Transportation

The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World Transportation with New Safety Protocols

Dani , 
Share This!
Walt Disney World has a variety of ways to get around all 47 square miles of the vacation kingdom. With a long list of new health and safety protocols in place all across Walt Disney World it is important to understand how transportation has changed. Here’s a complete guide to transportation at Walt Disney World and the safety protocols in place.
  • Disney Skyliner – This brand new Disney transportation system has no major impacts. It is one party per gondola, which isn’t too different than how the gondolas have been running aside from peak times of the day. Due to reduced attendance and occupancy at Walt Disney World, and no park hopping, we aren’t seeing significant delays or long wait times for the Skyliner system.
Disney Skyliner at Pop Century Resort
  • Magic Kingdom Ferry Boat –  As you board you’ll notice physical distancing dots placed on the ground. One party of around five people per dot maximum is permitted. So if you’re a party of two you will get your own dot. Each ferry boat takes approximately 60 groups per load.  During peak times you can expect some delays and wait times.
  • Resort Water Taxis – The resort water taxis follow a similar system except they use bench seating. One party per bench, no combining of parties on the same bench. Each bench or row is staggered. Benches next to each other will have one bench available with the neighboring bench unavailable, and the bench behind will be unavailable too. No standing is allowed. During peak times you can expect some delays and wait times.
  • Friendships at EPCOT – These boats follow the same protocols as the resort water taxis: staggered rows, one party per bench. No standing is allowed. During peak times you can expect some delays and wait times. We’ve seen some guests enjoy private cruises aboard the Friendship due to low attendance during certain days and times of day.
Friendship Dock at EPCOT
Friendship Seating at EPCOT
  • Monorail – The original Disney transportation icon is popular, but now has significantly reduced capacity. Two parties per compartment, which equals four parties per car. One party per bench. No standing. There is also a clear barrier between compartments that are back to back in the middle of the car. Currently, at the time of writing this post, only Express and Resort Monorail loops are running, which means there is no monorail running between EPCOT and the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Physical distancing markers at monorail station
  • Buses – Disney buses are the most common way to get around. Buses have been impacted the most, besides the monorail. There is no standing allowed and just six groups per bus. There are partitions on the bus.
  • Minnie Vans  – currently unavailable.
  • Parking Lot Trams – currently unavailable.

For practically all modes of Disney transportation guests are staggered on the platforms or loading areas. This helps with distancing as well as to pre-assign each party to a numbered spot inside the bus or boat.

To help simplify this information about Disney transportation, we’ve put together this infographic:

TouringPlans Transportation Infographic

What’s your favorite mode of Disney transportation?

You May Also Like...

Dani

Born and raised in the land of sunshine and dreams come true, Dani is a proud Orlando Native who loves sharing her hometown with others. She's worked in nearly all of Orlando's theme parks, on board Disney Cruise Line, and in hotel management. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @thisfloridalife

5 thoughts on “The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World Transportation with New Safety Protocols”

  • Our Disney pass expired in late June and have it for almost 9 years. When the mask policy ends is when we will be back.

  • The monorail would make me very nervous. Two parties per compartment means strangers breathing in the same small, enclosed space as you and your family. Still, thankfully, the monorails seldom break down *cough*.

  • Do you know how long the bus waits tend to be now? I’m thinking we may just drive everywhere during our September trip because it seems likely that bus waits could exceed an hour with these kinds of restrictions.

    • I personally do not have information on wait times for buses, but we just stayed this past weekend and drove everywhere – just as an extra safety precaution and for convenience.

Comments are closed.