In 2019, Disney World made a huge change to the way you get around the resort with the addition of the Disney Skyliner!
Before that, you could take a bus, boat, or Monorail to get to your destination on Disney’s free transportation, but the Skyliner connected certain parts of Disney World in a new way. But, if you’re staying at one of the hotels along the Skyliner route, we’ve got a warning for you.
The Skyliner is now a huge perk when staying at Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera resorts. It can take guests at these hotels directly to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and the majority of people who stay here use the Skyliner to get to those two parks.
One of the worst decisions you can make if you’re using the Skyliner is not lining up early enough. Yes, it’s a recurring theme to line up very early for things in Disney World, but it’s a repeated tip for good reason — it ultimately saves you a LOT of time.
The Skyliner is available each day one hour before Early Theme Park Entry begins (which you would qualify for if you’re staying at one of these hotels) at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. But we recommend that you line up before the Skyliner even opens.Â
The Skyliner line can get backed up very quickly, and you’ll want to be one of the first people on it, especially if you have to transfer to another Skyliner route (for example, going from Art of Animation to Caribbean Beach and then Caribbean Beach to EPCOT). Also, Pop Century and Art of Animation share a Skyliner station causing even more crowding.
By lining up early, you can get to your park of choice for the day quickly and make it in plenty of time for rope drop (which is the best time of day to get on popular rides without waiting hours). You also wouldn’t have to worry about trying a different mode of transportation like a bus or a rideshare to make it on time.
If you are rope dropping EPCOT, you’ll get off the Skyliner at the back entrance near World Showcase. We recommend heading toward Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France pavilion or Frozen Ever After in the Norway pavilion.
For those of you rope dropping at Hollywood Studios, there isn’t really a bad choice here. You can go toward Toy Story Land to knock out Slinky Dog Dash, Galaxy’s Edge to experience Rise of the Resistance, or down Sunset Boulevard to ride Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
So next time you stay at a Skyliner resort, set the alarms a few minutes earlier so that you can set yourself up for the best Disney day possible. Keep following AllEars for more Disney World tips and tricks and in the meantime, check out our room tour of the new Caribbean Beach rooms!
5 Reasons to Take the Skyliner to Disney’s Art of Animation Hotel, Even If You Aren’t Staying There
Have you stayed at a Skyliner hotel recently? Let us know in the comments!
We stayed at POP last week. Epcot morning walked out of our room at 7:45am and could not believe it the line for the Skyliner. I was used to Riveria and never had lines like this. We were in the 50’s near the lake. We made it to Epcot and in the gate by 8:40. Ratatouille already at 60 min. We should have been out by 7:30. The line only continued to build as we were waiting. The rest of the time the Sky Liner was great and quick. Just be prepared for Morning…
We didn’t realize the skyliner line runs around the lake near Pop Century, so if that’s important to you, a room on that side might be a request. One morning we were watching from AofA and the line never got long… Because it ran through Pop that morning. Ride operators said guests made the line before they could correct it.