Is There Any Direct Transportation Between Animal Kingdom And Other Disney World Parks?

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Looking for direct transportation between Animal Kingdom and Disney World’s other theme parks?

Getting from Animal Kingdom to any of the other Disney World theme parks is actually one of the most straightforward ways to get around because the options are so limited.

You can take Disney’s complimentary buses, you can drive yourself from park to park, or you can take a rideshare service like Lyft, Uber, or Disney’s Minnie Vans.

Animal Kingdom doesn’t have any of the extras like the Skyliner, boats, or the monorail.

Below I’ll break down the logistics of each option so you can decide which option is best for you!

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Transportation Between Animal Kingdom and Other Disney World Theme Parks

There are really only 3 ways to get from Animal Kingdom to any of the other Disney World theme parks – buses, rideshare, or driving yourself.

Here’s how each one works.

1. Buses

The best transportation method to get between theme parks is the buses.

Just outside of the Animal Kingdom theme park entrance are the bus stops.

There is a bus stop for every theme park and resort hotel, which are all clearly labeled.

So depending on which park you’re trying to get to next, read the board with all of the bus stop numbers and follow the arrows in that direction.

Bus stop numbers can change periodically, so the bus may not be at the same stop as it was on your last trip.

bus information sign outside of Animal Kingdom

You usually won’t have to wait more than 20 minutes for a bus, but sometimes there are delays or long lines which could increase your wait time.

This option is free for all Disney guests.

You don’t have to be staying on property or have any park tickets to get on the buses.

There’s no system to check for that.

It’s really the best way to get around Disney World without renting your own car.

2. Rideshare

If you don’t want to wait on a bus or take public transportation in general, then another option to get from Animal Kingdom to other theme parks is to take a rideshare service.

It’s the best way to get around Disney without using their transportation and if you don’t have your own car.

Lyft is Disney’s preferred partner for rideshare since that is who they offer their Minnie Van service through, but you can take Uber or a taxi as well.

All you’ll do is look for the “rideshare pickup” sign in the parking lot and wait for your ride there.

It’s on the opposite side of the park entrance as the buses.

So if you’re looking at the Animal Kingdom park entrance, the buses and Minnie Van pickup will be on the left and the rideshare pickups will be to the right.

Lyft Pickup Zone sign in the Animal Kingdom parking lot

Minnie Vans

The Minnie Van service is a rideshare service that is operated by actual Disney cast members.

Since it is something Disney offers directly, the pick up location is at one of the bus stop stations outside of Animal Kingdom rather than at the rideshare pickup spot.

It’s clearly labeled to avoid any confusion and there are always cast members around that can help you out if you have any questions.

A little hack you should know if you’re trying to go to Magic Kingdom is that Minnie Vans and Disney buses are the only way to get to the Magic Kingdom entrance.

All other rideshare services or driving yourself will lead you to the Transportation and Ticket Center where you’ll then have to take a ferry or monorail across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom entrance.

Minnie Van bus stop at Animal Kingdom

3. Driving Your Own Vehicle

Sometimes it’s just best to use your own transportation at Disney World.

If you know your way around well enough or just don’t want to have to rely on Disney’s public transportation, then driving yourself is always a great option.

When I was a kid we used to travel with extended family and it was easier to put all 10 of us in our 12 passenger van to go from place to place than to hope we’d all get on the same bus, boat, or monorail.

If you’re going to the parks for rope drop, you have a little bit more control over how early you get there if you drive yourself too since you can get there before any buses drop off guests.

Always take note of where you park though so you don’t get lost searching the parking lot like I did one time!

My friend and I searched for over an hour and it was so hot outside.

We were almost late for work, but finally had security narrow down where the car would be based off of the time we arrived.

Animal Kingdom parking lot

How To Get From Animal Kingdom To Magic Kingdom

Now that you know the different options to get from Animal Kingdom to other theme parks, I want to just break down the best method to get to each specific place.

I mentioned earlier with Magic Kingdom that only the buses and the Minnie Vans can drop you off directly at the entrance.

So I would recommend taking the bus if you’re doing that because it’s free.

If you take an Uber, Lyft, or drive yourself, you’ll have to go to the Transportation and Ticket Center first.

Then you can take the ferry or the monorail across Seven Seas Lagoon to get to the Magic Kingdom park entrance.

Epcot Monorail sign at the Transportation and Ticket Center

How To Get From Animal Kingdom To Epcot

With Epcot, the buses, rideshare, and self parking are all relatively in the same area.

The buses and rideshare pickup locations are closest to the entrance.

If you drive yourself, you might have a little bit further of a walk than the bus drop offs, but not that much.

There are trams that go through the parking lot too, so you can always take one of those to the entrance if you’re parked far away.

So my recommendation here would be the bus since it’s free.

