Boats to MK in the evening, what do you think?

[AuburnJen92]

I know I might be opening up a can of worms here, but here it goes...

After staying at the fort for 7 days, I have noticed a particular problem that I will be bringing to Disney's attention in the coming days. Every evening after 3pm, the route changes for the MK boats, The Cataways, Mermaid I, and Bon Voyage. (the bigger boats of the fleet) Instead of going to MK, FW and then to WL, they change routes after 3pm to MK, WL, and then FW. I found VERY long lines to MK every evening at the fort on the dock and found out why one night when we were coming "home" from MK. We hit WL and there was a huge line to get to MK to see the evening's activities. When we got to the Fort, there was a huge line there as well, but only 10 or so people could board the boat after the few of us got off because the boat was full of WL people. Now, I am not saying the WL people don't have a right to go to MK, but they have 3 boats. Why can't they get one of the boats to go the opposite way of the other two and give the FW people the same opportunity as WL people get? It seems to me that the FW people are getting the short end of the deal. Thoughts?

[rapriebe]

Yes, I have noticed this several times also and found it very frustrating. It really does short change the people at FW because they have to wait for several boats inorder to get to MK. They really need to have one going in each direction.

[HappyDznyCamper]

Hate to say it but, it is done that way so the guests of the WL don't have to spend as much time on the boat. In the AM they are last on and in the PM they are first off. As a regular camper I agree it isn't right but the campground is often treated like a "stepchild".

[AuburnJen92]

I have heard from several people I goto Disney with that if enough people write to them and express their views, sometimes they do listen. I am at least going to try for the FW people that have to stand out in the heat this summer. I just couldn't stand watching them swelter like that. :confused: Oh, and by the way...my mother added that she paid as much as the WL people to stay in the cabins and wondered why they got "preferential treatment" as she called it.

[stacktester]

I feel the same way. I don't mind when the boat uses the outside of the dock because it doesn't take as long but when they use the inside it takes a while. I like getting a little more excercise so we've been going directly to the CR and walking over to the MK.

Oh and by the way, riding the buses is very similar. I hate riding from Epcot because the bus goes to WL 1st and then drives all the way back towards the TTC and goes back to the outpost. That after a long long day in the park with crowds and heat sucks. That's why I drive. As far as the MK boat trip goes though, I just try and relax and enjoy the view. I don't have a toddler though like some or a sleeping fussy baby in my lap so I know that can be frustrating.

[GbG]

It boils down to attempting to treat higher paying customers better. If I were paying the price of WL per night as opposed to the cost of FW per night, I'd expect shorter rides too.

[Gatordad]

then get the special folks a special boat to ride extra special fast to the disney.

I find it such a pain as well...... maybe you can tell the boat captain you have a pre-vo, and he'll skip the other stop! lol

[mousebrain]

Take the other boat (blue I believe) to the CL and take the monorail to the MK. I hate lines.... I would rather walk a little more and be moving than just standing. You can also walk from the CL if I am right it is not too far.

Mousebrain
:hippie:

[terri01p]

then get the special folks a special boat to ride extra special fast to the disney.

I find it such a pain as well...... maybe you can tell the boat captain you have a pre-vo, and he'll skip the other stop! lol


LOL...:lmao: :lmao:

Yea, we noticed this too, don't even get us started..;)

[Colson39]

Take the other boat (blue I believe) to the CL and take the monorail to the MK. I hate lines.... I would rather walk a little more and be moving than just standing. You can also walk from the CL if I am right it is not too far.

Mousebrain
:hippie:

Great suggestion, sometimes it just takes a little thought ;)

I don't like that they do it, but I understand why they do it. We often have come out of the MK to see the long line waiting for the FW/WL boats, and we do the exact same thing, we hop on the Monorail, go to the Contemporary, and either mill around a bit or just head on to a boat from there to the Fort.

It can easily be much faster depending on the length of the line. Plus I never complain about getting to spend a little time in the Contemporary (unless we REALLY want to get back to the Fort...lol).

[tellnotails]

then get the special folks a special boat to ride extra special fast to the disney.

