Walt Disney World Resort offers four complimentary modes of transportation: the Monorail, Disney busses, Disney Skyliner gondolas, and watercraft. They service Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Disney Springs, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, and all Disney Resort hotels.
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Some off-property hotels offer free or paid shuttle service to the Disney Parks, but it’s typically much more limited than Disney bus service. Much like Uber and Lyft, Disney allows third-party shuttles to load and unload at the Transportation and Ticket Center or parking areas at EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Reddit user u/Master-Tiger-4588 utilized a non-Disney Resort hotel shuttle service during a recent visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They had no complaints about their hotel’s shuttle but claimed the Walt Disney World transportation system was a “horrible experience.”
The guest’s non-Disney hotel shuttle only stopped at the EPCOT parking area. Since the family planned to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they asked a Disney Cast Member for directions from EPCOT. Because Park Hopping hours hadn’t yet begun, the employee told the family to take the Monorail to the Transportation & Ticket Center.
“We do that and ask a cast member there, who told us we were in the wrong place and had to walk to Polynesian Resort to get the bus to HS from there,” the guest wrote. “Ok…so we walked and ended up waiting 40 minutes for a bus that actually went to HS.”
Their hotel shuttle only offered one departure time, 9:00 p.m. The family left Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 7:30 p.m., assuming they’d have enough time to return to EPCOT.
“We ask a cast member and he tells us to take the Skyliner one stop and transfer to the EPCOT line from there,” the guest recalled. “Ok, we do that and get stuck for 5-10 minutes at the non-passenger turn station. Our cabin had the delay announcement volume up so loud that our ears were ringing for 30 minutes.”
The Disney Skyliner takes guests to the EPCOT International Gateway – at the back of the World Showcase. To get to the bus terminal, guests must scan their tickets and walk through EPCOT. Unfortunately, the family didn’t have Park Hoppers.
“They tell us to go BACK on the tram to Hollywood Studios and take the bus from there since we were at the back entrance of the park,” the guest wrote. “I politely explained that they told us to come here and we don’t have time to go all the way back to HS since it was 8:30 p.m. already. Then they tell us we have to walk to Yacht Club and take the bus there that will take us to the front of the park.”
“We walk all the way to Yacht Club, only to be told there is no bus service to the front of the park and that we would have to walk back and go via the park to get to the front,” they concluded. “I’m frustrated at this point and ended up calling an Uber for $30 to get back to our hotel. Complete mess.”
Does the Walt Disney World transportation system need improvement? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.
