Best parking for Epcot international gateway?

[dixonsontour]

If we wanted to enter Epcot via international gateway where would be be best to park? How long would it take to walk in?

We've got alot of evening meals planned in Epcot and I wondered about trying it for a change.

We're staying onsite so free parking and a 3hr limit will be fine.

 

[Danauk]

You would need to park at the public parking area at the Boardwalk, the CM's can be quite strict about parking at the hotels near the international gateway unless you are staying there or your name is on the list for an ADR at one of the hotels restaurants that evening.

 

[luke]

We used the International Gateway twice, first time we went for a look round the Boardwalk and decided to walk into Epcot for something to eat.
Second time we ate at Beaches and Cream and went to Epcot afterwards - parking at the Beach Club is slightly closer than at the Boardwalk.

Both times we just showed our KTTW at the respective gates and parked up

:good vibes

 

[Tony Toon]

We usually say we're eating at Beaches and Cream and have never had any problem parking except for this year on the 4th of July when they were only allowing Beach Club guest in (there were signs up to let you know and the security guard turned us away). Beach Club is closer than Yacht Club or the Boardwalk.

Mrs TT

 

[igk]

Sorry if this is hijacking this, but in the other direction is it far to walk to and from Cape May from IG? We have a dinner ADR there and are hoping to be able to pop there from Epcot (getting to and from Epcot by the OKW bus, which last time was quite efficient).

 

[Tony Toon]

Sorry if this is hijacking this, but in the other direction is it far to walk to and from Cape May from IG? We have a dinner ADR there and are hoping to be able to pop there from Epcot (getting to and from Epcot by the OKW bus, which last time was quite efficient).

Not far at all. Cape May is at the Beach Club and is about a 5 - 10 minute walk from IG (depending on how fast you walk), or you can take the Friendship Boat if you want to be really lazy. That would take longer though.

Mrs TT

 

[Red-Snapper]

area unless you are staying there or your name is on the list for an ADR at one of the hotels restaurants that evening.

Just to correct this - you do NOT need an ADR to get in the car park.

Every year we visit the Boardwalk at least twice during the holiday and just tell the guy on the gate we are "visiting the Boardwalk" - have never had a problem - other than one year he asked to see ID - we showed him a photocopy of our passports we carry around with us.

(As there are only 2 of us we have never booked an ADR for any onsite restaurant (outside a park) and have never had an issue getting in or getting seated.)

 

[igk]

Not far at all. Cape May is at the Beach Club and is about a 5 - 10 minute walk from IG (depending on how fast you walk), or you can take the Friendship Boat if you want to be really lazy. That would take longer though.

Mrs TT

Cool, that's great. The boat sounds a nice idea for one way.

 

[Tink2312]

Just to correct this - you do NOT need an ADR to get in the car park.

Every year we visit the Boardwalk at least twice during the holiday and just tell the guy on the gate we are "visiting the Boardwalk" - have never had a problem - other than one year he asked to see ID - we showed him a photocopy of our passports we carry around with us.

(As there are only 2 of us we have never booked an ADR for any onsite restaurant (outside a park) and have never had an issue getting in or getting seated.)

We've never had a problem either - last time we parked at BC for the first time and there were masses of empty spaces. After Illuminations finished one night we couldn't believe how many people headed for the BW parking lot We were onsite although we have parked there when offiste, but only for an hour or so whilst looking around the BW.

 

[Danauk]

Just to correct this - you do NOT need an ADR to get in the car park.

Every year we visit the Boardwalk at least twice during the holiday and just tell the guy on the gate we are "visiting the Boardwalk" - have never had a problem - other than one year he asked to see ID - we showed him a photocopy of our passports we carry around with us.

(As there are only 2 of us we have never booked an ADR for any onsite restaurant (outside a park) and have never had an issue getting in or getting seated.)

Perhaps they do things differently depending which guard is on then. I was just posting about my experience when we stayed at the Beach Club Villas and we saw many people being turned away at the Beach Club car park and we also saw cars being towed. This was over the Christmas and New Year period.

 

[disneyholic family]

Cool, that's great. The boat sounds a nice idea for one way.

the boat looks like those boats on the seine....i.e., they're not open...
in any case, it's usually it's faster to walk than to wait for the boat...
it's really a short walk to the beach club....if you take a boat, you'll have to walk from the yacht club dock ...

 

[Red-Snapper]

Perhaps they do things differently depending which guard is on then. I was just posting about my experience when we stayed at the Beach Club Villas and we saw many people being turned away at the Beach Club car park and we also saw cars being towed. This was over the Christmas and New Year period.

Yes - think maybe we are talking about different things. Can understand the Beach club hotel car park having strict terms but the general parking at the Boardwalk is for visitors to the Boardwalk attractions not just the Boardwalk hotel - in fact seem to remember the hotel parking is not the same lot.

 

[dixonsontour]

Thanks for all the replies. We'll try to park at beach club and if not the boardwalk.

We have parked at boardwalk once a few years ago and I recall DH had to show his driving licence as ID.

Good question about cape may Idk. We've got an adr one day at 10ish and I was hoping to do morning emh at epcot first.

 

[popsynic]

I have found that the parking guards at the car parks for resorts seem to be quite happy to let you in to park if you mumble something to them in a really strong regional british accent. Geordie or Liverpudlian is good. The more inaudible you can make your accent sound, the quicker you'll be allowed in.

The official Walt Disney World line though is that only hotel guests and people with ADR's or visiting the hotels should park at hotel car parks, and those car parks should not be used as free theme park car parks.

Its a tough one. If I had paid £250 a night to stay at say a deluxe resort, and when I got back to the hotel I couldn't find a space to park because lots of people had parked up and then gone off for a jolly in the parks, I know that I'd go ballistic.

But on the other side of the coin, if I was going for a night at the boardwalk, spending money there, having dinner, etc, then I wouldn't want to be parking at the public car park, highlighted in the picture below. That car park is so far away, across a busy road, and has these big cargo trucks parked on it, like an overnight truck stop. I wouldn't feel safe walking my family back to it late at night.

 

[millmom]

We visited twice last week, guard was really nice, asked for id, showed us where to park and gave DD stickers, "to start your magical night".
Were about 5 mins walk to actual board walk and took about 15 mins slow strolling to IG.
Hope you have a great time x