Boardwalk Villas-Way to Epcot/MGM

[KyMattDisney]

We will be staying at BWV for the first time in July....what is the walk (time) like to both MGM and Epcot? Can it be done with a 3 1/2 yr. old (in stroller) and 8 yr. old?

Also where do you enter Epcot from? The main entrance or is there another one by the countries.....this is where I think the walkway is?

thanks

 

[JR]

The walk ti EPCOT is about 8-10 minutes. The entrance is jiust before the bridge between Great Britain and France.
The walk to a MGM is about 15-20 minutes along the BWV side of the lake. While the walk to MGM is a bit longer, it is very enjoyable bordering the lake all the way.

Have a great visit home!

JR

 

[KyMattDisney]

So you can actually enter Epcot on the country side? The reason for my question is we have priority reservations for the Storybook breakfast in Norway at 8:30am and thought we would need to run through the park......thanks

 

[Ralph&Pam]

The walk from BWV to Epcot takes about 15 minutes at the moderate pace that I associate with 8 year olds and assuming you start your timing when you reach the ground floor by the elevators (and since you'd have a stroller it's unlikely you'll be taking the stairs ). It might take 20-30 minutes to MGM. You go by a substantial portion of the resort getting to the MGM walkway from the elevators. Exit through Luna Park pool area to go directly to the walkway. If it's real warm, you can stay inside the BWV building A/C and walk all the way to the exit at the end near the tennis courts and join the pathway there. You'll be about one-third of the way to MGM.

The entrance to Epcot is at the International Gateway. You enter the park in the World Showcase, between England and France, just at the end of the bridge over the canal. My favorite way to enter Epcot.

Ralph

 

[Ralph&Pam]

For the breakfast at Norway, you can enter at the International Gateway and turn to the left when you reach England. Go past Canada and right along the edge of the lake in Future World, re-entering the World Showcase at the other end, by Mexico. Norway is the second country at this end. You will be permitted to re-enter the World Showcase when you tell the CM at the rope that you have PS for the breakfast.

Ralph

 

[Simba's Mom]

You might want to leave a little extra time to enjoy and soak in the atmosphere. Being able to enter through the International Gateway in the early morning hours, before that side of Epcot opens, is to me a big reason I love staying at the Epcot resorts. It's so lovely and peaceful there in the morning.

 

[sgtpet]

Hey wait a minute. Is the entrance to the world showcase open before 11?

 

[spiceycat]

take the boat at least once - it is kind of like the monrail (when staying at the COnt) not really necesary - but kind of fun!!!

 

[Caskbill]

For the travel distance from Boardwalk to Epcot, go to this thread Pathways revealed #3. from there you can also link to the Pathways revealed #2, which shows the Boardwalk to MGM distance, that one with photos included.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40634

Hey wait a minute. Is the entrance to the world showcase open before 11?

The International Gateway is open but only for guests to walk <u>through</u> World Showcase to get to Future World. Once in Future World you cannot return through World Showcase until it opens at 11:00.

As to the OP's 8:30 breakfast, I'm not sure the international gateway opens before 9:00 am. I would suggest you check either with the WDW-DINE phone number, or at the resort when you check in to find out how you are to get there.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Once in Future World you cannot return through World Showcase until it opens at 11:00.

Really? Your stuck in the park unable to return to your hotel if you need to? There isn't bus service from the front of Epcot to BWV/BCV either. This seems like a problem to me. I've actually gotten up early to run to test track, then headed back to the room, and also started out in Epcot and changed our minds and headed over to MGM. Hope this 11:00 limitation to returning to our resort is solved.

 

[spiceycat]

you show your resort ID - and they will let you by!!! but don't plan on seeing WS until it is open.

 

[CarolMN]

We have walked back through WS from FW before the WS portion opens on several occasions. Have never had to show resort ID to do it, either. If one of the CM asks, we just say that we are going back to the BWV or to breakfast at Spoodles, Cape May, Tubbi's, etc. It's never been a problem. I love being able to walk through virtually alone - sometimes I even sit on one of the benches for a little while and just enjoy the quiet. None of the CMs ever seem to mind.

FWIW, there have been several posts on the restaurant boards that say those with early PS for Norway's Storybook Princess Breakfast are allowed to enter prior to park opening. All you need is your PS number.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

As CarolMN notes, there is usually no problem re-entering the World Showcase prior to its 11 am opening to return to your resort. Sometimes the CM standing by the rope asks for a room key, sometimes not, but I have never been prevented from re-entering. You can only go past Canada and England and then over the bridge to the International Gateway. There is another castmember at the rope blocking access to the bridge over the canal on the way to France.

In a similar vein, when you arrive at the other World Showcase entrance near Mexico on your way to Norway for the breakfast, you will have to tell the CM at that rope that you have PS for breakfast. They do not let you wander around the WS prior to opening at 11 am, but you can pass through on your way to Future World (to start your day with a ride on Test Track or with Figment, for example) or to return to your resort after your excursion.

I don't know if they try to control the direction departing guests take when leaving the Princess Breakfast. It may then be possible to at least walk through the World Showcase in the direction toward China, Germany, etc. rather than going back toward Mexico as you exit the park.

A few years ago, I took a half-day photography course offered by the Disney Institute. We had an initial training session at the institute and then arrived at the back entrance to Epcot about 9:30 am. We had 90 minutes to photograph whatever we wanted to in the World Showcase prior to opening. There's some really interesting architectural and decorative elements that you only really see up close in the absence of the usual visitor traffic. We were warned that if we left the WS for Future World, we could not return until 11 am. I reserved my picture-taking in FW for after 10:30 so I could then return for the return trip to the institute about 11:30 without difficulty.

Ralph

 

[zurgswife]

The walk from BWV to Epcot takes about 15 minutes at the moderate pace that I associate with 8 year olds and assuming you start your timing when you reach the ground floor by the elevators

It must all depend on ones moderate pace....we are a family of 6 with ages 11,10,9,5 and it takes us about 8 mins at a moderate pace to get to Epcot. and MGM is about a 15 min walk for us...