Entering Epcot from the Epcot resorts?

[Grumpy'n'Goofy]

If you are staying at an Epcot area resort and want to walk to the entrance at the World Showcase, what time do they allow you to enter so you can walk to the "open" part of Epcot?

The reason I ask is we like to enter the park at the rope drop, but if we can't enter the World Showcase until the official opening time, we'll be about 10-15 minutes late getting to the attractions.

TIA

 

[Bob P]

They let you in at official opening time. However, you'll be surprised how quickly you can get from the IG to the big FW attractions (Soarin, Test Track and Mission Space). Guests at the front gate have very little advantage unless they sprint and knock people over along the way!

Bob

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

Last month they would not open the turnstiles or start the security checks at the International Gateway until exactly opening time. This held us up twice. By the time we got to Test Track there was a twenty minute wait one day and thirty the next. And we were in front of the pack! I believe they should open this entrance something like 10 minutes before the main entrance so at least we could get to TT around the same time.
In the past they would let you through security and the turnstiles and hold you back at the rope. I don't know why they changed it because now it's much worse.

 

[Bob P]

Ok, well then I stand corrected (actually I'm sitting).

If that's a new development it will cause a delay. but I don't know any way around it except to take a taxi from the Epcot resorts to the front of Epcot. Anyone else?

 

[slp87]

We stayed at Epcot resorts on our last 2 trips and we were always let in up to the gate at the top of the International Gateway path. Hopefully that hasn't recently changed.

 

[croach]

I don't have an answer to your question but just wanted to say -
Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi - Lets go VPI!!!!!

Go Hokies!

 

[missypie]

We stayed at YC last month and drove to the regular entrance. Silly, yes, but I'm glad we did.

This was before the death at MS, so it was still a fairly popular ride (or so I thought, at least). My plan was to get FP for MS, then get in line for Test Track. We were at the front of the pack, went right to MS for the FP, then went right to TT (which is very close) and just in that tiny amount of time there were HUNDREDS of people in front of us in line at TT. The wait was no more than 15 minutes, but I'm just telling you that if hundreds of people could get in front of me in the maybe three minutes it took to get the MS FP, lots more will get ahead of you if you are walking from the IG.

 

[Pete W.]

We're DVC members who always stay at BWV, and we just returned from our 6/23-7/2 trip. They don't let you thru the turnstiles at the International Gateway until official opening time (actually was a few minutes past 9:00 on my watch last thursday and saturday). They don't even begin to do the security check on your bags until 9:00, then you have to wait thru the very slow turnstile lines with everyone having inexplicable problems with the finger scans. We arrived at the IG between 8:45 and 8:50 both mornings, and we weren't thru the turnstiles and on our way to Future World until after 9:10.

 

[Grumpy'n'Goofy]

Thanks for the help everyone.

We stayed at YC last month and drove to the regular entrance. Silly, yes, but I'm glad we did.

This was before the death at MS, so it was still a fairly popular ride (or so I thought, at least). My plan was to get FP for MS, then get in line for Test Track. We were at the front of the pack, went right to MS for the FP, then went right to TT (which is very close) and just in that tiny amount of time there were HUNDREDS of people in front of us in line at TT. The wait was no more than 15 minutes, but I'm just telling you that if hundreds of people could get in front of me in the maybe three minutes it took to get the MS FP, lots more will get ahead of you if you are walking from the IG.

I don't think it's silly at all, the 15-20 minute delay in getting to the actual attractions could end up costing us an hour of the precious-morning-not-so-crowded-time, which translates to roughly 2.732 hours of later-crowded-time

Based on what you all have said, I guess we'll just take a cab to the main entrance so we can be there at opening.

 

[missypie]

Thanks for the help everyone.



I don't think it's silly at all, the 15-20 minute delay in getting to the actual attractions could end up costing us an hour of the precious-morning-not-so-crowded-time, which translates to roughly 2.732 hours of later-crowded-time

Based on what you all have said, I guess we'll just take a cab to the main entrance so we can be there at opening.

One more thing that should be obvious, but for some reason, isn't. When you get to the main entrance at Epcot, look for the shortest line and get in that one.

When you walk up to Epcot, there are lines you can see. The inclination is to get in one of those. But if you keep walking toward the turnstiles, there are other lines that are initially hidden from view by structures. (This will make sense when you're there.)

When we were in line, waiting for Epcot to open, one of my DDs had to go to the restroom, so we left our line. Upon our return, we noticed that there were lots of lines where there was at least four times as many people in them as our line!!! You coudn't see our line as easily, but it was amazing how few people were in some lines, and how many people were in others!