One of the most appealing parts of staying at Disney’s Pop Century or Art of Animation Resort is that you can enjoy Disney Skyliner access while paying value-tier prices. The Skyliner is a huge upgrade in comfort and atmosphere compared to the standard resort buses, offering peaceful, scenic rides above Disney property with breezes, views, and even glimpses of the parks. For many guests, it feels like an attraction in itself.
But as magical as the Skyliner can be, it has also created a major problem that Disney hasn’t properly addressed: it’s currently the only complimentary transportation option from Pop Century and Art of Animation to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In theory, this sounds convenient, but in practice, it’s led to long, frustrating lines every single morning.
Guests staying at these two massive resorts quickly find out that the line for the Skyliner can stretch 20 to 30 minutes (and sometimes longer) before park opening. For anyone trying to make it to rope drop, that’s valuable early park time wasted just standing around in the sun. The Skyliner is supposed to simplify your morning, not make you feel like you’re queuing for another attraction before you’ve even left the resort.
The issue boils down to capacity and scale. Pop Century has 2,880 rooms, and Art of Animation adds another 1,984, many of which are larger family suites that can sleep up to six people. That’s an enormous number of guests all funneled to one shared Skyliner station. Meanwhile, other resorts with far fewer rooms, like Caribbean Beach Resort (1,536 rooms) and Riviera Resort (around 300 rooms), each have their own dedicated Skyliner stops. The math simply doesn’t add up. Two of Disney’s largest resorts share a single station, while smaller ones get one each.
So why hasn’t this been addressed? The easy answer is logistics and cost, but the reality is that guests staying at Pop Century and Art of Animation are facing a transportation disadvantage compared to nearly every other Disney resort. When you factor in that these are often family-oriented resorts with more strollers, small children, and larger travel groups, the situation becomes even more inconvenient.
The most practical fix would be to reintroduce limited morning bus service to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. It doesn’t need to run all day, but even a two- or three-hour window around rope drop would significantly improve the experience. This would help clear the Skyliner lines, give guests another option, and make mornings far less stressful. Disney could even promote it as a “complimentary early morning option” to help spread out crowds.
For many guests, rideshare might seem like a quick alternative, but that’s not always realistic. If you have young kids who need car seats (as I do), Uber and Lyft aren’t practical options. Minnie Vans are wonderful but can become expensive if used every morning for multiple park trips.
Pop Century and Art of Animation are beloved for their fun theming, family-friendly atmosphere, and strong value, but the Skyliner bottleneck is becoming a recurring frustration for guests who expect convenience and efficiency from a Disney resort. Adding a few buses each morning would go a long way toward restoring balance, keeping the Skyliner a highlight while ensuring it’s not a daily headache.
Because at the end of the day, guests shouldn’t have to choose between catching rope drop or standing in line just to leave their hotel. A true Disney transportation system should feel effortless, not exhausting.
