3 Ways to go from Disney’s Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom

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How do you get from Disney’s Boardwalk Resort to Animal Kingdom?

If you are staying at the Boardwalk or planning a future visit, you probably want to know how to get to Animal Kingdom from the resort.

Below I will detail THREE specific ways you can make this journey.

Boardwalk Resort to Animal Kingdom:


Option #1: Take the FREE Disney bus to Animal Kingdom!

Did you know that Disney World provides FREE bus transportation from the Boardwalk Inn to Animal Kingdom?

And the best part is that the bus stop is just a short walk outside the main lobby entrance. When you exit the front lobby, turn left and follow the covered walkway.

boardwalk to animal kingdom

Walk until you arrive at a pavilion, where you will turn right to head to the bus stop. If you go left, you will go to the conference center.

 

Bus service to Animal Kingdom typically begins 45 minutes before the park opens and ends 1 hour after it closes. Once they start, the buses run continuously throughout the day. I have found that you can typically expect a bus to arrive around every 20 minutes.

You will find a screen at the bus stop showing when the next bus to Animal Kingdom is expected to arrive.

Once you board the bus and leave, I estimate that your ride should last 15 minutes, but this depends on traffic.

Since the Disney buses are free to ride, it’s the most popular way to travel to Animal Kingdom from the Boardwalk. You can expect a bit of a line to board the bus at certain times of the day, such as in the morning around the park opening. So make sure to give yourself plenty of time to arrive at Animal Kingdom for a reservation or show. Our family usually leaves our room about an hour before we want to arrive, just to be safe.


Option #2: Take a rideshare from Disney’s Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom

boardwalk to animal kingdom

If you want to get to Animal Kingdom fast, using a rideshare service (Uber or Lyft) from the Boardwalk is easy. This option can save a lot of time, especially if you just missed the bus.

The easiest place to meet your driver is outside near the Boardwalk front lobby, as there are plenty of spots for them to stop and for you to get in the car.

The driving distance from Disney’s Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom is 5.5 miles (8.9 km), and the drive should take about 15 minutes, depending on the amount of traffic.

TWO rideshare companies operate in Disney World – Uber and Lyft. Between them both, there are a lot of drivers cruising around. Almost every time I’ve used a taxi within Disney World, I’ve had to wait less than 10 minutes to get picked up.

One neat thing about using Lyft is that they have partnered with Disney World to provide MINNIE VANS, which are Minnie Mouse-themed mini-vans! While using the Lyft app inside the resort, choose Animal Kingdom as your destination. Then order the Minnie Van to come and pick you up.

While this option is fun, as you can see above, it is more expensive than a regular Lyft vehicle.


Option #3: Drive yourself to Animal Kingdom!

Getting in your car and driving yourself is an often overlooked way to go from Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to Animal Kingdom. It’s probably the fastest way to travel since you don’t have to wait for someone to pick you up. 🙂

The distance between these two locations is only 5.5 miles (8.9 km). The drive takes about 15 minutes, depending on traffic.

And here is the BEST news about driving yourself to Animal Kingdom…

As long as you are staying at the Boardwalk, the parking at Animal Kingdom is FREE! Unfortunately, many guests don’t realize (or forget) that if you stay at a Disney World Resort, parking at any of the parks does not cost anything.

Getting FREE parking at the theme parks is an incredible benefit of staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.


Related Posts:


Can I take the Disney boats from the Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom?

There is boat transportation at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, but the boat does not travel to Animal Kingdom. You can only take the Friendship Boats from the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, the Beach and Yacht Club, and the Dolphin and Swan Hotels.

 

Can I take the Disney Skyliner from the Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom?

No, the Disney Skyliner does not travel to Animal Kingdom. But you can walk to a Disney Skyliner boarding station at the Epcot International Gateway from the Boardwalk. From there, you could travel to Hollywood Studios or the following resorts: Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation, or Pop Century.

 

Can I take the Disney Monorail from the Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom?

No, the monorail does not have a boarding station at the Boardwalk, nor does the monorail travel to Animal Kingdom. If you want access to this transportation option from your hotel, you must stay at the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, or Polynesian Village Resort.

 

Can I walk from the Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom?

The short answer to this question is NO. First, the distance between the resort and Animal Kingdom is fairly long, at around 5.5 miles (8.9 km). And second, there are no walking paths that connect them. You must either take the bus, a taxi or drive yourself!

 


What is your favorite way to travel from Disney’s Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom?

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Scott K
Scott K

Scott is the owner and creator of Resort Rat. He and his family were bitten by the Disney bug in 2017 on their first DW visit with kids. They have been on a Disney bender ever since, visiting the park numerous times per year. He loves writing about Disney, especially the incredible resorts. You can learn more about him on his author page. Or hear more about the Resort Rat story on this page.

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