I find it such a pain as well...... maybe you can tell the boat captain you have a pre-vo, and he'll skip the other stop! lol



Don't go hate'n on the Prevomaddonas........:lmao:

[Colson39]

Don't go hate'n on the Prevomaddonas........:lmao:

:sad2:

You know, some people that own Prevosts DO read this board, it's not very nice to continue to call them names. Just saying :/

[WDWFWfan]

I agree, it's a money issue. The boat schedules are established to ensure that WL guests have a seat. I understand why they do it, I just do not agree with it.

[mickeymouse1017]

We were told by the boat captain a few weeks ago that the reason that the boats change at 3 is to help the people at WL get to FW for the Hoop Dee Do on time. It makes sense but I preferred it when the boat went to straight to MK and straight back. Boy am I spoiled!

[Gillian]

Do they have a lot more people at WL than FW? With the VWL plus the hotel, it seems like a ton of people could be staying there.

I love riding the boats but hate lines and crowds so we end up driving a lot. Good tip about the contemporary going home from MK.

[Colson39]

Do they have a lot more people at WL than FW? With the VWL plus the hotel, it seems like a ton of people could be staying there.

I love riding the boats but hate lines and crowds so we end up driving a lot. Good tip about the contemporary going home from MK.

I don't think it is a matter of occupancy but a matter of what rate is charged. Most people pay a lot more for a WL room than they do at the campground. It's not right in the sense, but it is a business.

If any of us were running a business, and wanted to run it succesfully, who would you make the boat traffic run to? The higher paying or the lower paying? I love the Fort, and I would love to see everyone get equal treatment, but in a business, those who pay the most are going to get the best treatment. Sorry to say, but it's been that way for a long time, everywhere :/

[terri01p]

I don't think it is a matter of occupancy but a matter of what rate is charged. Most people pay a lot more for a WL room than they do at the campground. It's not right in the sense, but it is a business.

If any of us were running a business, and wanted to run it succesfully, who would you make the boat traffic run to? The higher paying or the lower paying? I love the Fort, and I would love to see everyone get equal treatment, but in a business, those who pay the most are going to get the best treatment. Sorry to say, but it's been that way for a long time, everywhere :/

Colson39, if you put things in perpective, us campers still spend about as much at WDW as the folks at WL, on our last trip we dropped 3500.00 easy at WDW on camp site, food, etc...so don't sell us short, we still can pop down some money even in a tt.

[Colson39]

lol, I'm not saying that campers don't spend money ;) I'm sure campers can easily spend more than people staying at WL.

That wasn't my point though. The AVERAGE camper will not spend as much money as the average WL "resident", you're talking about 70-80 buck at most campsites (or cabins at 200-300), compared to rooms that average 200-300 and can go much higher than that.

There is no way that campers spend as much money as people at the WL on average, it's just plain economics. The average room at the WL is way more than the average "room" at FW, so right there it is already out of whack. Yes, campers spend money on food, but most campers also bring their own food. And the WL has gift shops just like the Fort does.

I wasn't claiming at all that campers can't spend as much or more than someone staying at the WL. But the WL is considered a "Deluxe" resort for a reason :)

[lrab1126]

that totally stinks...I will be keeping that in mind for august. As for catering to the high paying resort guests...what we pay for the 4 of us to stay at the cabins is no cheap venture, there is less than a 100 difference for us between the 2 resorts. I love the boats as well so we will use it for MK and probably to get the monorial to epcot. Before WL was there, riding the coats was such a breeze.

[tellnotails]

Fort.........blue collar

WL...........white collar



I'm fine with that.......;)

[Colson39]

I don't think either of them are blue collar OR white collar. There is no differentiation between the two as to the "class" of people that stay at them, since both types stay at either resort.

As a previous poster stated, you can easily spend more money at the Fort (and have a much more expensive camper) than you can at the WL. That holds true of any resort though.

[tellnotails]

Your prolly right......



I walked through the parking lot of WL and could not believe all the BMWs and LEXUS parked there........:car:

[Colson39]

....Or all the million dollar Prevosts parked at FW. There is no "type" of person that stays at either.

And last time I checked, there are BMWs and LEXUS at EVERY parking lot in Disney, the Fort included.

