We decided we would spend the day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But first, we wanted to take a ride on the Skyliner. My friend was getting nervous when he realized how high up the gondola cars were as we went to Caribbean Beach and the weather was getting windy. We decided to get off at Caribbean Beach Resort rather than continuing on to the Riviera Resort or EPCOT.
Now we were faced with how to get back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios without using the Skyliner. We asked a cast member how we could get back to the park. The cast member mentioned that the lowest Skyliner route would take us back to Art of Animation Resort, and then we could catch a bus to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, or Disney Springs from there if we wanted, or we could take the internal shuttle at Caribbean Beach back to Old Port Royale and take a bus to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, or Disney Springs. If the resort has a Skyliner station, it does not have a bus that will go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios unless there is inclement weather.
So, we decided to try the Skyliner to Art of Animation. We went to the front of the resort where the buses arrived. There were no cast members there to help, but eventually, two custodial cast members did arrive and answered our question of which park we should take the bus to. They said to take the Animal Kingdom bus as it was the closest theme park, and because it was a party night at Magic Kingdom and also a Friday night, it would be more crowded.
We were traveling with someone in a wheelchair. They could get out of the wheelchair, so we decided to look up the cost of an Uber as an option. The cost would have been $10 plus a tip.
We decided the Animal Kingdom bus was the best option and confirmed there would be a bus at Animal Kingdom because it was close to closing time. We were using the wheelchair. The ride was about 15 minutes to Animal Kingdom.
We got in line for a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and waited about 20 minutes. While we were waiting, two additional ECV’s showed up. Most Disney buses are equipped to transport two devices. We boarded with the wheelchair but folded it up so the other two guests could use the tie-downs.
As we were driving down World Drive, we realized the driver had missed Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We went to EPCOT and turned around, adding a delay of 10 minutes. When taking the bus, I suggest that you check the marquee outside and confirm with the driver inside where the bus will be going because sometimes the driver has updated information that the outside marquee doesn’t show.
Disney recommends allowing 2 hours if you are using their complimentary transportation service to get to a dining reservation. For us, it took almost two hours to get back to where we had started. Most times, your experience will be more efficient, but there are times when you can experience delays. Till next time, see you in the parks!
