A Walk Around Crescent Lake at Disney World

A scenic walk around Crescent Lake makes for an unforgettable experience at Walt Disney World. This stunning lake is centered among the Epcot Resort Hotels. A walking path around the lake allows guests to continue to and from the resorts to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Whether you’re staying in this hotel area or not, I highly recommend taking a break from the parks from time to time. A walk around Crescent Lake will do wonders, especially when you’ve been jam-packed in the parks with thousands of other guests.

Below, we’ll take a photo walk around Disney’s Crescent Lake. Most of the photos in this article were taken during a recent sunset. However, some photos from the past few months were added here and there. This article is one of three getting to know the Disney Resort areas we started a few years back. But in the spirit of keeping things updated (and recent changes), I wanted to share a fresh walk around the lake.

We’ve also recently updated our walk around Barefoot Bay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach and our walk around Hourglass Lake at Art of Animation. Those articles are perfect for anyone who enjoys exploring the resort areas at Walt Disney World.

As we make our way around the lake, I’ll point out a few things, like dining options, recreation, and shopping. However, it would be impossible to highlight every attribute of each resort along the way. During your visit, you might enjoy a meal in the area, picking up a treat like an ice cream cone or a cocktail at one of the resort’s lounges. You’ll have plenty of options. Whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll enjoy visiting Crescent Lake. It’s one of the most scenic areas at Walt Disney World.

view of Crescent Lake with Yacht and Beach Club in the background — A view of the Yacht and Beach Club sitting on Crescent Lake.

What are the Crescent Lake Resorts?

Here are the resorts that sit around Crescent Lake.

The resorts are listed in the order we will circle the lake from Epcot’s International Gateway, which is closest to Disney’s Beach Club. Exiting the International Gateway, you’ll walk up a slight incline. At the top, you can continue straight to the Yacht and Beach Club or take a left across the bridge to the Boardwalk.

a directional that points toward Crescent Lake, the resorts, Epcot, and the Skyliner — Directional for Yacht, Beach Club, International Gateway, and the Skyliner

All of the resorts are within ten minutes’ walking distance of each other. As we continue down the opposite side of the hill, we see the large walking path around Crescent Lake. It will feel like a breath of fresh air to spread out in contrast to the busy parks.

walking path around Crescent Lake — Crescent Lake sits to the left of the walking path.

We’ll soon reach Disney’s Beach Club. Its pretty blue color is breathtaking.

passing the Beach Club along Crescent Lake

Below is another view from a different day. This shows the alternative walking path that goes under the bridge. I don’t think that many people realize it’s an option. But if you have trouble with inclines, you can take this path under the bridge instead of over it when traveling between Beach Club and the International Gateway.

The walking path between Epcot and Disney’s Beach Club.

As we continue, we’ll have access to the man-made beach along Crescent Lake. You can stop and relax on one of the swings or lounge chairs. It’s a beautiful area, but you’ll have to deal with a bit of sand. This is the only beach area along the lake. A barrier is in place to keep guests from entering the water.

beach area along Crescent Lake — Crescent Lake Beach

If you prefer not to deal with the sand, you’ll find a few benches here and there.

Soon, on our right, we run into the formal entrance of Disney’s Beach Club. This is an excellent place to stop for a break.

entrance to Disney's Beach Club from Crescent Lake walkway

Inside, you’ll find a lobby, dining, and gift shop. You might enjoy browsing the Beach Club Marketplace. This resort gift shop doubles as a counter-service dining location, making it an alternative for a meal. We recently explored the gift shop at the Beach Club and found several newer resort-branded items.

merchandise branded to Disney's Beach Club

When you’re finished, you can walk back to the path around Crescent Lake or take the combined indoor-outdoor walkway to the Yacht Club. Either way is fine, but it’s fun to see Stormalong Bay from the path that adjoins the sister hotels.

a photo of the pool at Beach and Yacht Club

If you are ever fortunate enough to stay at the Beach Club, you can enjoy the views of Crescent Lake and the surrounding area from the pool.

pool at Beach Club looks out to Crescent Lake

If you stay on the interior path, you might find a spot at Beaches and Cream. This is an old-fashioned diner that has a separate walk-up ice cream window. This is the perfect place for ice cream lovers. They have a massive Mickey’s Kitchen Sink ice cream sundae that comes in a bucket resembling Mickey’s shorts!

Beaches and Cream ice cream window at Beach Club

If we walked back to the outer path along the lake, we would run into Hurricane Hanna’s, a combined pool bar and counter-service restaurant. You might enjoy stopping here for a drink or possibly a sandwich.

Hurricane Hanna's Waterside Bar and Grill

The food is pretty basic. But it’s an excellent place to sit outside and enjoy views of the lake. You can see in the photo below that they have a separate outdoor dining area for guests who are not staying at the resort. The pool area (inside the gates) is reserved for resort guests only.

tables and chairs with blue umbrellas at Hurricane Hanna's facing Crescent Lake

On the lakeside, you’ll see the shipwreck that sits on the beach. The ship is home to a waterslide that shoots guests through a tube across the walkway back to the resort’s pool.

