? about boats from hotel to parks

[ChuckGA]

Are the boats from the Universal hotels rather quick like the ones from Grand Floridian/Polynesian to MK or are they really slow like the ones between Epcot and MGM so it takes 20-30 minutes from hotel to park?

 

[Bluer101]

It depends on the time of day. First in the morning around 7:30-8:00 the normally run every 10 minutes and could be less. Then as the day continued it might jump to 10-15 minutes. When it gets closer to park closing time it will be like the morning.

 

[damo]

It takes about 5 minutes to get to the parks from the Portofino and Royal Pacific by boat. It is faster to walk to the parks from the HardRock than take the boat.

 

[ChuckGA]

I guess I should have been clearer but I think the question was answered anyway.

When we have stayed at the Yacht Club on Disney, I was very frustrated with the boat to MGM because it was so slow but walking seemed like a waste of energy for that distance. Plus it was near impossible to make opening by the time the boats got started and then creeped on over to MGM. However at Grand Floridian or Polynesian I looked forward to a nice quick boat ride over the MK and preferred it to the monorail, which I also love. So we are trying to decide between the HRH and PBH and I am concerned that the walk might be little long (very hard to tell from the maps or satellite photos) and the boats might be slow if we chose PBH.

 

[damo]

HRH has a walk of about 3 minutes to Universal. About 8 to Islands of Adventure.

Portofino has a walk of about 12 minutes if you follow the path, 7 minutes if you go the shortcut. If the boat it there it is faster to take the boat. If the boat isn't there we usually walk.

 

[Guitar Player]

We stayed at both hotels and without a doubt the HRH boat comes more frequently and more often due to the fact that it is closest to the park and the boat keeps going back and forth from the park landing to the hotel.

Each hotel has their own boat.

There were times at the PBH that the wait for the boat became annoying. This never happened at the HRH. They also have bike rickshaws. They will take you close to Universal but you need to tip the driver, preferably $5.

The shuttle bus does not run regularly and we never even seen it.

 

[damo]

The shuttle bus picks you up at the front of the PBH and HRH hotels and at the back where the convention centre is at the Royal Pacific. It takes you to Universal Studios beside where the paths spill out. We used it last vacation when we were taking the short cut from PBH to the parks. It picked us up at the interesection of the PBH entrance off the main road. We then did the side loop of HRH and then travelled along the side road between HRH and the old Hard Rock restaurant.

 

[psac]

We just stayed at PBH, and the boat was pleasant when you got it. BUT if you just missed one, it's a good 20 minute wait for the next one. The boats were also very crowded at times, and a few times people had to stay back for the next boat (happened to us once.)

Having said that, you could probably give that same exact description for the Grand Floridian boat, so take that as you will.

 

[patster734]

Several facts I discovered this past trip:

1. The boats start at 8:30AM, not a minute early.
2. On Friday, the last boat leaves Citywalk at 2:15 AM, not a minute later, even though HHN and Citywalk bars close at 2 AM.
3. It's a 30 minute walk from PBH's Harbor Piaza to RPR's Lobby, give or take a minute.

 

[francie57]

If you stay at the HRH you would be much quicker to get to the parks by walking. The boats all dock at a central dock and then you have to walk back to US or over to IOA. We stay at the HRH every trip and have never even considered taking a boat. You are a short walk to US, about 5 min. at a slow pace and a little longer to IOA. To get to IOA it is shorter to walk past the gates of US and go past NBA City than it is to go the other way around City Walk.

 

[psac]

We stayed at PBH, and we noticed that when the boat passes the Hard Rock Hotel slip, you can see the US parking lot on the other side of the water. So walking from HRH is closer than walking from the far end of the parking lot. Definitely couldn't be too bad.

 

[maggieb9975]

I guess I should have been clearer but I think the question was answered anyway.

When we have stayed at the Yacht Club on Disney, I was very frustrated with the boat to MGM because it was so slow but walking seemed like a waste of energy for that distance. Plus it was near impossible to make opening by the time the boats got started and then creeped on over to MGM. However at Grand Floridian or Polynesian I looked forward to a nice quick boat ride over the MK and preferred it to the monorail, which I also love. So we are trying to decide between the HRH and PBH and I am concerned that the walk might be little long (very hard to tell from the maps or satellite photos) and the boats might be slow if we chose PBH.

the nice thing about staying on-site is you do not have to be at parks at opening because you have front of the line Universal is so very relaxed and the boats are very nice way to get back and forth...

 

[ChuckGA]

Thanks for the info. I am sure if we stay at the HRH we will always walk but the question is from PBH. From the satellite photos it looks like PBH->US is a little longer than the Yacht Club to Epcot Int. Gateway and PBH->IOA is a little less than Yacht Club to MGM.

I am too programmed from Disney to not get to a park at opening. Maybe after a few days I might consider sleeping in just a tad.

 

[psac]

If you caught the 8:30 boat (which I think is the first one) at PBH you would definitely make the 9:00 opening without a question. The only issue would be possibly a line to get on that first boat.

 

[macraven]

Several facts I discovered this past trip:

1. The boats start at 8:30AM, not a minute early.
2. On Friday, the last boat leaves Citywalk at 2:15 AM, not a minute later, even though HHN and Citywalk bars close at 2 AM.
   [*]It's a 30 minute walk from PBH's Harbor Piaza to RPR's Lobby, give or take a minute.

so true..........especially that 2:15 am last ride back from CW......
i know there is a story behind ALL of the things you listed above...


in all past years, i did get the water taxi prior to 8:00.

this year, the boats first leave each hotel at 8:30 am.
this is the one surprise i had.
8:30 start up time.


i stayed at rph this year and it was at tops, about a 3 minute ride from start to finish. getting on to getting off at city walk.
( i timed the actual ride to be 2.5 minutes)

 

[patster734]

so true..........especially that 2:15 am last ride back from CW......
i know there is a story behind ALL of the things you listed above...


in all past years, i did get the water taxi prior to 8:00.

this year, the boats first leave each hotel at 8:30 am.
this is the one surprise i had.
8:30 start up time.


i stayed at rph this year and it was at tops, about a 3 minute ride from start to finish. getting on to getting off at city walk.
( i timed the actual ride to be 2.5 minutes)

Yea, I missed that 2:15 boat back to PBH. Fortunately, the hotel bus was waiting, as I started along the path to the hotel, so I was able to jump aboard the bus. I was the only one getting on, so the driver took me directly to my hotel! I was extremely relieved! And so were my feet!