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- Apr 18, 2018
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Hi everyone. As we all know, there are often questions about how long it takes to get somewhere, and which resorts are the most 'convenient' for various purposes.
Well, I have been researching the amount of time it takes to get from EACH RESORT to EACH PARK, and I present my findings below. This might help in planning vacations, and shows which resorts actually have INCREASED TRANSIT TIMES. For each Resort, I list the time to EACH PARK, and then I list an AVERAGE TIME for all 4 parks.
Transportation around Disney World can be part of the fun, especially on the boats, monorail and gondola. So don't look at it as just trying to get from one place to another as quickly as possible.
There are some surprises in the data below, when you look at it all.
Guess which resorts take the longest on an average? The 3 Monorail Resorts! Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.
Guess which resort has the shortest average travel time? OKW! (Except that you need to add time for additional stops within the resort, and if you add the additional bus stops at OKW, Beach Club and Boardwalk, then ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS might actually be the shortest average travel time of all resorts!! With Wilderness Lodge a close second!)
Measurements below are estimates from Google Maps, and reflect current expected daytime travel times, including estimates from traffic.
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.
There are No buses from Monorail Resorts to MK or Epcot, except when the Monorails are down.
*OKW (from Hospitality House) (Plus, you need to add time, about 8 minutes, average, for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 5 bus stops in OKW. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will affect you on the way home.)
HS 12 min, 2.7 mi
Epcot 8 min 2.5 mi
MK 16 min 7 mi
AK 10 min, 5.9 miles
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Boardwalk (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 8 bus stops around Crescent Lake. Each bus probably stops at 4 of them, on an average. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will probably affect you on the way home.)
HS 12 min. Half mile (or up to almost 1 mile) for walk. But 14 mins on the boat.
Epcot 8 min walk
MK 16 min 6 mi
AK 10 in 3.1 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop at other resorts, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Beach Club (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 8 bus stops around Crescent Lake. Each bus probably stops at 4 of them, on an average. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will probably affect you on the way home.)
HS 16 min. Around a mile to walk, but about 14 mins by boat.
Epcot 8 min 3.4 mi by bus, 6 min walk
MK 12 min 7 mi
AK 11 min 3.7 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each added bus stop at other resorts, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*AKV (From Jambo House. If at Kidani, add 4 minutes to account for the stop at Jambo.)
HS 12 min 5.4 mi
Epcot 12 min 5.9 mi
MK 18 min 6.8 mi
AK 6 min 1.4 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (add 4 mins to each time if at Kidani)
*Riviera (Times are tentative and might be adjusted in the future)
MK 17 mins by bus
AK 12 mins by bus
Epcot 5 mins by Skyliner
HS 13 to 14 mins (Skyliner 9 mins to Caribbean Beach hub plus 5 mins to HS)
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 13 mins.
(As someone said, "Skyliner, when it's running, is so fast and convenient!" However, to this point the Skyliner has frequent slow downs and stops, usually for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time (sometimes longer, of course), and it might potentially get worse, depending on the number of ECVs at Riviera. These estimate times on Skyliner are MINIMAL times. The times have been measured and this is accurate, if there are no slow-downs or stops. Keep in mind that every time they stop for 30 seconds, it affects EVERYONE on the line, all the way from Caribbean Beach to Riviera to EPCOT.)
(One other detail about the Skyliner that people should learn - the vents that provide airflow are partially adjustable, from inside the gondola, so if you are hot or cold, you can open or close them. But they only really work to cool you off while the gondola is moving.)
*Saratoga (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. Probably 6 to 8 additional minutes. There are 5 bus stops in OKW. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will affect you on the way home.)
HS 16 min 4.9 mi
Epcot 11 min 3.7 mi
MK 18 min, 4.8 mi
AK 15 min 7 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 min (Plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Wilderness Lodge
HS 18 min 6.7 mi
Epcot 12 min 4.9 mi
MK 14 min 1.5 mile
AK 14 min 6.9 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 mins
*Polynesian (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
(Polynesian buses also stop at Grand Floridian, which adds at least 2 minutes.)
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 10 min 5 mi
AK 12 min 5.2 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 min
*Grand Floridian (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
MK 10 min (No bus, only Monorail) There is now a new option to walk to MK 0.5 miles, 10 mins.
