Walt Disney World’s new gondola system, the Disney Skyliner, is a game-changer for getting around Walt Disney World. The convenience of being able to easily hop on and be entering the park within minutes is amazing! The Skyliner connects 4 different resorts and 2 theme parks, giving these 4 resorts a huge benefit compared to other Disney resorts. The ease of getting around makes these resorts a fantastic choice for any WDW guest. In this blog post we will talk more about the Skyliner and what it’s like to ride, which resorts are connected by the Skyliner and why it’s so worth it!

Riding the Disney Skyliner

Board the “Most Magical Flight on Earth” and take off on a quick and easy journey to Hollywood Studios, Epcot or one of the Skyliner resorts. The ride on the Skyliner is calm and smooth. It’s very quiet and is a much more peaceful way to travel compared to the bus or monorail. It’s basically a ride in itself! The cabins are clean and comfortable, and hold a maximum of 8 people. While not air conditioned, the cabins are designed with vents that provide great air flow. On cooler days and in the evenings, the window vents can be closed to regulate the temperature. Of course, the best part is the efficiency of getting to your destination. Depending on your destination, the Skyliner will get you there in as little as 5-15 minutes! 

Fear of Heights?

For those worried about heights, the Skyliner is really not that bad! We traveled with 2 members of our party who are scared of heights, and both felt safe on the Skyliner. They actually really enjoyed the ride! Even if you have a fear of heights, I’d recommend trying a short distance ride just to see how you feel about it. The ride from Art of Animation or Pop Century to Caribbean Beach Resort is only about 3-4 minutes. This could be a good chance to give it a try and see how you feel. If you decide the Skyliner is just not for you, there are still hourly buses running from the Skyliner resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, for this exact reason.

Which Resorts are connected by the Disney Skyliner?

The 4 resorts connected by the Disney Skyliner are:

• Caribbean Beach Resort
• Pop Century Resort
• Art of Animation Resort
• Riviera Resort

Caribbean Beach Resort is home to the central station. From here, all the Skyliner routes meet and guests transfer between the lines. From Caribbean Beach, Line 1 connects guests to Pop Century Resort and Art of Animation Resort (they share a station). This ride only takes 3-4 minutes! Line 2 connects Caribbean Beach Resort to Hollywood Studios, a ride which takes about 5 minutes. Finally, Line 3 takes guests from Caribbean Beach Resort to Riviera Resort and then on to Epcot. The Riviera Resort station is the only one where guests do not have to disembark. If you are continuing on to Epcot, you just stay in your cabin while other guests get on/off at Riviera. Including the stop at Riviera station, from Caribbean Beach Resort to Epcot is only about 12 minutes.

Click here to see the route map for the Disney Skyliner.

But What About the Monorail?

While not as iconic or classic as the monorail, in our opinion it surpasses it in terms of ease of use! The peaceful ride is much quieter and calmer than the monorail. Plus, they only allow 8 guests per cabin and everyone gets a seat. Compared to the monorail, which can be extremely crowded during peak times, this makes for a very calm and quiet ride. Additionally, the Skyliner is continuously running so the line moves quickly. This makes it feels like you load much quicker than the monorail.

Lastly, the resorts connected by the monorail are all Deluxe resorts. Another thing that’s great about the Disney Skyliner is that it connects Value and Moderate level resorts! This makes it an option for everyone and not just those guests staying at the highest level of resort. While we still love the monorail (and always will!), the Skyliner is now one of our favorite ways to travel around Walt Disney World!

Overall 

As you can probably tell, we are HUGE fans of the Disney Skyliner. From the time it opened, we have stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation Resort and Riviera Resort. This gave us tons of opportunity to take advantage of the Skyliner, and we really did take advantage! For guests who plan to spend a lot of time in Hollywood Studios and Epcot, staying at a Skyliner resort makes it so much easier! Overall, the Disney Skyliner is an amazing new addition to Walt Disney World. We HIGHLY recommend you give it a try on your next trip!

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Further Reading:

• Where to Stay at Walt Disney World: Resort Guide
• Complete Guide to Fastpass+
• Iconic Restaurants at Walt Disney World
• Best Resorts for an Adult-Only Trip
• Top Tips for a Walt Disney World Honeymoon
• Riviera Resort: Our Opening Night Review