Do Skyliner Resorts Offer Bus Transportation To Hollywood Studios And Epcot?
Want to know if the Skyliner resorts offer bus transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot?
Currently, if you are staying at one of the Skyliner resorts, you can only take a bus to Hollywood Studios and Epcot if the Skyliner is down.
So when there is inclement weather that closes the Skyliner, a planned refurbishment, or it’s down for any other number of reasons, buses will become available.
Cast members will be available to direct you where to go when this happens, so you won’t get lost or confused!
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Do Skyliner Resorts Offer Bus Transportation To Hollywood Studios And Epcot?
Right now, the only way to get from a Skyliner resort to Hollywood Studios and Epcot through Disney transportation is the Skyliner, unless you want to get your own transportation.
You could always pay for a Minnie Van or Uber if you’d like, but it’s not really necessary unless you truly cannot or do not want to ride the Skyliner.
Or you could drive to the parks if you want to, but remember that theme park parking is pretty expensive.
If the Skyliner is down for any reason, then buses will be available from Skyliner resorts to Hollywood Studios and Epcot (and back).
What is the Skyliner?
The Disney Skyliner is a new “highway in the sky”.
If you’re unfamiliar with that term, it’s what Disney uses to describe their monorail system.
The Skyliner though is a system of individual gondolas connecting a handful of Disney World’s theme parks and resorts.
Your family will all ride together from station to station (unless you have like a dozen family members).
In that case you’ll have to split up into a couple different gondolas.
Do Skyliner resorts have buses?
The Skyliner resorts offer buses to all of the other Disney World destinations that are not part of the Skyliner transportation system.
So if you’re looking to go to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or the water parks, you can take a bus.
If you really just want to take a bus to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from a Skyliner resort, then you’ll have to take a bus from your resort to another theme park, then take a bus from that theme park to Epcot or Hollywood Studios.
It’s not the most efficient way to get there but it’s free!
Can you take a bus to Hollywood Studios?
If you’re traveling from a Skyliner resort, the only way to take a bus to Hollywood Studios is if the Skyliner is down or you go to a resort or theme park that isn’t part of the Skyliner system.
The other resorts that aren’t part of the Skyliner system offer bus transportation to Hollywood Studios.
However, if you’re staying at the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, or Dolphin, you can just walk to Hollywood Studios or take the boat.
If the boat is at the dock, it takes about the same amount of time.
I personally prefer to just walk.
There is signage all over to direct you where to go if you haven’t made the walk before or taken the boats before.
What is the fastest transportation between Epcot and Hollywood Studios?
There is no one way that will always be the fastest between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
In general, it should take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to get between these two parks.
But here are a few options:
If you walk from Epcot’s World Showcase entrance to Hollywood Studios, it should take anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on how quickly you walk and how many other people are around.
You could also take a boat, but the boat’s stop at each of the resorts along the way (Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach, and Swan/Dolphin), so it can feel like it takes longer, especially if a boat isn’t already waiting at the dock.
A third option could be to take the Skyliner between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
You’ll have to transfer Skyliner lines at Caribbean Beach though.
As long as there are not long lines or any other delays at any of these stations, then this is likely the most efficient way to get between the two parks.
Another option would be to drive.
Depending on where you parked, it may take awhile to get back to your car and depending on where you park at the next park, it could take awhile to get up to the park entrance.
But, these two parks are very close to each other so the driving time between the two should be less than 10 minutes unless there is traffic.
Disney Skyliner Basics
If you’re unfamiliar with the Disney Skyliner or how it works, here is some basic info on this newer transportation system.
Resorts and Theme Parks With Skyliner Stations
The resorts that are officially on the Skyliner route are:
- Riviera Resort
- Caribbean Beach Resort
- Art of Animation Resort
- Pop Century Resort
Because of the location of the Epcot station, these resorts are also in walking distance of the Skyliner system:
- Boardwalk
- Yacht Club
- Beach Club
- Swan
- Dolphin
Additionally, Epcot and Hollywood Studios are the two theme parks on the Skyliner system.
Note that Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and the water parks are NOT part of the Disney Skyliner system.
