List of Travel Times from Resorts to Parks

[Can_Dannn]

We stayed at POP last week- has direct access to the Skyliner- I will say that it is amazing. Very quick, efficient, VERY QUIET RIDE, comfortable, not hot or sticky at all! I love the monorail but the Skyliner probably beats it

when our night ended at Hollywood Studios, we got off of Tower of Terror - from that point in the park to walking off Skyliner at POP was 19 minutes.... this included walk out of the park and mandatory transfer at Caribbean Beach... So ya- it’s awesome!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Will be @ WDW after Christmas. Had to call Disney because I couldn’t change an ADR on line. After changing the reservation, the cast member told me to allow an hour and a half for transportation. I questioned her because I thought I didn’t hear her correctly. But, yep, an hour and a half.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Riviera to AK and MK are by bus. Since it is a dedicated bus, it probably will be about 12 mins each to AK and MK. When you take into account the Skyliner Travel Times (below) I am estimating average total travel times to all parks of about 11 mins. Plus the additional time of every Skyliner 'pause.'

Riviera to HS by Skyliner is about 8 mins to the Caribbean Beach central hub. 1 to 2 minutes to transfer. and then about 4 mins to HS, for a total of about 13 to 14 mins.

Riviera to Epcot by Skyliner is 4 mins to the International gate gondola hub. Then a minute or so to walk to the gate, for about 5 mins, to the back (International area) of Epcot.

These times on Skyliner are MINIMAL times. We are going to need to see how it all settles out with the Riviera Station and ECVs on the Skyliner. Keep in mind that every time they stop for 30 seconds, it affects EVERYONE on the line, all the way from Caribbean Beach to EPCOT.

We are going to stay at Riviera in early February, and my wife who recently had some severe medical problems, will be using an ECV. (She is finally recovering very well, thank you, after a month in the hospital.) I will post my reports about how ECVs seem to be affecting the gondola, or not.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Will be @ WDW after Christmas. Had to call Disney because I couldn’t change an ADR on line. After changing the reservation, the cast member told me to allow an hour and a half for transportation. I questioned her because I thought I didn’t hear her correctly. But, yep, an hour and a half.

When Disney says to allow an hour and a half for travel to and from parks, or an hour, they are giving you the absolute worst estimate you should expect. But that is the amount of time you should depend on, IF you have meal reservations: About an hour and a half. The times we list are from bus stop to bus stop and you can presume that most buses run about every 20 minutes, giving an average wait time of 10 minutes for each bus. BUT, once you get to a park, if you are going in for a restaurant reservation, you need to walk from the bus stop to the security and go through security (can be delayed quite a bit if the park is busy) and then go through the ticket gate with another possible delay and then walk into the park. We found we could often do this in 1 hour, from a resort to a park for dinner. But almost never less. Going the other way from a park to a resort for dinner the travel time is usually about 50 mins.

However, then you do need to take into account that the buses might be delayed. On our last trip, when we were trying to catch a bus from Animal Kingdom to Epcot, we went to the bus waiting area and the board said a bus we be along in 20 mins. Then the time started to 'fade,' (extend) and then it disappeared off the board completely for a while, and then it returned. All together we waited about 40 to 45 mins for an EPCOT bus, and when it arrived, there wasn't ONE Epcot bus, but 3, all in a line, one right after the other. It ended up taking us the full hour and a half to get to our dinner reservation.

 

[Yinn]

Monorail Times
MK Monorails
Resort Monorail, Clockwise, 30 minutes loop (including stops at each of 5 locations for 3 mins each)
Express Monorail, Counterclockwise, 20 minutes loop (including stops at MK and TTC for 3 mins each)

EPCOT Monorail, 30 mins loop. Including stops for 3 mins each at Epcot and TTC.

*Polynesian (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
MK 15 min (monorail)
Epcot NO bus, Monorail is 25 mins (5 mins walking to TTC, 5 mins waiting next monorail, 15 mins travel) (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
HS 7 min 5 mi
AK 9 min 5.2 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 14 min

So reading this, was very educational. Thank you. I never knew there was an express from TTC to MK, probably because I never go to TTC. This got me wondering though; is the "Express" from TTC to MK actually a longer travel time than the Resort Monorail to MK from Poly? What its the fastest/most convenient way?

I know that wasn't your intention (as evidenced by OKW internal bus exclusion) but as a new PVB owner; I got curious because it does seem that the walk from Pago Pago to the lobby / Resort Monorail is the same as to TTC / Express Monorail. It makes me wonder if that is actually faster than taking the Resort one in the lobby.

Also, what's the boat time? The last time I rode the boat from HS to BWV it was slower than walking - and an extremely long wait. But are any of the ferries actually faster? (subjective evaluation says no for me.)

 

[Sandisw]

So reading this, was very educational. Thank you. I never knew there was an express from TTC to MK, probably because I never go to TTC. This got me wondering though; is the "Express" from TTC to MK actually a longer travel time than the Resort Monorail to MK from Poly? What its the fastest/most convenient way?

