Disney’s Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation resorts are well appointed, cute, convenient and affordable places to stay as part of your Walt Disney World vacation.

Like with anywhere you vacation, there are aspects of your stay that if you prepare and do advanced research, you will have an even more enjoyable experience. This article aims at providing you with those tips.

I’m breaking down your stay from sun up to sun down.

First thing in the morning

Food and Coffee
Make breakfast in the room or do a mobile order for your quick service breakfast. Remember you will have to walk to the main buildings to grab any food.

Skyliner and Bus Transportation
Prepare yourself mentally for deceiving lines for the Skyliner. The lines may back wayyyy up first thing in the morning, especially during park opening. Trust me, these lines look crazy but they move VERY fast. Once the the parks have been opened a while, the lines disappear and you can just walk right up and in a gondola. This is also true for the bus lines.

Understanding transportation and where to go:

There is a shared Skyliner line station for Pop Century and Art of Animation. Each resort has it’s own bus stop in the front of their main buildings (where check-in, shopping and food courts are located).

The Skyliner takes guests to Disney Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. The buses will take guests to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs. Be sure to know what destination is your goal so that your family heads in the right direction!

Key to remember: Buses are in front of main building of the resorts and the Skyliner Station is on the water in the center and backside of the resorts.

Food Pro-Tip: If you are taking the Skyliner, consider you may also place mobile orders at other resorts, such as Riviera and Caribbean Beach. You also can stop at the Joffrey’s Coffee stand at the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station. I highly recommend making time to eat and enjoy taking in the scenery at each resort. They are all unique!

Mid-Day – Take a break outside the parks
This is a great time to enjoy the resort amenities, especially as when many folks are out and about at the parks and Disney Springs. The pools will typically be slightly less busy and the Skyliner is open for you to enjoy other Skyliner area resort shopping and dining.

Remember: You are in Florida

Be Prepared for rain.

Rain can be a huge damper on your transportation plans. When there are storms or high winds, the Skyliner system will temporarily down. Per the Skyliner Cast Members, the system will not operate if there is a storm within 12 miles of Walt Disney World. Once the storm is at least 12 miles and 30 minutes away from the resort, the maintenance team will start running and testing the lines before allowing guests on board. Expect a storm to shut the Skyliner down for at least a couple hours.

What happens to transportation when the Skyliner is temporarily closed?

When the Skyliner closes due to inclement weather, the resort bus system will initiate a Skyliner Resort area transportation bus route. This will take you to and from all the resorts in the Skyliner area as well as to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Thus, if has recently stormed or about to storm, pack your patience and be prepared to wait for a bus or call for a ride service or Minnie Van. The buses are only available when the Skyliner is not operating.

This can be an issue if you are in a hurry to make a dining reservation or even a Lighting Lane! What are your options? In most cases, if you are only a few minutes late the restaurant and Lightning Lane will be okay and you’ll be able to enjoy your experience. But if there are no buses in sight and no estimated time of arrival, you may want to consider ordering a Lfyt or even a Minnie Van!

End of the Day
Just like with the beginning of the day, the Skyliner and buses will be busy and you will need to muster all remaining patience to get your transportation back to the resort. Additionally, you have to remember that if family is hungry, you should mobile order well in advance of returning to your resort, otherwise, there may be no more time slots available for you to order. If you are REALLY late getting home, the gift shops with sundries and snacks may be closed. It’s crucial to keep your family’s hunger in check so you aren’t going to bed hungry and exhausted. The busiest times for food and transportation services at the resorts are at the beginning and end of the day.