Disney World Walking Paths (Resort, Park, and Disney Springs Options)

It’s no secret that we enjoy a good walking path at Disney World. We have quite a few guides detailing them here on the site. That said, walking at Disney isn’t just a way to get from point A to point B. It can also be a convenient, enjoyable, and sometimes faster alternative to buses, monorails, the Skyliner, and water transportation. 

Whether you’re staying at a resort near the parks, park-hopping, or heading to Disney Springs, knowing your walking options can save time and, in some instances, help you get much-needed relief from the crowds. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again–walking is one of the best ways to decompress after a long day in the parks. 

This guide covers all the primary walking paths throughout Disney World, including:

• Resort to Park Routes: From select hotels directly to the theme parks
  
• Resort to Resort Routes: Find short ways to get between select resorts.
  
• Park-to-Park Paths: Where you can take a stroll between two parks.
  
• Disney Springs Paths: Places where you can walk from nearby resorts to Disney’s shopping and dining district. 

All of these routes come from our Resorts Gal Routes series. In them, you’ll find approximate walking times, distances (we’ve personally tracked), and tips with photos to help you simplify things. You can use this page as your hub for exploring pedestrian-friendly paths at Disney World. Any of the highlighted posts below will help with detailed directions for that particular route.

Resort-to-Park Walking Paths

Several Disney World Resorts are located close enough to the theme parks that you can walk instead of waiting for transportation. These routes are often scenic, and in some cases, are just as quick (if not quicker) than taking alternative transportation modes. 

The Magic Kingdom Area

• Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Magic Kingdom: This route takes approximately 10 minutes and is 0.42 miles long. This route is often a little shorter than the time it takes to travel from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingdom on the resort monorail because of the stops on the way. It varies on the return trip, based on how long you have to wait at Magic Kingdom for the next monorail. See our guide with directions for walking from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom.

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa to Magic Kingdom: This route is .070 miles and takes approximately 15 minutes at an average pace. While the walking path is somewhat long, you don’t have to deal with lines for the monorail, especially when leaving Magic Kingdom. See our guide to the walking path from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom for more details.

• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to the Transportation and Ticket Center: This route will vary, depending on your location at the Polynesian. So we tracked it from the Great Ceremonial House to the TTC. The result? It was 0.27 miles, which took approximately 7 minutes. No, the TTC is not a theme park, but it’s where you board the monorail for Epcot. See this article for a map and specifics: Walking Between Disney’s Polynesian and the TTC.

Epcot Area

• Disney’s Beach Club to Epcot: Depending on your location at the resort, it takes about 5-7 minutes to get to Epcot. See this article for a shortcut (and the nearest access for shelter): Use this Secret Entrance When You’re Staying at Disney’s Beach Club

• Disney’s Yacht Club to Epcot: It takes approximately 8-10 minutes to get from Disney’s Yacht Club to Epcot’s International Gateway.

• Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: We tracked this walk between the Lighthouse and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (These resorts are connected, and you might have a few more steps from the Beach Club.) It’s a 0.85-mile walk to Hollywood Studios that took us about 20 minutes at a slow pace. For a comparison of other options, see: We Tested 3 Options to Find the Quickest Way from Beach and Yacht Club to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

• Disney’s BoardWalk to Epcot: This is a short, 10-minute walk between the resort’s lobby and the International Gateway.

• Disney’s BoardWalk to Hollywood Studios: It’s a 0.75-mile walk from Disney’s BoardWalk to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It took us approximately 17 minutes at a slow pace when we tracked it. However, we usually use this shortcut, which will shave off almost a quarter of a mile and get you inside quicker.

Unfortunately, there are no walking paths to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Resort-to-Resort Walking Paths

In some instances, you can walk between select resorts without the need for alternative transportation. We enjoy many of these walking paths regularly. They are as follows:

Magic Kingdom Resorts Area

Polynesian to the Grand Floridian: This route takes approximately 0.53 miles for a duration of approximately 12 minutes at a slow to average pace. It’s a scenic walk in both directions.

Epcot Resorts Area

Boardwalk, Beach and Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin: It’s a 0.80-mile walk around Crescent Lake, and you’ll run into all these hotels along the way. It’s about a 5 to 10-minute walk between them. See our photo report of walking around Crescent Lake for more details.

Skyliner Resorts Area

Caribbean Beach to Disney’s Riviera Resort: You can easily walk between these resorts for dining. It’s 0.28 miles (approximately 6 minutes) between their lobbies. See our guide for a map that shows the walking path. Your mileage might vary if you’re walking to a different portion of Caribbean Beach. It’s a massive resort.

Pop Century to Art of Animation: I don’t have the exact mileage on this one, but it takes about 8-10 minutes to walk between the lobby of Pop Century and Art of Animation. It’s a straight shot across the bridge over Hourglass Lake.

Disney Springs Resort Area

Port Orleans French Quarter to Riverside: We measured this walk between the resort’s boat docks and found it to be 0.52 miles, which took about 12 minutes at a slow to average pace. It’s a scenic walk, especially if you don’t want to wait on the boats. See our overview of the walking path between Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside.

Animal Kingdom Resorts Area

Kidani Village to Jambo House: This walking path is short but takes about 10 minutes and has a few crosswalks in the parking lot. A shuttle runs continuously, if you don’t want to walk. See How to Get Between Kidani Village and Jambo House for more details.

Park-to-Park Walking Paths

There are only two parks that you can walk between at Disney World.

Epcot to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: This is a long walk that I make quite often. A lot of times, I’ll park at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and end up at Epcot later in the evening. By that time, I’m usually ready to go home and will make the walk back to my car. It’s about a 1.11-mile walk between them that takes approximately 20-25 minutes at a slow to average pace. See this guide: Walking to Epcot from Hollywood Studios for more details.

Resort to Disney Springs Walking Paths

You can walk to Disney Springs from two resorts.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs: This resort offers two walking paths to Disney Springs. One goes to the West Side and the other goes to the Marketplace (the most popular one). It’s a 10-12 minute walk from the Congress Park bus stop to the Marketplace entrance. Many guests will take a bus from a theme park to this particular bus stop and then walk to Disney Springs. See our guide for more specifics on how to do this: Walking from Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs (Both Ways)

Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs: This is a long, rural walk that we don’t recommend for everyone. It’s 1.06 miles from Old Key West to the West Side of Disney Springs. See pictures of the walk and our thoughts in our guide: Walking from Disney’s Old Key West to Disney Springs.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, Disney World offers more walking paths than most guests realize. Whether you’re heading back to the resort after fireworks, walking off dinner enjoyed somewhere along Crescent Lake, or avoiding crowded transportation lines, these routes will make things feel calmer and more flexible. 

Each path has its own perks. Some are short and practical, while others are scenic and peaceful. The key is knowing which options are available ahead of time! So make sure to check the detailed guides linked above for step-by-step directions, photos, and tips. With a little planning, walking can become one of the simplest and most enjoyable ways to get around Walt Disney World. 

More Planning

At Resorts Gal, we specialize in helping you plan the perfect Disney World vacation. Start with our Disney World Resorts Guide for an overview of every resort hotel, or explore our Disney World Dining Guide and Disney World Transportation Guide to plan where to eat and how to get around. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.

For big-picture planning, visit our Disney World Planning Guide and Disney World Budgeting Guide. You can also browse the latest news on our blog. Once you’ve explored these guides, consider taking our free planning course to tie it all together.