Cindy,
That is an excellent question!
I can tell you from personal experience that not only is this plan possible, but it is exactly what we do on vacation! My family did it most every day when staying at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa next door.
What is our basic schedule? We always try to be at the parks at the start of that park's operating hours. Typically that meant we were always ahead of the bulk of the crowds, and since our kids get up early at home anyway it is not a stretch to get up at that time. After several rides and shows we eat at a counter service restaurant around 11:30 am. Again, we miss most of the lunch crowd that seems to want to eat right at noon. Then after lunch we go back to the resort, swim, relax, and recharge.
Often we have dinner plans in a park or a park adjacent resort, so we would head out from our home resort around 5-ish. That gave us some time to explore a bit, eat, and then enjoy that night at the park. Some would say that evenings in the park are the most magical time of the day, and they have a point.
But you asked how long transportation takes. As you can imagine, it depends on your starting point, ending point, and means of transportation. We always plan an hour to get from point A to point B. We may even add on another 15 minutes or so if we are having to transfer buses, like when you go from one resort to another for dinner. But know that getting from your resort to, for instance, the
Magic Kingdom will take far less time.
You should also be aware that some modes of transportation are not just sitting at a station waiting for you. But here is the best part of the story! If you use the
My Disney Experience App on your smartphone, you can see how long before the bus headed to your destination of choice will arrive at your resort. So you can avoid rushing out of the room to go wait at the station.
BOTTOM LINE: From your hotel you know you can get to the Magic Kingdom, and other monorail resorts in a matter of 15 minutes or so. Buses to other parks will take longer, but if you plan an hour you will always be pleasantly surprised how much faster it will be. When using your My Disney Experience App you will also lessen the stress of transportation planning by seeing where your bus is and knowing that you are on your way to the magic!
Have a magical vacation!