Epcot "ball" Spaceship Earth from underneath

How To Get From Animal Kingdom To Hollywood Studios

The same thing goes for getting from Animal Kingdom to Hollywood Studios.

The buses, rideshare, and self parking are all relatively in the same area, so it doesn’t make much of a difference which mode of transportation you choose.

Obviously the bus is free and rideshare costs money, so that’s something to consider.

Also, parking at the theme parks costs money, so if you’re staying on property, I’d just take Disney’s transportation options around each day rather than paying to park at the theme parks each day.

Your best option to get to Hollywood Studios is really just up to personal preference.

Hollywood Studios parking lot Buzz Lightyear parking

How To Get From Animal Kingdom To Other Areas

Now that we’ve covered how to get to each theme park, let’s look at some other areas around property you might be trying to get to from Animal Kingdom.

Disney Springs

When going from Animal Kingdom to Disney Springs, you’ll have to make a bus transfer.

Buses do not between Disney Springs and the theme parks because parking at Disney Springs is free and parking at theme parks is paid.

This is to deter people from filling up the Disney Springs parking garages to avoid paying to park at the theme parks.

What I recommend is taking the bus to Saratoga Springs and then just walking into Disney Springs or taking the boat into Disney Springs.

If making a transfer is too convoluted, then this is one of the better opportunities where it makes sense to drive yourself or take a rideshare service.

Orange parking garage at Disney Springs

Typhoon Lagoon

To get from Animal Kingdom to Typhoon Lagoon, you’re going clear across to the other end of Disney property.

It’s free to park at the water parks but not the theme parks, so you can take that into consideration if you want to drive.

With rideshare, it’ll be one of the longest distances around property, so it could be a more expensive ride than usual, especially at peak hours.

The Minnie Van service is always $25 no matter what and you’ll get the most bang for your buck on this route.

Taking a Disney bus from Animal Kingdom to Typhoon Lagoon is a little convoluted.

Right now, Disney Springs is the hub for all buses going to Typhoon Lagoon.

When a Disney resort hotel guest wants to go to Typhoon Lagoon, they first have to take a bus to Disney Springs.

From there they will transfer to a new bus that will go just across the street to Typhoon Lagoon.

Now we mentioned already that Animal Kingdom doesn’t have a bus route that goes directly to Disney Springs.

So, I would again take the bus to Saratoga Springs, walk through Disney Springs or take the boat into Disney Springs, then catch the bus to Typhoon Lagoon.

But really you could take the bus to the first resort that shows up, transfer to a bus going to Disney Springs, then transfer again to Typhoon Lagoon.

entrance to Typhoon Lagoon

Blizzard Beach

To get from Animal Kingdom to Blizzard Beach you can take a direct bus.

The bus begins running 30 minutes prior to Blizzard Beach opening and runs until 1 hour after it has closed.

The Animal Kingdom bus stop to Blizzard Beach is actually the main hub where all of the resort hotels drop off for Blizzard Beach (unless you’re staying at All Stars or Coronado Springs – those resorts will take you directly to Blizzard Beach).

If you’re staying at the resort hotels and want to go to Blizzard Beach, you’ll take the bus to Animal Kingdom and then transfer onto a bus to Blizzard Beach.

Parking at the water parks is free, so driving yourself from Animal Kingdom to Blizzard Beach is just as easy.

For rideshare, it’s one of the closest distances around property when getting from one place to another, so it’s not a bad option either.

view of Summit Plummet at Disney's Blizzard Beach water park

Disney Resort Hotels

To get from Animal Kingdom to any Disney resort hotel, you’ll just take a bus directly to your resort.

Same with driving yourself or taking a rideshare – it’s all direct.

If you’re staying at select hotels that are around the property but not Disney owned like Shades of Green or the Bonnet Creek hotels or the Disney Springs area hotels, some of these hotels have a separate bus stop in the Animal Kingdom parking lot that is near the rideshare pickup.

lobby of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to get from Animal Kingdom to other Disney World theme parks?

If you’re going to Magic Kingdom, the fastest way to get there is by bus if one is already pulling on or through the Minnie Van service.

All other transportation will have to go through the Transportation and Ticket Center, which can take about 30 minutes longer.

If you’re going to any other theme parks, getting there takes the same amount of time.

What will determine how long it takes is if you’re waiting for a bus, waiting for a rideshare, or have to search for your car in the parking lot.

What is the cheapest way to get from Animal Kingdom to other Disney World theme parks?

The cheapest way will always be Disney’s bus transportation because it’s always free.

Rideshares will always cost money, even if you’re splitting the cost with people in your group.

If you drive yourself, you’d be paying for your rental, your gas, and the cost of parking.


The Wrap Up: Transportation Between Animal Kingdom and Other Disney World Theme Parks

Direct transportation between Animal Kingdom and other theme parks is really simple.

The only Disney transportation at Animal Kingdom is buses, so those will take you directly to the other parks.

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