The Disney Skyliner is a gondola themed transportation system for Walt Disney World resort guests. In this guide we share the Disney Skyliner route, hotels, and what to expect.
Learning about the Disney World Skyliner is important when planning a trip to Disney World. Guests staying at one of the Disney Skyliner resorts will spend a little more for their stay and I want to share with you if it is worth it.
I like the skyliner because it makes it easy to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Keep in mind the Skyliner typically closes for refurbishment in January. I do not recommend paying more to stay at a Skyliner resort when the Skyliner is not running, unless you really love the resort.
Disney Skyliner Route and Map
The Disney Skyliner route travels from four Walt Disney World resorts as well as Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme parks.
It runs daily to and from the parks and resorts.
It has stations at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort.
The hub of the Disney Skyliner station is Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. This offers transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot as well as connects the Disney Skyliner resorts.
Guests traveling from Pop Century or Art of Animation to the parks will take the Skyliner to Caribbean Beach and transfer to the Skyliner for the park they are traveling to.
Using the Skyliner provides easy access to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Be sure you have your Disney World tickets before you get to the parks.
Prices for the Disney Skyliner Resorts
Disney’s Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation are both Disney value resorts. They start at around $175.00/night.
The suites at Art of Animation can be much higher starting around $400.00 a night.
If you are considering a suite because you are looking for accommodations at Disney with a large family compare prices for two rooms as well as suites.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach is a moderate resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort is a deluxe resort. Prices at Caribbean Beach start at $220.00/night. Disney’s Riviera prices start at $500.00/night.
When deciding between Skyliner resorts you need to decide what is a priority.
The value resorts offer the same transportation as the moderate and deluxe at less cost.
The moderate and deluxe resorts do offer more amenities like table service dining, larger pools with water slides, and more spacious accommodations like villas.
The standard rooms are usually similar in size.
Always compare the cost and determine what is important to you before you book.
I want to mention the Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Disney’s Boardwalk resorts are also within walking distance to the Skyliner and available to guests.
Guests staying at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin resorts also have access. All guests can use the Disney Skyliner, you do not have to even stay on-site.
If using the Disney Skyliner to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios is a priority consider staying at one of the above resorts.
Disney Skyliner Hours
Disney Skyliner operating hours vary depending on park opening and closing times.
They will typically start between 7:30am-8:30am and stop between 10:00pm and 11:00pm. There are signs at the entrance with the hours for the day.
Per Walt Disney World’s website…” Disney Skyliner is available each day one hour before Early Theme Park Entry at Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It will close 90 minutes after Epcot and Hollywood Studios closes. On Extended Evening hours it will close 60 minutes after close.”
Extended evening hours are only available at Deluxe resorts and the Skyliner will not run to the value resorts at this time.
Update: Disney’s Skyliner was closed for routine maintenance January 22, 2023-January 29, 2023. Buses will be available for on-site guests. 2024 maintenance has not been announced.
Is the Disney Skyliner Free?
The Disney Skyliner is free. You do not need to be a Disney resort guest to ride the Skyliner.
It is busiest during rope drop and evening hours but if you would like to experience it you certainly can.
I suggest taking a break from the parks (Hollywood Studios or Epcot) and taking a ride on it if you are interested.
You can also use it to explore one of the Skyliner resorts. We love walking around Art of Animation and Pop Century.
What to Expect on the Disney Skyliner
The gondola’s are wrapped on the outside with favorite characters from the Disney library. You will find Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and the classic Disney animation characters.
They are bright and vibrant colors and it is always fun to see what characters we will get for our ride.
The Disney Skyliner does not have air condition but was designed to have a good breeze.
We have visited Disney in August and I was very worried it would be terribly hot. To my surprise it was fine.
The Skyliner has two wooden benches on each side that fit 4 people across comfortably. Be prepared to be seated with another group if you have a small party.
The Disney Skyliner does not provide transportation to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. Guests staying at a Disney Skyliner resort would take the Disney bus to those theme parks.
Can strollers go on the Disney Skyliner?
Yes strollers and wheelchairs can fit on the Disney Skyliner.
How many people fit on the Disney Skyliner?
The Disney Skyliner fits 10 guests. At times they were seating multiple parties on the gondolas but on our last visit we never rode with another group.
They do state that you could sit with other groups, so be aware of this when you ride.
Is a Disney Skyliner Resort worth it?
If you choose one of the Disney hotels resorts on the Skyliner route it will cost more than a comparable resort in the same category.
For example guests staying at Pop Century or Art of Animation will pay more than a stay at another Disney value resort like an All Star Movies.
I suggest choosing a different resort if you are visiting during the refurbishment dates I mentioned above.
There are pros and cons to the skyliner. The biggest pro being it is a quick and easy way to get to the parks.
