13 Astonishingly Great Hotels in the EPCOT Area

The Epcot resort area at Disney World is my family’s TOP pick for best place to stay. Not only do the hotels near Epcot feature easy access to this popular theme park; but, they also offer tons of extra perks and entertainment options. Whether you’re interested in finding the closest resort to Epcot for a quick walk to the park or you don’t mind taking the boat or Skyliner, the hotels in our list feature fast and easy access to and from the Epcot theme park.

This area of the Walt Disney World Resort is a great spot to stay because it provides simple ways to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well. Plus, the Disney resorts near Epcot feature a prime spot near the Disney Boardwalk, which is full of all kinds of fun activities. If you’re looking for the best Disney resorts near Epcot, continue reading below for our full guide to the hotel options near the theme park. We’ll also provide tips and information on the resorts to help you further decide which one is best for your family!

Best Disney Hotels near Epcot

My family and I love the Epcot resort area so much that we make sure to spend at least one night in one of these hotels on each trip. Even if we are planning a stay at a separate Disney resort away from Epcot, we try to throw in a night at the beginning or end of our trip in the Epcot resort area. The atmosphere of the Disney Boardwalk and Crescent Lake provide both excitement and tranquility in this beautiful resort area. Below, we will provide a full guide to the Disney World hotels near Epcot, including pros and cons for staying at each one.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort (Closest Hotel to Epcot)

Disney’s Beach Club Resort is one of the closest hotels to Epcot as it sits just a 5 minute walk away from the International Gateway (World Showcase) entrance to the park. We love that some of the rooms at Disney’s Beach Club face Epcot and even have views of the fireworks from the balconies.

Speaking of balconies, the one negative to staying at the Beach Club Resort is that some of the guest rooms don’t feature full size balconies with chairs. Instead, these rooms offer Juliette style balconies that are pretty small and allow for standing only.

If a full balcony is important to you, you can request this during online check in or once you arrive at the hotel. However, it can’t be guaranteed that you will receive this type of balcony. Not only does the Beach Club offer a close proximity to Epcot, but it also features some of the best amenities on Disney property. Stormalong Bay, the main pool at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, is arguably the best pool at Walt Disney World.

This massive resort swimming pool features a shallow sand bottom pool, a lazy river, additional swimming space, a large water slide, and a small waterslide. The pool also offers daily activities and games, including volleyball, limbo, etc. Since Stormalong Bay is so popular, it can get quite crowded, especially if you’re looking for a lounge chair. If you are wanting to enjoy a more relaxing pool experience, you can swim or sunbathe at the quieter Beach Club Pool.

In addition to the amazing swimming areas, Disney’s Beach Club Resort offers multiple dining opportunities. Guests can enjoy quick service spots like the Beach Club Marketplace or dine at Cape May for a seafood feast. This is the same restaurant where you’ll find the breakfast character meal: Minnie’s Beach Bash. Plus, don’t forget to stop in at Beaches and Cream for a delicious burger or famous ice cream!

Disney’s Beach Club Villas

While Disney’s Beach Club Villas shares restaurants and amenities with the Beach Club Resort, it’s technically a separate hotel. Though, it’s important to note that you can easily move between the two resorts via a covered walkway. We love the Beach Club Villas because they seem much quieter than the bustling lobby of the Beach Club Resort side.

The balconies in the villas also feature full size spaces with chairs to enjoy sitting outside. One downside to staying at the Beach Club Villas is that you have to leave the building to get to the restaurants at the main property. However, this really isn’t a problem due to the short path mentioned above.

On a side note, my family and I have stayed at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, which is set up as separate buildings spread out across the property. We were not fans of the layout, and it quickly became a pain to leave our building to grab a quick snack or drink in the main building. I say all of that to assure you that the separation between Disney’s Beach Club Villas and the Beach Club Resort is not a big deal at all. We would totally stay at the villas again and don’t mind the short walk to the resort.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is located just a short walk away from the Epcot Theme Park. When you exit Epcot via the International Gateway, you just take a left at the bridge to head to the Boardwalk Inn. Note that this bridge is also a great place to watch the Epcot fireworks outside of the park. We like to grab ice cream and find a spot on the bridge to watch the nightly show without the crowds that are present inside the park.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is home to its own fun swimming area known as Luna Park Pool. Although it’s not as elaborate as the pool at Disney’s Beach Club, the Boardwalk Inn pool features nice features like a large water slide that kids love. The Boardwalk Inn also offers lots of dining options as guests have easy access to the hotel’s dining options and the restaurants that sit on the Disney Boardwalk.

