How long does it take to get from EPC to DHS/vice versa skyliner with all the exchanges vs Friendship Boats? I know it’s about a 30 minute walk.
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My husband and I went from Beach Club to DHS in October and he walked and I took the Skyliner and we were walking in at pretty much the same time. So walking is fastest, then Skyliner then the boat which just feels painfully slow to me.
ETA: This was mid-day, at rope drop walking is absolutely fastest as there will be lines.
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Right, I’m planning to park hop at 2pm (so leave Epcot around 1-1:15pm) and then park hopping back when DHS closes at 8pm as Epcot is open till 11pm. So I don’t know if I want to do all that walking every time and if the skyliner is 5-10 min longer might be worth saving my legs!
Edit: I’m staying at CBR so I’ll be using the skyliner at open and close of Epcot. I don’t plan to rope drop Epcot per say. I just want to get there around the actual open for a couple of food booths for lunch and to the egg hunt in WS before park hopping over to DHS.
It’s absolutely worth it on the feet! I wouldn’t even say 5-10 minutes longer, I also think he purposely walked kinda fast to be right!
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Depending on how fast you walk, it could be more like 20-25 minutes. It is as short as 1 mile if you take the most direct route (I only included the route between the two Skyliner stations since you’d have to walk the remaining distance whether you took the Skyliner or not):
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Bonus points for the BW shortcut, which I planned for but still managed to get a bit confused when actually walking it. 
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We stayed at Boardwalk in December, and tried all three methods at one point.
Depending on time of day, Skyliner can be fastest, or the Boat can be fastest. Biggest problem with the Boat is that it has to go from DHS, to Swolphin, to BC/YC, BW, and then finally Epcot. So, while overall it doesn’t take terribly long, it can feel tortuous to keeping having to make those “unnecessary” stops! Skyliner is maybe 20 minutes, if there is no waiting, since you have to change. If you go when there are lines, though, it can make the wait more than the Boat.
Walking is definitely the slowest…but the walk is relaxing as well.
The shortcut through BW is not tricky once you realize you just have to veer off the main path when you get to where the main pool/carousel bar is. Turn right there, and following the path through to the other side of the building and you come out right on the Boardwalk itself.
Is that the one where you went through some entryway next to the art store and came out at the pool? I know where the art store is and the pool as I’ve stayed there twice but I’ve never seen that entrance.
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That’s correct. That’s where the shortcut is.
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Okay, so then maybe I take a peek at the line for the skyliner and if it’s long I walk then? Thanks everyone!
Edit: I might prefer the skyliner at rope drop time if it’s not too long and the walk back in the evening when the sun is set and I can enjoy the lights of the boardwalk and YC/BC across the lake.
Edit 2: I also suspect that at 8pm closing of DHS the skyliner and boat lines will be long so walking then is prolly best.
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Sure…although don’t eschew the boat entirely. It was a relaxing ride, to be sure. But I wouldn’t try Skyliner during busy times (during opening or closing times, for example). The mixing station at CBR can get really backed up.
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Can I ask where you got the info for the Epcot hours? The website only goes out until September and it all says Epcot closes at 9?
I was going in just a week or two from when I posted that (I ended up canceling because of a sick kid) but they had the hours updated by then. My summer hours got updated even sooner like maybe 1.5 months out. It was after I made dining reservations but way before I came. However, it was still relatively close compared to in the old days when you knew the hours more than 6 months in advance. I’d just keep checking as you get closer.
They do post skyliner hours outside of the skyliner (I think I saw them at Riveria).