The two Port Orleans French Quarter bus stations
Disney operates an extensive fleet of more than 160 buses which can (and usually do) transport guests quickly and efficiently from the resorts to the theme parks and other destinations within the Walt Disney World area.
The buses start running about an hour before park opening and continue every 10-20 minutes throughout the day until approximately 1½ hours after each park has closed to make sure that everyone gets home safely. Downtown Disney buses start running at about 8:30am and continue until 2am. Special buses for guests attending Character Breakfasts start at around 7am (or half an hour before the earliest reservation times) but please advise the bus driver of when and where you are eating, and allow at least 45 minutes before your check-in time.
Once the buses leave the resort area after all the local pickup stops, the journey times are fairly short. You should be at the Magic Kingdom within about 15-20 minutes, Epcot or Disney Hollywood Studios will take about 10-15 minutes, while Animal Kingdom is the furthest away at about 20 minutes.
The two Port Orleans resorts normally share a common bus service, although at very busy times - such as just after a fireworks display at park closing time - each resort may have separate direct buses. Disney uses a GPS tracking system to monitor its fleet and they also check the current queue lines to determine when and where extra services are needed, so you should never be left waiting for too long – although after a long day walking around Epcot, “too long” can become a somewhat subjective term!
The “Blues and Jazz” bus stations at Port Orleans French Quarter are located right outside the main Port Orleans Square building, just on the right hand side as you exit from the main building. This is the first pickup location for the Disney buses from the Port Orleans Resort, and is also the first drop-off location on the return trip.
The first station (A) is the stopping point for buses to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney while the second station (B) handles the buses destined for the Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios. Note: the daytime Downtown Disney buses stop at Typhoon Lagoon en route, while the Animal Kingdom buses also serve Blizzard Beach.
After the buses leave French Quarter they normally go on to pick up at the Riverside resort before continuing on to their final destination. Please be aware that collecting from all four Riverside Depots can take upwards of fifteen before the bus finally heads off to its destination.
The main (South Depot) bus stop at Port Orleans Riverside is located on the right as you exit from the Sassagoula Steamboat Company main building, just outside the rear exit of Fulton’s General Store.
The first station (Blue Bayou Platform) is the stopping point for buses to Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Downtown Disney while the second station (River Delta Platform) handles the buses destined for the Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios. Note: the daytime Downtown Disney buses stop at Typhoon Lagoon en route, while the Animal Kingdom buses also serve Blizzard Beach.
There are three further bus stops located around the Sassagoula Circle perimeter road:
The other buildings are probably best served by the main South Depot but please check the resort map to see which stop would be closest for your particular room.
Note: generally the early morning buses departing from the South Depot do not then continue on to service the East, North and West Depots, instead heading straight onward to their destination. After 10:30am, all of the resort buses follow the entire route starting at French Quarter, then going around all four Riverside Depots in turn before heading on to their final destination.
All of the theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney have separate waiting areas clearly marked for every resort. Most the time, Disney operates a combined service for the two Port Orleans resorts, so just look for signs indicating the “Port Orleans” waiting area. During busy periods however - such as at park closing time - the two resorts each have their own separate service, so watch out for waiting signs for “Riverside” and “French Quarter”. The current destination is also indicated on illuminated displays on both the front and the sides of each bus.
Unfortunately, while Disney’s bus service is generally pretty efficient at getting you to the parks, it’s not so well designed for quick transportation between the various resort hotels.
If you’ve got a meal booked at one of the other resort hotels for example, the only way to get there by Disney transportation is to first take a bus to one of the theme parks or Downtown Disney, and then change onto a second bus to get you to your required hotel. Generally, you need to allow yourself at least an hour to do this.
If you’re going for a meal at the Contemporary Resort - such as Chef Mickey’s - first get a bus to the Magic Kingdom and then walk over to the Contemporary, it’s only a few minutes away from the bus stop.
For the Grand Floridian, Polynesian or Wilderness Lodge you may find that getting one of the small local ferry boats which dock just in front of the Magic Kingdom will be quicker than waiting for a second bus. The monorail may also be an option.
For the Beach Club or any other Epcot-area resorts, first get the bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and then take the free ferry boat service from the dock just outside the theme park gates.
If you’re trying to get to an early character meal and you don’t have access to a car then it may be worth considering getting a taxi, which will probably cost you around $10-$15 but make your journey a lot less stressful.
One of the problems with the Port Orleans resort is its sheer size. There are more than 3,000 rooms spread out over a very large area, with a total of five bus stops servicing them all. It doesn’t take much imagination to realise that there are occasions, especially when the parks are very busy, that the bus service can become a little... well, shall we say “strained”?
For more information on any of the bus routes or timetables, call 1-407-WDW-RIDE (1-407-939-7433).