This relatively new addition to Walt Disney World has turned some of the least popular resorts in Disney World to some of the best. The Skyliner connects Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century Resort and the Art of Animation Resort with Epcot and Hollywood Studios theme parks.
Most free Walt Disney World Transportation is known to take quite a bit of time to get you to where you need to go. It also makes it difficult to go from a resort to another resort.
Disney busses, the most used free transportation, are extremely unreliable. Yes, eventually a bus may show up and get you to where you are going, but I’d say 5 out of 10 times you will be waiting 30+ minutes for a bus. I do have friends that have never had a problem with the busses; oh, to be that lucky. I have waited over an hour before outside of my resort, over an hour waiting to get to Magic Kingdom from Animal Kingdom, and if you stay at any of the larger resorts there is an internal bus loop which means when the bus actually shows up to take you to the park it can be full… and then you are stuck waiting on another bus with hopes that this one comes with a spot for your party. Caribbean Beach on the Skyliner loop has an internal bus loop.
I would say when traveling by Disney boat or Bus you will need to give yourself at least an hour to get anywhere. With the Skyliner I would say to give yourself 30-45 minutes.
The Skyliner connects a grouping of fantastic resorts together. You can visit any Disney resort on property even if you aren’t staying at one. We highly recommend doing this! Disney World resorts are expensive even at the value level. If you are thinking about a resort, you would like to stay in on your next vacation go and visit it on a day you’re not going to the parks or book a dining reservation there. The only downside is that you are not able to use pools at any other resort but the one you are staying in – this is strictly enforced.
You will not be able to park, or sometimes even be dropped off at a resort if you aren’t staying there or have a dining reservation. So finding a way to them can be difficult.
The easiest free ways to get from resort to resort are the monorail and the Skyliner because you aren’t having to go to the parks to get a bus from the parks to the other resort. There are no moderate or value resorts located on the monorail loop. There are value, moderate and deluxe on the Skyliner loop. The monorail only takes you to Magic Kingdom. The Skyliner takes you to both Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
You can pay for a value resort stay at Pop Century and spend the day at the Deluxe resort, The Riviera, shopping and eating traveling between both in 20 minutes via the Skyliner. Having the Skyliner at a value resort like Pop Century is a MAJOR perk. Hotel rooms at Pop are around a third of the price of those on the monorail loop or The Riviera, but you have the ability to quickly go and enjoy the amenities at another resort.
I have heard people worried about air conditioning in the gondolas in the summer months, but do not worry, the gondolas were designed to keep a constant air flow moving while in motion. I have ridden them on a 100-degree day and had no problems.
The Skyliner does have some cons though. If there is any inclement weather around it will shut down and you will be forced to use a bus. At the end of the night at both Epcot and Hollywood Studios there can be a long line to get people back to their resort as it services 4 massive resorts. It does move at a moderate speed high in the air so some with a fear of heights or that get motion sick easy may find it impossible to ride. There were also major issues post COVID-19 when only one party at a time could be in one Gondola and wait times even in the mornings were out of control; this seems to be resolved now that they can load multiple parties.
All of these cons are outweighed for me by the convenience of staying at a Skyliner resort.
Do you love Disney’s Skyliner?
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