Hi Kari! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
One of the reasons why I love Walt Disney World Resort so much is all of the transportation options. I also appreciate that transportation is included in the cost of my vacation!
There will be very few times when buses are not running. Officially, resort transportation starts 45 minutes to one hour before each parks opening time for that specific day. Boat launches usually end about an hour after their specific parks closing. And both loops of the monorail usually close an hour after the last park closes for the day, that way if you parked at Epcot which closed at 8 but went to Extra Magic Hours at Magic Kingdom Park until 10, you'd still be able to get back to your vehicle.
Buses, however follow these general guidelines: they start running 45 minutes to an hour before each parks daily opening schedule. They will run back to your hotel from each theme and water park up until two hours after each park closes for the day. Buses will start going to Disney Springs from resort hotels around 8 a.m. and will continue to go
to Disney Springs until 1 a.m. Buses from Disney Springs back to resort hotels will start around 8:30 a.m. or 9, and will run in 20 to 30 minute intervals throughout the day. The last buses depart Disney Springs back to Disney Resort Hotels at 2 a.m. New this year, Buses will now go from theme and water parks to Disney Springs, however they will not start this service until 4 p.m. daily.
Should you find yourself in need of a bus outside of the above hours, your best bet would be to call your
Resort Hotel who can further assist you. Or if it is a true emergency, the local cab company is Mears Transportation.
I do hope this helped in your vacation planning, Kari, and we'll see you real soon!
~Kristen