Epcot 35 mins (NO bus, only Monorail.) (20 mins monorail to TTC, plus 15 mins to Epcot. Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
HS 9 min 5 mi
AK 11 min 5.2 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 16 min
*BLT/Contemporary
HS 16 min 7.3 mi
Epcot NO Bus, but Monorail is 25 mins (5 mins to TTC, 5 mins wait, 15 to Epcot. Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
MK 7 min walk 0.4 mi
AK 16 min 7.4 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 16.5
This list, above, is mostly covering the buses, but keep in mind that the free Internal Transportation provided by Disney World includes all of the following:
* Buses from resorts to parks, and from parks to parks
* Friendship Boats from Hollywood Studios to Boardwalk, Beach Club and Epcot
* Water Taxies from OKW and SSR to Disney Springs
* Ferry from TTC (Ticket and Transportaton Center) to Magic Kingdom
* Launches/Water Taxis to and from the Magic Kingdom and the Resorts around the 7 Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. This includes, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Bay Lake Tower, and Wilderness lodge (and separately to Fort Wilderness).
* Monorail from BLT, Poly, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom and TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center)
* Skyliner gondolas from Epcot to Riviera to Caribbean Beach then to Hollywood Studios
Transportation within Disney World is also available for a fee by using:
* Minnie Vans (through the Lyft app)
* Lyft
* Uber
The travel times listed are from BUS STOP to BUS STOP, from Resort to Park. Do not make the mistake of thinking that is how long it is going to take you to get into the park, since you will have to walk a moderate distance, and also go through security and through the ticket gates. If you plan to go to the parks early, to be there for Rope Drop, 45 minutes total travel time is minimum and an hour might be better.
When transferring to another park or resort, in addition to the bus routes listed above, most of the Theme Parks will also have regular buses running that can take you to the other Theme Parks or to Disney Springs. Sometimes, it can also be beneficial to take a bus to a different park, or different resort, or Disney Springs, and then transfer to another bus to your desired location. This can especially be true if you walk out to the bus stop and the bus is right there.
Information on BUS transit times is from Google Maps. Information on Monorail travel times is from Disney information. I am NOT including wait time and loading time (which increases with electric scooters) for buses and monorails, since that is variable.
I also am not including extra time spent stopping at additional bus stops, for loading and unloading, since that is so variable. But you should pay attention to the fact that, in addition to travel time to and from the parks, there might be additional time making stops at other locations. Many resorts such as Old Key West and Saratoga Springs have extra bus stops, internally. Some resorts, such as Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club often have extra bus stops that they share with other resorts around Crescent Lake, including the Swan and Dolphin. Wilderness Lodge buses sometimes go to the Polynesian and then the Grand Floridian before traveling on, and all Polynesian buses go through Grand Floridian. Then when the buses return, to Grand Floridian, they have to stop at Poly first, which adds time on the return trip. Animal Kingdom has one internal stop, at Kidani Village before going on to Jambo House. You should research your resort and go to Maps.Google.Com and type in something like "Bus Stops at Disney's Beach Club Resort," and look at the bus stops in your area.
I also realize that bus travel times are sometimes longer, or shorter, depending on traffic congestion and construction delays. And there are often Construction delays somewhere in Disney World. So these numbers are not 'exact' but they seem to be pretty typical. You might consider doing a web search for something like, "Current or Ongoing Road Construction Projects in Disney World Area."
Do keep in mind that these times that are listed above are not the times you want to use if you are travelling from a resort to a park, or a park to another park, in order to keep a Dining Reservation. In that case, you must plan on at least 1 hour travel time, and maybe an hour and a half of travel time. Why? Well, first, because your bus might be late. Sometimes things happen and you only get a bus after 40 minutes. Then you must travel to the park, then go through security (which can take a lot of time during busy hours) and then through the ticket gate, and then you must walk in to your restaurant. Honestly, an hour is minimum for this, and consider yourself lucky if that is all it takes. An hour and a half should give you a good cushion of time. On the other hand, from parks to a resort for Dinner, or to Disney Springs is usually about 50 mins.
Well, I have been researching the amount of time it takes to get from EACH RESORT to EACH PARK, and I present my findings below. This might help in planning vacations, and shows which resorts actually have INCREASED TRANSIT TIMES. For each Resort, I list the time to EACH PARK, and then I list an AVERAGE TIME for all 4 parks.
