Hi Mark!
Welcome to planDisney.
I love to let Disney do the driving while I am on vacation, and the
Disney Buses operate from most Disney Resort hotels to the four theme parks, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Disney's Blizzard Beach- (whichever water park is open) and Disney Springs, from around 45 minutes before park opening, and continue every 20 minutes or so until an hour after park closing time. If you need to be at a theme park for an early event (such as a breakfast dining reservation) please check with your Front Desk to confirm what times the first buses will arrive.
Depending on where you are staying, some Disney resort hotels offer other methods of
transport to take you around the Resort. Magic Kingdom resorts can benefit from boats, monorail and buses, and some hotels can access Magic Kingdom Park by a short stroll along a walking path.
EPCOT resorts also offer a short walk to EPCOT or Disney's Hollywood Studios. These hotels can also choose from buses, boats, and the
Disney Skyliner which is such a great addition to the Disney transport system, and I love taking a ride just for the fun of it! It links some resort hotels to both EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the other hotels along its pathway (Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Caribbean Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort).
Other hotels provide a lovely relaxing boat ride to
Disney Springs (Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Disney's Port Orleans Resort), along with buses serving the theme parks.
If you have some time, I highly recommend doing a little transport tour around Walt Disney World Resort. Last summer I created a 4-transport challenge for myself. I took the bus from Disney's Wilderness Lodge to EPCOT for the day. I exited the park at the International Gateway to take the Disney Skyliner on a round-trip, ending back at EPCOT. Then I walked to the main entrance of the park to the monorail station, riding that to Magic Kingdom Park. From there, it was a short boat ride back to the Wilderness Lodge. There are so many options, and this gives you the chance to visit different resort hotels and experience the various transport routes.
Please come back and visit us if you have any further questions. We will be happy to help you plan your magical vacation at Walt Disney World.
Sue