Taking the FriendShips Between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

As we continue our coverage of the routes at Walt Disney World, I thought we’d stay in the same area and discuss taking the FriendShips between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You may remember we only recently discussed using the Skyliner as a method for park-hopping between the two parks. So, for this route, we’ll hop aboard a boat and sail the pleasant waters of Crescent Lake.

Below, we’ll walk (or rather boat) through the entire route and discuss the travel times. Readers know we make these routes often and keep track of our times. I can assure you this is the most consistent route at Disney. No matter how many times I’ve tracked it, I always get within a minute of the same time. But I suppose that’s more of a nod to the boat captains and that old saying about how they run a tight ship.

We’ll start with Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When you exit the park, the FriendShips boat dock is to the immediate left. Stay straight for the Skyliner, bus stop, and walkway to Epcot. The parking lot is to the right.

Here is the walkway that leads to the boat dock. You can see the dock sitting out on the water. If you don’t see a boat sitting there, take your time. The boats typically run every 20 minutes, depending on how many are servicing the area. It’s not uncommon to see up to six boats during the busier times of the day.

Not only do these boats run between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but they stop at the Epcot Resorts on the way. Here is the route:

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Swan and Dolphin
• Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club
• Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
• Epcot

When the boat arrives at Epcot, it returns to all the same stops in the opposite order. The picture below shows guests preparing to board the boat at Hollywood Studios.

We look at the walkway between the park’s exit and the boat dock.

Here is a sign that indicates the order of the boat route when you leave Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The boat dock is partially covered. Boats continue to run in the rain, but they stop during inclement weather involving lightning. The photo below shows the proximity of the boat dock to the Skyliner station on the opposite side of the lake.

Our first stop is Disney’s Swan and Dolphin. If you’re staying at Disney’s Boardwalk, you can exit here and walk across the bridge to the Boardwalk. If you don’t mind the short walk, it will save a few minutes. However, you can stay aboard if you want to minimize your step intake. Most of the time, the skipper will make you aware of this tip and point out the walkway. On a side note, I took a few of these photos from inside a FriendShip and thought the reflections were pretty cool.

Here’s a clear view of the Swan and Dolphin’s boat dock, which services the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve hotels.

This next photo shows the bridge (right side) you would walk across to the Boardwalk. Looking closely, you can see the Boardwalk’s large entrance sign in the center of the photo behind a cluster of palm trees. The bridge on the far left continues to the Beach and Yacht Club.

Our next stop is at the lighthouse at Disney’s Yacht Club. This boat dock is shared between the Yacht and Beach Club.

After a quick stop here, we’re jetting straight across the lake to Disney’s Boardwalk.

The Boardwalk is our last stop before we get to Epcot.

A short boat ride later, we arrived at Epcot’s International Gateway. The Skyliner passes right over the boat’s dock, and you can see the France Pavilion in the distance.

So, how long do the FriendShips take between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios? The answer is a consistent 25 minutes.

Okay, if you’re leaving Epcot and park-hopping to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you must exit the park at the International Gateway, which is the secondary entrance to Epcot. The IG, for short, is located in the World Showcase between the United Kingdom Pavilion and the France Pavilion.

The FriendShip boat dock sits immediately outside the park, directly across the walkway from the Skyliner station. If you missed it we have a separate route of taking the Skyliner between Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

Overall, it’s a peaceful boat ride that lets you take in stunning views of the Epcot Resorts Area. It’s also an excellent way to see the area if you’re unfamiliar with it. Who knows, maybe you’ll have one of those moments where you decide to stay here next time. It’s how I fell in love with the Beach Club many years ago.

If you’ve been keeping up with this series, you might remember that our Skyliner and FriendShip routes took approximately 25 minutes. We have one more option: walking. Our next article will compare all three routes and find the fastest way to park-hop between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You might be surprised!

For more transportation tips and routes, you might enjoy the following:

• Taking the Magic Kingdom Boat to Grand Floridian
• Taking the Boat From Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom
• The Magic Kingdom Ferryboat Guide
• Walking from the TTC to Disney’s Polynesian

In the Comments

Did you enjoy this FriendShip route between Epcot and Hollywood Studios? Have you ever taken this same route? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts and experiences.