How do you get from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Epcot?
If you are staying at the Polynesian or planning a future visit, you probably want to know how to get to Epcot from the resort.
Below I will detail THREE specific ways you can make this journey.
But before you start reading, please know that you CAN’T take the Disney buses from the Polynesian to Epcot. Many people mistakenly stand outside the Poly waiting for a bus that will never arrive. 🙂
Disney’s Polynesian to Epcot:
Option #1. Take the Monorail to Epcot!
One of the best benefits of staying at the Polynesian is the convenient access to the monorail. Taking the monorail is definitely the most popular way to get to Epcot from the resort.
But please read below carefully because there are TWO different places you can board the monorail from the Polynesian.
Understanding the differences between both monorail platforms is important because one will get you to Epcot MUCH faster than the other!
First, I want you to look at the map below of the Polynesian Resort. As you can see, I labeled the locations of both monorail platforms.
Getting on the monorail at either of these locations will get you to Epcot (eventually).
But walking directly from the Polynesian to the Epcot Monorail at the Transporation and Ticket Center will save you lots of time!
That’s because the Epcot Monorail, as the name suggests, goes directly to Epcot with no other stops. Once the Epcot Monorail leaves the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), it heads south to Epcot. This ride takes about 12 minutes to get to Epcot.
It’s easy to walk to the TTC from anywhere in the Polynesian. No matter which longhouse you are staying in, head east toward the TTC. You will see many signs on the walkway that point you in the correct direction.
Once you arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center, make sure to board the Epcot Monorail. You will also see signs for the Express Monorail, which goes directly to Magic Kingdom, and the Resort Monorail, which we will learn about next.
You can also take the Resort Monorail to Epcot from the Polynesian.
To find this monorail station, head inside the Great Ceremonial House (Polynesian lobby). The boarding platform is located on the second floor, right above the main entrance.
The reason that it’s called the Resort Monorail is it stops at all the Magic Kingdom area resorts. The monorail travels in a big CLOCK-WISE circle around the Seven Seas Lagoon. Check out the map below to see the places where the Resort Monorails stops.
I don’t recommend taking the Resort Monorail to Epcot. Here’s why:
It comes down to how long it takes to get to Epcot using the Resort Monorail.
So once you board the Resort Monorail and leave the Polynesian, you will stop at the Grand Floridian to pick up additional guests.
Then, you will stop at the Magic Kingdom, where many people will get off and on the monorail.
The next stop is the Contemporary Resort.
Then you will finally arrive at the Transporation and Ticket Center. And once you get here, you must get off the Resort Monorail and get in line to board the Epcot Monorail to go to Epcot.
The first time that our family stayed at the Polynesian, I wasn’t very educated about Disney World transportation. We got on the Resort Monorail at the Polynesian to go to Epcot.
It took over 20 minutes just to travel around the lake to the TTC to get on the Epcot Monorail. And then, of course, we had another 12-minute ride on the Epcot Monorail to finally get to the park.
I was shocked at how long it took to get to Epcot using the Resort Monorail! 🙂
Trust me, even if you are staying on the western side of the Polynesian Resort, I think it’s 100% worth walking to the TTC to get directly on the Epcot Monorail.
Option #2: Take an Uber from the Polynesian to Epcot
If you want to get to Epcot 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 don’t want to walk to the TTC to board the Epcot Monorail.
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 Epcot is only 4.3 miles (6.9 km), and the drive should take less than 10 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 monorail.
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 Epcot 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 Epcot!
Getting in your car and driving yourself is an often overlooked way to go from the Polynesian to Epcot. 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 4.3 miles (6.9 km). The drive takes less than 10 minutes, depending on traffic.
And here is the BEST news about driving yourself to Epcot…
As long as you are staying at the Polynesian, the parking at Epcot 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 I take the Disney buses from the Polynesian to Epcot?
No, Disney does not provide bus transportation directly to Epcot from the Polynesian. It’s very common to find people at the bus stop, waiting patiently for a bus to Epcot that will never arrive. If you see this happening, please gently inform them of their transportation options now that you have read this post. 🙂
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from the Polynesian Resort to Epcot?
The short answer to this question is NO. There is no boarding station for the Skyliner at the Polynesian. If you want a Skyliner boarding station at your hotel that can take you to Epcot, you must stay at the Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation, or Pop Century.
Can I take the Disney boats from the Polynesian to Epcot?
There is boat transportation at the Polynesian, but the boat does not travel to Epcot. You can only take the boat from the Polynesian to Magic Kingdom.
Can I walk from Disney’s Polynesian to Epcot?
The short answer to this question is NO. First, the distance between the resort and Epcot is fairly long, at around 4.3 miles (6.9 km). And second, there are no walking paths that connect them. You must either take the monorail, a rideshare or drive yourself!
What is your favorite way to travel from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Epcot?
Leave a COMMENT below!
