For today’s blog, I decided to take a break from planning your vacation to explain some of the modes of transportation around WDW as navigating it can be a bit of a challenge for people who don’t know the ins and outs of getting around!
Okay, so let’s be honest, Walt Disney World is HUGE. And who can blame you if you don’t want to pay the outrageous parking prices to keep a car at your resort. Well never fear, Disney has your back for free public transportation!
Before I begin going into the specific modes of transportation, I will be discussing a place called the “Ticket and Transportation Center” (otherwise known as your worst nightmare when trying to get into the MK for the opening or exit the MK after closing). The Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) is a gateway to the MK via bus, ferry, or monorail; or to EPCOT via monorail. The TTC has seemingly never-ending parking lots for guests to park their cars before traveling to their next destinations. It is important to note, though, that if you plan to drive, the TTC is the onlyplace you can park your vehicle for the MK, as there is no parking lot (resort guests aside) near the entrance to the park. Although this can be very inconvenient (especially when running late for a reservation –speaking from experience here), I believe it is designed this way to give more land to potential expansions of the MK, as well as to transport guests away from their hectic lives from the very beginning of the day, and get them excited and anticipated about the fun they have that day.
Monorails:
I must start with the most recognizable mode of Disney transportation: the monorail system. It is one of my favorite modes of transportation at WDW as you get to see some beautiful views of EPCOT and MK, as well as the surrounding Bay Lake resorts. It is fast, reliable, and really helpful if you are staying a monorail resort. The only drawback to the monorail is the lines of people trying to get into or out of the parks. This is primarily an issue at the Magic Kingdom, as the monorail, bus, and ferry systems are the only ways to exit the Magic Kingdom and return to your car at the Ticket and Transportation center (and the buses and ferries tend to take a long time to arrive).
Ferries:
The ferries are another easy, convenient way to navigate around the various sections of WDW. There are two parks that can be reached via an interconnecting system: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT; and the Magic Kingdom has its own ferry system that boats gets to and from the Ticket and Transportation Center. In addition, some resorts, including Disney’s Old Key West Resort (my family’s all-time favorite resort), Disney’s Boardwalk and Disney’s Yacht Club Resorts, and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort all have ferries as well. Old Key West and Saratoga have transportation via ferry to Disney Springs which is basically a MASSIVE outdoor shopping mall (more on this in a later blog). The ferries are a nice mode of transportation is you have more time and want a nice and relaxing ride.
Buses:
OK, so maybe not the most glamorous form of transportation (definitely not as glamorous as the monorail), but hey, they do the job. These buses operate just as any regular public transportation bus would. It is important to mention them, however, because they are some resorts’ only mode of public transportation, so if that is important to you, be sure to book a resort with multiple modes of transport. In addition, the fact that buses get overlooked may be in your favor, particularly for the Magic Kingdom. As I discussed above, the only way to reach the MK with a car is to park in the TTC and transfer to either a monorail, bus, or ferry to ultimately reach the park. However, if you want to cut out the middleman (and who could blame you), then the buses are definitely the way to go. Although, be warned, if something were to happen, such as a freak, super powerful storm, and everyone wants to leave the park immediately (again, speaking from a very unfun experience –it isFlorida after all), then the buses are going to get a bit crammed, and you may not get out very timely (aka you will get soaked while simultaneously getting blown around by freakishly strong wind –its happened).
Trams:
While this mode of transportation does not bring you from park to park, nor from a resort to a park, it is a VERY nice tool to have (especially when it is over 100 degrees out and you don’t want to walk across miles of blacktop). Trams are in nearly every parking lot on WDW’s premise. To compensate for their massive size, and make your life a little easier, parking lots are usually divided into sections (such as Heroes and Villains) and different areas have a different character or action associated with them. Most trams specialize in transporting guests to a specific section (i.e. Heroes), so it is very important to know in what section you are parked!
Minnie Vans Service:
You’ve heard of Uber, you’ve heard of Lyft, well now we have Minnie Vans! Minnie Vans operate the exact same way as Uber or Lyft but are specific to WDW. The vans can fit up to six guests and come with two car seats for young children. The service can drop you off anywhere on the WDW premise and can be super helpful for getting to reservations on time or getting dropped off at the front of the MK!
The all new Skyliner System:
While I personally have not had the chance to ride in this new system yet, I’ve heard very good things about it. It has really helped out some of the resorts that are a bit farther from the parks by providing them with a new mode of transportation. Little kids seem to especially enjoy the ride!
The Skyliners come in different styles and some even come with a wrap featuring some of your favorite Disney characters which is really cute to see, especially as they go by.
Well, I hope this was helpful, and be sure to keep it in mind when planning on your next vacation!
See ya real soon!