A walking tour of the hotels around the Magic Kingdom lakes

[HNW999]

Seven Sea Lagoon and Bay Lake walking tour June 2015

I have been a long time fan of all things Disney. We travel there every couple of years and have explored all the parks. We have stayed at the Yacht Club (which I personally recommend) numerous times and at the Beach Club as well (We love Stormalong Bay, the sandy bottom 3 acre pool).

As a result it is unlikely that we will stay at any other hotel on property. Not because they are not great hotels, its just that we love the location (back gate at Epcot and short walk to Hollywood Studios), the pool and the property style and feel.

So this visit I wanted to tour the all hotels. It was a very ambitious plan. I only had one day and one evening (in another post coming soon) Here is a list of all the Disney World on property hotels. This post covers only the resorts around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake and have an asterisk next to there name.


Deluxe Resorts

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Beach Club

Disney's Boardwalk

*Disney's Contemporary

*Disney's Grand Floridian

*Disney's Polynesian Village

*Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Disney's Yacht Club


Moderate Resorts

Disney's The Cabins at Fort Wilderness

Disney's Caribbean Beach

Disney's Coronado Springs

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter


Value Resorts

Disney's All-Star Music

Disney's All-Star Movies

Disney's All-Star Sports

Disney's Art of Animation

Disney's pop Century


Camping

*Fort Wilderness campground

This time we stayed off site as we had 15 family members and wanted a big house. I was dropped off at Epcot. My "real starting point" was at the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center). But I really liked start off my journey getting to look at Spaceship Earth while I waited for the monorail to TTC. I did this tour on one of the hottest and most humid days in Orlando. When I do it again, I will do it on a less hot and humid day (you don't alway get what you want, so deal with what you have).




1
9:10am Start at Epcot

It was a short wait to catch monorail to TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center)

9:22am monorail heads out to TTC

2
Arrived at TTC.

9:29am Walk down the ramp and head (right) towards ticket booth number 9.

Keep moving (west) until you see the sign for the walkway to the Polynesian.

3
The Polynesian

Its a very short walk to the Polynesian (maybe 1/4 mile). From TTC to Polynesian Shore Path it was a 7 min walk.

Because it was so hot and humid it really did feel rather tropical and lush when I entered the property. In the background you can see where the boats come into the TTC.

A stroll along the beach walkway was very nice. The new Polynesian Bora Bora Bungalows are beautiful. (The wooden walkway to the bungalows are locked and reserved for bungalow guests only).

I stopped to sit on a swing at the beach and take in the view.

Moving along the beachside path to the pool. (It is available only to hotel guests and there is a hotel room / Magic Band reader at the gates for entry). The pool was just opening when I arrived around 9:40am.

The Polynesian also has a marina where you can catch a ferry to Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian (in that order). You can also rent pontoon boats and Sea Raycers (PRICES AS OF June 2015).

A Sea Raycer on display.

The pontoon boats.

The Polynesian is so beautiful I forgot to take pictures while I was inside. I stopped at Captain Cooks for a quick snack and a drink (the bar was not open yet). I sat in the main lobby and people watched while enjoying the air conditioning for a few minutes. I also checked out the gift shops. Each hotel sells different items that are unique to that hotel. They can't usually be found at Downtown Disney or online.

9:58 am Left the Polynesian on walkway to Grand Floridian By this point I had walked about 1.5 miles since I started at Epcot.

The walkway to the Grand Floridian is a wide well maintained paved trail with a nice white sand beach and a few loungers along the way.

This path also takes guests to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show that has 2 showings nightly. I have not been but it is on my todo list and comes highly recommended.

The pathway between the hotels is maybe 1/2 mile.

4
The Grand Floridian

The first thing you see as you enter the Grand Floridian property is the Chapel. I was really excited to see this in person. It did not disappoint! What a lovely place to get married. Luckily (for me) there were no weddings going on so I was able to snoop around.

Notice the Polynesian Bungalows in the distance.

Great view of the Magic Kingdom Castle in the distance.

I did not run across any woodland creaters, but this lizard was waiting for a wedding (the picture is enlarged, in reality it was only about 4 inches long).

I explored the Chapel and Island for about 10 minutes, then proceeded to the Grand Floridian Hotel. This is the view from the Grand Floridian beach walkway.

End of Part I

 

[HNW999]

PART II of

Seven Sea Lagoon and Bay Lake walking tour June 2015

The Grand Floridian is huge. There are six buildings of hotel rooms and one for villas. This building is just villas.

The pictures do not do it justice. Getting closer to the main building.

One of the hotel pools. It looked so inviting, but Disney does not allow outside visitors to use hotel pools, but the bar was opened so I had a drink..Cherry Vodka Lemonade..very tasty!

At last…The main building of the Grand Floridian.

Continuing on the beach path I came to the second pool at The Grand Floridian.

