EPCOT resorts within walking distance of each other? Illuminations view from resort?

[Barb D]

Are the EPCOT resorts (Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin) within fairly easy walking distance of each other? If so, where would be the best place park so that we can tour them all?

And where is it in the EPCOT resort complex that you can best see/hear Illuminations (from outside the park)?

 

[daannzzz]

From what I remember the easiest to pull in and park was at the Swan. The Disney resorts all have booths you have to stop at and tell them what you are doing. Swan had no booth but the parking was a bit far away.
The easiest of all though would be to go to any of the resords and valet park. I would pick the Boardwalk for that.
You can walk a complete loop to all the resorts you listed. Without stopping at any of them and at a nice slow amble it would probably take 45 minutes to an hour or so. Ad more to go in and look at each one!

 

[eeyore0062]

Yes, all of the resorts are in easy walking distance, and you can also take the Friendship boats which run between Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin and MGM and Epcot.

As for Illuminations, you will be able to see the fireworks, but not the part that takes place lower to the water... you just don't get the same show unless you are actually in Epcot.

As for parking, we usually park at Boardwalk, and tell the sentry as you go through the gate that you are there to visit Boardwalk. You may either self park, or valet park. We usually do the latter.

Have a great time!

 

[erikthewise]

The loop around Crescent Lake is only 4/5 mile (http://www.wdwig.com/jog.jpg), so a healthy person with no mobility issues could easily walk it in 15 minutes. You could walk from any one of the Epcot resorts to any other in 10 minutes or less.

 

[DemoBri1]

Eeyore is correct. You will only see the high in the sky stuff, but even that is not too bad. You get a little bit of laser show and some skyworks.

You really should, however, experience Illuminations from the inside. I would think the best place outside the park to view from would be the bridge over the canal between the ESPN Club and the BC.

Anyone else with any other thoughts

 

[SamanthaL]

You could make dinner ressies at the Beach Club and have the all you can clam bake. We try to do this once a trip. The best way to get a feel for a resort is to dine there IMHO.

 

[Barb D]

We only have one park day this trip, and it has to be MK. We're not making it in to EPCOT at all. So no Tapestry of Dreams and not much Illuminations, which are my favorite events in WDW. Sigh...

At least we're getting one day. We're really going down for a family reunion, and just squeezing in some WDW time while we're down there. The budget is tight, and DH doesn't want us to go at all. I just can't justify the extra expense for hopper/LOS passes. We were just there for three days last year.

 

[Tara8595]

If you plan to go back to Disney World *ever* in your lifetime, then go ahead and invest in a 4-day park hopper pass. The days will *never* expire, and with inflation, will leave you spending less in the long run. Then you could see your favorites at Epcot!

I'm a big Illuminations fan too. I was just there in July for a couple days taken by Typhoon Lagoon and Animal Kingdom. I can't even describe how frustrating and heart-wrenching it was to stand on that bridge (between ESPN and Beach Club) and be able to hear bits and pieces of the music and only see the highest fireworks. And I had an AP! But the rest of my party didn't - and it would have been super-rude of me to just say "See ya!"

Anyhow - you only live once, and that's what credit cards are for.

 

[yup I'm Goofy's sis]

Barb, I love your plan to squeeze in a little magic! That's a major accomplishment, and deserves a tip of the mouse-ears. Most of us can't afford to go back to WDW so frequently, or invest now in future trips. I'm always angling to add "just one more day" to every trip, and doing so by visiting the Boardwalk area sounds wonderful to me.

We scoped out this area briefly a couple weeks ago, during the afternoon. It would be a lovely evening stroll, and I think listening to the Illuminations music and seeing even a bit of the fireworks would be a wonderful bonus! Don't compare thjis experience to what it would be like inside Epcot--compare it to not being there at all!