DHS to EPCOT Sidewalk Photo Tour with my wheelchair and Updates.

[RaySharpton]

DHS to EPCOT Sidewalk Photo Tour with my wheelchair and Updates.

When I was on vacation in December 2018, I went to Disney Hollywood Studios several times using my wheelchair using the bus from Pop Century Resort and other resorts and using the boat system to and from EPCOT.

Thanks have changed since I left and they have opened the wide sidewalk from DHS to EPCOT along with access to what looks like new restrooms and coke/soda machine area. This new building is located below the Disney Gondola construction which as of today is still fenced off along with the new Disney Bus loading construction area.

They closed off the temporary path for the sidewalk that I used new the DHS Pop Century bus stop that cut across the construction site and hooked up to the sidewalk to EPCOT.

I have always loved rolling this wide sidewalk in the evening at night with everything lighted from the parks to the resorts like the Boardwalk.

Here are some photos of some new maps showing where the DHS sidewalk is open for the WDW Race. I presume that they will leave it open after the race, too.

This shows the path that I had to take from DHS to EPCOT when rolling the sidewalk in December 2018.

Bioreconstruct posted this photo recently showing the sidewalk now open and the temporary bypass closed. Near the bottom left there are two buses at the temporary bus stop. That bus on the right was my Pop Century bus stop. I see that they have closed off the access to bypass route with a fence and further to the right I see the deconstruction of the temporary bypass sidewalk. It looks like they are coming along on the new Disney Bus Stops in the middle of the photo. IN the top right is a new building for restrooms and soda/coke machine area.

Here is another better view of the sidewalk and all of the parking. I still see construction fencing blocking off access to the new bus drop off and the gondola area. The sidewalk runs in front of the new restroom, soda/coke machine building. And on the bottom left no access to the temporary bypass sidewalk to the temporary bus stops.

Here is a different angle of the tree-lined walkway in front of the Disney Gondola construction. A lot wider and better than when I was there in December 2018. It doesn't show the sidewalk but I thought you might like the photo. And the Disney Tram construction looks like it is going to be larger in the left side next to the DHS entrance.

Of special note. When I was there in December 2018, there was a choke point when the conversion of all the guests from the regular parking lot and Disney Tram guests collided with all of the Disney Bus in one, very narrow space. Especially at closing when everyone was leaving at the same time.

The photo above is newer, but if you could imagine that black asphalt strip and the gray asphalt strip next to the Handicap Disability Parking Lot had a construction fence between them all of the way to the temporary bus stops.

That light gray asphalt area with the now removed construction fence used to be the walkway and it was very narrow.

Also where you see the end of the black asphalt pavement there was a construction fence all of the way to the lake. This was a choke point where everyone had to squeeze through during busy closing and maybe opening times of the DHS park.

Now, look at it! From the choke point back to the temporary bus stops they have removed the construction fence back to the Disney Gondola Station opening up the new sidewalk to EPCOT and the new restroom building.

So space now includes the gray asphalt area, plus the newer black asphalt area, plus the newly paved and tree-lined area all the back to the Disney Gondola Station Construction Fence.

So much more space for Disney Guests to get to the temporary bus stops at DHS closing now instead of the smaller area that I had to use.

Here is a larger view of the Disney Tram construction area. On the bottom left you might be able to tell how much wider the walkway is since they moved the construction walls. On the right where there is parking, guest are walking up to the Disney Temporary Tram pickup area. If you can distinguish the color of asphalt that is the same color going to the left to the temporary bus stops and alongside of the parking, that is how wide the sidewalk used to be when I was there in December 2018. Now I see the light gray colored asphalt with newer darker asphalt with the added trees and pick pavement back to the Disney Gondola construction fence. I would say the area is almost 3 to 4 times wider than when I was there.

A closer look of the new pavement and tree-lined area for now. On the far right at the parking lot their is a small sliver of space that where the construction fence used to be.

This is a closer look at the new restroom and coke/soda machine building where the new sidewalk begins. To the far left is the fenced construction of the Gondola area.

I also have some photos in the next post showing photos that I took using the older DHS sidewalk bypass from DHS to EPCOT along with a boat ride at the Boardwalk.





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[RaySharpton]

In December 2019, this was my Disney Hollywood Studios Temporary bus stop for Disney Pop Century. It was the last one on one side and was the starting point for the now demolished temporary bypass sidewalk to EPCOT.

Number One for Pop.

Yep!

When I was there, they were setting up more of the tents and Patio Umbrellas for shade, I presume. I also where the wheelchairs was left here when guests were going back to their resorts. All of the line queues used temporary poles to create lines and areas for wheelchairs.

This is looking back from my Pop Century bus stop showing the queue lines and a construction fence to the left telling the guest to follow this way to go to the EPCOP by the sidewalk. I have a story about this later.

To the far left of each Disney Bus Queue is the Accessible/Handicap symbol where you could wait for the next bus with your wheelchair/mobility scooter. No mainstreaming.

And now I look in the other direction heading toward the Disney Hollywood Studio Entrance. This was not wide at all and is empty for early afternoon. But you should see it packed when leaving after the closing. I pity the person trying to walk against the crowd because they didn't know their bus pickup number or space. The person in the far distance was a castmember picking up trash. I didn't see any wheelchairs either. I saw plenty after the closing.

Just zooming in and that green color at the end of the photo is a construction fence because the sidewalk makes a slight turn to the left. The sidewalk is now much wider with pretty trees along the walkway now from photos in the first post above.


















