Disney Springs is a great place to spend some time shopping, eating and seeing fun entertainment. What isn’t fun, though, is trying to get from Disney Springs to Hollywood Studios theme park.
A frustrating part of free Walt Disney World Resort transportation is that there is no bus service from Disney Springs to any of the theme parks.
However, every Disney-owned hotel has bus service 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.
The process to get from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney Springs or vice versa can take up to an hour of your day. While it is not difficult, 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 also operate on the 15-20 minute patterns.
The only continuously running method of transportation is the Disney Skyliner and ride sharing programs listed below.
Learn more about all of Disney’s transportation options, including how to get from Disney Springs to Animal Kingdom, as well as how to get from Epcot to Disney Springs.
Our guide for how to get from Disney Springs to Magic Kingdom shows you the varied options of getting to Cinderella Castle.
The following are every option guests have to get between Disney Springs and Hollywood Studios. All transportation methods, except for ride sharing, are free and available to all WDW guests.
Shuttle Bus to Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels
If you don’t mind a short walk or boat ride for some of your journey, head to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels.
You will need to get a bus from Disney Springs to the Swan and Dolphin hotels.
From the Swan and Dolphin hotels, you have three options:
- Boat transportation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Walk the path to the theme park
- Transfer to a bus to go to Hollywood Studios
The walkway from Swan and Dolphin is about a 15 minute walk. It is easy, paved and a level surface. This is often the fastest way to get to the theme park from the hotels unless you happen to get on the boat just as it is boarding.
The boat transportation will bring you to the front of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well. However, with all of the waiting to board the water taxi and then waiting for it to sail and make stops, it could take quite a while.
See our room tour at the Walt Disney World Dolphin hotel in our YouTube video below:
Shuttle Bus to Boardwalk Resort
Similar to going to the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, you can grab a bus and go to Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. However, this hotel is much further from Disney’s Hollywood Studios so it is not the quickest route.
From the Boardwalk Resort, you have three options:
- Boat transportation to Hollywood Studios
- Walk to the theme park (this will be a longer walk than from the Swan and Dolphin)
- Get on a Disney bus to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Related Post: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Fun Facts
Shuttle Bus to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
Just like the two options above, you can also go to either Disney’s Yacht or Beach Club Resorts. These two hotels are located side by side.
Since these resorts are closest to Epcot, that means they will be the farthest from Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park via the walkway.
See our Disney’s Yacht Club room tour on YouTube.
From the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, you have three options:
- Boat transportation
- Walk the path
- Take a bus
Related Post: Early Morning Magic Hour at Toy Story Land
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Water Taxi to Port Orleans Resort (Riverside and French Quarter)
Use the complimentary water taxi from Disney Springs to go to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, which includes Riverside and French Quarter.
From there, get on a Disney bus to go to Hollywood Studios.
Related Post: How to Enjoy Disney’s Mardi Gras Golf Cart Parade at Port Orleans Resort
Water Taxi to Saratoga Springs Resort
Hop on the boat at Disney Springs to go across the lake to Saratoga Springs Resort. From there, catch a bus to Hollywood Studios.
Water Taxi to Old Key West Resort
Enjoy a leisurely boat ride to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.
Then, from the resort, get on a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This is one of the longer options, so unless you really want to see Old Key West resort or have a dining reservation, I’d choose another method.
Disney Skyliner and Bus
If you want to arrive at Hollywood Studios after soaring high through the sky above, then transfer at a Disney hotel with a Skyliner station.
First, get a bus from Disney Springs to one of the following resorts:
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort (see our Riviera room tour video)
Then, transfer at the hotel and go to the Disney Skyliner platform to ride in the sky towards Hollywood Studios.
Uber or Lyft
Using a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft is perfect if you want the most direct route to the theme park and do not mind paying for the service.
Ride sharing is also ideal if you don’t like to share transportation with dozens 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 a specific time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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, one of the easiest and least time-consuming ways to get from Disney Springs to Hollywood Studios is to drive yourself.
You will leave the free parking at Disney Springs and drive to the theme park.
To enter the parking lot, you will need to have a valid parking pass from a Disney resort hotel or pay the parking admission fee.
From the surface parking, you can either walk quite a long ways to get to the theme park or take the complimentary trams that bring you close to the main entrance.
Conclusion
To get from Disney Springs to Hollywood Studios theme park, be prepared to take a bus or water taxi or both to transfer at a Disney hotel. From there, walking can be one of the quickest ways to get to Hollywood Studios if you are able. Otherwise, enjoy complimentary transportation via bus or boat.