Transportation around Disney World can be part of the fun, especially on the boats, monorail and gondola. So don't look at it as just trying to get from one place to another as quickly as possible.
There are some surprises in the data below, when you look at it all.
Guess which resorts take the longest on an average? The 3 Monorail Resorts! Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.
Guess which resort has the shortest average travel time? OKW! (Except that you need to add time for additional stops within the resort, and if you add the additional bus stops at OKW, Beach Club and Boardwalk, then ANIMAL KINGDOM VILLAS might actually be the shortest average travel time of all resorts!! With Wilderness Lodge a close second!)
Measurements below are estimates from Google Maps, and reflect current expected daytime travel times, including estimates from traffic.
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.
There are No buses from Monorail Resorts to MK or Epcot, except when the Monorails are down.
*OKW (from Hospitality House) (Plus, you need to add time, about 8 minutes, average, for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 5 bus stops in OKW. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will affect you on the way home.)
HS 12 min, 2.7 mi
Epcot 8 min 2.5 mi
MK 16 min 7 mi
AK 10 min, 5.9 miles
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Boardwalk (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 8 bus stops around Crescent Lake. Each bus probably stops at 4 of them, on an average. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will probably affect you on the way home.)
HS 12 min. Half mile (or up to almost 1 mile) for walk. But 14 mins on the boat.
Epcot 8 min walk
MK 16 min 6 mi
AK 10 in 3.1 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop at other resorts, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Beach Club (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. There are 8 bus stops around Crescent Lake. Each bus probably stops at 4 of them, on an average. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will probably affect you on the way home.)
HS 16 min. Around a mile to walk, but about 14 mins by boat.
Epcot 8 min 3.4 mi by bus, 6 min walk
MK 12 min 7 mi
AK 11 min 3.7 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (plus add 2 mins more for each added bus stop at other resorts, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*AKV (From Jambo House. If at Kidani, add 4 minutes to account for the stop at Jambo.)
HS 12 min 5.4 mi
Epcot 12 min 5.9 mi
MK 18 min 6.8 mi
AK 6 min 1.4 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 12 min (add 4 mins to each time if at Kidani)
*Riviera (Times are tentative and might be adjusted in the future)
MK 17 mins by bus
AK 12 mins by bus
Epcot 5 mins by Skyliner
HS 13 to 14 mins (Skyliner 9 mins to Caribbean Beach hub plus 5 mins to HS)
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 13 mins.
(As someone said, "Skyliner, when it's running, is so fast and convenient!" However, to this point the Skyliner has frequent slow downs and stops, usually for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time (sometimes longer, of course), and it might potentially get worse, depending on the number of ECVs at Riviera. These estimate times on Skyliner are MINIMAL times. The times have been measured and this is accurate, if there are no slow-downs or stops. Keep in mind that every time they stop for 30 seconds, it affects EVERYONE on the line, all the way from Caribbean Beach to Riviera to EPCOT.)
(One other detail about the Skyliner that people should learn - the vents that provide airflow are partially adjustable, from inside the gondola, so if you are hot or cold, you can open or close them. But they only really work to cool you off while the gondola is moving.)
*Saratoga (Plus, you need to add time for other bus stops! Typically it averages to about 1 to 2 minutes per stop, depending on mobility impaired vacationers. Probably 6 to 8 additional minutes. There are 5 bus stops in OKW. Depending on where you are, you must add time for each of them. If they don’t affect you on the way to the park, they will affect you on the way home.)
HS 16 min 4.9 mi
Epcot 11 min 3.7 mi
MK 18 min, 4.8 mi
AK 15 min 7 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 min (Plus add 2 mins more for each additional bus stop, so this time is not really accurate, and resort should probably be farther down the list.)
*Wilderness Lodge
HS 18 min 6.7 mi
Epcot 12 min 4.9 mi
MK 14 min 1.5 mile
AK 14 min 6.9 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 mins
*Polynesian (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
(Polynesian buses also stop at Grand Floridian, which adds at least 2 minutes.)
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 10 min 5 mi
AK 12 min 5.2 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 15 min
*Grand Floridian (Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
MK 10 min (No bus, only Monorail) There is now a new option to walk to MK 0.5 miles, 10 mins.
