How do you get from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
If you are staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or planning a future visit, you probably want to know the best ways to get to Magic Kingdom from the resort. Below I will detail FOUR specific ways you can make this journey. 🙂
Just so you know, Animal Kingdom Lodge is divided into two areas – Jambo House and Kidani Village. This article covers transportation options for both locations.*
Option #1: Take the bus!
This picture is of the bus stop at Jambo House.
Did you know that Disney World provides FREE bus transportation from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom? And the best part is that the bus stop is right outside the entrance at both Jambo House and Kidani Village. Just take a left when you walk outside and follow the walkway to the bus stop. Once you are on the bus, the ride usually takes around 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
Bus service to Magic 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 also find a screen that shows when the next bus is expected to arrive!
As you can imagine, since this does not cost anything extra, it’s the most popular way to travel. However, at certain times of the day, such as the park opening, you might experience a bit of a line to board the bus. So make sure to give yourself plenty of time if you need to arrive at Magic Kingdom for a reservation. Our family usually leaves our room about an hour before we want to arrive at the park, just to be safe.
One huge advantage of taking a bus to Magic Kingdom is that you will be dropped off directly in front of the park. As you will see below, the other transportation options take you to Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center before you can finish the journey to Magic Kingdom.
Option #2: Take a taxi (Uber or Lyft)
If you don’t want to take the bus, it’s very easy to take a taxi from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom. The easiest place to meet your driver is outside near the front lobby, as there are plenty of spots to park and jump in the car. Make sure you set the location correctly in the app so your driver knows whether you are staying at Jambo House or Kidani Village.
The above picture shows outside the main lobby, which has plenty of space to get picked up!
The total distance from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom is 7.3 miles (11.7 km) and should take around 15-20 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 to go to the parks, I’ve had to wait less than ten minutes to get picked up.
Please know that your driver will drop you off at Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center, not directly at Magic Kingdom.
Once you are here, there are TWO ways to complete the journey to the Magic Kingdom.
#1: Take the monorail
The first way to get to Magic Kingdom from the Transportation and Ticket Center is by taking the famous Disney monorail.
The monorail runs continuously throughout the day. Service begins 30 minutes before the park opens and ends an hour after the park closes.
#2: Take the ferry
Another way to finish traveling to the Magic Kingdom is to board the ferry. These boats have two seating levels and can fit many people.
The ferryboats leave approximately every 10-20 minutes. Once you depart, the boat ride is only ten minutes long!
If you want to avoid the Ticket and Transportation Center and get dropped off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom, you must take a Disney bus or a Minnie Van.)
Option #3: Take a MINNIE Van
If you want to take a taxi to Magic Kingdom but avoid the Transportation and Ticket Center, you should consider taking a Minnie Van.
Disney World has partnered with Lyft to provide MINNIE VANS, which are Minnie Mouse-themed mini-vans!
Using this option will be more expensive than using a regular Lyft vehicle, but the biggest benefit is that you will get dropped off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom! Minnie Vans are the ONLY rideshare authorized to do this.
While using the Lyft app inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge, choose the Magic Kingdom as your destination to see the price. Then order the Minnie Van to come and pick you up! But just a warning, as you can see below, using a Minnie Van is more expensive than a normal Lyft vehicle.
Option #4: Drive yourself!
Getting in your car and driving yourself is an often overlooked way to go from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic 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 7.3 miles (11.7 km). The drive takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic.
And here is the BEST news about driving yourself…
Assuming you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, the parking at Magic 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.
But just like taking an Uber/Lyft, you MUST park at the Transportation and Ticket Center to get to Magic Kingdom.
Once parked here, you can take the monorail or the ferry to complete your journey to the Magic Kingdom. However, if you want to get dropped off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom, you must take a Disney bus or a Minnie Van.
Related Posts:
Can I walk from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
The short answer to this question is NO.
First, the distance between the resort and Magic Kingdom is fairly long, at around 7.3 miles (10.1 km). And second, there are no walking paths that connect them. You must either take the bus, a rideshare/taxi or drive yourself!
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
No, there are no boarding stations for the Disney Skyliner at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Magic Kingdom. If you want access to the Skyliner, you must stay at Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach Resort, or Riviera Resort.
Is there boat transportation from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
No, Animal Kingdom Lodge does not provide boat transportation anywhere. If you want to take a boat to Magic Kingdom, you must stay at the Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Resort, Grand Floridian Resort, Wilderness Lodge, or Fort Wilderness.
