[trilliumB]

Heya, folks!

Me hubby & me were just at WDW for a week in February, and we really enjoyed exploring the different dining experiences available in the World Showcase at Epcot. When we were at another park during the day, however, we found it a wee bit challenging on occasion to make those priority seatings!

We found a great shortcut into World Showcase that really saved our butts on one occasion! Mind you now, this is meant to work with the help of the ol' rental car!

Park in the lot for Disney's Boardwalk (free), walk down onto the boardwalk (head for the very well-lit hotel entrance/valet parking area, and you'll see some stairs leading down, with signs to the boardwalk). At the bottom of the stairs, look straight ahead -- you'll see a boat dock (and with any luck, a boat!). This is a ferry to the back entrance of Epcot's World Showcase. It only takes about 5 minutes to reach the entrance, which puts you right by the bridge between England and France. Ta-dah!

Alternately, when you reach the boardwalk, hang a right (keeping the water on your left), and walk down the boardwalk, over a bridge, and on up to the same back entrance to World Showcase. It took us about 10 minutes to walk it, if I remember correctly (any one else have a clearer idea on the walk time? I'd hate to have someone miss their ressie!).

This turned out to be a great alternative to parking in the ginormous Epcot parking lot, taking the tram to the gate, then chugging thru Future World to *finally* (puff, puff!) reach World Showcase. At the end of a full day at a park, it can feel like a marathon, and it sure does take some time!

The Boardwalk parking lot is relatively small (no huge walk to the boardwalk), and then the boat is fast, and sure saves your feet! We did this one night after MGM Studios, which is very close to the Boardwalk. We had 12 minutes to make our Priority Seating in Canada at the time we parked the car -- and we actually made it! I'm not sure how long it would take to drive from one of the other parks to get to the Boardwalk lot, but I'm sure it would still beat the time and footwear required to park in the Epcot lot instead. I don't know how often those ferry boats run, either. Does anyone know?

Hope this helps!

--CAT : )

[mickey]

We have used that before. As a DVC member, we get free valet parking at Boardwalk (plus tip!). We usually make a PS at Spoodles for around 9:45, and show up around 7:00. We spend some time in the World Showcase, watch Illuminations near the International Gateway, and head out so we can arrive at Spoodles before the crowds. We always get seated right away, and when we are done, there is no line for valet parking.

The walk takes about 10 minutes from the Boardwalk to the entrance, so you were right. The boat ride takes about 5. I believe there are four boats that make the trip from EPCOT to Boardwalk to Beach and Yacht Club to the Swan to MGM and back. They show up at each place about every 12 or 13 minutes, if I remember correctly.

[trilliumB]

Thanks for the help on that one!

When you described the boat route, you included MGM as a stop. Where at MGM Studios can you catch the boat? I didn't know you could do that! That sure would save on the time it takes to go collect the car in the MGM lot!

That's a great plan you've got there for a quick escape to Spoodles after Illuminations. We'll definitely try that one the next time we're there!

[mickey]

I posted a picture when talking about the new walkway from the Boardwalk to MGM, but you can also see the boat dock at MGM down in the bottom left hand corner. Click here for the picture. The dock is the the far north of the ticket plaza. If you where to get off the parking tram and turn right instead of left to enter the park, you would run into the boat dock eventually. The boats get very crowded after Fantasmic, and it is usually quite a bit quicker just to walk, mostly because the boats are slow, and they stop at the Swan and Dolphin before hitting the boardwalk.

[trilliumB]

Coooool!

How long do you figure it takes to walk from some landmark in MGM to say, Spoodles? That'll be a great help for planning.

Thankeee so much!

[mickey]

Assuming there isn't too much traffic, you could do the walk in less than ten minutes by going through the front of Boardwalk, or a little more by going all the way around. The boats take about 20 minutes to make the trip. I'm a pretty fast walker though, so if you like to take your time, or you aren't a speed racer like me, add a couple of minutes.

[trilliumB]

Thanks, Mickey, that's great.

Where exactly is the walkway in MGM, by the way?

[mickey]

You'll notice on the photo that it starts just past the last bus pick up. There is a thread on this topic. You can reach it by clicking here.

[trilliumB]

OK, great!

Thank you!!:D