Our complete Disney Skyliner guide covers routes, stations, resorts, hours, ride times, transfers, strollers, weather closures, and everything else you need to know before you ride.

The Disney Skyliner is one of the easiest — and most fun — ways to get around Walt Disney World. This complimentary gondola transportation system connects four Disney World Resort hotels with EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, allowing guests to skip the bus and travel between destinations by air.

But figuring out the Disney Skyliner routes can be confusing if you’ve never ridden before. Which Disney World resorts have Skyliner stations? Where do you transfer? How long does the Skyliner take? And what happens when bad weather shuts it down?

Below, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Disney Skyliner, including its routes and stations, operating hours, approximate ride times, stroller and wheelchair rules, and our best tips for using it during your Disney World vacation.

• What is the Disney Skyliner?
• Disney Skyliner Map and Stations
• Disney Skyliner Hours
• Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Disney Skyliner?

Photo by Laurie Sapp

The Disney Skyliner is a complimentary gondola transportation system at Walt Disney World that connects select Disney Resort hotels with EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The system opened in September 2019 and operates from a central hub at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Guests can ride the Disney Skyliner between four Disney World hotels and two theme parks:

• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• EPCOT

You do not need to be staying at a Disney Resort hotel to ride the Skyliner, and you do not need a theme park ticket simply to board. The Skyliner is part of Disney World’s complimentary transportation system.

One important detail: The EPCOT Skyliner station is located at International Gateway, between the United Kingdom and France pavilions in World Showcase. It is not located near EPCOT’s main entrance or parking lot. The station is also within walking distance of Disney’s BoardWalk, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

The Disney Skyliner Gondolas

Guests ride the Disney Skyliner via large gondolas, which are spacious enough to fit up to 10 people. There are nearly 300 gondolas on the system, and each one uses reflective panels and cross-ventilation to keep guests inside cool (that’s right: there’s no air conditioning!).

Boarding the gondolas is easy: They move continuously, so the gondola will keep moving as it enters a station and opens its doors to passengers. 

Worried about bringing a stroller onboard? The Skyliner’s gondolas are actually designed to accommodate them! There’s enough room inside for strollers to roll right onboard, no folding required. However, if you have a larger stroller, you can also use the wheelchair queue for extra space.

Speaking of wheelchairs, if you’re using a mobility aid or wheelchair, there is a separate queue at each Disney Skyliner station. Here, you can take extra time to board a gondola; the gondolas move to the side to allow for a stop. Just make sure that your wheelchair or mobility aid fits within a 30 x 48 inch space so you can board with ease.

Once you’ve boarded your gondola, you’ll hear announcements via an onboard audio system that’s unique to each Skyliner route and destination. On the outside, the gondolas are decorated with different Disney characters and attractions, including the Haunted Mansion, Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Fab Five, Finding Dory, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.

Disney Skyliner Map and Stations

Map courtesy of Disney

Wondering how to navigate the Disney Skyliner’s different routes and stations? You can find a full Skyliner map here to help you travel across Disney World.

It’s important to remember that Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is the hub of the Skyliner. As a result, you’ll need to get off at this station and transfer to a different gondola route if you’re hoping to travel longer distances.

You’ll need to exit your gondola at each station on the Skyliner system except for Disney’s Riviera Resort. This is the only station that allows guests to stay on (unless it’s where you do need to stop and exit!).

Each station is themed to its destination. For example, the central hub at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort features vibrant colors and architectural cues that match the resort’s buildings. The International Gateway station at EPCOT is designed to blend in with the European pavilions of the World Showcase, with ornamental steel, hand-painted murals, and glass and metal canopies overhead.

Disney Skyliner Routes

The Disney Skyliner is divided into three main routes, with Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort serving as the central hub.

• Caribbean Beach to Hollywood Studios: This route travels directly between Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• Caribbean Beach to Pop Century and Art of Animation: This route connects Caribbean Beach with the shared Skyliner station between Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
• Caribbean Beach to EPCOT: This route travels from Caribbean Beach to EPCOT’s International Gateway, passing through Disney’s Riviera Resort along the way.