I continued on the trail towards the dock. In the distance you can see The Contemporary. The property is so large that attendants take guests and their luggage to their hotel buildings by golf cart (unless your in the main building).

If I were an animal, this is where I would live too (not the marsh but at the Grand Floridian).

The Grand Floridian Ferry to the Polynesian and on to Magic Kingdom is about a 20 minute trip around the lake (Seven Seas Lagoon). And a great way to cool down.

Here is the view from the dock at the Grand Floridian. In the distance you can see Space Mountain and the Contemporary. In my small backpack I had packed a water bottle (empty) and a couple of snacks. I ate a morning snack watching the ferries and monorails going by while the water was gently splashing against the dock.

A panorama of Seven Seas Lagoon.

It was getting very sticky outside. I was very glad to enter the wonderfully cool main building. What an entrance! It is enormous but yet felt very airy and bright. I wanted to ride the birdcage elevator, but there were quite a few guests waiting to take it, so I moved on. I was also hoping to catch the piano player playing the Grand Piano in the lobby, but they are only scheduled in the afternoons and evenings

I looked around at the various shops on the first 2 floors . I stumbled across this when I was shopping. I might add this to my christmas list (to replace the train around our Christmas tree)! Click on the photo to go to the Disney Store to check it out. Here is a YouTube video of all the accessories you can collect (2:27 min). This kid at MickeyViews does an amazing review of the playset (5:38 min).

It was time to move on, so I headed to the monorail station and caught the monorail to the Magic Kingdom front gate. I felt the The Grand Floridian was elegant and fun to explore (and I only did a quick pass through). I can see why this could be someone's favorite hotel. I walked 2.86 miles on this property (milage may vary based on how many shops you go through).

11:22 am I got on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. The monorail is located above the lobby on the second floor.

5
Magic Kingdom

I have always been curious of the trail that leads west away from the Magic Kingdom and Contemporary so after getting off the monorail I headed on the path that takes you to the resort launches. If you keep going past all the launch lines the path continues for maybe 1/2 mile (it was about a 10 minute walk). I loved it! It was so quite and I did not see a single soul on the path. A true oasis in the Kingdom.

This is the end of the trail. I was told by a maintenance worker that this channel is where the Electric Water Pageant parks (I was unable to confirm this fact).

It truly was a quiet and relaxing spot with a nice light breeze and some shade trees at the trails end. I would think it's a nice place to escape the park without the commitment of really leaving the park (10 minute walk).

The grass is Florida Grass (maybe St Augustine grass), so sitting on it is uncomfortable, luckily there are a couple of benches at the end of the path. The monorail would pass with the faintest woosh sound and the boats honked in the distance.

I walked back to the Magic Kingdom entrance. This was as close as I could get without having a ticket.

11:50 am Heading from Magic Kingdom Entrance to the Contemporary. Stay on the sidewalk going east. At this sign keep to the left (red arrow) to pick up the walkway to the Contemporary.

I took my time on this part because I was fascinated by being directly under the monorail.

I love this view. So close yet so far away.

Look both ways before crossing the street.

 

[HNW999]

PART III of
Seven Sea Lagoon and Bay Lake walking tour June 2015



6
The Contemporary

12:09 pm The Lobby of the Contemporary. It took about 15 minutes to (slowly) walk from Magic Kingdom main gate to the lobby of the Contemporary.

The Wave restaurant entrance on the 1st floor.

The view of Bay Lake and the beach area of the Contemporary Hotel from the second floor.

The second floor is where all the action is!

I liked this Andy Worhol-esk Mickey. It is in the window at the gift show, but I do not believe it's for sale.

Monorail passing through the hotel.

A not so hidden Mickey.

12:40 pm Time for lunch…and dessert.

The burger and fries was average but I was disappointed with my carrot cake cupcake. Very little carrot cake flavor and dry. The icing was not icing but meringue.

With lunch over it was time to move on again. The Contemporary has a marina with boat rentals as do The Polyenesian, The Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge and The Yacht Club (serves the Beach Club and the Boardwalk).

The interactive water play area was not working while I was there.

There is a sand volleyball court by the pools. The mid-day sand is scorching hot though.

The pools at the Contemporary.

Time for another cocktail. It became my summer drink this year. At home I just do the Cherry Vodka and Koolaid lemonade in a glass of ice very tasty (warning they go down really fast!).

1:45 pm After that wonderful cool down I decided to explore the Contemporary a little more. Taking the walkway around the building, there is a boat channel that goes over a road and another great view of the monorail. I came back the way I went out. (20 minutes each way) It was approximately 1.5 miles round trip.

2:20pm I take the ferry that leaves The Contemporary then stops at Ft Wilderness then Wilderness Lodge and back to The Contemporary (I would have gotten off at Ft Wilderness, but I wanted to rent a bike at Wilderness Lodge and take the trail to explore the Ft Wilderness Campground). It took 8 minutes to get from The Contemporary dock to Ft Wilderness dock.