What are the Disney Skyliner routes?
The main hub of the Skyliner is at the Caribbean Beach.
From here you can go on 3 different routes.
- Caribbean Beach -> Riviera -> Epcot
- Caribbean Beach -> Hollywood Studios
- Caribbean Beach -> Art of Animation/Pop Century
These routes can be taken in either direction.
For example, if you’re leaving Epcot and want to go anywhere else, you’ll take the Skyliner to the Riviera Resort, then the Caribbean Beach Resort.
From there, you’ll hop off and get onto the line that takes you to wherever you’re trying to go.
The Epcot station is just outside of the World Showcase entrance, so it’s also a station that serves the Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan, and Dolphin also.
Does it cost money to ride the Skyliner?
Nope!
It is completely free to ride the Skyliner – always!
Are park tickets required to ride the Skyliner?
Also no!
They don’t check or ask why you’re riding the Skyliner and honestly they don’t care.
I ride the Skyliner all the time when I’m not going to the parks.
It’s fun to just go around for a ride, explore new resorts, and just walk around enjoying the fresh air.
Where To Stay At Disney World
If at all possible, it is always best to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel.
These come with a bunch of additional perks and immerse you more in the Disney experience.
As a second choice, there are also a ton of partner hotels that are on Disney property, but aren’t owned by Disney.
For example, there’s all the hotels in the “Disney Springs Resort Area” along Hotel Plaza Boulevard and the Bonnet Creek Resort Area hotels.
Additionally, there is the Swan & Dolphin, Shades of Green, and the Four Seasons that are all on Disney property.
If none of those are available or are out of your price range, then I recommend local timeshare resorts.
They are available to non-timeshare owners just like a regular hotel would be, but they usually have more amenities like full kitchens, extra bedrooms, and more.
I’ve reviewed a ton of my favorites on another blog of mine called Timeshares, Resorts, and More.
These are some of the resorts I recommend checking out:
Aqua Sol
Aqua Sol is the furthest away.
It’s on the far side of Animal Kingdom, but it has it’s own mini water park and mini golf and a ton of other resort amenities.
The 2 bedrooms are recently renovated and absolutely beautiful and so spacious.
For the rooms themselves, this is my first choice.
Cypress Pointe
Cypress Pointe is just 5 minutes outside of Disney Springs and it’s my favorite place to stay when I can’t stay on property.
It’s one of the cheapest of the resorts and they have a really nice volcano pool and cafe.
I won a drawing for a free pool cabana for a day and made the absolute most of it!
Grande Villas
Grande Villas is actually right across the street from Cypress Pointe.
These two resorts actually share their amenities and guest access points with each other since they are both owned by Hilton Grand Vacations.
I enjoyed the pool deck area of Grande Villas because all of the amenities and entertainment were centrally located.
It’s usually pricier than Cypress Pointe, but the rooms are nicer.
Grand Beach
Grand Beach is on the south east end of Disney, closer to places like Wide World of Sports and Art of Animation, but still easily accessible to Disney Springs.
This resort looks like the Grand Floridian, so you might have seen it before when driving around Orlando.
The rooms are definitely a little dated, but the jacuzzi tub in the room is really nice and so is the pool.
It was one of the quieter resorts I’ve stayed in too.
Mystic Dunes
The last one I want to mention is a good compromise between all the resorts.
It’s usually pretty cheap, but not the absolute cheapest.
It’s about 15 minutes from just about any of the Disney theme parks, so it’s really convenient.
The resort is closer to more residential type areas and is really spacious.
There’s a golf course and it has more of a vacation resort feel than all of the others.
We’ve stayed here several times and it’s also the most convenient for us to visit family.
The Wrap-Up: Do Skyliner Resorts Offer Bus Transportation To Hollywood Studios And Epcot?
To reiterate, Skyliner resorts only offer bus transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot when the Skyliner is down.
This could be for maintenance, refurbishment, lightning, or a variety of other reasons.
When the Skyliner is running, you’ll either have to take the Skyliner, drive, or take a rideshare service like the Minnie Vans.
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