party size, you might be sharing a cabin with another group.
Buses
The basic form of travel around Walt Disney World is the bus and you can see them all the place. Depending on your resort, there might be one central bus stop or there could be many stops, especially at many of the moderate resorts. Each bus stop is going to have buses to the parks and Disney Springs and there are video boards showing the expected time of the next bus and that information is also available in the My Disney Experience App in the Resort Hotel tab.
At the parks, follow the signs to the Resort buses and follow the directory to find your gate number. Each Disney Resort is going to have its own gate, as well as buses that will take you to the other parks or Disney Springs. The buses do not run between Resorts so if you want to check out a different resort, you will need to head to one of the parks and catch a bus from there.
Each bus can accommodate two or three electronic Stollers, and they will usually board first and once all of the seats are full, there are hand straps to hold on to when the buses are full at the start and end of the night when the buses are full.
Rideshare
Both Uber and Lyft have service to the parks and resorts so it can a good option, especially if you are going between two resorts if you have dinning reservation and are short on time.
One thing to remember, Ride Shares cannot drop off directly to the Magic Kingdom, and will instead drop you off at the Ticket and transpiration center, where you can either take a boat or Monorail to the park, so you are probably better off waiting for a bus instead
Lyft does offer Minnie vans, which are driven by Disney Cast members, but they are more expensive. They can drop off at the Magic Kingdom, so that is a good option if you need to save time. They can also seat 6, so for big groups it might make sense
Things to consider
1. Whatever form of transpiration you take, timing is always key. If you are going to leave at park close or after the fireworks, be prepared for a long wait. We have spent 45 minutes in line for the skyliner at close at Epcot and an hour for a bus after a Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom. If you can, either stay after the official park close, since while you can’t go on rides, you can shop or maybe get a snack. Also, it might make sense to leave before the fireworks or at least be closer to the exit to beat the rush.
2. When waiting for a bus, It might be worth checking out the line for a adjacent resort if a bus pulls is ready to load. It might cost you some steps but at least you are not waiting in line as long. This would work at places like Art of Animation/Pop, Rivera/Caribbean Beach and French Quarter to name a few.
3, If Staying at a Skyliner resort, the skyliner is going to be the main form of transpiration to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. This is a big selling point the resorts but if you have someone in your party who doesn’t like heights, it’s better to stay someone with bus or monorail service. One of our kids doesn’t like heights but did just fine on the skyliner so I think it will work for most people but it’s worth thinking about before you book your vacation.