Hopping from Epcot to HS

For our July trip, we are spending most of our first day at Epcot, with dinner at Biergarten at 4:55 p.m., then hopping over to HS, hoping to catch some Star Wars nighttime entertainment (if it has started by then!).
What would be the best way to do transportation, we are offsite, so will be parked at Epcot. Is it better to leave cars parked at Epcot, is there a way from HS back to Epcot after park closing?
Also, what would be a good time to try for a Fast Pass for TSMM after arriving at HS?
Thanks!

Boat?

If you’re not in a rush, the walk across the boardwalk is nice, but it can be long if you’re tired. We stayed off-site in Sept and did the opposite - parked at HS and walked to EP for snacks around the world and fireworks, then walked back to HS.

I agree. Probably easier to park at Hollywood Studios and take the boat over to Epcot and then boat back for your evening activities. The walk is ‘nice’ but it’s also not just a quick little jaunt lol, being realistic its over a mile. In Florida heat and can feel like 10 miles.

As for a fast pass for TSMM, If you are waiting until the day of to try and get one it would be a total stroke of lightning luck if you were to find one that someone had just cancelled. That one is typically sold out weeks before hand.

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We are having breakfast at Akershus that morning, so not sure parking at HS will work for us.
Planning on keeping Fast Passes for that evening at HS, so hopefully will be able to get TSMM, but if not, we are going back to HS a few days later and can try to get one for that day. Just curious as to how long to figure on meal and transportation to HS?

Actually parking at Hollywood studios might work out better since you’re starting at Akershus. There are two entrances to Epcot, one at that front of Future World, and one at the back of World Showcase, where Akershus is located. The walkway / boat ride takes you to the Epcot entrance at the back of World Showcase (it’s called International Gateway), I can’t confirm how early the boat starts running but walking is always an option.

As for the time involved I would plan about 45 minutes for walking or boating. The boat stops at all of the Epcot area resorts on it’s way between the parks, so it’s a relaxing ride but can be a long ride. I would still choose that over walking. Disney is sooo much walking lol.

Meals really depend on your family. Akershus can take up to about 90 minutes while you wait to see all of the princesses, and Biergarten is usually pretty quick since it’s a buffet, but there are only two buffet lines and they can get fairly long. But you are eating at an earlier time so will likely be a little less busy.

I’m guessing not for an 8:00 am, pre-park opening breakfast?
Is a bus an option?

There are buses that go between the parks but it would take you up to the front of the park so no real difference over parking there.

In your particular case I’d probably park at Epcot and walk to breakfast since you’re probably about equidistant to Norway from either entrance. Then I’d just hop back in the car and drive to Hollywood studios. We always drive even on site because we hate the buses, but usually we do one park a day and tend to have dinner at a resort. When staying until close it can cause a little chaos with getting around while park hopping.

Another, somewhat far fetched, option would be to Valet park at Beach club walk over to breakfast, take the boat to HS and then boat back to Beach club at the end of the night. Valet parking gets you up to 24 hours of allowed parking at a resort even if you aren’t staying there.

Thanks, was just wondering if there was another option that made more sense than driving and parking at HS. So would a 7:30 Fast Pass time work?

Yes that would be plenty of time. Keep in mind too that when you book a 7:30 FP you still have an hour from that time. If you eat BG at 4:55 You’ll be done around 6-ish and it shouldn’t take nearly 90 minutes to get back to the car and drive over to the other park. If possible I would shift your dinner reservation to either earlier about 4:30 or a bit later at 5:30. A lot of the appeal of dining at Biergarten is the band. They play in 25 minute or so sets. Their normal schedule starts at 4:45 in which chase you’d just catch the end of it and 5:55 when you’d be just finishing and ready to go.

I would boat or walk. You would want to Boat back to Epcot after a long day. You will need to ensure that you get back to your car in EPCOT. OR (not knowing park hours) part at HS and boat to EPCOT and then go back to HS

OR (lots of ORs) Park at the hotel and pay (not much different than the park - walk to Epcot for the day, get over to HS and then get back to the Hotel without possibly having to rush before park closure.

Only problem that I have seen with this is the boat lines at park close get really long. One night it was going to take us an hour an a half to get to the hotel! :frowning: We didn’t want to wait that long so we ended up taking a taxi!

Are you hoping for a 4th FPs for TSMM? It does close down before the fireworks. It will be interesting to see how the 3rd track effects waits.

Thank you, I found a 4:35 reservation!

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Not a 4th FP, we are saving our FP’s for the evening in HS. We have a large group and are staying offsite, so I’ve been looking at availability and looks like what would be left is mid-late afternoon and evening. We have an early morning at HS a few days later, so hoping to get two rides in this trip. Thank you!

I read through, but not sure if anyone mentioned it - if you park at Epcot, then boat from HS to Epcot at the end of the day, you will be dropped by the boat at the BACK of Epcot, and then will have to walk the length of Epcot to get back to your car. That will take a long time and could be very tiring, especially if you’ve had to wait a long time for a boat.

My thoughts exactly. And, Epcot CMs are pretty aggressive in getting people out at the end of the night. It might be difficult to get admitted back into the park at or after closing, and the rush from WS to the front is pretty crazy at end of Illuminations.

The boats are running between HS and EP pretty early. We did this on our last visit, we parked at HS half hour before park opening - in what would be the “Preferred Parking” lot later in the day, hopped on the boat over to Epcot for the morning, then boated back over to HS for the afternoon. At the end of the day, it was a nice, short walk to the car from the exit at HS.