The cons are some people do not like the heights and the feeling of the aerial gondolas. If you are staying at Pop Century or Art of Animation the travel time is the longest and you will go over hourglass lake.
The Skyliner will also close during stormy weather or high winds, which happens often in the afternoon and summer months at Disney World.
The shortest ride on the Skyliner is from Disney’s Riviera Resort to Epcot on the Epcot line.
Overall we found it worth the extra cost to stay at a Skyliner resort. The Skyliner is such a quick way to get to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Disney Skyliner Hotels
There are four Disney’s Skyliner hotels. They are Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
We have stayed at all four of the resorts and each offers something unique and fun. They are also value, moderate, and deluxe options to choose from making the Skyliner accessible for any Disney budget.
There are three Disney Skyliner stations along the Disney resorts. They are located at Disney’ Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century/Art of Animation Resort.
The Art of Animation station and Pop Century Station are shared between the resorts. This can result in a long line at the start of the day so give yourself a little extra time in the morning.
Guests staying at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort have the biggest advantage when using the Skyliner to get to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. Caribbean Beach is the Skyliner Hub.
The Hollywood Studios station is at Caribbean Beach. Guests coming from Riviera, Pop Century, or Art of Animation need to take the Skyliner from their resort to the Caribbean Beach station. From there they can transfer to the Hollywood Studios line.
Route for the Disney Skyliner from Resorts
Guests Staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort or Disney’s Art of Animation Resort:
- Going to Hollywood Studios: Take Skyliner to Caribbean Beach. From Caribbean Beach take Skyliner to Hollywood Studios. You will have to transfer gondola’s.
- Going to Epcot: Take Skyliner to Caribbean Beach. From Caribbean Beach take Skyliner to Epcot. You will have to transfer gondola’s.
Guests Staying at Riviera Resort:
- Going to Hollywood Studios: Take Skyliner or Walk to Caribbean Beach Station. From Caribbean Beach take Skyliner to Hollywood Studios.
- Going to Epcot: Take Skyliner from Riviera Station to Epcot.
Guests Staying at Caribbean Beach Resort:
- Going to Hollywood Studios: Take Skyliner from Caribbean Beach Station to Hollywood Studios.
- Going to Epcot: Take Skyliner from Caribbean Beach Station to Epcot or Walk to Riviera Station to board to Epcot. Guests do not have to get off the Skyliner at the Riviera Station to continue on to Epcot.
Disney Skyliner Dining Options
Any of the restaurants at the Skyliner resorts are great options for Skyliner dining. If you are looking for character dining you may want to try Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort.
On a recent visit we went to Caribbean Beach Resort to try Sebastians Bistro. It was so good. I recommend making reservations for all table service dining.
More Dining at the Disney Skyliner Resorts:
- Pop Century: Everything Pop (Quick Service)
- Art of Animation: Landscape of Flavors (Quick Service)
- Caribbean Beach: Sebastian Bistro(Table Service) and Centertown Market (Quick Service)
- Riviera Resort: Topolino’s Terrace (Table Service/Character Dining and Primo Piatto (Quick Service)
- Joffrey’s Coffee Station: Located at the Caribbean Beach Station
Guide to the Disney World Skyliner
Below I have answered some of the most common questions I get about the Disney World Skyliner.
Is the Disney Skyliner Faster than the Bus?
The Skyliner is much faster than the bus. Most rides take between 10-15 minutes.
Always allot for time to board, wait in line, or any unexpected stops. When heading to the park we usually give ourselves 40-60 minutes before park opening.
Can you get to the Boardwalk or Beach Club/Yacht Club from the Disney Skyliner?
If you are staying at the Boardwalk, Beach Club, or Yacht Club you can make the short 10-15 minute walk to the Epcot Skyliner station to visit other resorts or transport to Hollywood Studios.
The Epcot station is located at the International Gateway Station. Guests will enter Epcot at the World Showcase between the UK Pavilion and France.
Is the Disney Skyliner Scary?
I haven’t found a lot of places that discuss how some people may find the Disney Skyliner gondolas scary. I am not a big fan of heights and it took some getting used to before I felt comfortable on it.
One thing that helped me was riding backwards. I don’t know why this helped with the heights for me but it made a big difference.
The second thing is to prepare yourself for the gondolas to occasionally stop.
The gondolas will stop if they need to take extra time assisting a wheelchair or a guest that needs help off the gondola. This will slow the gondolas and at times they will come to a stop.
Most stops are not longer than 2-4 minutes. Try to relax and enjoy the views.
As you can tell the Disney Skyliner routes can make transportation to Epcot and Hollywood Studios much faster. It is a great perk to staying at one of the skyliner resorts.
Read Next: Step-by-Step Disney World 7 Day Itinerary Planning Guide
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.