International Gateway About This Page:

[rtcooke1]

I'm looking for feedback regarding taking a boat to Epcot through the International Gateway. Since we are arriving on a Friday afternoon (hopefully not delayed) we are only looking to tour the World Showcase and this is the closest entrance.

My family thinks this would be fun, but I have some reservations. First, we're staying at Coronado Springs, which means a drive to a resort with the boat, or to MGM. Second, I'm concerned about the crowds when we exit. We'll be leaving the park after Illuminations, and I'm sure we won't be the only ones who are looking for a boat out of the park.

Any inout/experiences/advice GREATLY appreciated.

[iamgrumpy]

Well from Coranado if you wanted to take the boat you could take a bus to MGM from Coronado springs and then take the boat to EPCOT. Then if you didn't want to catch a boat back to MGM after EPCOT closes (if they are still open) then you could walk to the front of the park and catch the bus from EPCOT back to CS.

Have a magical trip!

[MickeyMAC]

It is also very simple to drive to MGM and take the boat to the International Gateway. The crowds are always smaller at that entrance. We really enjoy using it and if we're not staying at one of the Epcot resorts we always drive to MGM and catch the boat.

[Fortissimo]

We spent a lot of time waiting for a boat from MGM to Epcot then the ride itself this past summer. This took us at least an hour. I personally feel it is less time consuming to drive or bus to Epcot and then walk to the World Showcase.

Remember too, in the afternoon you will not have the crowd at the regular entrance like you do when the park opens in the morning.

[Disney Franatic]

Welcome to the boards. We've stayed at CSR twice. From our past experience it's actually less time consuming to just hop on the bus (if you don't have a car) at the resort and go directly to Epcot. They used to have a bus directly from CSR to the Boardwalk, but unfortunately they stopped that several years ago. It's actually quite invigorating after Illuminations to walk up to the front of the park. You just go with the flow and you're there. If you do have a car and decide to drive, I would drive and park at the Boardwalk. From there you can either take the boat or walk to Epcot International Gateway. We've taken the boat back to the Boardwalk and it didn't take that long. The boats run frequently after the show is over.

[Dave Marx]

It'll take you a similar amount of time to reach World Showcase from Epcot's front door, or to take the boat from Studios to International Gateway (at times when neither park is closing). On a day when you're arriving at WDW, there may be too much adreneline in your systems to sit patiently as the boat makes three stops along the way before it arrives at Epcot, so maybe walking from the front of the park will be more satisfying. On the other hand, if you're feeling exhausted, maybe a slow boat ride is just what you need.

The nice part is that CSR is so close to both Studios and Epcot by bus. At least that part of the trip will be bearable.

Driving to BoardWalk will be fastest all around. As a CSR guest, BW security shouldn't put any restrictions on your ability to park. The walk from BW to International Gateway is pretty short, and you won't have to worry about the wait for a boat or bus at park closing (it can be quite long).

And heck, even a cab ride between CSR and BoardWalk will be pretty cheap, if you're in no mood to drive.