Four Disney World resorts have Disney Skyliner stations: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. The Skyliner connects these hotels with EPCOT’s International Gateway and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
I’ve stayed at Skyliner resorts several times, and the biggest difference between them isn’t simply price or theming. It’s where each hotel sits on the Skyliner system. Caribbean Beach is the central hub, Riviera sits on the EPCOT route, and Pop Century and Art of Animation share a station on their own branch.
That means some resorts give you a direct ride while others require you to get off at Caribbean Beach and transfer gondolas. If Skyliner transportation is one of the main reasons you’re choosing a hotel, that’s the part I’d understand before booking.
The 4 Disney Resorts With Skyliner Access
| Disney Resort | EPCOT | Hollywood Studios | Resort Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caribbean Beach | Skyliner | Skyliner | Moderate |
| Riviera Resort | Skyliner | Skyliner via Caribbean Beach | Deluxe Villa |
| Pop Century | Skyliner via Caribbean Beach | Skyliner via Caribbean Beach | Value |
| Art of Animation | Skyliner via Caribbean Beach | Skyliner via Caribbean Beach | Value |
Disney currently lists those four hotels as the resorts featuring Disney Skyliner stations. You can see the current system information on Disney’s official Skyliner page.
Start With Caribbean Beach: It’s the Hub
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort occupies the most useful position on the Skyliner network.
The main Caribbean Beach station is where the different routes come together. From here, gondolas travel toward EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and the shared Pop Century/Art of Animation station.
That’s why Caribbean Beach is the Skyliner resort I’d look at first if transportation is the deciding factor. You don’t start your morning by riding to another resort hub just to change lines.
There is a catch: Caribbean Beach is large. Your room can be much more convenient to the Skyliner from one part of the resort than another. I wouldn’t book it thinking every room is sitting beside the gondola station. My Caribbean Beach Resort review goes deeper into the layout and what staying there is actually like.
Riviera Has the Easiest Skyliner Ride to EPCOT
Disney’s Riviera Resort has its own station on the route between Caribbean Beach and EPCOT’s International Gateway.
If EPCOT is the park I’m prioritizing, this is the Skyliner setup I like best. You board at Riviera and continue toward the International Gateway without having to change gondolas at Caribbean Beach.
Hollywood Studios works differently. From Riviera, you head toward Caribbean Beach and change to the Hollywood Studios line.
Riviera is also fundamentally different from the other hotels on this list. Disney classifies it as a Deluxe Villa Resort rather than a Value or Moderate Resort, so I’m usually comparing it with other higher-end Disney hotels rather than Pop Century just because they both happen to have gondolas.
Pop Century and Art of Animation Share One Station
Pop Century and Art of Animation sit across Hourglass Lake from each other and share a Skyliner station on the bridge connecting the two resorts.
Whichever of these two hotels you choose, you’ll first ride to Caribbean Beach. At the Caribbean Beach hub, you get off and transfer to the route for either EPCOT or Hollywood Studios.
I don’t consider that a dealbreaker. The transfer is built into the system, and the ability to reach two parks without taking a bus is a major reason I like these resorts.
The more meaningful difference is what you’re getting back at the hotel.
Pop Century if I Want the Simpler, Cheaper Room
Pop Century is usually the one I’d look at when I want a straightforward Value Resort stay with Skyliner transportation. The rooms aren’t why I book it. The combination of Disney transportation, Value Resort pricing and access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios is.
I include it in my guide to the best Disney World Value Resorts because the Skyliner changes the transportation equation compared with Disney’s bus-only Value Resorts.
Art of Animation if I Need a Family Suite
Art of Animation makes more sense to me when room configuration matters as much as transportation.
The Finding Nemo, Cars and Lion King areas have family suites that sleep up to six, while the Little Mermaid section contains the resort’s standard rooms. I’ve broken down exactly how the larger rooms work in my Art of Animation family suite floor plan.
Art of Animation and Pop Century use the same Skyliner station, so I wouldn’t choose between the two because one supposedly has a better gondola route. I’d choose based on the room and resort experience I wanted.
Where Does the Disney Skyliner Actually Go?
The Disney Skyliner connects the four resort hotels with two theme parks: EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
At EPCOT, the station is at International Gateway rather than the park’s main entrance. That puts you between the United Kingdom and France areas of World Showcase once you enter the park.
The EPCOT station is also close to Disney’s Beach Club, Yacht Club and BoardWalk Inn. Those hotels do not have their own Skyliner stations, even though you may sometimes see them described as being near the Skyliner.
If EPCOT walkability matters more to you than having a station at your resort, compare the hotels within walking distance of EPCOT instead.
Beach Club, Yacht Club and BoardWalk Aren’t Skyliner Resorts
This is one distinction I think is worth making because the EPCOT Resort area can be confusing on a map.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Yacht Club Resort and BoardWalk Inn are close to the International Gateway Skyliner station, but Disney does not list them among the four hotels featuring their own Skyliner stations.
If I’m staying at one of those hotels and heading to Hollywood Studios, I generally wouldn’t walk toward EPCOT just because there’s a Skyliner station there. Those resorts already have pedestrian and boat access within the EPCOT/Hollywood Studios resort area.
Which Skyliner Hotel Would I Book?
I don’t think there is one best Skyliner resort because the four hotels serve very different budgets and types of trips.
- Caribbean Beach: my choice when the Skyliner network itself is the priority.
- Riviera: the one I’d choose for a more upscale stay with especially easy EPCOT access.
- Pop Century: my straightforward Value Resort pick when I want Skyliner transportation without paying for a suite.
- Art of Animation: the one I’d consider first when I need space for a larger family or group.
If I were visiting EPCOT and Hollywood Studios heavily on the same trip, I’d personally start by pricing Caribbean Beach and Pop Century. Caribbean Beach has the better position on the network, while Pop Century can make the transportation perk available at a lower resort category.
One Thing I’d Check Before Relying on the Skyliner
I never build an important reservation around the assumption that the Skyliner will be running exactly when I need it. Operating hours and temporary closures can change, and Disney occasionally closes portions of the system for refurbishment.
Disney currently publishes Skyliner operating information on its official page, so that’s what I’d check shortly before the trip rather than relying on a fixed schedule in an article. If the gondolas aren’t operating, Disney transportation options can change depending on the situation.
For trips that involve all four parks rather than mainly EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, I also recommend looking at my Disney World transportation guide. The Skyliner is excellent at what it does, but it doesn’t serve Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom.
