You can put in a good 30,000 steps daily from wandering through the parks and at the Resorts and that’s a huge bonus when you’re trying to burn off calories from Dole Whips. When you look at pedestrian-friendly vacation destinations, Walt Disney World is up there for the sheer size of the property but it lacks in the basic infrastructure to promote walking versus other forms of transportation.
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM THEME PARK
There are no parks or resorts that you can reach via walking.
MAGIC KINGDOM
There are two ways to walk from the Magic Kingdom.
The first is the Contemporary Resort, which is approximately a 5-10 minute walk on a paved walkway. This is gain you access to a fully air-conditioned meal at The Contempo Cafe if the Magic Kingdom is too busy for your party. It’s also one of the hidden gems for a secret entrance if you’re wanting to be dropped off at the closest spot for UBER in the morning.
The Grand Floridian side was completed in 2021, which will give you access to the GF and the Polynesian Resort via a walkway. This could help if you want to skip the boat/bus/monorail trip if you’re looking for one of my favourite shops on property- The BouTiki!
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EPCOT
From the front entrance of EPCOT, there’s actually no Resort or Theme Parks to walk to. The only thing you can do is walk to the bus loop or the parking lot.
If you use the World Showcase entrance (known as International Gateway), you’re able to gain access to a ton!
- Walk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: approx. 1.25 miles utilizing the route through the Boardwalk.
- Walk to the Boardwalk Resort: 0.3 miles, which is actually a bargain for getting access to great pin trading and the Boardwalk Bakery!
- To the Swan & Dolphin Resorts: 0.7 miles, with two ways of getting there. Either going through the Boardwalk or the Yacht/Beach Resort.
- Yacht Club & Beach Club Resorts: 0.4 miles, which is actually a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the theme park in order to get some air conditioning and potentially indulging in the Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream!
- Mini Golf: It’s a little bit of a trek, but you can walk from EPCOT to the Swan & Dolphin Resort and then a 5-minute walk behind the resort to the Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf Course!
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DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Everything that you can walk to from EPCOT, you can also walk to from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a great 20-30 minute walk from turnstile to turnstile…and something that we do most trips.
DISNEY SPRINGS
As Disney Springs undergoes a transformation and construction boom…there’s always new adventures that may be added. The current lineup is Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels (Holiday Inn, Best Western, Hilton Orlando, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, DoubleTree Suites)
You can also theoretically walk from Disney Springs to the Orlando Premium Outlets, and I’ve done this ONCE and will never recommend that you do it. Just hop in an UBER, as it’ll save you so much time and effort (as there’s nothing to see). #LearnFromMyMistakes;)
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Can you Walk from Disney Resort to Disney Resort?
Most of the resorts are secluded, but there are a few examples of locations that are close enough that you can have an enjoyable walk without too much trouble or exposure to the heat.
POLYNESIAN TO GRAND FLORIDIAN TO CONTEMPORARY
This 10-minute walk is highly recommended! You get incredible views of the resorts, the Seven Seas Lagoon, Disney’s Wedding Pavilion and even the Magic Kingdom!
POP CENTURY TO ART OF ANIMATION
Fun fact, Pop Century was originally supposed to be built in two stages. When the plans were scrapped and cancelled, the buildings that were designed and actually constructed sat empty for years. After demand for a family-value level of resort became evident, the Art of Animation Resort became a reality.
You can walk across the Hourglass Lake via a walking bridge, which is highly recommended to know this fact coming home from the theme parks. You can hop on either the Pop Century OR Art of Animation Buses – whichever is quicker and has the shorter line.
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RESORTS WITHIN RESORTS
You can walk the following routes, because they are in the same resort area:
- All-Star Music, All-Star Movies and All-Star Sports
- Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower
- Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness
- Port Orleans Riverside & French Quarter
- Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village
Don’t be afraid to jump on Google Earth / Google Maps to scout ahead of time, as there are always running trails and spots that change from year to year with construction and progress. Our plans usually include taking Disney Transportation or UBER/LYFT to a location and then walking around that area, because no matter how much you prepare…the heat will have a factor!
Hope this was helpful!!