I know that wasn't your intention (as evidenced by OKW internal bus exclusion) but as a new PVB owner; I got curious because it does seem that the walk from Pago Pago to the lobby / Resort Monorail is the same as to TTC / Express Monorail. It makes me wonder if that is actually faster than taking the Resort one in the lobby.

Also, what's the boat time? The last time I rode the boat from HS to BWV it was slower than walking - and an extremely long wait. But are any of the ferries actually faster? (subjective evaluation says no for me.)

It could be during non peak times, but I still think the travel on resort monorail is faster to get There,

Now, I have take. It on the way out and just walked from TTC, but I don’t leave at peak times,

The boat is nice and once it leaves dock, about 15 minutes to Poly. But it all depends on how long you wait for the boat,

 

[PsycProfPlum]

In early Dec, I timed my trip from the Grand Flo to Epcot at 38 minutes. I started the clock as I boarded the monorail and ended it as I got off.

 

[Frederic Civish]

So reading this, was very educational. Thank you. I never knew there was an express from TTC to MK, probably because I never go to TTC. This got me wondering though; is the "Express" from TTC to MK actually a longer travel time than the Resort Monorail to MK from Poly? What its the fastest/most convenient way?

I know that wasn't your intention (as evidenced by OKW internal bus exclusion) but as a new PVB owner; I got curious because it does seem that the walk from Pago Pago to the lobby / Resort Monorail is the same as to TTC / Express Monorail. It makes me wonder if that is actually faster than taking the Resort one in the lobby.

Also, what's the boat time? The last time I rode the boat from HS to BWV it was slower than walking - and an extremely long wait. But are any of the ferries actually faster? (subjective evaluation says no for me.)

Express Monorail from TTC to MK is faster than the Resort Monorail from Poly to MK. BUT, you need to walk to the TTC first. So when you add that time, it is probably about the same.

Boat times to MK from Poly are pretty good. About 10 or 15 minutes and it can be a relaxing way to travel, except during peak times when it is quite crowded. And, you need to walk to the TTC to catch the boat.

If you are staying in Moorea or Pago Pago, the walk to TTC is not bad. In fact if you are going to Epcot from all 3 DVC buildings (including Tokelau) it is almost certainly faster to walk to the TTC and then catch the Monorail toEpcot.

In early Dec, I timed my trip from the Grand Flo to Epcot at 38 minutes. I started the clock as I boarded the monorail and ended it as I got off.

And taking the Resort Monorail from Poly, around the loop to the TTC and then catching the Epcot monorail will take even longer.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Disney World is not just about the rides, and the monorail IS kind of a ride. Certainly not something you do everyday. So it is fun to just sit back and relax and enjoy it. But it IS NOT fast.

 

[zavandor]

Express Monorail from TTC to MK is faster than the Resort Monorail from Poly to MK. BUT, you need to walk to the TTC first. So when you add that time, it is probably about the same.

Boat times to MK from Poly are pretty good. About 10 or 15 minutes and it can be a relaxing way to travel, except during peak times when it is quite crowded. And, you need to walk to the TTC to catch the boat.

If you are staying in Moorea or Pago Pago, the walk to TTC is not bad. In fact if you are going to Epcot from all 3 DVC buildings (including Tokelau) it is almost certainly faster to walk to the TTC and then catch the Monorail toEpcot.


And taking the Resort Monorail from Poly, around the loop to the TTC and then catching the Epcot monorail will take even longer.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Disney World is not just about the rides, and the monorail IS kind of a ride. Certainly not something you do everyday. So it is fun to just sit back and relax and enjoy it. But it IS NOT fast.

From Morea to the TTC is about the same distance to the ceremonial house.
I'd say walking to the TTC always wins:
- the Express monorail is faster (one fewer stop)
- once you arrive at the TTC you can check if the ferry is at the dock and loading, catching it probably beats the monorail
- if the monorail is down then you can catch the ferry, if you're at ceremonial house you need to exit and go and take the small boats which could have a queue, especially if the monorail is down

 

[Frederic Civish]

From Morea to the TTC is about the same distance to the ceremonial house.
I'd say walking to the TTC always wins:
- the Express monorail is faster (one fewer stop)
- once you arrive at the TTC you can check if the ferry is at the dock and loading, catching it probably beats the monorail
- if the monorail is down then you can catch the ferry, if you're at ceremonial house you need to exit and go and take the small boats which could have a queue, especially if the monorail is down

Good suggestions.

