Walt Disney World visitors have always had a variety of transportation options for arriving at the Magic Kingdom, including ferryboats, buses, and the iconic monorail. Now, they’ve got another viable vehicle—on their own two feet—because a new walking path around the Seven Seas Lagoon opened late last year, providing pedestrian access between the theme park and neighboring resort hotels.
There has long been a sidewalk connecting Disney’s Contemporary Resort with the Magic Kingdom, but for decades the walkway on the west side of the Seven Seas Lagoon has been inaccessible. That all changed in late 2020 with the completion of a walking path connecting the Magic Kingdom with the Grand Floridian Resort and Polynesian Village Resort.
To take a virtual stroll from the comfort of your couch, start by watching this complete POV video of the walk from the Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center, passing through the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village Resorts:
As you can see, the walking path from the Magic Kingdom to TTC is a little under 2 miles long, and takes less than 30 minutes at a brisk pace. That may make it a smart choice for returning to your car on peak evenings when the wait for the monorail and ferry exceeds half an hour. However, there are a few things to be aware of before beginning your hike.
Start your walk to the left of the monorail station, following the signs for the resort launches.
The initial portion of the walking path provides great views of the monorail track and Grand Floridian.
There are also plenty of benches along the way, in case you need to pause.
Reaching the Grand Floridian Resort takes about 9 minutes. Bear left at the service vehicle driveway to walk through the hotel’s public areas.
Continue to the left at the Grand Floridian pool complex, and follow the beach past the wedding pavilion.
You should arrive at the Polynesian Village Resort about 18 minutes after departing the Magic Kingdom.
This property is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, so beware of construction walls constricting the pathways.
You can either cut through the Polynesian’s Great Ceremonial House (where Trader Sam’s is still sadly shuttered) or bear left along the shoreline to circumvent the pool complex.
The Poly’s pathways can be very confusing even for veteran visitors, especially after dark.
To reach the Transportation and Ticket center, follow signs for the Pago Pago building, then look for the narrow pathway to the left of the adjoining parking lot.
My stroll around the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom to the TTC took at total of 26 minutes, and it added a few thousand steps to my daily count. Keep this option in mind the next time you are making your way around the Walt Disney World Resort!
For all there is to see and do at Walt Disney World, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, or to plan your family’s trip to Orlando, check out The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our newsletter here. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
