Walt Disney World is s sprawling complex – famously just about double the size of Manhattan – and requires a large, sprawling transportation network.
©Disney
Recently, Disney released a new infographic detailing each of the resort’s transportation options, as well as some facts and figures that put into perspective just how large the resort’s transportation system truly is.
Walt Disney World Monorail
When Disney World first opened in 1971, the resort’s primary transportation offering was the Walt Disney World Monorail. Taking Disneyland’s Monorail aesthetic and greatly expanding it, the Monorail initially connected the Magic Kingdom with the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), the Polynesian Village Resort, and the Contemporary Resort. Stops were added to EPCOT and the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa when they opened in 1982 and 1988 respectively.
Walt Disney World Monorail
As the infographic laid out, the line features 12 monorail trains, and 14.7 miles of track, making it the largest system in the U.S.
Watercraft
Watercraft has also been part of Disney World’s transportation system since the beginning. Boats currently travel around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, connecting the Magic Kingdom with the nearby resorts as well as the TTC. In addition, the watercraft connect EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with the Swan & Dolphin, Yacht & Beach Club, and Boardwalk resorts and Disney Springs with the Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs resorts.
Behold!
Disney World’s fleet of 36 watercraft are 10 more than New York’s world-famous Staten Island Ferry.
Buses
As Walt Disney World expanded with MGM-Studios, Animal Kingdom, and a double-digit number of hotels in the late 1980s and 1990s, the Monorail ceded the title of Disney World’s most vital transportation method to the bus system.
Magic Kingdom Bus
Currently, Disney World’s bus system features 424 buses and 43 square miles of bus routes. It also features ridership that makes it the equivalent to the 13th largest level of bus ridership in the U.S.
Skyliner
The newest transportation method at Disney World, the Skyliner debuted at Disney World in 2019. The gondola system connects EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with the Riviera Resort, the Caribbean Beach Resort, the Pop Century Resort, and the Art of Animation Resort.
Skyliner
The system’s 304 gondolas carry over 10x the ridership of New York City’s well-known Roosevelt Island Ariel Tramway.
Inside the Disney Skyliner
Disney World guests have several transportation options to travel around the resort, each of which is aimed at making the experience as smooth as possible. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s infrastructure.
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I have been trying to map out some non direct routes for our 1st day of our trip so we can get to go on monorail (Epcot & resort loop) and a boat. We will be at CBR and going to Ohana for dinner. I just thought this would be a really neat way to show most of the Disney property to my little for the 1st time. However, the boat docks are longer on the app, order at least have been in the last 3 days. Is there something wrong with my app? Are they not running this week (I can see them maybe on hold is they are draining the River of America)? People have suggested using “Get Directions” but it always shows the most efficient route not the scenic route. I really just want to be familiar with my options before I go and how to determine if they are running or not without having to actually walk there and then turn around if it says closed.
Any suggestions on 1) how to find the boat transportation option in the app 2) any suggested routes so we can experience both loops of the monorail & a boat ride to get from CBR to Polynesian (of course bus & skyliner would be in the mix too).
Thanks 😊
I like this map. I know it’s styalised and not to scale but it shows that all the people who say Animal Kingdom is miles away from everywhere else are wrong. It’s Magic Kingdom that is the furthest away from everywhere else.
Disney Bus system is much better in reliability & customer service than DFB tends to write (or give it).
My wife & I las stay was at AKL & the Disney bus workers were outstanding, the “dreaded resort loops” were overstated, & the buses were never a long wait. So, I say, good job Bus Team.