It’s a pretty cool slide.

We’ll then pass one of my favorite spots. It’s designed to look like water flows from the pool under the walkway into the lake.

Crescent Lake during the latter part of the day

Here’s a photo from another day.

We’ll soon get to the lighthouse. You can take a Friendship Boat from the lighthouse to any of the surrounding resorts or theme parks.

the lighthouse boat dock on Crescent Lake

We’ll step inside the Yacht Club.

path from Crescent Lake to the Yacht Club

A pretty assortment of potted plants sits near the entrance.

walkway up to Disney's Yacht Club from Crescent Lake

Disney’s Yacht Club is home to one of our favorite restaurants, Ale and Compass Restaurant. We have a review of lunch and dinner at Ale and Compass. You might also enjoy one of two lounges at the resort.

First, there’s Ale and Compass Lounge, which sits next door to Ale and Compass restaurant. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But for lounges, we really enjoy Crew’s Cup Lounge, which is the lounge that adjoins Yachtsman Steakhouse.

We’ll head back toward the lighthouse and continue around Crescent Lake.

As we continue, we get a close view of Disney’s Boardwalk.

view to Boardwalk across Crescent Lake from the Yacht Club — Disney’s Boardwalk, sitting on Crescent Lake

On the opposite side, you’ll see a gazebo area in the center of a section of the Yacht Club. It is not uncommon to see a wedding taking place here. You’ll also usually find a few bunnies hopping around the lawn in the warmer months.

The entire walkway in front of the Yacht Club is made up of wooden planks like the Boardwalk across the lake.

wooden plank walkway around the Yacht Club

At the edge of the Yacht Club, the walkway transitions to concrete. Here, we run into another incline for a three-way bridge that leads to the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve Hotels or Disney’s Boardwalk.

where the wooden walkway transition to concrete along Crescent Lake

Unless you’re on a Surrey bike rental, it’s not a terrible incline.

I took this photo below to show the Boardwalk entrance sitting to the left at the bottom of the bridge. Or you could continue straight to the Marriott-owned and operated hotels.

bridge over the edge of Crescent Lake to the Swan and Dolphin Hotels

We’re going to stay left to go to the Boardwalk. But these three hotels are all excellent options and often a little more reasonably priced than the neighboring Disney Resorts.

Dolphin and Swan Reserve in the background

We’ve made it to Disney’s Boardwalk.

After passing under the Boardwalk sign, you’re greeted with a roundabout. If you are going to Hollywood Studios, you’ll stay to the far right. A path along the water continues to the theme park.

A directional sign is available, but it’s off to the side. I walk this area almost weekly, and I’ve noticed that guests often get confused about where they are going.

We’re going to stay to the left toward the Boardwalk. Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is not only a resort but a destination. We’ll pass by Dueling Pianos.

As we round the corner, we find ourselves on the Boardwalk.

While at the Boardwalk, you might enjoy participating in a few carnival-style games. Or you could rent a Surrey bike and take it for a spin around Crescent Lake. You’ll also find a couple of places to dine. Hopefully, those options will improve within the next year or so.

While in the area, you might like to browse a few shops. Anyone interested in art will love a walk through The Promenade Fine Art Gallery. Boardwalk’s Screen Door Store is another sizable gift shop.

Related: Boardwalk Inn’s Gift Shops

Several benches face out to Crescent Lake.

You’ll run into the Surrey Bike Rentals about mid-Boardwalk.

Here is the pricing. (Don’t forget about those two inclines.)

A few other options along the lines of nightlife at Disney’s Boardwalk include Atlantic Dance Hall, Abracadabar, Boardwalk Joe’s Marvelous Margaritas, and Jellyrolls. We have a review comparing the Boardwalk vs. Disney Springs that shares more things to do.

As we approach the end of the Boardwalk, we’re back at the bridge where started. At the top of the bridge, you can take a right to go back to Epcot (International Gateway) or a left to circle back by the Beach Club.

Hopefully, this photo walk was able to give you a few ideas for planning leisure time during your next visit. As someone who visits Disney World often, I find that the times spent in areas like this are the ones that solidify my decision to return.

My memories of spending time at Crescent Lake are abundant. It is a place I tend to be homesick for when I’m away. Even when visiting Epcot, I often wander out of the International Gateway to glimpse this serene area.

If you want to learn more about the resorts in this area, we’ve stayed at each one multiple times. Here is a list of our most recent reviews:

Or you can preview our entire list of Disney World Resort Reviews.

P.S. I wanted to mention this Crescent Lake tour works out excellently during the holidays. The Yacht Club, Beach Club, and Boardwalk all have Christmas decorations and gingerbread displays worth seeing. See our guide to touring the Disney World Resorts at Christmas for more details.

What Do You Think?

Do you have a place at Disney that makes you feel this way? Have you ever spent any time on Crescent Lake? Will you explore the area on your next visit? We love to hear from you and hope you’ll share any questions, feedback, or experiences in the comments section.