You could spend $179 on a park ticket to fight crowds, pay for Lightning Lanes, and eat a $22 pretzel standing up next to a stroller. Or you could spend an afternoon gliding between resorts in a gondola, drinking reasonably good cocktails, and paying exactly zero dollars for the transportation.
It’s your call, but we’re team Skyliner Bar Crawl. It’s free to ride, easy to plan, and one of *the best* ways to drink around Disney without stepping foot in a park.
Whether you’re doing the full Disney Skyliner resort bar crawl or just picking a few favorites, this guide walks you through every stop, and yes, you can do it all without a park ticket.
Want even more boozy adventures? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Drinking at Disney World. And if you’re into a more structured crawl, check out our Disney Bar Crawls guide for every crawl you can do across Disney World, including EPCOT, the Monorail, and more.
How the Disney Skyliner Works (And Why It’s Perfect for a Bar Crawl)
The Skyliner connects five stations: Art of Animation/Pop Century (shared stop), Caribbean Beach Resort (the main hub where the lines split), Riviera Resort, the EPCOT International Gateway, and Hollywood Studios.
From Caribbean Beach, one line runs toward AoA/Pop Century; the other runs toward the Riviera and EPCOT.
Anyone can ride it. You do not need a park ticket to access the resort stops. The gondolas run continuously, have a decent breeze when moving, and take about five to 11 minutes between most stops.
You can ride back and forth as many times as you want, and because of the elevation, you get a great view.
One important tip, though: check the hours in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your crawl. Skyliner hours are tied to park hours and change constantly.
Once the parks close, the Skyliner will typically continue for about 1 hour to 90 minutes, but after that, you’ll have to take an Uber/Lyft if you decide to continue the party.
Disney Skyliner Bar Crawl Map and Route Strategy
Here’s the full route, whether you’re crawling the whole line or cherry-picking based on what’s in your cup.
The route we recommend involves a small amount of backtracking, and it’s intentional. The goal is pacing: starting casual and escalating toward the best stops, ending somewhere worth being.
The DATW Recommended Route:
- Start: Art of Animation / Pop Century (The Drop Off / Petals Pool Bar)
- Stop 2: Caribbean Beach Resort (Banana Cabana)
- Stop 3: Riviera Resort (Bar Riva + optional Topolino’s Terrace Lounge)
- Finale: EPCOT International Gateway → Walk to the BoardWalk (Boardwalk Joe’s, AbracadaBar)
Bonus Stops (Park Ticket Required):
- EPCOT – World Showcase bars
Frozen slushes, champagne, and every beer you could dream of. - Hollywood Studios – Baseline Tap House, Brown Derby Lounge, more
Strong drinks, outdoor lounges, and at least one spiked Coke.
Where to Park for the Disney Skyliner Bar Crawl
You cannot park at a Skyliner resort for free without a dining reservation, and yes, they do check. But it isn’t difficult to get to a resort so you can start the crawl.
Here are your 2 best options:
- Free: Park at Disney Springs. Parking is always free there. Take a bus to any of the resorts on the crawl (like Art of Animation or Caribbean Beach) to get going. At the end of the night, buses from the BoardWalk area resorts will get you back to Disney Springs without issue. The only hiccup in this plan is that sometimes (typically during busy times of the year), Disney will require you to have a reservation at a Disney Resort in order to use the buses there.
- Free (if staying onsite): If you are staying onsite, you can also go to any park and hop on a bus to any of the resorts along the Skyliner route
- Not free but simple: Park at Hollywood Studios ($30). Gives you a guaranteed home base with direct Skyliner access all day. Worth it if you’re making a full day of this or planning to add a park stop, just make sure you know what time you’ll need to be back to the Skyliner to catch your “flight” back to the HS parking lot.
Disney Skyliner Hours and What to Do If It Shuts Down
The Skyliner typically runs from about an hour before Early Park Entry through roughly 90 minutes after the last park closes.
Check the My Disney Experience app the morning of your crawl for the actual times.
Weather
If you hadn’t heard, Florida has weather.
The Skyliner shuts down for high winds and lightning, which happens with some regularity in the afternoon, especially summer. When it does, Disney deploys buses between all the Skyliner resorts. We promise that if weather shuts things down, you will not be stranded.
When that happens, Cast Members will direct you to temporary bus stops. It’s less scenic than floating above the trees, but it gets you where you’re going. Build flexibility into your afternoon and don’t schedule anything time-sensitive immediately after.
The DATW Disney Skyliner Bar Crawl Route
Stop 1: Art of Animation and Pop Century | The Drop Off Pool Bar and Petals Pool Bar
How to get there:
Take the Skyliner to the shared AoA/Pop Century station. The Drop Off is a short walk toward the AoA main pool; you’ll know you’re close when a 30-foot Crush the sea turtle looms into view. Petals is over the Generation Gap Bridge at Pop Century, by the giant flower-shaped Hippy Dippy Pool.
