Skyliner Shutdown Strains Walt Disney World Transport, Undercuts Rope-Drop Advantage

Overview

• The Disney Skyliner has been closed for routine refurbishment since January 25 and is slated to remain down through January 31, with complimentary buses substituting service to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• Guests at Riviera, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation report longer waits and fuller buses, with morning travel often taking 10–20 minutes more and cutting into Early Entry plans.
• During the closure, EPCOT buses drop at the park’s front entrance, improving rope-drop positioning versus the usual International Gateway arrival but increasing total travel time and creating entrance bottlenecks.
• Transportation pressure has spread beyond the four resorts as buses absorb Skyliner capacity, leading to sustained crowding during early mornings and late evenings across affected routes.
• Disney characterizes the pause as standard annual maintenance and has signaled a similar weeklong closure next January, intensifying guest scrutiny of transportation flexibility at premium-priced Riviera Resort.