[SPOILERS]TIL you can talk to Groose after the third(?) fight with the Imprisoned and he will send you to one of the mini-games on the ground or back up to the sky.

Not really a spoiler, but I thought it was an interesting little piece of information that I wasn't aware of until I saw it here. I never found it much of a hassle, but for anyone who is playing the game again on Hero Mode or for the first time, this could potentially make some trips shorter.