Navigating all four Disney World parks in one day while the Skyliner is out of operation

For the next week, or most of it, the Skyliners will not be running as routine maintanance is done on the park-to-resort-to-park transportation.
The Disney World Skyliner connects EPCOT to Hollywood Studios and several hotels. Photo credit Brian Miller
The Disney World Skyliner connects EPCOT to Hollywood Studios and several hotels. Photo credit Brian Miller /
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With the Skyliner down between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios the ability to make a four-park in one day visit to Disney World will need to get a little more creative.

In the past, I have repeatedly stated that starting your 4-park in one day adventure needs to begin at Animal Kingdom. That isn't changing. No matter what your plans are, Animal Kingdom closes the earliest so starting there will always make the most sense.

Now that that Skyliners are down for the next week, how does that impact your park visitin? Typically the Skyliner provides a rather quick trip from EPCOT to Hollywood and vice versa. Now, it might take you a little bit longer.

Squeezing Magic Kingdom in is the harder part but here is what I recommend while the Skyliner is down.

Visit Animal Kingdom first. Then drive over to Magic Kingdom and park your car. You will hit MK last or you could make this your second visit but if you do that, don't leave the car, take it to Hollywood Studios or EPCOT instead when you are done at MK.

For me, the worst part of MK is getting to the actual park from Transportation Station and after a long day of park-hopping that walk and crammed monorail and ferry boats can be exhausting as well.

From MK take the monorail to EPCOT and enjoy your hours spend there. Take the boat that is located outside International Gateway just past the U.K. Pavilion in World Showcase. From there you will be taken to Hollywood Studios.

Once you are done at Hollywood, you have two choices. Take the boat back to EPCOT, spend part of the evening there, jump the monorail back to Transportation Station, and have a good night. Or you could finish at MK.

The other option is to take the bus from Hollywood to Magic Kingdom thus avoiding another trip through EPCOT. While much less enjoyable, depending on the time of day, it could be far less crowded. The direct line from Hollywood to MK makes sense.

Once the Skyliners are back up and running, using them to navigate the Eppie-Holly connection is quicker and more enjoyable than the water taxi. Like always the biggest decision is what parks you are planning to visit and when and that always comes down to where you want to end your day because ultimately, that is where you want to park your car.

Here is a look at what your transportation would look like depending on where you want to end your day.

Hollywood Studios - Animal Kingdom, drive to Hollywood. Take bus to Magic Kingdom, take monorail to EPCOT, take water taxi to Hollywood.

Magic Kingdom - Animal Kingdom, park at MK, take monorail to EPCOT or bus to Hollywood. From Hollywood take water taxi to EPCOT, monorail to MK. If EPCOT, take monorail from MK then water taxi to Hollywood, bus to MK or reverse taxi-EPCOT-monorail.

EPCOT - Animal Kingdom, park at EPCOT, take boat to Hollywood, bus to MK, Monorail to EPCOT or park at EPCOT, monorail to MK, bus to Hollywood or reverse back to EPCOT on monorail then water taxi to Hollywood and back again.