Boat that goes from MGM to World Showcase?

DisneyD

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I've been to Disney many times, yet I've never seen this boat. How long will the trip take? I've read that I should go over by Echo Lake at MGM to board the boat that will take us to the International Gateway at Epcot.

I need to know how long this will take because of ADR's we have. We're trying to cover the bulk of 4 parks in 3 days so I need to move pretty quick.....
 
The boat from MGM to International Gateway will take about 20-30 minutes. At MGM, the dock is near the entrance gates - from the bus stop, you veer to the right.

The boat makes 4 stops - S/D, Boardwalk, BC/YC and then IG at Epcot. It runs every 20-30 minutes all the way until 1 hour after park closes.
 
Okay, from the front entrance of MGM, exit the park and instead of turning right toward the parking/buses, turn left. You'll see a dock. The Friendship boats come ~every 15 minutes, stopping first at the Swan/Dolphin, then each Boardwalk resort's dock, then the dock at the International Gateway. This is the "backdoor" to EPCOT, takes you in between England and France. THe boatride takes, if I remember correctly, less than 30 minutes one way since it makes all those stops. It is air conditioned and seats are available so it's not a bad trip. There is also a walkway from MGM to EPCOT but I'm not sure how long that takes. HTH!
 

If you are in a hurry I would suggest either walking the whole way or only taking the boat as far as the Swan/Dolphin. It's a fairly straight walk down the boardwalk and over a bridge to the IG, and you will beat the boat.
 
blueangel said:
If you are in a hurry I would suggest either walking the whole way or only taking the boat as far as the Swan/Dolphin. It's a fairly straight walk down the boardwalk and over a bridge to the IG, and you will beat the boat.

The walk from Boardwalk to Epcot can be quicker than the boat, but the whole way from MGM to Epcot is a very long walk and can take as much as 30-40 minutes. It also has no shade, so on a hot day the sun turns it into the Bataan Death March.

I prefer sitting inside of a nice, cool, air-conditioned boat for at least the part of the trip from MGM to the Boardwalk.
 
Last time we tried this one we got there right as the boat was leaving. It took us about 45 minutes to get to Epcot. on a day when you really need a rest and a cool breeze it is worth the wait :smooth:
 
oogieboogie said:
The boat from MGM to International Gateway will take about 20-30 minutes. At MGM, the dock is near the entrance gates - from the bus stop, you veer to the right.

The boat makes 4 stops - S/D, Boardwalk, BC/YC and then IG at Epcot. It runs every 20-30 minutes all the way until 1 hour after park closes.

What time does the boat start in the am? We have 8:10 adr at cape may and wanted to take bus from POR to MGM and then take the boat to BC. Do you know the order of stops starting from MGM?
 
i like stitch said:
What time does the boat start in the am? We have 8:10 adr at cape may and wanted to take bus from POR to MGM and then take the boat to BC. Do you know the order of stops starting from MGM?

The first boat will get to the MGM dock about 10 minutes before it opens. So your plan will not work.

HOWEVER, the bus you take from POR to MGM will be one of the early morning breakfast character busses. Be out at the bus stop at 7:30. When the MGM bus comes, tell the driver you need to get to the BC. He will drop you off there.

Just to answer your other question, it is MGM,S/D,YC/BC,BWI,Epcot,BWI,YC/BC,S/D,MGM

Ed
 
It takes 15mins to walk from BCV (which is 5mins from EpCot) to MGM. I did it 4 times during our 6night stay in August
 
I'm not the OP.. but thank you thank you thank you so much for all this infos!! These infos are gems!

Just a few questions please if I may... you can just roll the stroller/wheelchair/scooter in and out correct?

Would it be better to just walk it (in our case, my mother will use the scooter) to Epcot from BC or would it be easier for us (mind you my mother) to just take the boat to Epcot?

