Hi Jean Marie,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thank you for your question!
When my family and I stayed at
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort last summer, we found that the bus transportation times could be relatively variable, depending on the time of day and traffic on the roads... yes, there can be traffic in Walt Disney World! But, by using their
Complimentary Resort Transportation, it shouldn’t affect you too much! I found that a good rule of thumb was to set aside a solid 45-60 minutes of travel time (including wait time) from your Resort to your destination. If you would like to have a specific list of how long it takes to get to each destination, many unofficial sites, such as www.ourlaughingplace.com offer transportation calculators that will give you remarkably accurate travel times.
As you noted, transportation to the Theme Parks does not normally begin until an hour before park opening, but Disney does understand that many Guests require earlier transportation. From what I understand, buses generally start picking up Guests from their Resorts as early as 6:45 a.m. for early breakfast reservations. I would recommend getting to your Resort bus stop at around 7 a.m. and, if you do not see a bus to your destination within 10-15 minutes, simply let a Concierge Cast Member in the Resort know that you require transportation and they will be happy to assist you. It would also be a good idea to stop by your Resort’s Concierge desk the night before your dining reservation in order to get more specific directions for making sure you get to your breakfast in time the following morning.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne