Did you know that you can easily walk to Epcot from Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World? I’ve got all the details about one of Disney’s best kept secret walkways!
There are lots of different options when it comes to getting around Walt Disney World. You’ve got the monorail – which is a fun but somewhat unreliable option when it comes to Disney travel.
We’ve had our share of “we got stuck on the monorail” stories, and if you visit Disney World very often I’m betting you have those stories too.
Then there are the busses and boats – great options, but they typically involve waiting.
Disney tries their best to have buses and boats running from parks to resorts at regular intervals – but sometimes you hit that bus stop at the exact wrong moment, and you end up watching the bus you needed pulling away as you’re walking up.
During a vacation where every second of park time feels precious, waiting on a bus to arrive is the last thing I want to do.
The Skyliner offers a quick option between these two parks, but it isn’t always running. And for anyone with a fear of heights, this option is a NO GO!
You can even take an Uber or a Lyft between parks, but who wants to pay for that when a Disney vacation already costs a pretty penny?
How We Found It:
During a recent trip, we were enjoying Hollywood Studios and had just finished our third fastpass there. I hopped on the My Disney Experience app and was able to snag a fastpass for Test Track.
We headed straight to the exit, and just as we were walking up to the bus for Epcot we saw it pulling away – so we headed for the boat launch.
On the way over I asked a Cast Member if the boat was the fastest way to get to Epcot since the bus had just departed. She shared with me that the boat is a great way to get to Epcot, but she also warned me that it stops at several resorts along the way.
First stop is the Swan/Dolphin, then the Yacht/Beach Club, then the Boardwalk, and THEN Epcot. While a boat ride sounded relaxing, we had a fastpass time slot to make – and all of those stops added up to extra time.
So we decided to walk. Yep – we walked to Epcot. And it was pretty awesome.
The walk only took about 20 to 25 minutes total, definitely a reasonable amount of time when you consider how long other transportation methods take.
Walk to Epcot: Where to go
The entrance to the Epcot walkway is just past the busses that take you to the other resorts – be sure to take the little jog to the left so that you’re on the walkway and don’t end up on the main road.
The location of the start of the walkway is pure genius, because it allows you to see the bus stop for Epcot before hopping on the walkway.
If you’re lucky enough to have timed the bus perfectly and there’s one waiting, hop on! Otherwise, walking is gonna get you there faster than waiting around.
Walk to Epcot: Enjoy the Stroll
The pathway takes you along the water and is really a very scenic walk. The pathway is nice and wide, with plenty of room for strollers.
It’s also very lightly traveled – when we were walking, we passed 2 families total. We basically had the whole path to ourselves.
It’s a 1.3 mile walk, which isn’t that long – and it took us just over 20 minutes with little 8yr old legs in tow.
Walk to Epcot: Stay on the Right Path!
Something to remember – as you get closer to Epcot, you’ll want to stay to the right near the Boardwalk instead of going around to the left near the Beach Club.
We learned this lesson the hard way. It’s a shorter walk when you stick to the Boardwalk side of the pathway!
There are little signs to help guide you, but you need to be looking for them. They aren’t super obvious.
Also, be sure you’ve got sunscreen and water bottles on hand. The path is pretty much all in direct sunlight.
Where You End Up:
The pathway ends at the International Gateway, which is the “back entrance” to Epcot and is near the United Kingdom and France.
This is another reason why I love the walk over – I would MUCH rather go through security here than at the main entrance to Epcot.
While the Skyliner does drop off next to this gate, the security lines are always a lot smaller here than they are at the main entrance.
And in the middle of the day, there’s basically no line. It took us about 30 seconds to get through.
This entrance puts you right in the middle of the World Showcase, between the UK and France! My favorite place to be!
Extra Insider Tip:
This is really a way to hack the hack.
If you’re leaving Epcot and headed back to Hollywood Studios, you can take the Friendship Boat from the back Epcot exit (International Gateway) to the Boardwalk hotel, and then hop off and walk the rest of the way.
This will save you 8 minutes and about 1/3 of the walk distance, according to the super kind boat operator we spoke to at the dock.
When you get off the boat at the Boardwalk, ask the boat operator to point you towards the exterior hallway that will spit you out on the path to Hollywood Studios.
If you get really lucky like we did, you might get invited to roast marshmallows and make smores along with the Boardwalk guests. This is a nightly activity at the resort, and we just happened to be on the walkway as it was starting up.
The very kind Cast Member running the firepit invited us over to roast a marshmallow – so we did. Who’d say no to that? It was a sweet little extra on our walk back over to Hollywood Studios.
Bottom line? Walking from Hollywood Studios to Epcot is a great way to get from one park to the other. The view is gorgeous, and it’s so peaceful and quiet.
Definitely a great little break from the crowds on both ends of the path! You may even get a roasted marshmallow along the way.
Have you walked this path before? Tell us what you thought!
This post was written in collaboration with Bethany Edwards.
Want to learn more about Disney World’s other transportation options? Check out everything you need to know about the Monorail HERE!
Want to know where to find the coolest, most unique Disney shirts to wear on your vacation? Check out our list of awesome Disney shirt recommendations HERE!
Walk from Hollywood Studios to Epcot