One of my favorite things to do outside of visiting the Disney parks is visiting the resorts. There are so many things that you can do at the resorts from food to activities to just looking at what is at each resort. Here are all the things to know for resort hopping. 

One of the most helpful things will be to Download the Disney World app for the most up to date hours and show times. You can also order food at some locations, which can save some time in your day. You can also use the app to find where you want to go and get directions – this will let you know if you need a bus or skyliner or boat or whatever and how to get there. 

Parking:

You can park at Disney Springs or one of the parks if you have a reservation. From here you can take a bus.

Ways to get around:

Buses, boats, skyliners, and monorails.

Which buses goes where:

From Disney Springs, the buses only go to the resorts. 

At each resort, there are only buses to all four parks and to Disney Springs

At each park, there are buses to all other parks, all resorts and Disney Springs (mostly – you will need to walk to the Contemporary to get the bus to Disney Springs if you’re at Magic Kingdom).

You can access the Skyliner at the following places:

Hollywood Studios, so you’ll need to either park there or take a bus there. 

Art of Animation

Pop Century

Caribbean Beach

Rivera

Beach Club/Epcot outside of France

Fireworks:

If you’re going to watch the fireworks, look up what time the show will be. In the app, on home, scroll down to where the hours show up and tap on Today’s Showtimes. At Magic Kingdom, you’re looking for Happily Ever After or Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks if it’s a party night. That will show the time of the show. 

Take the monorail (on the 2nd floor) to the Grand Floridian and enjoy the gingerbread house and large Christmas tree. 

Take the monorail to the Contemporary. Enjoy the Christmas tree outside. Then check out the gingerbread house on the 4th floor. 

When it’s time for the fireworks, head to the Contemporary (maybe grab a hot chocolate from Contempo Cafe if it’s cooler), head to the right of the gingerbread house, go outside and then go up the stairs on the right a few stories. 

If the tree is up, take the boat to the Wilderness Lodge at some point in your travels. 

Take the skyliner to Rivera. Hop off and head toward the lobby, you don’t need to go in, just walk to the arch with a Tangled mosaic and a Peter Pan mosaic. 

Walk back to the the skyliner and get on the one heading to Caribbean Beach/Epcot. 

Or walk through Caribbean Beach and chill on a hammock. 

Take the skyliner to Art of Animation and check out the massive displays – Cars, Finding Nemo, Lion King and Little Mermaid. 

Take the bus from Art of Animation to Disney Springs or if you want more skyliner time, take the skyliner back to Caribbean Beach, then to Hollywood Studios. 

Take a bus back to Disney Springs.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

The other potential stop is Animal Kingdom Lodge – which has a massive tree and is the one where you can walk out and see the safari. 

At Disney Springs

Lastly, Disney Springs has a Christmas tree stroll with 18 differently decorated trees around the whole of Disney Springs.