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[RaySharpton]

Here are the photos that I took in December 2018 as I rolled in my wheelchair from my bus stop at DHS for Pop Century around the now deconstructed temporary bypass sidewalk.

This was the end of the line of the temporary bus stops for DHS and this is the Pop Century resort bus stop. When I left one night from DHS closing the bus line just for my resort wound all the way around back to the lake through the temporary sidewalk bypass. You had to be there. I have a photo somewhere but I don't have it now. You don't have to worry about that now though.

So this is where I started and I made a left turn.

The sidewalk would wind back and forth to the lake.

Making a right turn.

Through construction crosswalk and another right turn.

Just looking to my right.

Just looking to my left.

I'm getting there. Another left turn.

I made it pass all of the construction to the sidewalk to EPCOT. All of this has changed now and the sidewalk is now open as of this posting for the WDW Race.

The sidewalk is nice and wide and well lighted at night. I really enjoy this walk.

I am about to go under the bridge above on my way.

Looking back at DHS and a Friendship Boat heading to the Swan and Dolphin boat stop. I turned around because he honked at me and I waved back.

I'm on the other side of the bridge and on the left I see the Swan and Dolphin Resorts and on the left is a sidewalk up to the bridge. But there is no sidewalk on the road to roll on.

I rolled up to it but I turned around since there wasn't anyplace to get off the sidewalk except for grass and on my left is the Gondola construction.

Back on my way to EPCOT.








































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[RaySharpton]

Continuing from my last photo...

Turning to my left and I see the Tennis Court fence from the Boardwalk resorts.

I see the Boardwalk Villa Resort on my right with an access road for Disney workers. And on my left is the Swan Resort. I guess the fence on the sidewalk just means I am on Boardwalk Resort property.

Further along, I see stairs and ramp to the Boardwalk Resort Quiet Pool and Community Hall.

A right turn.

Straight ahead.

A right turn and still more Boardwalk Resort on the left.

A right turn up a slight hill. I see the Dolphin Resort on my left with the bridge to get to it.

Up the slight hill.

And I have reached the end of the main sidewalk and I see on my right the entrance to the Boardwalk area.

If you roll to your left you reach two bridges. One on the left goes to the Swan and Dolphin. The bridge on the right goes on to the Yacht and Beach Club Resort and also goes all of the way to EPCOT.

Here is a close up of the sign in the previous photo.

But I turn around because I want to go by way of the Boardwalk to EPCOT. I'm looking at the Dueling Piano's Bar ahead.

Rolling a little further and looking across from the Dueling Piano's Bar is the Atlantic Station and the lake on the right.

Turning further to my right as the rain starts, I see more of the lake from in front of and under the cover of the Dueling Piano's Bar.

Turning even further to the right to see more of the Boardwalk Area.

The rain has stopped for now. Rolling down the Boardwalk Entertainment Area.






























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[RaySharpton]

I changed my mind once I got to the Boardwalk Friendship Boat Stop.

I decided to take the boat the rest of the way to EPCOT for no particular reason. If I followed the Boardwalk, I would cross another bridge and the sidewalk combined with the Beach and Yacht Club sidewalk down a small hill to the Boardwalk. You'll see some of those photos ahead.

This is on the Boardwalk. The center gate was for exit only. I took the gate on the right to go to EPCOT. The gate on the left would go to the DHS.

Down the ramp, I go. Then I will wait at the chain for the castmember.

I obeyed the rules. I am now watching for my boat to come across from the Beach and Yacht Club dock.

Here she comes. And you can see the portable ramp to the right that the castmember will put down on the rear entrance.

There is about a two-inch difference in height, so the cast member insisted on putting the ramp down to drive on.

I put my wheelchair in slow speed (turtle mode if using a mobility scooter) and drive on and to my right inside. It has been many years since they used to allow outside rear parking and they make you park inside in the Accessible/Handicap marked area. The cast member will help you if strollers or guests are standing in the path. The whole time that I was in WDW they only allowed two wheelchairs/mobility scooters to park at one time. During the busy periods, I would take the sidewalk instead of waiting for another boat like waiting for a bus, but different in that there are five stops between EPCOT and DHS.

I made it inside and you can see the signs above.

I decided to drive on the left side next to a gentleman coming from DHS. He said he saw me along the sidewalk coming from DHS.

In my wheelchair, I took some photos as the boat departed the Boardwalk and headed to EPCOT for the next stop. If I was continuing on my way down the Boardwalk I would have seen the photo above. ESPN is on the far right and is the end of the Boardwalk Area and sidewalk continues to a bridge.

As the boat turns around to the right I see where I had already been on the sidewalk.

Looking back at the Boardwalk Dock.

I see the Dueling Piano's Bar, the Dolphin Resort and the Atlantic Dance Hall.

We're heading to EPCOT and pass the Yacht and Beach Club dock and Resorts.

Approaching the final destination. I think that it would have been quicker to roll by sidewalk instead of using the boat, but I thought that it was going to start raining again and it did.

We reached EPCOT's International Gateway Dock.

The Cast Member has the ramp ready for me to exit.

Looking back from the dock exit from where I came.

I drove around to the front of the EPCOT's International Gateway Dock entrance. A lot of construction walls are up because of the Gondola construction next to it.

Looking to my right I see the construction fence up and then a guest walking along the sidewalk and more construction walls around the Gondola Station construction site.

If I wanted to save my battery or just ride for fun or to get out of the rain then I would take the boat. I was on vacation and I can do whatever I want to...right?

The sidewalk at night through the Boardwalk area is all lighted with outdoor entertainment and is a lot of fun.