From Monorails to the Disney Skyliner: How Disney World Moves Millions for Free! Entering the Walt Disney World bubble is like entering a sprawling city, and just like any large city, it has a transportation network to get you where you need to go. Disney offers a fleet of complimentary transportation options, from the Disney Monorail system that transports guests around the resort loop at the Magic Kingdom, or from Magic Kingdom to Epcot and back. The Friendship boats to buses with characters and, of course, the Disney Skyliner. With over 25 hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs, and hundreds of eateries spread across its property, there’s a lot of ground to cover.
We are not even talking about all the Disney Transportation options available inside the Parks. Like the Omnibus, or old-fashioned cars in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, or the Minnie Van Services.
Disney World has a team of more than 3,500 transportation cast members, not including hundreds of engineers and maintenance cast working behind the scenes to ensure every vehicle in the fleet is ready to move the tens of thousands of guests who use Disney transportation every day.
“We’re one of the most-visited vacation destinations in the world, and we spend a lot of time thinking about how to get everyone where they need to go,” said Ketan Sardeshmukh, Director of Transportation Operations at Disney World. “We’re always looking at ways to move people safely and efficiently, while also creating the easiest, fastest, and friendliest experience possible.”
Disney Monorails
The Walt Disney World Monorail System has transported hundreds of millions of guests since it first opened in October 1971, with an annual ridership of about 22 million.
A fan favorite for more than 50 years, Disney cast members continue to find new ways to keep the experience fresh for guests. To celebrate the resort’s 50th anniversary, Disney engineers designed a feature that illuminates the beam underneath each train at night. This week, they’re adding another new feature, which allows the logo on each train to glow in the dark.
Disney Boats
Like the monorail, boats have been around since day one at Disney World. 36 different vessels carry guests around Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom, across Crescent Lake to Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, and through Village Lake to Disney Springs daily.
Each Disney World ferryboat can transport up to 600 passengers to and from Magic Kingdom per trip. They share the waterways with two other kinds of boats: motor cruisers and motor launches. The motor launches — often referred to as water taxis — have been in service since Disney World first opened in 1971.
Across Disney World’s property, there are two other areas of watercraft transportation: FriendShip Boats and the Sassagoula River Cruise.
- FriendShip Boats sail between EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and several surrounding resorts. These boats were an opening-day attraction at EPCOT, starting their service on Oct. 1, 1982.
- The Sassagoula River Cruise offers transportation between select resorts, like Port Orleans French Quarter, and Disney Springs. With 15 boats, the Sassagoula River Cruise has 13 more vessels than the New Orleans RTA, which transports passengers to and from the real French Quarter, according to the French Quarter Journal.
Disney Buses
Last year alone, Disney buses transported 73 million guests. According to the Federal Transit Administration NTD report, Disney World ranks third in the United States for bus riders per square mile of service, only behind New York City and San Francisco. Disney’s bus network outpaces many metropolitan areas around the country with more than 420 buses in the fleet.
Disney Skyliner
Disney Skyliner is the newest mode of complimentary transportation at Disney World. This 300-cabin aerial gondola system has made a big impact in the five years since it opened. The system connects EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and four resorts that accommodate nearly every family size and budget.
From Monorails to the Disney Skyliner: How Disney World Moves Millions for Free
Learn More About Disney Transportation
For more information on how to get around the resort, visit the Walt Disney World website.
