HS and Epcot Entrance Construction ?

[GCM]

I have some friends (newbies to DW) who were recently at DW and they're saying that the skyliner construction going on at HS and Epcot have caused the entrance paths to be rerouted and make the walk getting into the parks extremely long. I haven't seen anything about this on disboards. I wonder is this true or are the entrances the same and they don't know any better?

 

[madchatter]

Def true at DHS. Bus stops are much further than normal from the gates.

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

I was amazed at how far the bus stops are from the entrance at DHS. We had a very hot long walk the day we visited there in September. Those arriving by boat from the Epcot resorts definitely made a good decision if they were visiting DHS!! The boat stop is at the same location

I dont remember anything unusual at Epcot main entrance, perhaps they are referring to the International gateway entrance?

 

[GCM]

Wow, I hadn't seen anything about this. Hopefully, the DHS entrance gets moved closer before too much longer. I feel sorry for all of those who are having to walk so far in all the Florida heat!!!

 

[GCM]

I was amazed at how far the bus stops are from the entrance at DHS. We had a very hot long walk the day we visited there in September. Those arriving by boat from the Epcot resorts definitely made a good decision if they were visiting DHS!! The boat stop is at the same location

I dont remember anything unusual at Epcot main entrance, perhaps they are referring to the International gateway entrance?

They were staying at a value resort, so I don't think they were talking about International Gateway entrance.

 

[Sarahslay]

I was there in August the week they moved the bus stops to their temporary locations (on Monday we were dropped off in the old locations near the gates, and then on Wednesday we were WAY out away from the park). It was a long walk, with no shade, so I'm really hoping they get the new bus area open sooner rather than later. I did not experience any issues at Epcot unless they are just put off by how far all the value resort stops are from the front entrance. The international gateway had walls up on the way up to the gate, but there was no issue there.

 

[AngiTN]

There have been a lot of posts about it here.
That said, I timed the walk from the turnstiles at HS to the last bus stop on the first row of buses
It was .5 miles and took 12 min (at MY slow walking pace) We didn't find it bad and others have measured it and the Epcot bus stops are even further, or at best, equal.

And there was no construction to cause any extra walking at Epcot IG entrance. Construction yes, no reroute.

And for sure the main entrance has none. Not even the Gondolas impact that.

 

[Robo]

They were staying at a value resort, so I don't think they were talking about International Gateway entrance.

It affects anyone who chooses to walk between Epcot and DHS, either direction.

 

[AngiTN]

It affects anyone who chooses to walk between Epcot and DHS, either direction.

Just not on the Epcot end so I can't imagine what the OPs friends were referring to when they said Epcot entrance was messed up. Expect for visually. It is a mess of walls but the path to the gate hasn't been altered.

 

[Robo]

Just not on the Epcot end so I can't imagine what the OPs friends were referring to when they said Epcot entrance was messed up. Expect for visually. It is a mess of walls but the path to the gate hasn't been altered.

Yup.
The construction is visible, but not disruptive.

But, to the point of them staying at a value resort...
The reason that they could see the construction would likely be if they made their way either to DHS or to any of the Epcot area resorts (like Boardwalk.)

 

[WEDWDW]

It was .5 miles and took 12 min (at MY slow walking pace) We didn't find it bad and others have measured it and the Epcot bus stops are even further, or at best, equal.

Definitely-I think Guests were so "acclimated" to the long walk from some of the Epcot Bus Stops that they "felt" like the new DHS "walk" was much longer.

 

[rteetz]

Wow, I hadn't seen anything about this. Hopefully, the DHS entrance gets moved closer before too much longer. I feel sorry for all of those who are having to walk so far in all the Florida heat!!!

The entrance itself hasn't moved at all and won't move but the bus stops and tram drop offs have moved making it a longer walk.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

There has been more than one thread started on here about it.
Personally I don't find it to be all that big of a deal. I'm already walking all day so to me an extra couple of minutes of a walk was nothing to note.

 

[GCM]

Just not on the Epcot end so I can't imagine what the OPs friends were referring to when they said Epcot entrance was messed up. Expect for visually. It is a mess of walls but the path to the gate hasn't been altered.

This was their first visit, so maybe they just thought it had been changed due to the walls you mentioned in addition to their experience at HS. I was surprised as I hadn't seen anything about it.

 

[GCM]

There have been a lot of posts about it here.
That said, I timed the walk from the turnstiles at HS to the last bus stop on the first row of buses
It was .5 miles and took 12 min (at MY slow walking pace) We didn't find it bad and others have measured it and the Epcot bus stops are even further, or at best, equal.

And there was no construction to cause any extra walking at Epcot IG entrance. Construction yes, no reroute.

And for sure the main entrance has none. Not even the Gondolas impact that.

Wow, I wonder how I've missed them all. I even did a search and couldn't find anything. I've must not have entered the right search criteria.

 

[gharter]

After reading about how the construction has made the walks much longer will be nteresting to see in 2 weeks.
We will be staying at BWV, so going by IG to EPCOT, and walking to HS.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

BTW as a reference its a longer distance to walk from the bus stop at AOA to the LM rooms than it is to walk from the farthest resort bus stop to the HS entrance.
Its also a longer distance to walk to the POP bus stop at DS.
And its a longer distance to walk from the Epcot entrance to the POP bus stop.
Don't see an uproar about those so it kills me that there is such unrest about this.

 

[AngiTN]

Wow, I wonder how I've missed them all. I even did a search and couldn't find anything. I've must not have entered the right search criteria.

They are mostly on the Transportation board

 

[CAS239]

It's a longer walk right now but it's not insane like some make it seem. Some people make it seems like their walking a mile to get to the entrance. It's not that bad.

 

[MrKnight]

The biggest impact right now is at DHS main entrance.

At Epcot construction is currently only limited to the IG entrance, the main entrance is currently not affected.