Traveling around Disney World seems a little stressful until you realize that if you’re staying on Disney World property, you can get complimentary transportation pretty much anywhere you go!

Skyliner Station at Art of Animation

However, there are some transportation mistakes we see happening over and over again that we know mess people up. Whether you’re using Disney World transportation or not, PLEASE be aware of these potential Disney World transportation mistakes and know how to avoid them!

Internal Bus Loops

At some Disney World hotels (not all, but a few!) you can’t just hop on the bus and head straight to whatever park you’re on your way to. Some hotels have what are called internal bus loops and they can seriously throw YOU for a loop if you’re not expecting them.

Caribbean Beach bus stop

These are found at Disney World hotels that are so large and widespread that they need more than one bus stop to accommodate everyone. Instead of making someone at the far end of the resort walk all the way to the ONE bus stop at the other side. These bus loops make it easier for everyone to find a stop close to them, BUT it also means that a bus could fill up before it even gets to your stop (especially in the morning) and add 30 minutes to an hour onto your commute. 

Bus Station at Port Orleans Riverside

The Disney World hotels with internal bus loops are:

• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort (3 stops)
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (8 stops)
• Saratoga Springs (5 stops)
• Old Key West (5 stops)
• Coronado Springs (4 stops)

Not Allowing Enough Time

Something we see far too often, and experience ourselves more times than we’d care to admit, is that we leave our hotel or a park and need to make it to another park/area of the resort with only half an hour or 45 minutes to spare. This is especially important if you’re heading to something like a dining reservation — ALWAYS ALLOW AN HOUR!

Monorail line

It’s always better to be early rather than late, and transportation issues happen all the time — your Monorail or Skyliner car gets stopped for 10 minutes, the ferryboat has to stop in the middle of the water to make way for another boat, or maybe the bus gets caught in terrible traffic or has to stop at another resort unexpectedly to get guests. If you know the trip should only take half an hour, allow an hour. If it’s supposed to take 20 minutes allow an hour. Better safe than sorry!

Not Realizing the TTC Exists

Unless you’re taking a Minnie Van (Disney’s private partnership with Lyft) or a bus straight from a Disney World hotel, you will NOT be dropped off right at Magic Kingdom. Instead, you’ll travel through the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) where you’ll take a Ferryboat or the Monorail to the park.

The TTC

We’ve seen and heard MANY people frustrated by this if they weren’t expecting it, while others who go to the park frequently feel it’s part of the magic. Whichever side you fall on, if you’re planning on rope dropping Magic Kingdom, you need to park at least 30 minutes BEFORE rope drop time, because it’ll take you 20-30 minutes to get to the park gates from parking.

Forgetting When The Express Monorail is Closed

You can take either the Magic Kingdom Monorail or the Resort Monorail to get to Magic Kingdom — the MK Monorail will get you straight there while the Resort Monorail will stop at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and the Grand Floridian Resort before dropping you off at Magic Kingdom. (Or, you can take the Ferryboat!)

Monorail

However, if you’re stopping into Magic Kingdom early in the morning to do one or two things and then turning right back around, don’t be surprised when the Express Monorail is closed and isn’t taking guests back to the TTC. Instead, you’ll have to take the Resort Monorail and stop through the Contemporary Resort before getting back to the TTC, or you could take the Ferryboat. Again, this will add a little more time onto your trip, so keep that in mind when you’re planning on when to head out of the park!

Disney World Monorail

We’re always here to bring you the latest and greatest Disney World news and updates so stay tuned to DFB!

BEWARE of This Reservation Rule When Booking Your Disney World Hotel

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

---

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

What else would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments below!