Epcot 35 mins (NO bus, only Monorail.) (20 mins monorail to TTC, plus 15 mins to Epcot. Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
HS 9 min 5 mi
AK 11 min 5.2 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 16 min
*BLT/Contemporary
HS 16 min 7.3 mi
Epcot NO Bus, but Monorail is 25 mins (5 mins to TTC, 5 mins wait, 15 to Epcot. Monorail is one of the slowest ways to get around to parks.)
MK 7 min walk 0.4 mi
AK 16 min 7.4 mi
Average Travel Time for All 4 Parks: 16.5
This list, above, is mostly covering the buses, but keep in mind that the free Internal Transportation provided by Disney World includes all of the following:
* Buses from resorts to parks, and from parks to parks
* Friendship Boats from Hollywood Studios to Boardwalk, Beach Club and Epcot
* Water Taxies from OKW and SSR to Disney Springs
* Ferry from TTC (Ticket and Transportaton Center) to Magic Kingdom
* Launches/Water Taxis to and from the Magic Kingdom and the Resorts around the 7 Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. This includes, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Bay Lake Tower, and Wilderness lodge (and separately to Fort Wilderness).
* Monorail from BLT, Poly, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom and TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center)
* Skyliner gondolas from Epcot to Riviera to Caribbean Beach then to Hollywood Studios
Transportation within Disney World is also available for a fee by using:
* Minnie Vans (through the Lyft app)
* Lyft
* Uber
The travel times listed are from BUS STOP to BUS STOP, from Resort to Park. Do not make the mistake of thinking that is how long it is going to take you to get into the park, since you will have to walk a moderate distance, and also go through security and through the ticket gates. If you plan to go to the parks early, to be there for Rope Drop, 45 minutes total travel time is minimum and an hour might be better.
When transferring to another park or resort, in addition to the bus routes listed above, most of the Theme Parks will also have regular buses running that can take you to the other Theme Parks or to Disney Springs. Sometimes, it can also be beneficial to take a bus to a different park, or different resort, or Disney Springs, and then transfer to another bus to your desired location. This can especially be true if you walk out to the bus stop and the bus is right there.
Information on BUS transit times is from Google Maps. Information on Monorail travel times is from Disney information. I am NOT including wait time and loading time (which increases with electric scooters) for buses and monorails, since that is variable.
I also am not including extra time spent stopping at additional bus stops, for loading and unloading, since that is so variable. But you should pay attention to the fact that, in addition to travel time to and from the parks, there might be additional time making stops at other locations. Many resorts such as Old Key West and Saratoga Springs have extra bus stops, internally. Some resorts, such as Boardwalk Villas and Beach Club often have extra bus stops that they share with other resorts around Crescent Lake, including the Swan and Dolphin. Wilderness Lodge buses sometimes go to the Polynesian and then the Grand Floridian before traveling on, and all Polynesian buses go through Grand Floridian. Then when the buses return, to Grand Floridian, they have to stop at Poly first, which adds time on the return trip. Animal Kingdom has one internal stop, at Kidani Village before going on to Jambo House. You should research your resort and go to Maps.Google.Com and type in something like "Bus Stops at Disney's Beach Club Resort," and look at the bus stops in your area.
I also realize that bus travel times are sometimes longer, or shorter, depending on traffic congestion and construction delays. And there are often Construction delays somewhere in Disney World. So these numbers are not 'exact' but they seem to be pretty typical. You might consider doing a web search for something like, "Current or Ongoing Road Construction Projects in Disney World Area."
Do keep in mind that these times that are listed above are not the times you want to use if you are travelling from a resort to a park, or a park to another park, in order to keep a Dining Reservation. In that case, you must plan on at least 1 hour travel time, and maybe an hour and a half of travel time. Why? Well, first, because your bus might be late. Sometimes things happen and you only get a bus after 40 minutes. Then you must travel to the park, then go through security (which can take a lot of time during busy hours) and then through the ticket gate, and then you must walk in to your restaurant. Honestly, an hour is minimum for this, and consider yourself lucky if that is all it takes. An hour and a half should give you a good cushion of time. On the other hand, from parks to a resort for Dinner, or to Disney Springs is usually about 50 mins.
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