Hiya! Andrew, and welcome back to planDisney. We love it when our west coast cousins make a trip to Disney East. A couple of things to know. There is no Esplanade to walk across; it is all transportation to and from Resort hotels to theme parks and Disney Springs. Be sure to budget 60-90 minutes of travel time between destinations.
When you arrive in November, and I am sure you are as excited as me to ride
Tron Lightcycle/Run, know that all transportation is reliable and that all
Walt Disney World Resort Transportation occasionally misses their magical moments. The
My Disney Experience Mobile app for Walt Disney World Resort is going to be your Jimminy Cricket, your second star to the right, your heart of Tefiti, etc. (I can go on and on). Transportation all depends on where you are traveling between.
Here is my experience with transportation:
- Walt Disney World Bus Service - reliable in the morning, slows during mid-day, and picks up again at night. Expect to wait an average of 20 minutes. Screen monitors at the bus depots of all Resort hotels will give you estimated wait times.
- Disney Skyliner - continuously running, reliable except in inclement weather, exceptionally busy in the morning and evening when the theme parks open and let out
- Walt Disney World Water Transportation (Water Taxis, Water Launches, and Ferry Boats) - very reliable and fun. The typical wait time is 15-30 minutes. Please note that Water Launches to the Magic Kingdom Resort Hotels may stop at another hotel before reaching your destination.
- Disney Minnie Van Service Connected By Lyft- Highly reliable paid service with a bespoke experience.
- Walt Disney World Monorail Service - "The Highway in the Sky" is highly reliable about every 10 minutes yet exceptionally congested at the end of the day at Magic Kingdom Park. There are three monorail services. The Express Monorail Service takes you on a 10-minute journey directly to the Transportation and Ticket Center (parking lot for Magic Kingdom Park), the Resort Monorail Service has 5 stops and runs clockwise around Seven Seas Lagoon. It takes about 20 minutes to go all the way around from Disney's Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom Park. The EPCOT Monorail Service can take up to 30 minutes.
Also, note that buses will take you between theme parks but not between Resort hotels. If you want to go between Resort hotels and they are not within walking distance or another mode of transportation, then you will have to take a bus to a theme park or
Disney Springs and transfer. Or, you can do what I do and take a Lyft/Uber or Disney Minnie Van Service Connected By Lyft.
planDisney Pro Tip: Currently, there is a Transportation tile that will help you find the closest transportation option. Open the My Disney Experience Mobile app and click the hamburger (≡) on the lower right. Select "Transportation."
Please let
me know if you have any other questions.
Andrew, enjoy making many Magical Memories on the East side.
~Jason