You yourself have complained many times about the "rich" people at the Fort, now you're claiming that only blue collar people stay at the Fort????

[tellnotails]

Well i'm glad we agree on the Pevomadonnas.......;)


The averages would point to the Fort being>>>>----->blue collar


Thats why i love the Fort :love:

[Colson39]

Well i'm glad we agree on the Pevomadonnas.......

I don't see what we agree with on them, and once again, could you stop with the name calling of people that own Prevosts? People that own Prevosts DO read this board, and I'm sure they really don't appreciate being called names insulting them. I really find it insulting to them, I don't own a Prevost, and I don't have tons of money, but I would sure be insulted if someone was running around here calling me "Trailer Trash" or something because I didn't have tons of money.

I do agree however that the Fort on average is less expensive to stay at, although last I checked Disney trips aren't cheap to begin with...lol ;)

[tellnotails]

edit away....:sad2:

[Colson39]

Yes, editing is allowed on these boards. Sometimes we decide to add stuff after we post instead of creating an entirely new post about it. I don't know why you feel the need to point that out every single time though :)

Hopefully you got the point of my post, no one wants to be called names on this board ;)

[tellnotails]

or delete........



I try to stand by my word ......the first time .....;)

[Colson39]

Anyone else have any good ideas on how to get to the MK faster rather than the old Contemporary trick?

Although I can't really think of one, the options are rather limited but maybe there is something with the boat schedules that would help out.

[Gatordad]

take one of the now defunct nemo submarines.... they board to the right river country.

[big kahuna1]

You can try and get one of the boat patrols to take you but I don't think they will.

I prefer the boat to the Contemporary and then the Monorail myself unless the boat is hitting the MK first.

[Colson39]

What do you think, is it faster to continue to walk over to the MK or to attempt to take the monorail? Every time we walk I forget that it's not as short of a walk as it appears (although it's not an overly long walk either), so unless you happen to have to wait a while for a Monorail I wonder if there is any time advantage.

[tellnotails]

When you walk.....

wait at the base of the Cont. look up and remember the color of the mono entering and then begin walking.....

my guess is you will beat it every time...;)

[Colson39]

Well, it depends on how early you're going, early on I don't think all the monorails will be stopping at the Ticket and Transporation center, and if that's the case you could easily get there about the same time.

Either way, I guess it depends on your mood. Sometimes it's nice to take the walk in the morning, while in the afternoon it's probably nicer to be in the monorail.

[tellnotails]

It seems to me that the FW people are getting the short end of the deal.


It seems like the little guy can't win these days .......reservations:mad: .....dining deals:mad: .......HDDR prices:mad:....

[Colson39]

It seems like the little guy can't win these days .......reservations .....dining deals .......HDDR prices....

Hey, I'm not rich and I have no problem getting reservations! Now paying for it is a different story :rotfl:

[big kahuna1]

I'll bet it is quicker to walk but when it is 9000 degress out like it is now then I prefer any air conditioning I can get...even if it is only to the entrance.:cool1:

[AuburnJen92]

Take the other boat (blue I believe) to the CL and take the monorail to the MK. I hate lines.... I would rather walk a little more and be moving than just standing. You can also walk from the CL if I am right it is not too far.

Mousebrain
:hippie:

That is what we had to do.

[Colson39]

Plus it's always kind of cool to see all the stones that people had made, and you get to see a lot of them on the way from the Contemporary to the Magic Kingodm.

[AuburnJen92]

I don't think it is a matter of occupancy but a matter of what rate is charged. Most people pay a lot more for a WL room than they do at the campground. It's not right in the sense, but it is a business.

If any of us were running a business, and wanted to run it succesfully, who would you make the boat traffic run to? The higher paying or the lower paying? I love the Fort, and I would love to see everyone get equal treatment, but in a business, those who pay the most are going to get the best treatment. Sorry to say, but it's been that way for a long time, everywhere :/

Yes, but what about the people, like my parents, who spend a boatload of money, like the WL people, to stay in the cabins? They are priced at the regular hotel rates, but they are treated like the FW folks. Just mentioning that if you use that argument, it works, but there is a flaw there.

