One of the BEST things about staying at the Contemporary Resort is that you are incredibly close to Magic Kingdom! Because of the short distance, getting from the resort to the park doesn’t take long.
But how exactly do you get from Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom?
Below I will detail TWO specific ways you can make this journey. And the best part is they are both FREE.
Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom:
Option #1. Walk from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom!
A huge benefit of staying at the Contemporary is that it’s a short walk to Magic Kingdom. In fact, it is the CLOSEST resort to Magic Kingdom. As you will see, walking is super simple and reliably gets you to Magic Kingdom quickly.
To find the walkway, walk out of the lobby and immediately turn right. Keep walking on the sidewalk past the bus stop. From there, you will see plenty of signs that point you in the correct direction.
If you get confused while walking, your best bet is to follow the monorail track. The walkway is either underneath the track or very close to it. Also, you should be able to see the roof of Space Mountain from the Contemporary, so make sure you are heading in that direction. 🙂
As you’re walking, you will cross one fairly busy road. There is a crosswalk, so push the button and wait until it’s safe to walk.
There is also a security checkpoint along the walkway as you get closer to Magic Kingdom. Going through security here is an advantage because the line is typically much shorter than the main one at Magic Kingdom, which you can now bypass!
The walking distance between the lobby of the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom is only .5 miles (.8 km).
Walking at an average pace of 3 mph should take you about 10 minutes.
You will really appreciate being able to walk when you are coming BACK to the Contemporary from Magic Kingdom after the fireworks.
That’s because you don’t have to WAIT for the monorail, boat, or bus. If you have ever left the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks, you know how busy every transportation option becomes. There are long lines for the monorail, boats, and buses as everyone is trying to get back to their resort or the Transporation and Ticket Center.
But walking along the pathway back to the Contemporary is peaceful, relaxing, and only takes about 10 minutes. And if you are walking at night, it’s usually nice and cool. You also don’t have to worry about fitting or folding your stroller into incredibly cramped spaces!
Option #2. Take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom!
Another benefit of staying at the Contemporary is the convenient access to the monorail, which runs directly through the center of the resort. In addition to Magic Kingdom, you can also use the monorail to get to Epcot.
To find the monorail boarding platform, you need to head to the fourth floor, which is called the Grand Concourse.
Before getting on the monorail to Magic Kingdom, you will go through security at the Contemporary. This is a great benefit because it means you DON’T have to go through security once you arrive at Magic Kingdom. As you can imagine, the Contemporary security line will be much shorter than the one at Magic Kingdom.
After going through security, you will wait in line in a gated area for the next monorail to arrive.
Once you board the monorail, you can expect to get to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary in about 15 -20 minutes.
You might be wondering why the monorail ride takes so long when Magic Kingdom is so close. Let me explain below, and this is pretty important to understand.
So the monorail that stops at the Contemporary is called the “Resort Monorail.” It’s called the Resort Monorail because addition to stopping at the Contemporary, it also makes stops at Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center, Polynesian Resort, and Grand Floridian Resort, to pick up and drop off guests before finally getting to Magic Kingdom.
A sign showing the stops while using the Resort Monorail from the Contemporary.
The Resort Monorail travels in a clockwise circle around Seven Seas Lagoon. As you can see on the map below, Magic Kingdom will be the FOURTH stop when you leave the Contemporary Resort.
Between waiting for the Resort Monorail and making the additional stops, it typically takes around 20 minutes to get to the park. Whenever we go to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary, we always walk because it’s much quicker.
But taking the Resort Monorail BACK to the Contemporary is much quicker!
That’s because the resort will be the first stop when you leave Magic Kingdom.
If you want to take the monorail back to the Contemporary, make sure you board the Resort Monorail, not the Express Monorail. Getting on the Express Monorail will pass the resort and drop you off directly at the Transportation and Ticket Center.
To summarize, the ride on the monorail to Magic Kingdom will only take about 20 minutes because it is the fourth stop after leaving the Contemporary. But if you take the monorail to return to the Contemporary, you can expect the ride only to last a few minutes because it will be the first stop.
Related Articles:
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from the Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom?
The short answer to this question is NO. There is no boarding station for the Skyliner at the Contemporary, nor does the Skyliner travel to Magic Kingdom. The Skyliner only goes to two parks – Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
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 take the Disney buses from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom?
No, Disney does not provide bus transportation to Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary Resort. You must use one of the other methods described above!
It’s possible that you may find someone at the bus stop, waiting patiently for a bus to Magic Kingdom. If you see this happening, please gently inform them they can walk there in about 10 minutes. 🙂
What is your favorite way to travel from Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom?
Leave a COMMENT below!
