How do you get from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Animal Kingdom?
If you are staying at the Polynesian 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 Polynesian 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 Polynesian to Animal Kingdom? And the best part is that the bus stop is just a short walk outside the entrance to the Great Ceremonial House (main lobby). When you exit out the front, turn left and follow the walkway until you arrive at the bus stop.
The bus stop is located next to Lilo’s Playhouse Laundry Room. As you can see below, it’s also smaller than the bus stop 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 Polynesian, 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. 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 Animal Kingdom for a reservation or show.
Option #2: Take a rideshare from the Polynesian to Animal Kingdom
If you want to get to Animal Kingdom fast, using a rideshare service (Uber or Lyft) from Disney’s Polynesian 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 Great Ceremonial House, the Polynesian front lobby.
If outside the main lobby seems too busy, you can also turn left as you exit and head toward the bus stop. Before you reach the bus stop, you will see a small pull-off, which is a perfect spot for your driver to stop.
There is also a HUGE parking lot at the Polynesian where you can meet your driver. Just mark the correct location on the map in the Uber/Lyft app, and you should have no problems.
The driving distance from the Polynesian Village to Animal Kingdom is 7.1 miles (11.4 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.
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.
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 Polynesian 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 only 7.1 miles (11.4 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 Polynesian, 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 Polynesian Resort, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.
Related Posts:
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from Disney’s Polynesian 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 Polynesian.
Can I take the Disney boat transportation from the Polynesian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
While there is boat transportation at the Polynesian, the boats do not travel to Animal Kingdom. You can only take boat transportation from the Polynesian to one theme park, Magic Kingdom.
Can I take the Disney Monorail from the Polynesian Resort to Animal Kingdom?
One great benefit of staying at the Polynesian Village 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 Polynesian.
You can use the monorail from the Polynesian to get to TWO theme parks, Magic Kingdom or Epcot.
Can I walk from Disney’s Polynesian 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 7.1 miles (11.4 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 Polynesian to Animal Kingdom?
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