If you’re traveling from Pop Century or Art of Animation to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios, you’ll need to exit at Caribbean Beach and transfer to another Skyliner line. The same applies when traveling between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT.

Disney’s Riviera Resort works a little differently. Because Riviera is located along the Caribbean Beach-to-EPCOT route, guests generally remain onboard as the gondola passes through the Riviera station unless Riviera is their destination.

How Long Does Each Route Take?

Since each Skyliner gondola can carry up to 10 guests, lines for this mode of Disney World transportation tend to move fairly quickly. Even the longest lines can have a decent pace – and at peak times of the day, the queue for the Skyliner can move faster than bus or boat transportation lines.

Once you’re onboard a Skyliner gondola, it’ll take just a few minutes to reach your destination. While ride times can vary due to crowd levels, weather, and other unpredictable factors, we took the Skyliner ourselves and timed the routes so you have a general idea of the ride time from each location. Find out how long it’ll take to get from stop to stop below.

Photo by Laurie Sapp

From Disney’s Art of Animation Resort or Disney’s Pop Century Resort to:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: 5 minutes
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10 minutes
• Disney’s Riviera Resort: 8 minutes
• EPCOT: 18 minutes

From Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to:

• Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts: 5 minutes
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 5 minutes
• Disney’s Riviera Resort: 3 minutes
• EPCOT: 10 minutes

From Disney’s Riviera Resort to:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: 3 minutes
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8 minutes
• Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts: 8 minutes
• EPCOT: 10 minutes

From theme park to theme park:

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT: 18 minutes

Note: These estimates don’t include the time required to disembark and change lines when you reach Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Disney Skyliner Hours

Disney Skyliner hours vary based on EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios operating hours. According to Disney, the Skyliner generally begins operating one hour before Early Theme Park Entry begins at EPCOT or Hollywood Studios and closes 90 minutes after EPCOT or Hollywood Studios closes.

On nights when EPCOT offers Extended Evening Hours, the Skyliner remains available until one hour after EPCOT closes. However, service is limited during this period: Disney currently states that transportation from EPCOT International Gateway is available to Disney’s Riviera Resort, while the route connecting Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation is unavailable.

Because hours can vary, always check the My Disney Experience app or posted signage during your trip.

Disney Skyliner Closures and Refurbishments

The Disney Skyliner can temporarily close because of severe weather, maintenance, or scheduled refurbishment. When the Skyliner is unavailable, Disney may provide alternate complimentary transportation.

Disney has already announced its next scheduled refurbishment: The Disney Skyliner will be closed January 24 through January 30, 2027. Complimentary bus transportation will be available during the closure.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Disney Skyliner

Photo by Laurie Sapp

Does the Disney Skyliner run in the rain?

The Disney Skyliner can operate during rain, but severe weather — particularly lightning or high winds — can temporarily suspend service. If the Skyliner closes because of weather, Disney may provide alternate transportation for affected routes.

Because Central Florida thunderstorms can develop quickly, it’s smart to have a backup transportation plan if you’re relying on the Skyliner to reach a dining reservation or another time-sensitive destination.

Can you ride the Disney Skyliner for free?

Yes, the Disney Skyliner is free for guests to ride. There’s no theme park ticket or resort hotel reservation required – just head to one of the stations and hop aboard! 

Just note that if you’re headed to Disney World just to ride the Skyliner, you may need to pay parking fees wherever you leave your vehicle.

Is the Disney Skyliner faster than taking a bus?

Typically, the Skyliner is faster than Disney World’s bus transportation. Because it’s continuously moving, there’s no downtime – guests and lines can keep moving as more gondolas enter each station. 

It’s also worth noting that a lot of the resorts on the Disney Skyliner route don’t have buses that will take guests to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If inclement weather shuts the Skyliner down, bus service can become available, but otherwise, you’ll need to rely on the Skyliner to get to and from these theme parks.

Where is the best place to get on the Skyliner?

The best place to board the Skyliner is from your resort! If you’re staying at one of the resorts on the Skyliner route, you’ll find it incredibly easy to walk right to the station and get onto a gondola.

If you aren’t staying at a resort with a Skyliner station, then it’s easy to get on at either the EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios station. Then, you can travel anywhere on the route with ease.