What to expect:
Neither of these bars is going to be the highlight of your crawl, and there’s no point pretending otherwise. The drinks are standard Disney resort pool bar fare, i.e. premixed cocktails, bottled beer, frozen options from a machine.
If you want something that tastes like an actual cocktail, the Bourbon Breeze ($17.50 — Old Forester bourbon, cranberry, lime, pomegranate, ginger beer) is the most drinkable thing on the menu. For most people, an $8.50-$12.75 bottled or draft beer is the honest move here, and frees up your crawl budget for something better.
What IS worth your time at these two stops is the resorts themselves.
AoA’s giant character installations are legitimately impressive and the Cars, Lion King, and Little Mermaid sections make for great photos and they’re fun to wander through with a drink in hand.
Pop Century’s retro nostalgia hits differently when you’re not rushing to catch a bus and there really is a lot to see.
And, TBH, if given the choice, we prefer Petals at Pop Century over the Drop Off at AoA. Not because the drinks are better, because they’re essentially the same. The vibe at Petals is just more… fun.
There is just something about the 60s theming, the flower pool, the whole groovy aesthetic; it all makes it feel like a more intentional bar stop rather than a pool bar you wandered past.
Do one drink. Wander around. Get back on the Skyliner.
Stop 2: Caribbean Beach Resort | Banana Cabana
How to get there:
Skyliner to the Caribbean Beach hub. From there, you can take the internal bus to the main building OR walk if you’d rather; Banana Cabana is a short walk from the station, right next to the main pool. You can’t miss it.
What to expect:
This is where the crawl earns its reputation. Banana Cabana is a genuinely good resort bar. Open-air with lounge seating, a sandy beach area along the lake, hammocks, steel drum music on good days. It feels like a vacation in a way the value resort pool bars don’t quite manage.
The signature Banana Cabana cocktail ($16 – Cruzan mango rum, Coruba coconut rum, crème de banana, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine float) is fine. Tropical, smooth, nothing offensive about it.
But we like to go a little harder here and really maximize our fun with the rum flight. You can sip it, slam it, whatever suits you.
For food, the Grilled Wings ($14 – choice of mango barbecue, guava buffalo, or Jamaican jerk, with carrots and cilantro-lime crema) are honestly good and exactly what you want to be eating poolside at this point in the afternoon.
Grab a seat at a table with a view out towards the water and enjoy yourself for awhile.
Stop 3: Riviera Resort | Bar Riva and Topolino’s Terrace Lounge
How to get there:
From Caribbean Beach, take the Skyliner one stop to the Riviera, or walk the waterfront path (about 10-15 minutes). If we had to pick an option, we’d recommend that you walk it. The path is pleasant (as long as the weather isn’t nasty).
Bar Riva
This is my personal favorite on the crawl.
Bar Riva is a poolside bar with Mediterranean decor: turquoise, white, open air, the whole thing.
Despite being open air, it’s fully covered and loaded with fans, which means the Florida heat is actually manageable. The cocktail menu is genuinely good, the food is also a meaningful step up from the pool bars you’ve been visiting, and the entire experience feels more upscale than nearly every other pool bar on Disney property.
The Il Tramonto ($13 – Tito’s vodka, Aperol, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemonade, turmeric, pomegranate, orange) is the drink to order. Balanced, interesting, not too sweet. The Sunset Margarita ($16 – Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, Smoked Chili Bitters, Lime, and Agave) is also excellent if you want something with more of a kick. The Aperol Spritz ($14) makes you sound cool when you order it.
For food: the Cheese and Charcuterie ($22.99 – with a selection of cheese, cured meats, and accompaniments) is perfect for sharing. And if its time for a little sweet treat, the Riviera Cookie Skillet ($7.99 – warm Riviera cookie topped with pistachio gelato) is actually a great value, and easily sharable, too.
One very specific logistical note: if rain is threatening, do not sit at the tables near the entrance or along the outer edge of the bar. When the wind picks up, speaking from experience, those tables get wet.
Topolino’s Terrace Lounge
If Bar Riva is packed, or you want to end the Riviera stop somewhere more elevated, head inside and up to Topolino’s Terrace.
The lounge doesn’t require a reservation, and you can sit at the bar or grab a lounge table and order off the cocktail menu. Drinks run $13-$19, the cocktail list is premium, and if you step outside onto the terrace, the rooftop views are genuinely spectacular. It’s the more formal option at the Riviera and worth it if you’re in the mood.
