Backstage Magic- Getting there??

[miss1180]

Hi! So- DH and i are staying at CBR in june. We want to do the backstage magic tour while we're there. and it starts from the front of EPCOT. I know the skyliner would drop us off at the back of EPCOT.... so should we just do an uber or something to the front of EPCOT, or will they let us go walk through from the international gateway since we have a tour reservation? Thanks!!

 

[Robo]

so should we just do an uber or something to the front of EPCOT...

That's a better plan (even if you just consider the timing.)

 

[seashoreCM]

.... so should we just do an uber or something to the front of EPCOT ...

That's a better plan (even if you just consider the walking.)

You could take an early bus from your resort (including from Caribbean Beach if the Skyliner hasn't started yet).

A tour is important enough that you should not cut it too close for trip time. The sweet spot bus might be too crowded for you to get on (including, for those eavesdropping, from non-Skyliner resorts). Or any mode of transportation might have an unexpected delay.

 

[Sanwich]

We just did this tour in October, saying at Boardwalk. Prior to the tour day I had heard about varying degrees of success trying to get in via International Gateway (I think the tour email even said we could use IG, but that info is only as valid as the CM manning the entrance, and apparently not all of them are aware of this tour or how it’s supposed to work).

Long story short, we had elderly parents with us and didn’t want to walk all the way down to IG to risk being told we had to go back, so we just sucked it up and got an Uber to the front entrance of Epcot.

Interesting related side-note... technically the tour ends in Magic Kingdom and then they drop you off back at Epcot, however a significant chunk of our tour group requested to stay at MK instead (they were dropped off by the bus depot in front; of course you would need valid admission to get back into the park, but my parents actually used this option to take the MK bus directly back to the BW hotel so they didn’t need another uber from the front of Epcot). I’m not saying this is the norm, but it seems to be something they might be willing to do; YMMV.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Just grab the bus to the front of the park.

 

[AngiTN]

Due to the distance from the IG to the front, just go to the front. You may already have a very long walk just to reach the Skyliner station at CBR, depending on where your room is

We just did this tour in October, saying at Boardwalk. Prior to the tour day I had heard about varying degrees of success trying to get in via International Gateway (I think the tour email even said we could use IG, but that info is only as valid as the CM manning the entrance, and apparently not all of them are aware of this tour or how it’s supposed to work).

Long story short, we had elderly parents with us and didn’t want to walk all the way down to IG to risk being told we had to go back, so we just sucked it up and got an Uber to the front entrance of Epcot.

Interesting related side-note... technically the tour ends in Magic Kingdom and then they drop you off back at Epcot, however a significant chunk of our tour group requested to stay at MK instead (they were dropped off by the bus depot in front; of course you would need valid admission to get back into the park, but my parents actually used this option to take the MK bus directly back to the BW hotel so they didn’t need another uber from the front of Epcot). I’m not saying this is the norm, but it seems to be something they might be willing to do; YMMV.

On ours we ended IN MK, we watched the parade and the tour was over. Even though park admission wasn't required, any were allowed to remain in the park. Found it curious and wondered how they usually did it.
We have an AP so it didn't matter for us.
They did take any back to Epcot that wanted to go.