The Disney Skyliner Mistake You'll Make in January

Ahh January, it’s an interesting time to visit Disney World!

Disney’s Riviera Resort

The holiday season is over, and the crowds start to dwindle a bit after the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is finished. The weather is chilly, the Festival of the Arts kicks off…oh, and there are LOTS of refurbishments! Typically this winter season is a good time for Disney to temporarily close and update attractions, but this January, they’re adding a transportation option to that list.

The Disney Skyliner is Disney World’s newest form of transportation, carrying guests in a gondola system between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with additional stops at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. It’s a popular way to get around Disney World, but if you’re traveling January 22nd-29th, 2023, it’ll be closed for a short refurbishment!

Skyliner Station

So what should you know about this closure? First of all, if you’re a Skyliner devotee, don’t plan to stay at a Skyliner Resort during that time. You won’t be able to ride the transportation system from any of the stations, and instead, you’ll be carted around the property on buses…just like the other non-Skyliner resorts. Therefore, the advantage of a Skyliner resort is diminished for the time being.

Skyliner from Hollywood Studios

If you’ve already got plans to stay at a Skyliner resort, you may want to think ahead about your transportation during your trip. For starters, it’s possible that we could see longer-than-usual lines at those bus stops and possible schedule delays or snafus since Disney doesn’t run buses as frequently to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios from those hotels. If you’re taking the bus, make sure to budget extra time!

Caribbean Beach Skyliner Station

One advantage to the Disney Skyliner system is that it makes it easier to travel between resorts in case of scheduled dining reservations. This is particularly advantageous if you’re planning to eat at the Topolino’s Terrace character breakfast at the Riviera Resort, but staying at Art of Animation or Pop Century. Those staying at Caribbean Beach during the closure will be able to walk to the Riviera (although it may be a HIKE, depending on where your room is), but those at the value resorts on the Skyliner loop will need to seek alternate transportation while the system is down.

If you’re in that predicament, you can always drive to the Riviera and park for your dining reservation. But for those who don’t have a car, your options are limited to Rideshare or riding a bus to a park/Disney Springs and then transferring to a Riviera bus.

Pop Century Resort Bus

So for those who have already booked their trips, it might be helpful to drive or get a rental car for ease of travel during the Skyliner closure — just remember you’ll have parking fees at your resort in addition to the rental car cost. If that’s not possible, make sure to budget extra time for riding the bus to and from the parks. If you haven’t booked your hotel yet, you might want to skip the Skyliner resorts for that particular week in January and choose something else — the hotels in the EPCOT resort area have transportation between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios in the form of Friendship boats and a walking path.

Friendship Boat

We’ll make sure to monitor the closure of the Skyliner and let you know if anything changes come January 22nd, so stay tuned to DFB. We’re constantly watching the Disney World website to see which attractions have refurbishments or closures, and we’ll share with you any more that we find on the calendar.

Hold up for a sec! Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, check out our DFB Guide Everything Bundle here. You will get ALL of our best-selling eBooks with details on Disney World Dining, EPCOT Festivals, the BEST snacks in each park, and soooooo many tips and tricks we’ve learned over decades of visiting our happy place.

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Have you ever stayed at a Disney World Skyliner resort? Tell us in the comments!