Need advice on seeing Disney hotels for free

Question

Wanting to go to Disney springs and from there go to visit the animal kingdom lodge then from there visit the Polynesian resort best way to travel and time involved for the travel. How long does boat ride take? Can I see all the hotels from the boat ride? Should I use monorail? Can I see the hotels from that venue. Or is there better options. We only have 5 hours here I chose the animal kingdom lodge ad Polynesian because I think they are the coolest to see this year Ty going in 2 weeks.

Answer

You can absolutely visit Disney resorts for free, but with only 5 hours, you’ll need a very efficient plan. Disney transportation is free, but the routes between Disney Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Polynesian are not direct. Below is the easiest, fastest way and what you can realistically expect.

The most important thing to know is that Disney Springs does not offer transportation directly to resorts. It only provides buses *to* resorts — not boats or monorails. For visiting resorts, this actually works in your favor.

Here is the best route:

Start at Disney Springs → Take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. (Approx. 15–20 minutes travel time, plus wait time.)
After exploring Animal Kingdom Lodge → Take a bus to Magic Kingdom. (Approx. 20 minutes.)
At Magic Kingdom → board the boat or monorail to Polynesian Village Resort. (5–10 minutes.)
Return from Polynesian → Bus or rideshare back to Disney Springs. (No direct Disney bus back to Disney Springs from resorts after 3pm; you may need to bus to a park first.)

This itinerary ensures you move quickly and avoid dead-end routes.

Regarding your transportation questions:

Boat ride: From Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian, the boat ride is very short — usually 10 minutes or less. You will only see the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon: Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and glimpses of the Contemporary (depending on the boat route). You will not see Animal Kingdom Lodge from any boat — it is not on a lake connected to the Magic Kingdom area.
Monorail: The monorail Resort Loop circles the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian. It takes about 20 minutes for the full loop. It’s great for sightseeing, but again, Animal Kingdom Lodge is not on the monorail.
Seeing all hotels from transportation: No single transportation mode lets you see AKL and Polynesian together. AKL is isolated; Poly is part of the Magic Kingdom resort area.

Here is the most time-efficient plan for your 5 hours:

1 hour at Disney Springs (if you want to start by walking around or eating)
20–30 minutes bus + wait to Animal Kingdom Lodge
45–60 minutes exploring Animal Kingdom Lodge (both lobbies, animal viewing areas, shops)
20–30 minutes bus + wait to Magic Kingdom
Boat or Monorail to Polynesian: 5–10 minutes
45–60 minutes at the Polynesian
30–40 minutes to return to Disney Springs using bus/park transfer or rideshare

If you are short on time or want to simplify, consider this streamlined option:

Take a Lyft/Uber between AKL and Polynesian (about 15 minutes directly). This saves almost 45 minutes compared to using buses.
Use the monorail only as a fun scenic loop before or after visiting the Polynesian.

To summarize: you can absolutely do both resorts for free in 5 hours, but AKL + Poly + transportation delays can add up. Start at Disney Springs, bus to AKL, then bus to Magic Kingdom and boat/monorail to the Polynesian. If you need to save time, use rideshare between the two resorts. This will give you the best experience within your tight window.

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