While my family and I prefer Disney’s Beach Club area because of the swimming pool, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is also a great spot to stay if you’re looking for the closest hotels to Epcot. Plus, we find the prices for the Boardwalk Inn are often lower than those at the Beach Club which is an added perk.

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas

Disney’s Boardwalk Villas sits right next to the Inn, and the two share restaurants and amenities. The Boardwalk Villas are slightly farther away from Epcot since you have to walk past the Boardwalk Inn in order to get to the Villas. However, this only adds a few extra minutes to the walk.

My family and I love the Boardwalk Villas because they offer convenient access to Epcot, restaurants, and amenities. Plus, you’re just steps away from the activities and entertainment on the Disney Boardwalk.

And if you decide to venture off to the other nearby theme park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’re a short 20-minute walk away. Or you can hop on the Friendship Boat for a leisurely ride to that park since this second theme park is just a short boat ride away from Disney’s Boardwalk Villas.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort 

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is one of my favorite hotels on Disney property. I love the nautical decor, quiet lobby, guest rooms with full balconies, and the amazing pool. Since Disney’s Yacht Club is the sister resort to the Beach Club, these hotels share amenities and restaurants. Therefore, families staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort have full access to Stormalong Bay and all its amazing features.

We love the Ale and Compass restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club as it offers a great selection of items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While the Yacht Club sits a bit further away from the theme park compared to the Disney Beach Club, Epcot is still under a ten-minute walk away.

You can read more about this amazing Epcot resort in our Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. In that post, we go into more detail about this hotel and its convenient location to multiple Disney parks.

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Although it’s not within walking distance of the Epcot theme park, Disney’s Riviera Resort offers easy access to the park via the Disney Skyliner. Guests at the Riviera Resort can hop on the Disney Skyliner, which sits just steps away from the hotel. The ride to Epcot is nonstop and takes just under 10 minutes. Once you walk off the Skyliner at Epcot, you’ll enter the park through the International Gateway entrance near the World Showcase.

This means that the Riviera Resort also features access to Disney’s Boardwalk area. If you do not have Disney park tickets while staying at Disney’s Riviera Resort, you could easily spend time exploring the Boardwalk area.

In addition to its great location, Disney’s Riviera Resort also features easy access to Hollywood Studios (via the Skyliner), a fun pool area, multiple dining options (including a character meal), and beautiful theming.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Similar to the Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort features Skyliner access to Epcot. As mentioned above, the Skyliner drops off passengers at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot.

If you’re looking for a less pricey option for your Disney vacation, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is one of the moderate resorts, which means that it typically comes with a lower price tag. While you will be missing out on some of the extra amenities that come with a deluxe Disney hotel, the Caribbean Beach Resort is still a great place to stay.

Guests at this hotel have easy access (via the Skyliner) to Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk, and more. Plus, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort features its own fun pool and dining options.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort

In addition to the Skyliner resorts and the hotels within walking distance to Epcot that we mentioned above, Disney World features several hotels that offer monorail access to Epcot. However, most of these hotels require you to board the resort monorail and switch over to the Epcot monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

While the monorail ride from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Epcot usually takes around 15 minutes, the additional travel time for the resort monorail line plus the time you spend waiting in lines could put your trip to Epcot at around 40 minutes.

The exception to this possible lengthy monorail travel time is Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Guests at the Polynesian Resort can easily walk over to the Transportation and Ticket Center to board the Epcot monorail. Even after walking and waiting in line, the trip to Epcot shouldn’t take too much longer than the 15 minute monorail ride.

Since Disney’s Polynesian Resort features views of and easy access to the Magic Kingdom, it’s a super popular hotel for visitors to Disney World. If you’re interested in learning more about our experience at this hotel, You can check out our Honest Review of the Polynesian Resort at Disney World.

While I won’t go into a ton of detail about our thoughts on this hotel since I provide a full review in the article above, I will say that the Epcot area hotels mentioned above rank higher on our list of the best deluxe hotels at Disney World. While Disney’s Polynesian Resort features great theming and convenient access to multiple parks, there were several aspects of the hotel that we did not love.

That being said, Disney’s Polynesian Resort ranks on the top of many families’ bucket lists. If you are interested in staying at this hotel but are looking for more moderate prices, we highly recommend pricing out rooms on David’s Vacation Rentals website.

