How to Walk from Epcot to Disney's Hollywood Studios

Method One: Following the Walkway Via the Boardwalk

This route is generally the shorter and more-accepted of the two routes, but this route takes you closer to the commercial district and the Boardwalk. The ETA mentioned above is dependent on this route but does not follow the "Try this shortcut" box below.

1. 1
   Follow the walkway along the boardwalk. You'll be walking past the lightly-flowing river, as it bends and curves. There's plenty of space for several people abreast, including those coming from the opposite direction, but you might want to keep no more than 3 members in your party walking side-by-side with you.
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   Watch out. For most of this part of the route - past the commercial buildings - the walkway is made of wooden boards that should be attached to the underlayment of the path.
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   Look out for Seabreeze Point (to your right) in the daytime. This gazebo offers common Disney Weddings service and fireworks seaside weddings. ^[1] After the fireworks happen and the park closes at night, they use a yellowish light underneath the building, and no ceremonies take place, and you might be able to walk underneath this.

   • Once you pass Seabreeze Point, the sight of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels will grow as some of the trees clear for an unobstructed view - and at night, if you look back to the one side, you might be able to see the Disney Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
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   Follow the marked path. You'll pass the ESPN Club (temporarily closed), Ample Hills Creamery, Boardwalk Bakery, Trattoria Al Forno, Abracadabra Bar, and the edges to the Flying Fish (as the Boardwalk Hotel ends on the left) and the Boardwalk Villas begin.
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   Avoid most of the benches, red tables and chairs, photo booth, and Boardwalk Joe's/Marvelous Margaritas static location, as well as the other small booths and the Friendship Boat Launch point on your right.

   • There are shortcuts very few people taking this route mention. Use it only at night when few people are walking around the outside of the resort.
   • When you take this route, you are walking along the backside of the hotel, but they have entrances into the hotel from this side if you mind asking around.

   Try this shortcut : Cut down the first of the two shortcut paths close to the Boardwalk Villa entrance (before the gazebo on your left, not after it) between the two buildings and follow that entrance past the edge of the Boardwalk Villa's pathway straight into the Boardwalk's pool. (If you pass the walking path and reach Wyland Galleries, you've gone a little too far.) Once you arrive just inside the pool, follow the pathway closest to the building straight down that path (past the Boardwalk's pools' slide) and out onto the cement pathway. Take a left and walk down several hundred feet until you see a set of stairs on your right. Take the few stairs down onto the wooden boardwalk park connector route taking you directly into the next part of this article.
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   Keep going on that same path. The path keeps going, and you'll see more locations on your left. This includes the Screen Door General Store, Disney's Character Carnival, Thimbles and Threads, Big River Grille and Brewing Works, and down to Jellyrolls.
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   Follow the path left before you encounter the Atlantic Dance Hall. The Atlantic Dance Hall is the marked end of this Boardwalk pathway, and you'll need to make a selection to turn left here.
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   Head down to the circular intersection and take a left.
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   Look for two exiting paths around the tree and roundabout.

   • The first path takes you past several resort locations including the front sides of the Boardwalk Villas and Boardwalk Pool.
     • As it comes upon the Boardwalk Villas Pool, the two paths split and the exits between the two Boardwalk Hotel parts and the connector stop being brought together - as the first path exits away from the two-parks' connector pathway mentioned in the next section
   • The second path is the marked path heading to Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is the correct one to take.
   • If you pass the second path, a third exit out the back will take you to Crescent Lake and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin's walkway and Friendship Boat locations, and which tie to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Friendship Launches near the Market at Ale & Compass.
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Method Two: Following the Walkway Via the International Gateway Walkway Past the Resorts

Taking this route adds ten additional minutes to the estimated time of arrival, but avoids most of the walking past the Boardwalk Commercial District, provides you some great scenery you wouldn't get anywhere else, and the more calm walk between the two parks.