 

[Yinn]

From Morea to the TTC is about the same distance to the ceremonial house.
I'd say walking to the TTC always wins:
- the Express monorail is faster (one fewer stop)
- once you arrive at the TTC you can check if the ferry is at the dock and loading, catching it probably beats the monorail
- if the monorail is down then you can catch the ferry, if you're at ceremonial house you need to exit and go and take the small boats which could have a queue, especially if the monorail is down

This was exactly what I was thinking. It’s a 5min walk either way.
I guess I could see how the resort monorail might not be as packed though. Contemporary guests would walk and Floridian hasn’t gotten on yet. So if I have a stroller or space/peak concerns then the resort monorail might be best.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

When Disney says to allow an hour and a half for travel to and from parks, or an hour, they are giving you the absolute worst estimate you should expect. But that is the amount of time you should depend on, IF you have meal reservations: About an hour and a half. The times we list are from bus stop to bus stop and you can presume that most buses run about every 20 minutes, giving an average wait time of 10 minutes for each bus. BUT, once you get to a park, if you are going in for a restaurant reservation, you need to walk from the bus stop to the security and go through security (can be delayed quite a bit if the park is busy) and then go through the ticket gate with another possible delay and then walk into the park. We found we could often do this in 1 hour, from a resort to a park for dinner. But almost never less. Going the other way from a park to a resort for dinner the travel time is usually about 50 mins.

However, then you do need to take into account that the buses might be delayed. On our last trip, when we were trying to catch a bus from Animal Kingdom to Epcot, we went to the bus waiting area and the board said a bus we be along in 20 mins. Then the time started to 'fade,' (extend) and then it disappeared off the board completely for a while, and then it returned. All together we waited about 40 to 45 mins for an EPCOT bus, and when it arrived, there wasn't ONE Epcot bus, but 3, all in a line, one right after the other. It ended up taking us the full hour and a half to get to our dinner reservation.

Here now. In some instances, it does take an hour and a half. Staying at WL. Went from WL to Fort Wilderness last night for ADR. Just a simple boat ride. Took 45 minutes just for that. Boats & buses coming back full & not emptying. Those in line maybe 10 can get on then u have to wait for next boat or bus. So yes, it is taking a very long time.

 

[kboo]

For the Poly to MK route - another option is the smaller boat that goes between MK, GF and Poly. Until the GF - MK walkway is complete, our preference is to take the monorail TO MK from GF, and take the boat from MK to GF. The route is a triangle - MK - GF - Poly - back to MK, so the boat is another nice option from Poly to MK (not the big ferry from TTC).

 

[BcIcemen]

Following very good info

 

[vnovabri]

So now that Riviera has been added, it looks like when accounting for bus wait times, that this is actually the fastest resort. We stay at AK often bc it's our home resort and agree with some of the above posts that these times are really absolute best case scenario and often we are waiting and taking longer than expected (except the AK trip)

 

[Frederic Civish]

As Disney 'restarts' from the Coronavirus mess, I have no idea how often the buses will run, and also we still don't know if the Skyliner will be running. Are they going to run on the buses between stops and disinfect seats? Or do the same on the skyliner? I'm thinking not, but we will see. Also, if the parks are being limited to half capacity, then they will almost certainly be running fewer buses.

 

[BcIcemen]

As Disney 'restarts' from the Coronavirus mess, I have no idea how often the buses will run, and also we still don't know if the Skyliner will be running. Are they going to run on the buses between stops and disinfect seats? Or do the same on the skyliner? I'm thinking not, but we will see. Also, if the parks are being limited to half capacity, then they will almost certainly be running fewer buses.

They may possibly clean the buses after dropping off at the parks before they reload for the return trip to the resorts and not have anyone get back on. Once the bus is empty they can then clean again. So the cycle always starts with a empty bus at the resort. I would not run the gondolas at this time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

They may possibly clean the buses after dropping off at the parks before they reload for the return trip to the resorts and not have anyone get back on. Once the bus is empty they can then clean again. So the cycle always starts with a empty bus at the resort. I would not run the gondolas at this time.

Zero chance IMO of bus cleaning after every park trip. It will be up to the guests to wash their hands etc. With good airflow thru the gondolas, loading individual family groups and periodic cleaning I'd think it would be no worse than any other public transportation and maybe even better.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Zero chance IMO of bus cleaning after every park trip. It will be up to the guests to wash their hands etc. With good airflow thru the gondolas, loading individual family groups and periodic cleaning I'd think it would be no worse than any other public transportation and maybe even better.

I also think the gondolas are probably the best socially distanced trans mode. If they don't force any families to share, they can still move a lot of people and I don't think cleaning is really necessary. I mean.... there's no way you're not going to be sitting somewhere someone else has in WDW. I'd much rather be on a gondola with just my family than on a bus or monorail.

One of my kids (grown) won't ride the gondolas so it's not an option for us regardless.

 

[Frederic Civish]

. . . . If they don't force any families to share, they can still move a lot of people and I don't think cleaning is really necessary. I mean.... there's no way you're not going to be sitting somewhere someone else has in WDW. I'd much rather be on a gondola with just my family than on a bus or monorail.

I am sure that they are going to limit the gondolas to one family at a time. There will be no mixing of groups on the gondolas, assuming they are running.