DVC Resorts: Where to Stay Based on Transportation Options
A huge perk of staying at a Disney World Resort is the complimentary transportation to take you to and from the theme parks. While every resort offers bus transportation, some have alternative modes of transportation, such as the monorail, Skyliner, or boats. If you have a preferred mode of transportation, here’s where you should stay for your next Disney World vacation!
Monorail
What form of Disney transportation is more iconic than the monorail? Whether you like the monorail for easy access to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, or you like resort hopping, staying along the monorail has its perks. If you love taking the monorail, you’ll want to stay at Bay Lake Tower, the Grand Floridian, or the Polynesian. The resort monorail line goes from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, and Bay Lake Tower.
One advantage to staying at the Polynesian is that you have easy access to both the resort monorail line from the Great Ceremonial House and the EPCOT monorail line at the Transportation and Ticket Center. This helps shorten your travel time compared to taking the resort monorail from the Great Ceremonial House around the full resort monorail line loop before transferring to the EPCOT monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center, which is a short walk away especially if you are staying in the Pago Pago or Moorea longhouses. If you plan to spend more time at EPCOT during your trip but want to prioritize the monorail, the Polynesian is a great choice for you.
Skyliner
For some guests, the Skyliner is like an attraction itself. Riviera is the only DVC Resort that has its own Skyliner station, so if the Skyliner is your priority, then the luxurious Riviera is the perfect place to stay. Riviera is directly on the EPCOT line, so you can get to the theme park in under 10 minutes. To get to Hollywood Studios, you need to take the Skyliner from Riviera to the hub at Caribbean Beach where you can transfer to the Hollywood Studios line. This can take about 20 minutes in total.
While the Beach Club doesn’t have its own Skyliner station, it is so close to the station at International Gateway by EPCOT that Beach Club guests can easily take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios.
Boat
Water Taxis to Magic Kingdom
Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek at Wilderness Lodge and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness may feel more remote since they are away from the hustle and bustle of Magic Kingdom, but they are actually just a short water taxi ride away. There are a few different water taxi routes; the red flag one from Wilderness Lodge and the green flag one from Fort Wilderness take you to Magic Kingdom. The blue flag route connects the resorts along Bay Lake, including Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, and the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower.
Along the Seven Seas Lagoon, there are also water taxis that take guests at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom.
Friendship Boats for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios
If you stay at the Beach Club or BoardWalk, you can take the Friendship Boats to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. These boats make 3 resort stops between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios: BoardWalk, Yacht and Beach Club, and Swan and Dolphin.
Sassagoula River Cruise to Disney Springs
If you love dining and shopping at Disney Springs, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs are great resorts to stay at since you can take the Sassagoula River Cruise. These boats travel from the resorts to the docks near the Marketplace side of Disney Springs.
Walking Paths
Walking can be a great alternative to any form of transportation since you can come and go as you please without waiting. This is great for rope dropping and after hours events or parties.
Walking Paths to Magic Kingdom
For the shortest walk to Magic Kingdom, stay at Bay Lake Tower. You’ll get to Magic Kingdom in less than 10 minutes. For a slightly longer walk to Magic Kingdom, you can also take the walking path from the Grand Floridian. It is about a 15-minute walk. You could technically also walk from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom if you walk from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian’s walking path, which is right past Gasparilla Island Grill.
Walking Paths to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios
From the Beach Club and BoardWalk, you can walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The Beach Club is closest to EPCOT (less than a 10 minute walk) while the BoardWalk is closest to Hollywood Studios (about a 15 minute walk).
Walking Path to Disney Springs
As an alternative to the Sassagoula River Cruise, Saratoga Springs guests can also walk to Disney Springs. This route is easiest if you are staying in the Congress Park section of the resort, which is where the walking path begins. It ends near the Marketplace entrance of Disney Springs.
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