Stop 4: The BoardWalk | Your Skyliner Bar Crawl Finale
How to get there:
Skyliner from the Riviera all the way to the EPCOT International Gateway station. Exit and do not go into the park. Follow the path toward the BoardWalk; it’s a short, easy walk over the bridge. You’ll hear it before you see it.
What to expect:
This is the perfect way to wrap up a Skyliner Crawl. The BoardWalk gives you multiple options for ending the night, and you pick based on what you want.
Plus, as of the time of this update, there are rumblings that Disney may not be too far away from revealing their plans for a couple of empty spaces (the former locations of Jellyrolls and Big River Grill). Hopefully whatever they decide will give us even more options for a crawl.
Boardwalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas
Outdoor window bar right on the waterfront. Grab a Frozen Grand Margarita ($16 – Jose Cuervo Gold, Grand Marnier, lime, sweet-and-sour) and find a bench along Crescent Lake. Perfect for watching the sun go down. The Marvelous Watermelon Margarita ($15.50) is also a solid call on a hot day.
AbracadaBar
Magic-themed lounge on the BoardWalk strip, wedged between Trattoria al Forno and Flying Fish.
It’s dark inside, themed thoroughly, and include bartenders who commit fully to the bit. The Magic Hattan ($18 – Hudson Manhattan Rye, Antica Carpano, Angostura bitters) is the move for whiskey drinkers. The Conjurita ($18 – El Mayor Blanco tequila, Cointreau, simple syrup, lime juice) works for margarita people. The Parlor Trick (Four Roses small batch bourbon, simple syrup, splash of soda water) is worth trying if you want a classic with a twist.
Now for the bad stuff…
We have found over the years that the quality at AbracadaBar varies by visit. The theming is reliably great. The drinks are less consistent.
Sit inside if you want the full experience. Sit outside if you want to people-watch the BoardWalk. Order a slice from the Pizza Window across the way while you wait for your drinks (the Boardwalk Pizza Window is right there) and it makes the wait considerably more enjoyable.
Bonus Stops: EPCOT & Hollywood Studios (Park Ticket Required)
The beauty of this crawl is that you don’t need a park ticket. But if you have one, the Skyliner makes two very easy additions possible.
EPCOT (World Showcase Wins Again)
The EPCOT station drops you directly between the UK and France pavilions in World Showcase.
That means you’re minutes from a Grand Marnier slushie in France or a pint at the Rose & Crown in the UK.
Pop in, get one drink, hop back on the Skyliner. It’s the most efficient way to get a taste of World Showcase without committing to the full Drinking Around the World experience. Which, for the record, we do have a complete guide for if you’re feeling ambitious.
- Drinking Around the World at EPCOT – Our full guide with drink-by-drink breakdowns, pro pacing tips, and what to skip unless you like disappointment in a souvenir cup.
Hollywood Studios (Themed Bars + Hidden Gems)
The Skyliner station drops you at the park entrance.
From there, it’s just a short walk into the park to BaseLine Tap House, which we think is one of the best bar stops at any Disney park.
California craft beers on tap, a beer flight for $14.50 (four five-ounce pours, your choice), and a Bavarian Pretzel with beer cheese fondue for $12 that is legitimately one of the best snack values on property. The California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate ($14) is also excellent if you need something more substantial.
- Bar Hopping at Hollywood Studios – Lounge reviews, drink rankings, and which spots to skip.
Is the Disney Skyliner Bar Crawl Worth It?
Yes, as long as you have the right expectations.
This is not a craft cocktail tour. And, it’s definitely not going to compete with a full day at EPCOT for people who take their drinking seriously.
What it is: a genuinely enjoyable way to spend an afternoon at Disney World without paying for a park ticket, a reason to explore resorts most people never slow down to appreciate, and a few solid drinks scattered among some perfectly fine ones.
Bar Riva and Banana Cabana are destination-worthy on their own merits. The BoardWalk finale earns its reputation. The Drop Off and Petals are checkbox stops that are worth doing because you’re already there and the resorts are worth seeing.
Nobody plans a Disney trip and thinks ‘I’ll just see where the afternoon takes me.’ This crawl is the one exception I’ve found where that actually works.
Want more?
We’ve got full guides to drinking at the other parks, too, and don’t miss our Disney Bar Crawls guide for every crawl you can do across Disney World.
- Drinking Around the World at EPCOT – The OG and still the champ.
- Drinking Around Animal Kingdom – Chill vibes, strong drinks, and shade.
- Bar Hopping at Hollywood Studios – Cocktails, lounges, and hidden gems.
- Alcohol at Magic Kingdom – A small but mighty mini-crawl.
- Disney Skyliner Bar Crawl – Skyliner + great bars = perfect afternoon.
- Monorail Bar Crawl – The classic resort-hop drinking adventure.
