Magic Kingdom and Cinderella Castle are one of the most popular destinations at the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Springs is extremely popular, too, thanks to dozens of stores and restaurants. Surprisingly, getting between Disney Springs and Magic Kingdom takes some planning and a little effort.
A frustrating part of Walt Disney World Resort’s free transportation is that there is no direct transportation options between Disney Springs and the theme parks.
Thankfully, every Disney hotel has bus service or other methods of transportation to each of the four theme parks and the water parks, as well as Disney Springs. There is also bus service between the theme parks.
Which means that to get from Disney Springs to any Disney theme park, you need to get to a Disney hotel and then transfer at a hotel.
Transportation to get from Magic Kingdom to Disney Springs or vice versa can take up to an hour of your day. While it is not difficult or unpleasant, it is time-consuming.
This is just one of the important things that first timers to Disney World should know.
Disney buses leave approximately every 15-20 minutes from all stations, whether it is at theme parks, hotels or Disney Springs. So you will need to wait for the next vehicle. And there could be a long line to get on the bus.
Water taxis and monorails also operate on the 15-20 minute patterns.
The only continuously running method of transportation is the ride sharing programs listed below.
Learn more about all of Disney’s transportation options, including how to get from Disney Springs to Animal Kingdom and how to get from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney Springs.
Be sure to see our guide for how to get from Disney Springs to Epcot.
The following are every option guests have to get between Disney Springs and Magic Kingdom. All transportation methods, except for ride sharing, are free and available to all WDW guests.
Shuttle Bus to Magic Kingdom Area Resorts and Monorail
To start your journey to the Magic Kingdom from Disney Springs, first get on a bus going to one of the Magic Kingdom resort hotels, which include:
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Once at one of these monorail resorts, you can transfer inside the hotel lobby to get on the monorail that goes to the Magic Kingdom.
Monorail boarding stations are on the second floor of each resort.
The shortest monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom will be from Disney’s Grand Floridian. The longest monorail journey will be from the Contemporary Resort.
The monorail will disembark near the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
Related Post: Magic Kingdom Facts You Might Not Know!
Shuttle Bus and Walking
If you don’t mind walking a little bit, you could possibly save some time by walking from a resort to the Magic Kingdom.
First, take a shuttle bus to one of the Magic Kingdom area hotels, including:
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Then, use the sidewalks from the hotels to walk to the main entrance of the Magic Kingdom.
The shortest walk will be from the Contemporary Resort to the Magic Kingdom (MK). However, it is not very scenic.
The next shortest walk will be from the Grand Floridian to the MK. The walkway linking Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom was finally completed in 2020. This walk is a bit longer, but definitely more scenic as it goes around the lake and under the monorail line.
Walking from the Polynesian Resort to MK will take the longest. You will need to walk from the Polynesian past the Wedding Pavilion and through the Grand Floridian before continuing on the same pathway.
Shuttle Bus and Boat
To get to the Magic Kingdom via Seven Seas Lagoon, you will need to start by getting on a bus going to one of the Magic Kingdom resort hotels, which include:
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Once at one of these lake-front resorts, you can go to the boat docks to get on a water taxi.
These boats are slow and often have a line to board, but they are beautiful with great scenery and a wonderful way to approach the theme park.
Uber or Lyft
Using a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft is perfect if you want the most direct route to the Magic Kingdom and do not mind paying a fee for the service.
Ride sharing is greatl if you don’t like to share transportation with dozens or hundreds of other people.
There are two locations to meet your Uber or Lyft driver at Disney Springs:
- Old Marketplace Bus Loop (where buses used to pick up passengers before the parking garages were built beside World of Disney)
- Surface parking at the Westside (located near Cirque du Soleil and House of Blues)
Uber or Lyft are great alternatives when you are running late for a restaurant reservation, a Genie + reservation or want to see a show at MK.
Minnie Van Service is an option through Lyft and provides a cute transportation method, though at a higher cost.
Drive
If you have a car with you, driving to the Magic Kingdom is an option.
However, this can actually take MORE time than using Disney transportation.
You will leave the free parking at Disney Springs and drive to Magic Kingdom.
To enter MK parking, you will need to have a valid parking pass from a Disney resort hotel or pay the parking admission fee.
From the parking lot, you can either walk quite a long ways to get to the transportation hub or take the complimentary trams that bring you to the plaza.
At the transportation plaza, you will then need to get on the monorail or a ferry boat. There is no way to walk to the theme park.
This entire process can take quite a lot of time.
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Conclusion
Getting from Disney Springs to Magic Kingdom uses a variety of unique transportation methods, from monorails to boats to walkways around a lake. While there are a variety of different ways to get to the theme park, they will all start with a bus ride unless using private transportation. Be prepared for a rather long transfer process and be sure to allow enough time to get to your destination.