Stay at Poly - Best route to World Showcase, Boardwalk

[mom2randj]

We are staying at the Poly in October but will be spending a lot of time at Epcot's World Showcase. We will do the front of Epcot one day, but I have a feeling we will want to go to World Showcase more often for the F&W festival, and just general love of the area. Also, last time we visited WDW - we missed the entire Boardwalk area.

We are familiar with the TTC and getting to Epcot, but my question is if there is an easier way to get to World Showcase without walking through the entire front half of Epcot? Also, if we want to check out the boardwalk area or sneak out through the international gateway and vice versa - how does one get back to Poly or vice Versa without going through Epcot's front gates via the monorail. TIA!!

 

[klinlin]

The only other way would be to take the bus to the Studios and then worth walk or take the boat to the back gate of EPCOT. The walk and the boat pass Boardwalk along the way.

 

[missbrooke06]

You could take the bus from MK to an Epcot resort as well.

 

[mom2randj]

The only other way would be to take the bus to the Studios and then worth walk or take the boat to the back gate of EPCOT. The walk and the boat pass Boardwalk along the way.

Is this faster than walking through the front half of Epcot?

 

[klinlin]

Is this faster than walking through the front half of Epcot?

Not sure. I depends on the crowd level, but definitely faster than going to MK, and taking an Epcot resort bus. Our last three trips have been BC. Buses run on outside loop of resorts. Boats run around inside, and pull right up to back door of Epcot. I am nervous about staying at Poly this year, because going back at night is just so simple at an Epcot resort.

 

[mom2randj]

Not sure. I depends on the crowd level, but definitely faster than going to MK, and taking an Epcot resort bus. Our last three trips have been BC. Buses run on outside loop of resorts. Boats run around inside, and pull right up to back door of Epcot. I am nervous about staying at Poly this year, because going back at night is just so simple at an Epcot resort.

It's just a very long walk through Epcot we have found. We stayed at the Poly last trip too - which we absolutely love. That said, we love World Showcase as well. So a couple of nights we found ourselves walking back all the way through the front end of Epcot and getting on the Monorail that goes to the TTC. Then from the TTC you can just walk to Poly or talk the monorail that goes there. We always just walked b/c it's only about 5 minutes.

That's why I wondered if going out through the gateway and then picking a bus up at boardwalk to the Poly would be easier/shorter. Is there even a bus that does this?

 

[klinlin]

That's why I wondered if going out through the gateway and then picking a bus up at boardwalk to the Poly would be easier/shorter. Is there even a bus that does this?

No bus to the Poly. But the bus loop at the studios is relatively close to the boat launch, and there you could take a bus to the Poly. Either way, it is not a quick trip. The boats are very pleasant but not very speedy. Plus they leave studios and stop at Swan/Dolphin. YC/BC, Boardwalk, and then Epcot. But you could always walk from the studios, maybe 20 minutes.

It the other scenario, you would have to go to MK and catch a bus to an Epcot resort, walk through the resort to get to the inner path that leads to the back gate to Epcot. I think that would take longer.

 

[Hopefully]

It's just a very long walk through Epcot we have found. We stayed at the Poly last trip too - which we absolutely love. That said, we love World Showcase as well. So a couple of nights we found ourselves walking back all the way through the front end of Epcot and getting on the Monorail that goes to the TTC. Then from the TTC you can just walk to Poly or talk the monorail that goes there. We always just walked b/c it's only about 5 minutes.

That's why I wondered if going out through the gateway and then picking a bus up at boardwalk to the Poly would be easier/shorter. Is there even a bus that does this?

There is no bus from the Boardwalk to the Poly. There are NO buses from any of the Epcot area resorts to the Poly.
I think your fastest way is the obvious way, through Future World. Other options which will bring you to the International Gateway all seem longer and more convoluted to me.
Good Luck

 

[Alesia]

There is no bus from the Boardwalk to the Poly. There are NO buses from any of the Epcot area resorts to the Poly.
I think your fastest way is the obvious way, through Future World. Other options which will bring you to the International Gateway all seem longer and more convoluted to me.
Good Luck

I agree completely. The monorail is going to be easier and faster than any other way.

