Walking to Epcot!

This is another in our series of posts on the Epcot Resort Area (you can see earlier parts here, here, here, and here).

One of the most amazing things about a stay at one of the Epcot Resort Area resorts is the walk to Epcot.

It really is only a ten minute stroll from all the Area resorts, and while it seems a small thing, simply being able to walk over to Epcot in the evening after a great day at Walt Disney World can add a ton of value to an already wonderful vacation.

An afternoon at Stormalong Bay

Picture this: you and your family spend the morning exploring Magic Kingdom, and head back to the Yacht Club Resort to enjoy Stormalong Bay in the afternoon.

You grab a heavy snack late afternoon at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop.

You then head back to the room for a rest, and to freshen up. In the early evening, say around 7:30 pm you and the family step out of the Yacht Club and start strolling by Crescent Lake headed to Epcot.

Roasting marshmallows near the Beach Club

After you pass Hurricane Hannah’s and the massive water slide, you spot the camp fire and stop in for a few roasted marshmallows with cast members you actually remember from your last visit.

The beach along Crescent Lake

You continue the stroll along the Beach Club’s Crescent Lake Beach and then along the canal that connects the Lake to Epcot.

You and the family ready your Magic Bands and pass effortlessly through the International Gateway and head up the hill.

Using those Magic Bands at the International Gateway

Your toughest challenge is deciding whether to head straight into Great Britain or take a right into France.

You’ll be facing no pressure to make it back to the parking lot to fight the crowds, and you can simply stroll around the World Showcase for the next few hours sampling snacks and drinks from around the world, and maybe letting the kids enjoy a few rounds of Agent P (an electronic scavenger hunt that Disney has put tons of thought into, and that is totally free, that it to say, it’s included with the price of admission – stay tuned for a future Agent P post).

Now doesn’t that sound like the perfect evening at Walt Disney World?

We think so.

Here are a few pointers.

First, a map:

Maps are from Disney’s official site.

This map gives you a shot of Crescent Lake with the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts in the upper left hand side of the map, and the Boardwalk area in the lower left hand side. The canal running to the right connects Crescent Lake with Epcot’s World Showcase, and the International Gateway is the area just to the left of and between Great Britain and France.

Now a little more detail:

This is a closer view of the rear entrance to the Yacht Club Resort. To head towards Epcot just take a left as you approach the Lake and walk between Stormalong Bay and the Beach.

As you pass Stormalong Bay, continue along the beach past the volleyball court and the Beach Club Resort.

You then come to a slight hill and you have the option to take the small path to your right. This leads under the bridge/walkway coming from the Boardwalk.