Close to the fun

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Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Matt Hochberg

First, you may have noticed there was no Studios Weekly column last week (unless you’re reading this in 2009, in which case you can disregard this part of the article) and I was on vacation and found time to make a new Ask Matt column, but alas, I decided to take a break for a week.  But fear not, I’m back this week and with a new column for your reading pleasure.

One thing I hate is the time it can take to commute from your resort to the Studios.  It never ceases to amaze me how long a trip it can be to the Studios, especially when taking Disney transportation.  First and foremost, the fastest way to the Studios from nearly anywhere to the Studios is to drive yourself there.  If you drive down your own car to Walt Disney World or if you rent a car, you will have a distinct advantage over those relying on some form of public transportation to get to the Studios.  However, there are some resorts that located ideally for short commute times to the parks.

You may be asking who cares how long it takes?  The less time you spend on the road somewhere getting to the Studios, the more time you can spend either sleeping or at the park.  If it only takes 5-10 minutes to get to the Studios, that means you can sleep in  a little bit more than someone who has to account for a 30-40 minute bus ride.  It all adds up at the end of the day when you see how tired you are and trust me, I’m sure you’ve cringed a few times when you decide to leave the park and realize it’s going to be a while before you can plop down on your bed back in your resort room.

So which resorts are the best if you want to minimize the distance to the Studios? By far the answer has to be the Swan & Dolphin and Boardwalk Resorts.  From either of these resorts, you can walk along the walkway that leads to the front of the Studios.  There are two advantages here. First, by walking you have no car to park.  Parking a car and waiting for the parking tram will take you at least 10 minutes (all depends on how long it takes to park and for you to get on a tram).  Plus, there is no stuffy car to get into later, just pavement between you and your room.  In addition, you can opt to take a boat to the Studios. It’s not the most direct way (the boat stops at the Swan & Dolphin, Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club and Epcot as well as the Studios).  The boat is usually best when going back to your resort after a long day on your feet, you may not feel up for more walking.   Besides being close to the Studios, these resorts are even closer to Epcot, so it gives you the advantage of being able to walk (or take a boat) to that park and you also have easy access to the dining and entertainment found on the Boardwalk area once the parks close.

The walkway is nothing special; it’s simply a paved walkway to the Studios.  Aside from the occasional duck or lizard that you may find along the way, there’s nothing much to it but it’s fairly direct and along the water and most folks find the distance easy enough for anyone fit enough to walk in the parks. 

The Yacht & Beach Club is also accessible to the walkway, but it’s a bit further away than the Boardwalk is and you may find the boat more of a necessity than an option here.  Still, you will find either of these resorts faster than taking Disney bus transportation generally.   From all of these resorts, if you prefer to drive, there is a quick bus trip to the Studios, thanks to the “back entrance” to the Studios.

If staying at either of the aforementioned resorts is not an option, or perhaps you’re just not interested in staying there, the next echelon of resorts still offer relatively short commute times to the Studios.  Again, you’ll find it even faster if you drive yourself rather than take Disney buses.  All Star Resorts is a short drive followed by Coronado Springs, Pop Century, and the Port Orleans resorts.  The resorts that are furthest away are any of the Magic Kingdom Resorts and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Off-site is a wash, since the Studios are centrally located on Walt Disney World property, staying on either side of US-192 doesn’t give you any advantage.

To some people, proximity to the Studios doesn’t matter and staying onsite will certainly allow you easiest access to the Studios than staying off site, however if you’re a fan of the Studios or want to avoid relying on the Disney buses as much as possible, there are resorts that can save you time and grant you a great deal of convenience.