 

[joelkfla]

We are staying at the Poly in October but will be spending a lot of time at Epcot's World Showcase. We will do the front of Epcot one day, but I have a feeling we will want to go to World Showcase more often for the F&W festival, and just general love of the area. Also, last time we visited WDW - we missed the entire Boardwalk area.

We are familiar with the TTC and getting to Epcot, but my question is if there is an easier way to get to World Showcase without walking through the entire front half of Epcot? Also, if we want to check out the boardwalk area or sneak out through the international gateway and vice versa - how does one get back to Poly or vice Versa without going through Epcot's front gates via the monorail. TIA!!

If you're already at the BW, just take the bus to MK (assuming the park is open), and then the monorail or boat to Poly. If you're in WS near the IG, the closest resort to walk to and get a bus from is BC. It might not save time, but it will be less walking.

If you're at Poly and want to go to Epcot (including most of WS), it's probably fastest to walk to TTC and catch the monorail. But there's no reason you can't take the boat or Resort Monorail to MK and then a bus to BW or BC and walk in thru IG, if you just want to change things up and don't mind spending a few minutes more.

FYI, the usual boat route is MK=>GF=>Poly=>MK.

I would not take a bus from an MK resort to DHS to get to an Epcot resort. The walk from DHS is a mile or more, and the boats from DHS take a long time to get anywhere. Getting a bus at MK is a much better option. The only exception might be if you would be fighting park exit or fireworks crowds at the MK.

 

[mom2randj]

If you're already at the BW, just take the bus to MK (assuming the park is open), and then the monorail or boat to Poly. If you're in WS near the IG, the closest resort to walk to and get a bus from is BC. It might not save time, but it will be less walking.
If you're at Poly and want to go to Epcot (including most of WS), it's probably fastest to walk to TTC and catch the monorail. But there's no reason you can't take the boat or Resort Monorail to MK and then a bus to BW or BC and walk in thru IG, if you just want to change things up and don't mind spending a few minutes more.
FYI, the usual boat route is MK=>GF=>Poly=>MK.

I would not take a bus from an MK resort to DHS to get to an Epcot resort. The walk from DHS is a mile or more, and the boats from DHS take a long time to get anywhere. Getting a bus at MK is a much better option. The only exception might be if you would be fighting park exit or fireworks crowds at the MK.

Thank you - We might try this option. It's not a matter of more walking or saving time. We walk a lot and don't mind. Our last trip we just found ourselves liking WS better than futureland or whatever the front half of Epcot is called. lol. Plus, we totally missed out on visiting the BW - mainly because we didn't know that the gateway led straight there! We were total newbies, and didn't realize how big WS was. This trip, DS is older and we are thinking of visiting the ESPN zone restaurant one afternoon and just taking more things in like the BW and maybe visit BC and YC. Your suggestion to take the bus back to MK and then boat over to the Poly is great. We actually took the boat quite often last trip - it's not that busy during October.

So just to confirm - there are buses from the Boardwalk to MK??

 

[Alesia]

Thank you - We might try this option. It's not a matter of more walking or saving time. We walk a lot and don't mind. Our last trip we just found ourselves liking WS better than futureland or whatever the front half of Epcot is called. lol. Plus, we totally missed out on visiting the BW - mainly because we didn't know that the gateway led straight there! We were total newbies, and didn't realize how big WS was. This trip, DS is older and we are thinking of visiting the ESPN zone restaurant one afternoon and just taking more things in like the BW and maybe visit BC and YC. Your suggestion to take the bus back to MK and then boat over to the Poly is great. We actually took the boat quite often last trip - it's not that busy during October.

So just to confirm - there are buses from the Boardwalk to MK??

There are buses from the resorts to MK.