Hello Nicole and welcome to planDisney!
It looks like your vacation to
Walt Disney World Resort is right around the corner - I'm so excited for you to see the hotels and theme parks decked out for the holidays! I love visiting Walt Disney World Resort throughout the year but there is something extra magical about visiting during the holiday season. You'll be sure to spot a Christmas decoration or two (or many, many more!) in the lobby of
Disney's Art of Animation Resort - there are even Christmas trees and wreaths that are themed to the resort!
One of the big perks of staying at Disney's Art of Animation Resort is the proximity to the
Disney Skyliner - my favourite Disney transportation. Art of Animation is one of four Disney Resort hotels connected to the Skyliner route. Guests can travel from their resort to
Disney's Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at
EPCOT and I have to say, the views are pretty amazing! Guests hop aboard a gondola featuring beloved Disney Characters and then relax as they soar to their next destination. My daughters love looking at the different Characters that decorate the gondolas and then they'll try to guess which one we get to board.
The ride from Disney's Art of Animation to Disney's Hollywood Studios takes around 12 minutes in total and requires a transfer at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Each leg of the trip is approximately 6 minutes long and then depending on the number of Guests waiting, you might have a few minutes to wait while you transfer. The Skyliner is continuously loading so even when it has been busy when we've ridden, the lines moved quickly.
It's important to note that the Disney Skyliner runs daily one hour before Early Theme Park Entry begins at either Disney's Hollywood Studios or EPCOT and closes 90 minutes after either of these parks closes. If there are Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT, the Disney Skyliner will continue to run until one hour after the park closes.
I hope this helps with your vacation planning, Nicole. I always feel better when I have a better idea of travel logistics. I hope you have a wonderful visit to Walt Disney World Resort, please say hi to Gertie the dinosaur for me when you visit Disney's Hollywood Studios! If you have any other planning questions, please visit us again at planDisney - we'd love to help.
Enjoy making magical memories,
Candace