How do you get from Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Animal Kingdom?
If you are staying at the Contemporary or planning a future visit, you probably want to know how to get to Animal Kingdom.
Below I will detail THREE specific ways you can make this journey.
Contemporary Resort to Animal Kingdom:
Option #1: Take the FREE Disney bus to Animal Kingdom!
Did you know Disney World provides FREE bus transportation from the Contemporary Resort to Animal Kingdom?
And the best part is that the bus stop is just a short walk outside the main entrance of the Contemporary. When you exit the front lobby, turn right and follow the walkway until you arrive at the bus stop.
As you can see on the map above, if your room is in the Bay Lake Tower, you will find getting to the bus stop easier by staying outside and coming from the north. You would backtrack if you went through the Contemporary Resort lobby from Bay Lake Tower.
Once you arrive at the bus stop, you will find plenty of benches to sit on while waiting for the next bus to Animal Kingdom.
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.
A screen at the bus stop shows when the next bus to Animal Kingdom is expected to arrive.
Once your bus leaves the Contemporary, it should take about 15 minutes to arrive.
As you can imagine, since the buses do not cost anything extra, it’s the most popular way to travel to Animal Kingdom from the Contemporary. At certain times of the day, such as the park opening, you might experience a bit of a line to board the bus. So give yourself plenty of time to arrive for a reservation or show.
Option #2: Take a rideshare/taxi from the Contemporary to Animal Kingdom
To get to Animal Kingdom fast, using a rideshare service (Uber or Lyft) from Disney’s Contemporary Resort is easy. This option can save a lot of time, especially if you just missed the bus.
I know some people don’t like the idea of using Uber or Lyft because they don’t know about the person driving. If this describes you, then it’s also easy to call a traditional taxi company for a ride. I recommend calling Mears Taxi, a well-known and trusted company in the Orlando area. You can even schedule and book your ride online.
Regardless of your decision, the best place to meet your driver is outside the front of the Contemporary. There is lots of space for you to find a good pickup spot.
There is also a HUGE parking lot at the Contemporary where you can meet your driver. No matter where you decide on your pickup location, make sure to mark the correct spot on the map in the Uber/Lyft app.
The driving distance from the Contemporary to Animal Kingdom is 7.8 miles (12.6 km), and the drive should take about 15 minutes, depending on the amount of traffic. Another benefit of taking an Uber or Lyft (or taxi) is that they can typically drive to Animal Kingdom faster than the slower Disney buses.
I have found the one-way fare from the Contemporary averages under $15.
If you have limited time to travel to Animal Kingdom, I think it is money well spent!
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 rideshare at Disney, 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!
One big benefit of using a Minnie Van is they are driven by DISNEY CAST MEMBERS. I know many people like this fact because the drivers are employees of Disney, which provides additional peace of mind.
To use a Minnie Van, choose Animal Kingdom as your destination while using the Lyft app inside the resort. 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 from Disney’s Contemporary Resort 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 7.8 miles (12.6 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 Contemporary, 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 Contemporary Resort, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.
Related Articles:
Can I take the Disney Monorail from the Contemporary Resort to Animal Kingdom?
One great benefit of staying at the Contemporary Resort is that you can board the monorail from the resort! But, unfortunately, the monorail does NOT go to Animal Kingdom. You must take a Disney bus, drive yourself, or take a rideshare to Animal Kingdom from the Contemporary.
You can use the monorail from the Contemporary to get to TWO theme parks, Magic Kingdom or Epcot.
Can the Disney Skyliner take me to Animal Kingdom from the Contemporary Resort?
The short answer to this question is NO. The Skyliner does not travel to Animal Kingdom. Additionally, there is no boarding station for the Skyliner at the Contemporary Resort.
If you want a Skyliner boarding station at your hotel, stay at the Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation, or Pop Century.
Can I walk from Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Animal Kingdom?
The short answer to this question is NO. First, the distance between the resort and Animal Kingdom is very long, at around 7.8 miles (12.6 km). And second, there are no walking paths that connect them. You must either take the bus, a taxi or drive yourself!
But you can walk to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary. It only takes 10 minutes!
What is your favorite way to travel from the Contemporary to Animal Kingdom?
Leave a COMMENT below!