7
Wilderness Lodge

It took 7 minutes to get from Ft Wilderness to Wilderness Lodge by ferry. The breeze was wonderful. It was a great break from the super humidity that was going on by this time of the day. I actually considered staying on the ferry for another lap.

Its a long walk to the Wilderness Lodge. I love the walkway. I kept waiting to get a peek at the Lodge. Its hidden behind all the trees.

My first peek at the Lodge.

 

[HNW999]

Part IV of

Seven Sea Lagoon and Bay Lake walking tour June 2015


The Wilderness Lodge's main pool.

Love the theming of the Lodge. I have been to Yellowstone National Park and this sorta gives you the feel of the park.

I could have continue up the creekside trail, but I opted for the air-conditioned hallway up to the grand entrance. The stone wall was nice and cold.

Grabbed a snack at Roaring Forks (its at the bottom of the ramp).

I decided to have my snack out on the porch with the rocking chairs. It is absolutely beautiful and somewhat peaceful for being in the middle of this huge hotel complex. I did not stay long as it was, you guessed it…hot and humid and some flies had found my snack.

Here's Firerock geyser (not the geyser that goes off every hour from 7a-10p outside near the main pool).

And the fireplace. The offer a tour of the Lodge on Wed-Sat 9am. I was sorry to have missed it. I did spend a a bit of time sitting in the lobby. It actually had less people in it than Yellowstone Lodge at Yellowstone when I lasted visited.

8
Wilderness Lodge Bike Rental
3:20pm I walked 1.2 miles walking around and exploring the hotel. I then rented a standard bike for 1hr, down at the beach area. After renting the bike I was told that bikes could not use the waterfront trail. It was a walking path only. They gave me a map to get to the trail. The first part of the trail was kinda weird.

Here's the bike route I took. It was about a 2.5 mile loop.

This part of the "Trail" is really just the sidewalk. This is the Wilderness Lodge Villas pool area

Once you get clear of the lodge, you have to cross West Wilderness Rd (it wasn't too busy at 3:30pm), then it's smooth sailing. The trail is lush and very flat. My bike had one speed and that was fine. The breeze felt nice as I peddled along.

9
FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND
It's maybe a mile on the trail until you reach the horse barn.

Ft Wilderness also has free Disney transportation to the parks.

They also rent out golf carts to anyone over 18 for $59 a day. There wet a lot of them some seemed to be going very fast and not paying much attention. So be careful of the golf carts.

Here is a standard camping spot for trailers and RV's. They also have tent spots with a sandy area to pitch a tent on instead of the the pavement. I like the tree line between spots.

The Meadow Trading Post.

Took a break and watch some kids in canoe. I want rent a canoe next time I come.

Ft Wilderness main pool (Meadow).

Same 2 boys out in the canoe.

The idea of playing volleyball sound great but…maybe in in the evening or in January. A off leash dog park is also in the picture but hard to tell.

They have a lot of golf carts for rent down near the dock.

My time was almost up. I would have spent more time exploring Ft Wilderness but it was after 4pm and we were going to dinner at Chuy's Tex Mex. Time to head back to Wilderness lodge and return the bike.

I really enjoyed the campground and was very surprised how big and spacious the campground was.

Here's where Mickey's Backyard BBQ takes place in the evenings. A BBQ Buffet with character meet n greet.

10
Wilderness Lodge for a pick up

I made my back to Wilderness Lodge to return my bike (just in time 4:18pm!). From the bike rental I walked up to the main lodge with one more cocktail and called for a pick up. I was picked up at the main entrance of the Wilderness Lodge at 5pm.

It was a long and tiring day, but I loved it and would easily do it again. I walked 7.1 miles and toured 5 resorts in 8 hours.

Some things I would do different next time:
* Tour at a different (cooler) time of the year.
* Spend more time exploring Ft Wilderness
(including canoe rental)
* Start at TTC
* Bring a small but padded backpack
(I used a cheapo cloth bag with strings and it started to dig in as the day went on).
* Bring a small 4oz water bottle to refill at water fountains along the way.
All the resorts water was very cold and tasty (no sulfur taste)
* Used a gps tracker to better record distance and time (that's just crazy me!)

I hope you enjoyed my walking tour of the Magic Kingdom Hotels. My next post will be of my evening walking tour of Pop Century and Art of Animation hotels.

 

[NH-to-FL]

Seven Sea Lagoon and Bay Lake walking tour June 2015

Excellent report and pictures! Thank you!

 

[wdwrich]

The water canal just west of the MK entrance is indeed where they store the barges that comprise the Electrical Water Pageant. We've seen them parked/docked there many times.
Thanks for the nice report. The photos are awesome.

 

[Belle0101]

I really enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time post it!

 

[Grumpy247365]

Great post. I've explored almost all of the MK resorts and there really is something at each resort that is worth your time to check out.

 

[WiscMomof2]

This is a great post! Thanks so much for taking the time to share!