Prior to our November 2025 trip, we had stayed at the All Stars Resorts, which use the complimentary bus service exclusively. This post shares everything you need to know about using the Walt Disney World busses. Utilizing the service really makes it so that you may not need to rent a car during your vacation. The busses can take you to many different places!
The Magic of the “Free” Ride
While it’s nothing fancy, the Walt Disney World bus transportation system is the most comprehensive way to get around the parks, resorts, and other Disney-related properties like Disney Springs. Disney busses are free for all guests, whether they stay on property or offsite. That means that even if you’re staying offsite, you’re welcome to catch a bus leaving Hollywood Studios to go explore the Polynesian!
When & Where do they Run?
Disney resort busses typically begin running 45 minutes before park opening and end one hour after park closing. In our experience, they tend to start running a little early than that; especially the ones headed to Magic Kingdom. For Disney Springs, busses run during operating hours and up to an hour after closing.
On average, busses tend to arrive every 20 minutes. This will vary A LOT throughout the day. Busses will run much more frequently to transport guests to rope drop each of the respective parks, and there will also be an increase in busses at the end of the night to get everyone back to their respective resorts.
A special note here is that folks headed to the water parks will likely need to take a transfer bus. For instance, taking the bus service to Typhoon Lagoon means going to Disney Springs and transferring to a different bus there.
Mastering the My Disney Experience (MDE) App
The MDE app offers real-time tracking for the busses. When you get up in the morning, take a look at the bus arrival times under your resort reservation to see what bus you want to aim for. Super handy when you’re trying to get everyone fed and out the door!
At each of the resort bus stops, there are also digital monitors that list arrival times for each bus headed on its specific route. At each resort bus stop, there will be different lines each for busses to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. If it’s your first time staying at your resort, you can also use the “Get Directions” feature in the MDE app to find the most efficient route to the bus stop.
Rules & Etiquette of Disney Resort Busses
All strollers must be folded before boarding the bus. One of the biggest perks of staying at a Skyliner or Monorail resort is not needing to breakdown a stroller when traveling from resort to park. The only exception is if guests have shared their accessibility needs and have received a “Stroller as a Wheelchair” red tag. We strongly recommend clearing out the bottom storage basket as the bus is pulling up so no one gets held up. Also, luggage and oversized strollers (max 31″ x 52″) are not allowed on Disney busses.
Pro-Tips for the Savvy Traveler
If you’d like to take advantage of the Disney bus system, and especially if you’re staying at a resort like All Stars that offer the bus system exclusively, here are some super important tips to keep in mind.
- The Magic Kingdom Loophole
- If you’re looking to save some time by taking a rideshare (Uber/Lyft, etc.) to rope drop the Magic Kingdom, they will not drop you off at the park. Rather, they will drop you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). From there, you would need to hop the Monorail over to the park. In comparison, the bus system will take you straight to the park.
- Park-to-Park Travel
- Planning on visiting multiple parks in one day? One of our favorite park hop days is doing Animal Kingdom in the morning (when the animals are the most active) and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon/evening. If your Disney itinerary involves a similar type of split, the busses run between parks starting around 10:00AM for park hopping.
- The “Resort-to-Resort” Myth
- There is no direct bus from one resort to another. If you plan on using the bus system to resort hop, you would either need to transfer at one of the Disney parks or at Disney Springs.
- Magic Kingdom Closing Time Strategy
- We’ve personally never experienced an extensive wait for a bus (maybe 20-25 minutes at most?), during the busiest times of the year (the summer, major holidays, etc.), waits for busses can reach upwards of 2 hours at the end of the night. If you find yourself facing that situation, consider taking the boat or monorail to a resort, and then grabbing a rideshare from there. It’ll obviously cost you more than the free bus, but sometimes a bed at the end of a long park day is worth it.
Accessibility & Inclusivity on Disney Resort Busses
Every Disney bus can carry up to two mobility devices (wheelchairs, ECVs, etc.). All guests with mobility devices board first. It’s impressive watching Cast Members seamlessly lower ramps and get folks settled. I’m sure that skill is old news for them, but it’s so cool!
Relax & Enjoy the Ride
We really don’t have any real complaints about the Disney bus system. If anything, the only complaint would be, “who likes to ride a bus?” Since bringing Skippy on their first Disney trip, it also isn’t our new favorite to break down and haul around the stroller.
That being said, it’s SO nice to let someone else drive your around while you’re on vacation.