Serene Stroll Around Crescent Lake’s Epcot Resorts
Few Walt Disney World experiences outside the parks are as enjoyable as an early morning or sunset stroll around Crescent Lake. We love leaving Epcot, grabbing ice cream at BoardWalk, then doing a lap, passing by the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts before heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s a stroll we do each trip no matter where we’re staying, and although it’s often an excuse for stopping at Ample Hills Creamery, it’s always a lovely walk.
I have a tough time choosing my favorite resort at Walt Disney World. In large part, it depends upon season and mood, So, while I won’t say any specific resort is my absolute favorite, I will say that Crescent Lake or the Epcot Resort Area is my favorite ‘hotel region’ at Walt Disney World. The area being entirely walkable is a huge upside, as is the easy access to two theme parks by foot or boat.
In terms of the a specific favorite hotel in this area, it’s a close call. We’ve done a few hotel comparisons (Beach Club v. BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club v. Beach Club, and Swan & Dolphin v. Beach Club) and it really varies. We used to stay at BoardWalk Inn more than anywhere else, but have come to love the vibe at Beach Club. Of course, Stormalong Bay is a huge selling point, too. We’ve also come to love the new rooms at Yacht Club, which is perhaps an unpopular opinion. Finally, there’s the price points of Swan & Dolphin, which are often under $200/night. Irrespective of each hotel’s individual selling points, the biggest upside is being at a Crescent Lake resort. The atmosphere in this area is second to none.
With this post, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my newly-edited photos from around Crescent Lake, as this conveys a lot of what I love about the Epcot Resort Area. While this isn’t strictly a photo post, I will sprinkle in some details about the photos, for those interested in photography.
The photos in this post were all captured at different times, so the camera I used will differ for each one. Most will have been shot with my Nikon D850 DSLR or Sony a7 III cameras. You can read about offer photography gear I’m using in my new What’s In My Camera Bag? (2020 Edition) post. I’ve yet to update that with my Sony mirrorless gear, but it’s accurate as to all of the Nikon stuff.
This photo looks stormy, and it really was. Shot from the BoardWalk on the evening before Hurricane Irma started bringing inclement weather, we had this eerily beautiful sunset scene.
While being stuck at Walt Disney World during Hurricane Irma was about the last thing we wanted at the time, it was an experience that I don’t think we’ll ever forget. I remember everything about those few days in vivid detail, from sitting in our room at the BoardWalk, watching the television on loop for two days, to the stunning skies before and after the storm.
Now for one taken immediately after that same storm (if you look carefully, you can see one bit of the aftermath).
This was one of the most beautiful evenings we’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World. The storm cleared that afternoon, a double rainbow appeared during golden hour, and then there was a “slow burn” sunset that transitioned into dusk. Stunning stuff.
A straightforward dusk view of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
I know it’s simple, but I never get sick of seeing this view, and I liked the soft blue dusk sky against the warmth of the popcorn lights here.
A look at the lobby of Beach Club Villas at Christmas.
I chose this perspective because it emphasizes the pattern on the floor, which I think looks a bit “Christmasy.”
Here we head out to Yacht Club at night.
I like this view because it reminds me of our actual evening strolls around Crescent Lake, and showcases views of both sides at once. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of that lighthouse, but not many this far back that compress it with the BoardWalk.
Sticking with the same subject, but getting close and facing Beach Club for this sunrise shot.
Nothing particularly unique with this vantage, but I love how the rays of sunlight from below the horizon are creeping up and meeting the dark dawn sky. I wish I would’ve done this as a time lapse, because it was cool to watch the sky colors transition from cool to warm. Scenes like this are why I love sunrise on Crescent Lake.
In terms of awkwardness, taking photos of pools is #1. I thought it couldn’t get any more awkward than the quick morning photos I snap before the areas get crowded.
That is, until I had the brilliant idea of taking my tripod into Stormalong Bay while fully clothed, walking up onto a bridge, and setting up my tripod for this long exposure photo. That one scores a 15/10 on the ole awkwardness scale.
In my defense, I made my way here from International Gateway well after Epcot closed, and I wasn’t expecting the pool to even be open. I started by taking some photos from around the edge, out of the way of guests. When that went fine, I worked up my “courage” to go up onto the bridge, which was uncomfortable.
Even though only a single (empty) inner tube passed under me, I decided to get out of there quickly. I would’ve liked a do-over on this shot to compose a bit differently, but I didn’t want to spend even another 30 seconds atop that bridge. The 2 minutes that I was up there had already felt like 2 hours. On the plus side, I got this shot out of it, and you get to laugh at my expense!
Speaking of awkwardness, that’s how some might describe Atlantic Dance Hall (fair assessment) or Jellyrolls.
I know neither have many fans, but we have always really enjoyed our experiences at Jellyrolls. Here’s a pre-sunrise view from down the walkway towards Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
A nighttime view of the Solarium at Beach Club, which is one of my favorite quiet spots at Walt Disney World.
Located in a quiet wing of Beach Club as you head towards the Villas, this hallway and airy atrium rarely has many people in it, making it a great place to unwind or, in my case, work on my laptop.
That wraps up our walk around Crescent Lake. Of course, with only around a dozen photos, we barely scratched the surface of the beauty and atmosphere of this area. Even if you never stay at these resorts, we’d highly recommend taking a sunset or evening stroll around them–perhaps as you walk between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you do stay at one of these resorts, we’d also highly recommend a sunrise stroll.
Want to learn more about photography to take great photos in the Disney theme parks and beyond? The best place to start is Tom’s Photography Guide, which covers a variety of topics from links to tutorials, tips, and tricks to recommendations for point & shoots, DSLRs, lenses, and more!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Epcot’s Crescent Lake Resort Area? How does it rank in terms of Walt Disney World ‘resort areas’ for you? Above or below the Magic Kingdom Resort Area? Any photo-related questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Nice pictures. I love the Crescent Lake area and I love the theming of the Boardwalk and YC/BC. Last time I stayed at the BC, I frequented the Solarium quite often to relax. Unfortunately I do not visit Crescent Lake enough. MK resort area is still my favorite area since MK is my favorite park therefore I love the boat/monorail amenities rather than bus or drive to TTC. I also prefer the theming and immersion of Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge since I live in New England therefore YC/BC are not as immersive.
Wow, those photos are spectacular!
I like your commentary on how bizarre it was to be at Disney World during Irma. We had planned our annual fall trip months ahead and decided to go ahead and do our trip once we had a good idea on the storm’s timing and track. We had a nice trip, with surprisingly light crowds, before we had to head back home. After checkout, we made the drive back home to the Tampa Bay area and started doing our storm prep. That afternoon, after spending hours boarding up the windows ad securing everything that might blow away in the storm, we sat down in our blacked out house (no light through the plywood). What a strange feeling to sit in a darkened house, hatches battened down for a hurricane and surrounded by storm supplies and thinking to yourself “Hours ago, just this morning, we were having a very leisurely breakfast at Boma after a lovely trip to Disney, and here we are waiting for a hurricane to hit while two dogs with glow sticks tied to their collars run around our ankles (scotties become utterly invisible in low light)”. Just a surreal feeling.
Those pics are stunning!
Love all the beautiful shots. Definitely one of my happy spots.love sitting on the swing on the beach in front of the Beach Club and watching the fireworks over at Hollywood Studios.so peaceful thanks Tom.
I really enjoyed this post. Crescent lake is one of my favorite spots in Walt Disney World. I grew up staying at the Boardwalk. I’m staying at the Boardwalk for the first time as a dad in June. I can’t wait!
Totally agree! We stayed at BWV in December 2015 and it was fantastic. I loved walking around the water and just sitting and enjoying the ambiance. Being able to walk to EPCOT and HS is a treat.
My favorite area to stay! I think Swan and Dolphin are some of the best hidden gems – you get deluxe accommodations at bargain prices (a bonus if you are a business traveler and can spend SPG points) and being able to walk to two resorts makes them even better than the MK area resorts in my opinion!
I remembered reading your comments about the Solarium the couple days we stayed at Beach Club last summer. We walked through that area to get to the DVC wing (it was prettier than outside). It wasn’t exactly quiet, though. there was always someone in there, and a couple of planned activities even.
Fantastic sunrise shot!
Although I love staying & exploring all areas of property, Crescent Lake & it’s surroundings are the heart of Walt Disney World for me. Your stunning pics bring out that Magic.
While I appreciate your hesitancy to photograph people at the pool, I wonder if that’s truly necessary.
Cameras at WDW are clicking always & everywhere. If somebody really doesn’t want to be photographed in their bathing suit, they’ve worn it in the wrong place.
Please publish a photo book.
We stayed at Beach Club while I was training for a marathon two years ago. It’s not easy to drag yourself out of bed for pre-dawn runs, but this location definitely made it better! I did ten miles one morning, which included some loops around Crescent Lake, then out to Hollywood Studios and back. It’s one of my most memorable runs…. I love seeing the Cast Members early (and they make you feel safer), everything is so sparkly and clean, and on this particular day, there were a bunch of got air balloons lifting off at dawn. Oh, and the “Rocky” theme song played as I ran by the Studios…. now that’s motivational!
Hands down my favorite area! Even if we don’t stay there we grab a drink and catch a movie on the beach at night and our son can play in the sand. View is great and it so relaxing.
Thank you, Love your photos!
Gorgeous pics!
Crescent lake is my favorite place to stay at Walt Disney World! I think it beats Magic Kingdom resorts. Thanks for sharing your photos!
Great story. Great pictures. But you are also preaching to the choir! I love the Crescent Lake/Epcot Resorts for all of the reasons you mentioned in your story. I am partial to the Yacht Club for a variety of reasons, but I love all three of the “Disney” hotels!
My apologies for the double reply above the site timed out when I submitted the first.
We will be there in about 6 weeks. We are not staying on site and we are renting a car. Would we be able to park at one of the hotels and then walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios? What do you suggest?
You cannot, unless you are staying at one of the resorts or have an ADR at one of the restaurants at the resorts.
You cannot, unless you have an ADR at a restaurant at one the resorts.
Great photos brilliant