[AuburnJen92]

What do you think, is it faster to continue to walk over to the MK or to attempt to take the monorail? Every time we walk I forget that it's not as short of a walk as it appears (although it's not an overly long walk either), so unless you happen to have to wait a while for a Monorail I wonder if there is any time advantage.

We tried it both ways last time...walking and riding the monorail from the Contemporary. They both took about the same amount of time and the monorail was much cooler!:thumbsup2

[Colson39]

Yes, but what about the people, like my parents, who spend a boatload of money, like the WL people, to stay in the cabins? They are priced at the regular hotel rates, but they are treated like the FW folks. Just mentioning that if you use that argument, it works, but there is a flaw there.

Correct, except that is ONLY the cabins, which is not most of the Fort. ALL the rooms at the WL cost what a cabin costs or more. It's just a law of averages, which was my point, I do understand that the cabins are more in line more with the deluxe resort rates. Also, let's not forget that the cabins can hold a maximum of 6 people, where as the WL max occupancy is 4. This means that 6 people would have to spend more at the WL than at the Fort. And I'm talking just the main part of the WL here, not even getting started on how much the Villas cost (which AVERAGE 400 bucks a night throughout the year)

I'm not saying it's wrong or right, and once again, I'm not saying that people at the Fort can't spend as much money. I'm sorry to say though the "average" WL person is spending more money than the "average" FW camper. Of course there are extremes, but even with that the extremes for the Wilderness Lodge can go much higher than they can at the Fort. It's not a matter of diminishing anything, but I'm stating why I understand why the boats are doing what they do.

There is an easy solution. More boats!!! lol ;)

[AuburnJen92]

I'm not saying it's wrong or right, and once again, I'm not saying that people at the Fort can't spend as much money. I'm sorry to say though the "average" WL person is spending more money than the "average" FW camper. Of course there are extremes, but even with that the extremes for the Wilderness Lodge can go much higher than they can at the Fort. It's not a matter of diminishing anything, but I'm stating why I understand why the policy was put in place.

It is unfortunate that the policy does have to be in place, because even the people who see the Hoop Dee Doo at the early show are at a disadvantage too because the line does not go down for a while. I agree with you that the law of averages do prevail here. It is just unfortunate that they have >3< boats, and they could alleviate this problem by providing their guests with one boat that goes the opposite way. It is a big lake, they can go around each other!:rolleyes1

I also agree with the fact that the people at the fort do spend the money at Disney as well. If you think of it this way, if they spend less on a space, that leaves more to spend in the parks, restaurants, novelties, etc. Many people who stay at the resorts and spend the really big money do it once or twice in a lifetime. Most people I have met at the fort (like myself) go over and over again and spend more over a period of time than the once or twicers. I know, I know, Disney looks at the yearly stats. People have made the same argument with the annual passes and money spending too. I just think my suggestion was a really easy way to solve a major congestion problem.

[Colson39]

Wait, I have the perfect solution!

We should all just rent the little Mickey Mouse boats, the two seaters, and we can start ferrying each other back and forth!!

"Wait, you mean I can't pull right up on shore next to the Magic Kingdom???"

;)

[AuburnJen92]

Hey now....Finally! An idea worth considering! (I wonder if they are giving them out.....):rotfl2:

[shafke]

I remember one time a few years ago we were on the launch from CR back to WL. This was one of the Halloween party nights. We saw one of the big ferries that travel from the TTC to the MK travelling on the lake. I thought maybe they were taking it out service or something. As we approach FW it turns out they had a huge line... down the dock and up the path... of people waiting for the boat to MK and they sent the big ferry to pick them up. I wish I had taken a picture of that.

[HappyDznyCamper]

I remember one time a few years ago we were on the launch from CR back to WL. This was one of the Halloween party nights. We saw one of the big ferries that travel from the TTC to the MK travelling on the lake. I thought maybe they were taking it out service or something. As we approach FW it turns out they had a huge line... down the dock and up the path... of people waiting for the boat to MK and they sent the big ferry to pick them up. I wish I had taken a picture of that.

I was on that boat(and slightly mad by the time it arrived), we had been on the dock awhile and 2 boats had already come from WL and were so full only one or two groups could get on.