How do you get from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
If you are staying at the Grand Floridian 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.
Disney’s Grand Floridian 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 Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom?
And the best part is that the bus stop is just a short walk outside the main entrance of the Grand Floridian. When you exit out the front, turn right and follow the walkway until you arrive at the bus stop.
The bus stop is located between the Grand Floridian Convention Center and the resort’s lobby. Depending on which building you are staying in, it might be easier to get to the bus stop using the outside walkway from the north.
As you can see below, the bus stop is a bit smaller than at most of the other Disney resorts.
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 your bus leaves the Grand Floridian, it should take about 15-20 minutes to arrive at the Animal Kingdom.
As you can imagine, since the buses do not cost anything extra, it’s the most popular way to travel. 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 Animal Kingdom for a reservation or show.
Option #2: Take a rideshare from the Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom
If you want to get to Animal Kingdom fast, using a rideshare service (Uber or Lyft) from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort 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 the Grand Floridian front lobby. As you leave the main entrance, walk straight for about 20 yards under the covered entrance. You will find a great spot to wait for your driver, complete with benches in the shade.
There is also a HUGE parking lot at the Grand Floridian 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 Grand Floridian 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 is that they will typically be able to drive to your destination MUCH faster than the slower Disney buses.
I have found the one-way fare from the Grand Floridian averages under $15. In my opinion, if you have limited time to travel somewhere, 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 to go to the parks, 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 Grand Floridian 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 Grand Floridian, 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 Grand Floridian Resort, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.
Related Posts:
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
The short answer to this question is NO. The Skyliner only goes to two parks, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There is also no boarding station for the Skyliner at the Grand Floridian.
Can I take the Disney boat transportation from the Grand Floridian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
While there is boat transportation at the Grand Floridian, the boats do not travel to Animal Kingdom. You can only take boat transportation from the Grand Floridian to one theme park, Magic Kingdom.
Can I take the Disney Monorail from the Grand Floridian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
One great benefit of staying at the Grand Floridian 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 Grand Floridian.
You can use the monorail from the Grand Floridian to get to TWO theme parks, Magic Kingdom or Epcot.
Can I walk from Disney’s Grand Floridian 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!
What is your favorite way to travel from the Grand Floridian to Animal Kingdom?
Leave a COMMENT below!
