One of the BEST things about staying at the Wilderness Lodge 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 Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
Below, I will detail SIX specific ways you can make this journey.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom:
Option #1. Take a boat to Magic Kingdom! (FREE)
A unique way to get to Magic Kingdom from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is to take a boat across the lake, Seven Seas Lagoon.
The boat dock is located at the northern end of the Wilderness Lodge. To find it, walk out the back of the Wilderness Lodge and head towards the lake.
As you near the lake, turn left and walk on the pathways until you reach the boat dock. You know you are getting close when you start walking on a wooden boardwalk. You will see plenty of signs that point you in the correct direction.
When you arrive at the boat dock, get comfortable and wait until the next boat gets there. In my opinion, the worst part about taking the boats to Magic Kingdom is that you have to WAIT for a boat to arrive. This can be especially frustrating if you walk out to the pier and see a boat just pulling away.
I know our family has made multiple mad dashes to the dock, attempting to board a boat that is preparing to leave. 🙂 You can typically expect a new boat to arrive every 15-20 minutes.
And don’t worry if you have a stroller, as they are allowed on the boats, but you must fold them. However, please note the water taxis are NOT accessible for wheelchairs and motorized scooters.
Once the boat leaves the Wilderness Lodge, it’s roughly a ten-minute ride to the entrance of Magic Kingdom.
It’s a relaxing ride, and you get some unique views as you travel through narrow channels, past the Contemporary Resort, and under the monorail track on your way across the lake to the theme park.
Option #2: Take the FREE Disney bus to Magic Kingdom!
Did you know Disney World provides FREE bus transportation from the Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom? And the best part is that the bus stop is just a short walk outside the main lobby entrance. When you exit the front lobby, turn left and follow the walkway until you arrive at the bus stop.
When you arrive at the bus stop, make sure you find the correct line for the bus going to Magic Kingdom. Don’t worry; signs clearly mark where you need to stand.
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 find a screen at the bus stop showing when the next bus to Magic Kingdom is expected to arrive.
Once your bus leaves the Wilderness Lodge, it should only take about 5 minutes to arrive at Magic 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 to arrive at Magic Kingdom for a reservation or show.
Lastly, the Disney buses will drop you off DIRECTLY in front of Magic Kingdom instead of Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center. As you will see next, this is a HUGE advantage of taking the bus. 🙂
Option #3: Take an Uber from the Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom
If you don’t want to ride on the boat or take the bus, using a rideshare service from the Wilderness Lodge, such as Uber or Lyft, is easy.
The easiest place to meet your driver is outside near the Wilderness Lodge front lobby, as there are plenty of spots for you to get in the car. You could also walk down to the bus stop, as there are open areas there for the driver to make a quick stop to pick you up. Regardless, make sure you mark the location you want to be picked up CORRECTLY in the app to avoid any delays.
Between Uber and Lyft, there are a lot of drivers cruising around. Almost every time I’ve used a rideshare to the parks, I’ve had to wait less than 10 minutes to get picked up. 🙂
The driving distance from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom is very short, and the drive should only take a few minutes.
But there is one big disadvantage of using a rideshare service when you go to Magic Kingdom…
Your driver is NOT allowed to drop you off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom. Instead, they must take you to Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center.
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 10 minutes long!
If you want to avoid the Transporation and Ticket Center and get dropped off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom, take a boat or bus from the Wilderness Lodge or ride in a Minnie Van (Option #5)!
Option #4: Take a TAXI to Magic Kingdom
I know some people don’t like using Uber or Lyft because they don’t know the person driving or don’t feel comfortable using the app. If this describes you, calling a traditional taxi company for a ride is easy.
Taking a taxi has many of the same benefits as rideshares, such as not having to wait for a bus or cramming yourself onto a bus with lots of other people. But of course, you must pay for the taxi ride, whereas the Disney bus and boat are free.
If you want to take a taxi, I recommend calling Mears Taxi, a well-known and trusted company in the Orlando area. You can even schedule and book your ride online.
One big negative to taking a taxi is that you get dropped off at Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center, similar to using a rideshare service.
Option #5: Take a MINNIE Van from the Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom
If you want to use a rideshare service 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!
This option will be more expensive than a regular Lyft vehicle, but the biggest benefit is getting dropped off directly in front of the Magic Kingdom! Minnie Vans are the ONLY rideshare/taxi authorized to bypass the Transportation and Ticket Center.
While using the Lyft app inside the Wilderness Lodge, choose the Magic Kingdom as your destination to see the price. 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. But in addition to getting dropped off directly in front of Magic Kingdom, here are a few additional benefits of a Minnie Van.
- They are driven by DISNEY CAST MEMBERS. I know many people like this fact because the drivers are employees of Disney, which provides additional peace of mind.
- They can fit up to SIX people.
- Includes two car seats, which your driver will install for you.
- These vans can fit scooters and wheelchairs, but please pre-arrange your ride if you need this service.
Option #6: Drive yourself to Magic Kingdom!
Getting in your car and driving yourself is an often overlooked way to go from the Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom. The distance between these two locations is very short. The drive typically takes under 5 minutes, depending on traffic.
And here is the BEST news about driving yourself to Magic Kingdom…
Assuming you are staying at Wilderness 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.
Getting FREE parking at the theme parks is an incredible benefit of staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, as parking costs a minimum of $25 per day at each park.
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 entrance, take the Disney bus, boat, or a Minnie Van.
Related Posts:
Can I walk from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
No, there are no walking paths that connect them. You must take one of the options described above.
Can the Disney Skyliner take me from the Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
The short answer to this question is NO. There is no boarding station for the Skyliner at the Wilderness Lodge, nor does the Skyliner travel to Magic Kingdom. The Skyliner only travels to two theme 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.
What is your favorite way to travel from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom?
Leave a COMMENT below!
The boats from Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom are NOT wheelchair accessible! As a handicapped person who has stayed at Wilderness Lodge, I know this from first-hand experience. TH\he boats from Yacht/Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, Port Orleans (French Quarter and Riverside), Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs all are. The boats from the Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian (the resort, not the TTC ferry boats), and the Grand Floridian aren’t. There are no ramp accesses on those boats, and you will get turned away if you cannot fold up your wheelchair and step onto the boat or if you have an ECV.
Thanks for catching this error and for the additional information, PegP! The article has been corrected.
It still says that they are accessible, just FYI.
Option #6 is invalid as that is the bus drop off point. You would have to travel south, hit the U-turn and come back into the Main Parking for Magic Kingdom.