Abbie,
Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
As a general rule,
Disney Resort Transportation will start running 45 minutes prior to the published park opening time. But because Disney Resort Guests can enjoy the
Early Theme Park Entry benefit, which allows them to enter a park an extra 30 minutes prior to park opening at any theme park of their choosing, there can be some confusion about when they can start heading to their magical destination.
There is no official word to deviate from that 45-minute estimate, but in my personal experience, if you are catching a
bus, a
boat, a
monorail, or the
Disney Skyliner, you should start seeing some movement as much as an hour prior to the official standard park opening times. That is not a guarantee, and you should continue to use the 45-minute estimate as the official word, but when my family heads to the parks in the morning, we try to be in line for our ride at least one hour prior to the posted park opening, so that we are there before rope drop. So if a park will open at 9 am, we try to be in line for our transportation at 8 am, or possibly even 7:45 am.
I know that is not as definitive of an answer as you might want, but it should help you plan for your travels.
BONUS TIPIf you are using the Disney Skyliner to get to a park, know that the Skyliner starts running based on the earlier opening time for either park. So if Disney's Hollywood Studios opens at 8 am, and EPCOT at 9 am, the Skyliner starts running based on that earlier 8 am start time!
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions, or if you want some transportation planning assistance.
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug