Photos & Video: Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian Walkway
The pathway between Magic Kingdom and Grand Floridian Resort gives Walt Disney World guests the option to travel by foot from the Transportation & Ticket Center or Polynesian Village Resort. This post shares photos, video, and excessive enthusiasm for this walking path project.
We’ll preface this by saying we’re suckers for infrastructure projects, especially ones at Walt Disney World that give us non-bus transportation options. Long-time readers of the blog know we’re vehemently anti-bus, and while that’s not even remotely relevant here, it’s always worth reiterating because buses are the worst.
We were also ardent advocates of the Disney Skyliner gondola system long before it opened (and after its “infamous incident”), even as many readers had myriad “what if?” concerns and reasons why it’d be a colossal failure. If it weren’t for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance being so awesome, the Skyliner would’ve been our favorite Walt Disney World addition of last year. We certainly ride the Skyliner more than anything in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!
As of 2024, the walking path between Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Magic Kingdom is OPEN. This walkway closed due to construction, as Grand Floridian is in the midst of a substantial overhaul with “Enchanted Gardens” as the unifying visual style. See our Grand Floridian Resort Reimagining News & Construction Report for more details about construction.
Sago Key is the last building aside from the main lobby–the heart of the overhaul–to be done. All outlying buildings will be done once Sago Key reopens, meaning you will get a new room if booking any of the “outer building” categories going forward. Speaking of which, For a look inside the new rooms, see Grand New Rooms at Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort.
On a related note, the walkway between the Grand Floridian and Polynesian has changed on a couple of occasions due to construction of the Poly DVC Tower. A new route just opened and is easier to navigate and feels safer. Given that this is open right now with the degree of structural construction that’s occurring, we expect that pathway to remain open for the duration of that project.
What follows is our original overview and “tour” of the walkway between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom from when it first opened. Given that not many people were traveling at the time, you might’ve missed it. (I’ll take any excuse to share my enthusiasm for this peaceful path!) Here’s why we love this path so much, and how it’s a big deal for guests of the Grand Floridian…
While there’s nothing to “ride” on the Grand Floridian Resort to Magic Kingdom walkway, this will likely go down as our favorite and most-used Walt Disney World “new attraction” of the year. Sure, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is good, but it has long lines, uses Ren & Stimpy character models, and is inferior to its predecessor.
By contrast, the Grand Floridian Resort to Magic Kingdom walkway helps you avoid waiting in the monorail line, is IP-free, and far superior to the frustrating “sidewalk to nowhere” that preceded it. Some might even call it the walkway of the future, paving the way for a great big beautiful tomorrow. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you that there’d be excessive enthusiasm for this walkway!)
We’ll have plenty of time for unnecessary commentary on the glorious Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom path. For now, let’s offer something of a “tour” between the resort and Walt Disney World’s flagship park.
Exiting the lobby of Grand Floridian, you’ll see signage directing you towards the walkway. Right now, this is somewhat insufficient. When you get to the next juncture, it’s unclear whether to head right (towards Narcoossee’s) or left (towards Gasparilla Island Grill).
Left is the answer to that question. You’ll basically hug the perimeter of the main building before picking up with the pathway under the monorail track.
Alternatively, you could cut back from the convention center or bus stop area for a shorter stroll, but that would be a pretty odd use case.
This instantly makes Sago Cay or Sugarloaf the most desirable buildings at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
They’re convenient to dining, the main lobby, and now this walking path.
One of my favorite things about the Grand Floridian Resort to Magic Kingdom walkway is the way the monorail crisscrosses overhead.
It makes for a more engaging experience, and makes the time go quicker.
The winding walkway also has plenty of mature trees, waterfront views of boats traversing Seven Seas Lagoon, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower as the constant “wienie” in the distance.
There are also occasional views backstage (including a peek at the Electrical Water Pageant barges) and glimpses of Cinderella Castle through the trees.
You probably didn’t come here for a review of the walkway, but I’d give this one high marks. The walkway is sufficiently secluded and much of its length feels like a stroll through a park, but there’s also a lot of visual interest, two bridges, and you can hear the music from Main Street.
This walkway has excellent kinetic energy and it strikes a great balance. Pretty much everything you’re looking for in a serene saunter.
A couple of other unsung highlights about this pathway: it doesn’t stink and it’s wide.
Two of my biggest complaints about the walkway between Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Magic Kingdom are that portions of it smell like sewage and it’s incredibly narrow, making passing difficult. Neither present issues here.
Continuing with the Contemporary comparison, this walkway is about double the length, but the upside is that it’s nonstop–no waiting at an intersection. The Contemporary path is more utilitarian, whereas this one is pleasant and provides a meandering mosey.
I’m not about to pooh-pooh the Contemporary walkway (besides, it smells like someone already did that!) as it’s been a sidewalk stalwart for decades. For as long as I can remember, that has been our exclusive form of transportation between those resorts and Magic Kingdom.
With that said, the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom walkway is undeniably superior. It just is.
There’s no sense in letting our Walt Disney World walkway power rankings be colored by nostalgia and history. After all, we’re not talking classic EPCOT Center attractions.
I’ve walked a lot of Disney theme park pathways in my day, and nothing fully compares to the way this melds ‘peaceful promenade’ with waterfront & transportation views.
The former aspect reminds me of the path at Hong Kong Disneyland between the hotels and park. That’s an absolutely lovely stroll with beautiful trees, abundant benches, and nice pavers. That one is definitely more polished than this path.
However, the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom walkway absolutely trounces that one when it comes to views and commotion. This is a much more thrilling walk.
Some might even say it’s an E-Ticket Expedition.
It’s really hard to draw a clear parallel between this path and Disney’s other elite avenues.
All of the other walks that feature monorails (Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Resort) are much more urban and lose points for that. This is one of those ‘distinctly Walt Disney World’ things. Here, you have tranquility but also the bustle of transportation, all while being in the Disney bubble. Nowhere else can replicate that.
Some of this is undoubtedly inducing eye-rolls, and there is some hyperbole and sarcasm here, to be sure. Probably not as much as you might suspect, though.
We legitimately love walking. We would prefer to be “masters of our own fate” than being beholden to a breakdown-prone monorail. Even if the path takes slightly longer and requires more steps, walking is always our strong preference.
We will absolutely use this walkway not just when staying at the Grand Floridian and its villas, but also when staying at the Polynesian and its villas.
Walking time is going to vary from person to person and precise starting and ending locations, but it’s about 10-14 minutes from Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian (.75 mile), 8-13 minutes from Grand Floridian to the Polynesian (.5 mile), and 5-8 minutes from the Poly to the Transportation and Ticket Center (.3 mile). Please note that those walking times and mileage are very much estimates; we walk at an incredibly brisk pace but also get distracted easily along the way.
As with so many things, your mileage may vary on how much of that is practical. Time of year will also make a difference. This is much more enjoyable right now with temperatures in the 70s than it’ll be in July with high heat and humidity.
While we “only” did a few laps on the walkway yesterday, we have a Villas at Grand Floridian Resort stay coming up next month. (After this year’s earlier “Stroll-less Stay at the Grand Floridian,” we guessed right this time!) I’m trying to convince Sarah to ride the monorail and “race” me from Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian and TTC, so stay tuned for that (maybe).
This walkway is absolutely the type of thing we love to see. Even though this is coming to fruition decades after originally planned and over a year since construction began, we had lost hope that this project would be undertaken ages ago.
It’s not a “sexy” or marketable addition, but one that improves the experience tremendously for a select group of guests.
Since my photos jump around and don’t give full context, here’s a 14-minute video of the walk by Sarah.
Kudos to her on this–if left up to me, it’d be a jerky mess with a lot of stopping, starting, and dropping the phone for photos every time the monorail passed.
Finally, here’s a reward for those of you who tolerated my walkway rambling and made it all the way to the end of the post. In addition to being great weather for a stroll, it was also a nice night in Magic Kingdom. While I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” I’m not so sure that’s true here. The walkway is a joyous journey, but when this is the destination…well.
Ultimately, we hope you didn’t mind humoring our overly passionate pathway post. In our view, this walkway exemplifies what helps make Walt Disney World a special, memorable place. It’s the closest many guests will get to experiencing a great city’s infrastructure and transportation network, and walkability is an integral part of that. As with so many aspects of Walt Disney World, it’s the cumulative little things that leave a lasting impression and make a big difference, even if they don’t distinctly stick out in your mind.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you taken this E-Ticket Expedition yet? Where would it rank for you among the top additions of the year at Walt Disney World? Any deep thoughts of your own on transportation and/or walkability at Walt Disney World? Are you looking forward to this path between the TTC and Magic Kingdom? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I know this is all about the GF Walkway, but I will have to put in a good word about taking a Disney bus at this time. We just got back from four nights a Kidani Village and took buses to Epcot, MK, AK and DS. We had zero problems and got on a bus every time without any wait. Bus drivers were pleasant and excellent drivers. Kidani to Epcot was about 13.5to 15 minutes. To MK was about 15.5 minutes. To DS was about 21 minutes. AK was too short to even clock. I used the stopwatch on my phone and started it as the bus left the terminal to when the bus arrived at the drop off spot. Plus we met some of the nicest people either waiting for the bus or on the bus.
I can’t speak to the buses right now as we haven’t used them, but your sentiment seems to be increasingly common–so that’s good. In fairness, the bus service had been improving for the last few years pre-closure (although the MDX wait times were starting to become less accurate).
I’m just anti-buses in general. Whether it be at Walt Disney World, or really anywhere.
Funny that on our last two trips (this past week and in August) we opted to rent a car and drive and one of the things I missed was taking the Magical Express from and to the airport and also using the buses to the parks. I think using Disney transportation is part of the overall experience and not having to deal with parking and driving is nice too.
Can anyone who’s walked the path verify whether a walker who’s going from GF to Contemporary (passing through MK area) would be subject to security at the MK?
Yes, but they’re the new contactless scanners so it takes all of 5 seconds.
I absolutely can’t wait to walk on that path. This is one of my favorite things about WDW. The serene views and awesome atmosphere on that path would be an E ticket for me too! This is why I loved staying at the Port Orleans resorts. They have great walking paths too. Thanks for update Tom and Sarah!!
Do we know if the GF-MK path is fully accessible all 24 hours? or is there a gate down in the wee hours of the morning/full darkness? I like to do pre-sunrise walks and just want to plan ahead…thanks!
There are gates along the path and I’d imagine that it does close after the parks since the walkway goes right up to the front of Magic Kingdom. When it closes and opens (and where), I’m not sure.
I was able to run this path this path Friday morning. I approached the closed gate at the bridge and noticed two cast members about to open the get. They did at just before 7 AM and told me to ‘keep on running’. I got to the MK and had to turn around as they would not let me through to the the Contemporary. They said I would be able to do so about 8 AM when the MK opened. However, my running mate arrived at MK about 10 minutes after I did and would have been able to go on, she said.
So – based on this limited excursion, I assume that the bridge gate will open 2 hours before the MK and then one can run/walk through the MK entry way at one hour before the MK official opening time. But as with anything Disney, that can always change.
FYI – I ran from my room at the DVC in the GF, to MK and then to the Poly with a loop around the DVC buildings and back to my hotel. The total distance was 3.5 miles. If one can loop around the Contemporary, I am thinking that would be a 5-miler.
And as TB noted – the path is wide. I am thinking it might be used for a RunDisney event sometime. Or maybe there will be another hotel in that part of town one day that can use that path.
Anything is better than being packed into the herd exiting Magic Kingdom at the end of the night. Trying to leave the park at closing time is a genuinely miserable experience that I dread. I’ll take a mile and a half walk over that ANY time.
Agreed. Pre-COVID, we always left MK prior to Happily Ever After to avoid chaos.
Great review Tom, “serene saunter”? I had to look that one up LOL, but I’ve been waiting for this thing to open sense I saw the construction equipment move on site the first couple of days it started. May have to figure out how to get down there in the next week or two just for this, (I know that would be odd) and what I would hope to be perfect weather for an evening stroll!
Soooo very excited for this and absolutely love your post and writing!! Thank you as always!! â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
This walkway really is a big deal! I love being in control of my own destiny when it comes to transportation. Far too often we will be leaving magic kingdom at the end of the night and the monorail will be down and we can’t get back to the TTC without waiting a super long time for the bus or boat. I’d rather just walk to the TTC from magic kingdom, but that has never been an option. Now it is!
How was the security checkpoint coming from the path to the Magic Kingdom? Does it meet up with the existing stations by the boats, or does it have its own setup?
“Does it meet up with the existing stations by the boats…?”
Yes. It has the new contactless bag scanners, which I believe are everywhere now. Incredibly fast.
This is really going to be a game changer for those of us staying at Shades of Green, especially now with the Poly monorail station temporarily closed.
Where do you go through security then if you walk to MK?
This is one of my favorite reviews so far 🙂 Though I may never get around to staying at the Grand Floridian, I will make a point of finding this walkway…perhaps I will stay at the Poly someday…or maybe I’ll just walk because the Journey is indeed the best part of adventuring.
Ditto!
“I’m trying to convince Sarah to ride the monorail and ‘race’ me from Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian and TTC, so stay tuned for that (maybe).”
Yes, please make this happen! We have GF booked as part of a split stay next Feb-March. Can’t wait to use the walkway!
Tom, I have a fear of reptiles, including snakes and gators. I do wonder if there is any chance of running across either of these on the walking paths.
Thank you
We saw a lot of frogs. Much smaller than alligators and less scary than snakes, but amphibians are “almost” reptiles.
While I’ll likely never stay at these resorts, I love that this option is there! I’d like to dine at some of the restaurants, and do prefer walking over other forms of transportation as well. 🙂
I’m a sucker for walkable resorts. Had no desire to stay at GF before, and now I can’t wait to try it
Tom I really think we could be friends. My own 2 feet are by far my favourite mode of Disney Transport. Which is a huge reason we love the BC/BW area. Walking to 2 parks?? I used to love the walkway between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge as well. We even like walking between Kidani and Jambo . This new pathway is far overdue. Being able to walk all the way around opens up so many options for dining and resort hopping without having to deal with a packed monorail and long lines. Even at park close when we’re all exhausted, walking back to the resort is so calming. Thanks for this report and hopefully we’ll be back in 2021 to take it all in.
This may not affect your “walkway rankings” but I have a feeling it may vault the Grand Floridian up a few spots in your Deluxe Resort Rankings!
I don’t know about a few spots, but it definitely will have a positive impact. Probably more so for the Villas at Grand Floridian than the main resort; we previously gave Bay Lake Tower a lot of points for its walk to Magic Kingdom. In my view, there’s almost no reason to book BLT over VGF now (aside from an absence of availability).
And I thought I was the only one to have this much excitement for a walking path! Can’t wait to try it next month!
What can I say–we love to walk!
I’m with you Neil!!
We’re staying at the Poly in January with no monorail access. I’m looking forward to this walkway. Not relying on Disney transportation is a great thing.
For what it’s worth, the Poly Villas are actually a shorter walk to the TTC monorail than they are to the Poly’s monorail–so you still have the superior monorail access.
Not trying to discourage you from using the walkway, but it’s worth pointing out because I think a lot of people don’t realize this. Have a great trip! 🙂
Being a Poly Villas veteran, I agree with Tom on the TTC especially at the end of the night at MK when you can chose ferry, express monorail, or resort monorail. TTC is next door to Pago Pago and Moorea buildings.