1. 1
   Walk past Disney's Beach and Yacht Club Resorts. Instead of turning left to head down the other method's instructions, stay walking straight and continue on the original pathway.
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   Watch for key locations. These key locations include Disney's Beach and Yacht Club Resorts on your right, as well the Walt Disney Swan in the distance on your left. However, you'll pass the Beach Club Marketplace, Cape May Cafe, Beaches and Cream Soda Shop, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Crews Cup Lounge, Ale & Compass, and even the Market at Ale & Compass.
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   Avoid heading into the Beach Front for Disney's Beach Club Resort, as it's meant only for hotel guests! Its gate may be open and you may want to take a picture looking out over the lake at the skyline of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort area.
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   Look out over the fenceline at Crescent Lake. Look at the BoardWalk commercial district along the lakeshore, and another great picture-taking spot with some panoramic photo-taking ability (if possible).
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   Follow the black pathway. The peach-colored pathway temporarily terminates, and you'll need to use locations like the Friendship Launch Platform, yacht fencing, and yacht boat parks as landmarks, as you keep following the darker wooden floorboard path to mark your path.

   • Closer paths exist closer to Disney's Beach Club Resort building and cut around some of the wooden boards into the grass. But these paths are meant more so for hotel guests than they are for park-switching walkers. It won't fit many walkers going both directions at the same time, so stick to two people abreast in a row and allow others to pass going the opposite way, before you pass them by.
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   Follow the pathway as it changes back to the peach-colored pathway again, up until you've crossed over one of the first of two bridges.

   • This peach pathway heads to the Walt Disney World Swan, and as such on Google Maps for PC is called just that (the "Walt Disney World Swan") as it serves as a connector to the next step for later.
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   Take a left and pass under the "Disney's Boardwalk" white archway.
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   Approach the roundabout, and take the first right "exit" off the roundabout down the Connector pathway. You'll come to the roundabout as talked about in the other method (involving going closer to the Boardwalk).
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   Exit off onto the first path "towards Disney's Hollywood Studios" (as it is signed). Coming from this direction, signs may not be labeled well when coming from this direction, but facing the opposite direction, you might see the same connector better.
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1. 1
   Follow the Epcot Resorts-Hollywood Studios Connector walkway. If you mess up and take the pathway next to the buildings, you'll be able to switch down steps or down rampways to switch to the correct route on your right - nearest the riverfront, and railing.
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   Look off to your left side. You'll notice several common sites such as the rear of Disney's Boardwalk Commercial District, Disney's BoardWalk Villas, Luna Park, and Luna Park Pool and Libations locations.
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   Watch out as the Connector walking path railing fences pull guests farther away from the river line.
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   Listen to signs that tell you not to feed the wildlife. This area is marshy and it will become impossible to use it for much else besides walking.
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   Follow the Connector route. You'll walk past the BoardWalk Tennis Courts, and moments later under E Buena Vista Dr.
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   Look far out in the distance to see another few sets of place markers. At this point, you'll be able to notice Disney's Tower of Terror building in the distance - as well as the Disney Studios Friendship Boat location (especially at night).
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   Pass up the S Studio Drive and Disney's Hollywood Studios Bus Stop areas to your left. At the bus stop, the Connector terminates but the park entrance walking path begins as a darker colored sandstone. Use the Bus Stop area labeled "Gates 1-8" only as a location marker of Disney's Hollywood Studios Bus Stop area.

   • The bus stop gates closest to the walking path are labeled "Gates 1-8", and are in the same colors as those at the front entrance to Disney's Hollywood Studios. They have some common theming including the blue pedestals and white and blue tiered cake above - all meant to reflect the former theming of being a movie-taking park.
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   Watch the walkway. You'll need to follow signs - if possible. If not, take a slight right before walking out into the parking lot.
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   Walk past Disney's Hollywood Studios' location restrooms outside the gate and pass underneath the Disney Skyliner.
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    Turn right at the next possible right-turning "intersection." If you spot the entrance to the Disney Skyliner, you'll have turned soon enough. If you don't turn soon enough, you'll be venturing out into the parking lot's closest lot.
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    Avoid the construction on your left (as labeled on Google Maps for PC's website). This walk curves around the edge of Crescent Lake's Disney's Hollywood Studios entrance.
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    Walk a few hundred feet, and look for the Hollywood Studios turnstiles into the park on your left. Common theming with the blue and white pedestals exists here too.

    • If you walk a little further, you'll reach the Friendship Boat Launch point here and the walkway will terminate just a little further right at the park boundary before Perimeter Road takes over.
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    Enter the park . As you walk a little longer, you'll have to take a left to enter the park. Notice the classic Disney's Hollywood Studios turnstiles and enter.
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