What about if we were staying at the Dolphin, would it be better for us to take the boat to Epcot? How long is the walk to Epcot from the Dolphin?

Thanks so much!!
 
Fantasia - If I was (pushing a wheelchair, stroller, etc) I would still walk to EpCot from either Beach Club or Swan/Dolphin.
From the Beach Club you actually have to head in the opposite direction to get to their boat dock.
It may be quicker to walk to EpCot from Swan/Dolphin than to wait for the boat.
 
*Fantasia* said:
I'm not the OP.. but thank you thank you thank you so much for all this infos!! These infos are gems!

Just a few questions please if I may... you can just roll the stroller/wheelchair/scooter in and out correct?

Would it be better to just walk it (in our case, my mother will use the scooter) to Epcot from BC or would it be easier for us (mind you my mother) to just take the boat to Epcot?

What about if we were staying at the Dolphin, would it be better for us to take the boat to Epcot? How long is the walk to Epcot from the Dolphin?

Thanks so much!!

Yes, you can just whell the stroller/wheelchair, scooter on. HOWEVER, if it is crowded, the CMs may ask you to fold up the stroller.

Walk from BC to Epcot. I believe there is just as much walking to get to the boat from the BC, than to go from BC to where the boat docks at the IG.

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THE PATH NEXT TO THE WATER WHEN YOU HEAD TO EPCOT. You avoid going up and down the hill (at the bridge) going that way.

Ed
 
newholidayx2 said:
It takes 15mins to walk from BCV (which is 5mins from EpCot) to MGM. I did it 4 times during our 6night stay in August

That's a nice pace. For those that don't walk so fast, it is over a mile. So figure on talking 20-25 minutes from the BCV.

Ed
 
I'm off the boats in the summertime. I'll walk it first or take a bus over.

While it would be nice to have a ride in a cool air conditioned boat, the last time I took one in July the passengers on the boat insisted on opening most of the windows and the back door and did not close them even when the boat driver asked them to. If you were not sitting next to a window, or standing right underneath an AC vent, you were on the boat ride from hell - it was about that hot.
 
it took us maybe 10-15 mins at a moderate pace to get from the door of beaches to the gate at epcot. i was surprised what an easy flat paved no problem walk it was
 
betterlatethannever said:
HOWEVER, the bus you take from POR to MGM will be one of the early morning breakfast character busses. Be out at the bus stop at 7:30. When the MGM bus comes, tell the driver you need to get to the BC. He will drop you off there.

Just to answer your other question, it is MGM,S/D,YC/BC,BWI,Epcot,BWI,YC/BC,S/D,MGM

Ed

Thank you!
 
DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THE PATH NEXT TO THE WATER WHEN YOU HEAD TO EPCOT. You avoid going up and down the hill (at the bridge) going that way.

Is there more than one path? You mean walk by the water for a level (even) ground?

If I was to stay at the YC, would we be closer to get to the boat than if I was staying at the BC?

Sorry for all these questions. I just want to make sure I understand. Thank you for all your help.
 
Say the boat starts its circle at MGM. There is one stop for the Swolphin, a stop for the Beach/Yacht Club (this is at the pier with the lighthouse on it and is closer to the Yacht Club than the Beach Club) and one at the Boardwalk. The last stop would be at the World Showcase.

Seriously, depending on where you are at the Beach Club, it might take less time to actually walk to Epcot than it would to walk to the pier to take the boat to Epcot. If you're going to MGM that's another matter.

There is a path that goes uphill right after you pass the Beach Club on the way to Epcot, and there is another to the far right that runs UNDER the bridge there. This path has no hills. When I'm with my mom and we're staying at BCV, we usually take the low path so she doesn't need to walk uphill. The low path has a gate where it comes out near the World Showcase boat dock. I assume they close this gate at times, but I've never seen it closed. There's a sign there, also, that points out the path.
 
Thanks you so much for answering my questions! You guys have been a great help! :) Thanks!
 


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