My family and I were able to book a studio villa at the Polynesian for a discounted price by using David’s website. And we even had views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our balcony! You can read our full Disney Polynesian Villas Studio Review in this post.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

I’m grouping Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts into the same category because they share Skyliner access to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Since you would have to make stops on the Skyliner, the ride to Epcot typically takes just under 20 minutes. Because of this longer travel time, I debated including these two hotels in this post. However, I wanted to incorporate some Disney value resorts into the article.

Since these two hotels feature Skyliner access, they offer an extra convenience in addition to the typical bus transportation that you find at most value resorts. That being said, many of the Disney resorts on property sit within a 20-minute bus ride of Epcot.

Overall, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort offer nice access to the International Gateway entrance of Epcot. This also allows these hotels to sit just a short ride away from the Disney Boardwalk area and additional Disney hotels. So, you could easily schedule dining reservations and character meals at places like Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century resorts are popular value hotels for visitors to Disney World. In addition to the cheaper prices, the hotels offer great theming. Families love the family suites that are available at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in particular. Although, I would make sure you compare the prices for this suite with those of a deluxe hotel since they tend to be comparable.

Other Hotels Near Epcot

The hotels that we mentioned above are all Disney brand hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort. It’s important to note that there are additional hotels located in the Epcot area.

While technically not Disney hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan, Walt Disney World Dolphin, and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve sit just under a 15 minute walk away from Epcot’s International Gateway. These three hotels are affiliated with the Marriott brand, so you can use your Bonvoy points on a reservation if you are a member. 

The Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve feature their own swimming pools and restaurants. Plus, guests at these Epcot area hotels are just steps away from Disney’s Boardwalk and everything it has to offer. If you would rather not walk to Epcot or to Hollywood Studios, you can hop on the Friendship Boat for a leisurely ride to the theme parks from these hotels. 

Prices for Epcot Resorts

It comes as no surprise that many of the Epcot resorts at Walt Disney World tend to cost more than some of the other Disney hotels. This is because the hotels that are near Epcot offer much more than a bed to sleep in at night.

In reality, these deluxe resorts include prime locations and convenient amenities that you can’t get at some of the cheaper Disney resorts. If you’re interested in experiencing the luxury and convenience of the Disney resorts near Epcot without shelling out a ton of money, we have a super helpful tip!

Before booking any of the Epcot area hotels for the listed price, my family and I always look into renting DVC points. To do this, we visit the David’s Vacation Club Rentals website to price out the available rooms for our vacation dates. This is a really simple process where you select the cost calculator on David’s website and type in your dates. This will pull up a calendar that shows which resorts at Disney World are available on your selected dates as well as the total price for your trip.

When you compare the nightly room price to the one listed on other hotel websites, you’ll be shocked to see the vast difference in rates. My family and I typically save hundreds of dollars per night when booking our stay through David’s website. This is also a great way to snag a suite at Disney World for a more affordable price. You can often book a 1-bedroom (or even a 2-bedroom) suite for the price of a regular sized room. The suites are great for families because they include a full kitchen, separate living/sleeping areas, balconies, and a washer/dryer.

If you have never used David’s Vacation Club Rentals, you’re really missing out! We highly suggest pricing out your trip on this super reputable website prior to booking anywhere else. You’ll be able to search for rooms at all of the Epcot area Deluxe Villas, including the Boardwalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. You can read all about how the process works in our post on the top DVC rental site!

Final Thoughts on Disney Resorts near Epcot

Overall, my family and I feel like the Epcot area offers the best places to stay at Walt Disney World. Even as toddlers, my kids loved spending time at the Epcot Theme Park since it features a Frozen ride, Anna and Elsa meeting spots, and Nemo attractions.

With the addition of the Remy ride in the World Showcase, Epcot really is a great park for kids of all ages. The resorts near Epcot allow visitors to enter through the International Gateway, which is a huge bonus since the lines are much calmer on this side.

Plus, the Epcot area hotels offer easy access to the Disney Skyliner, Disney Boardwalk, Friendship Boats, Hollywood Studios, and more. This means that you have plenty of activities and entertainment options at your fingertips even if you aren’t visiting a park.

If you’re looking to kill time on your arrival or departure day, the Disney Epcot resorts have plenty of activities to offer as well as lots of places to dine. We hope you have a magical time on your Walt Disney World vacation no matter where you ultimately choose to stay! So, what do you think? What’s the best Disney hotel near Epcot? Comment below to share your thoughts!