Boat from DHS to Boardwalk and back

[boogiedownwanda]

Happy Independence Day all! I am on overdrive with planning my end of summer trip to the world. I have a question to those of you who have used the boat to and from Boardwalk.

On one of my days I will visit DHS in the morning. I will take the boat from DHS to Boardwalk around 3pm for a 5pm dinner ressie at Kouzzina. I'm hoping to get there quickly and walk around before dinner but if I don't it's fine. I'm concerned with my time after dinner. We expect to be on our way back to DHS at about 7pm in hopes to catch the 8:30 Fantasmic! Is 1 1/2 hours enough time to catch the boat, get to the park, and get to the theater to find seats?

Any input will be greatly appreciated!!!

Wanda

 

[The Mayor]

The boat will go from the BW and stop at the Beach/Yacht Club and then the Swan/Dolphin. It usually takes about 20-25 minutes form the BW to the Studios. You can aslo walk it (about 1 mile) in 15-20 minutes.

 

[alice99]

Yes, it should be..... the most challenging part of your journey will be the "finding seats to Fantasmic". I would say the most the actual boat ride should take is 30 minutes, and that includes wait time for the boat, and we stay at Boardwalk 2x's per year. Though I am sure someone will come on here and post how once they waited forever for the boat and I am completely wrong.

I have used that boat many times, sometimes walking over can be faster, it's about a 10-15 minute walk from Boardwalk to DHS.

PS Hey Wanda, I probably live less than 5 miles from you

 

[boogiedownwanda]

Thanks Steve and Alice! Your feedback is really helpful!

Alice - I'm always looking at the locations of Disers! It's nice to know there are folks nearby on the boards with me!

 

[DOOM1001]

I can walk from DHS to Epcot in 20 minutes,from DHS to the Boardwalk would probably take me 10-15 minutes,so if you're short on time walking will probably get you to the park fairly quick.If you do choose to walk remember to cut through the hallways with the restrooms and arcade next to the art gallery,it will lead you to the Luna Park pool,go past the pool and you will see the pathway behind the pool area,go left towards the Buena Vista Dr overpass,once you pass the overpass you will see DHS.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes, it should be..... the most challenging part of your journey will be the "finding seats to Fantasmic". I would say the most the actual boat ride should take is 30 minutes, and that includes wait time for the boat, and we stay at Boardwalk 2x's per year. Though I am sure someone will come on here and post how once they waited forever for the boat and I am completely wrong.

I have used that boat many times, sometimes walking over can be faster, it's about a 10-15 minute walk from Boardwalk to DHS.

PS Hey Wanda, I probably live less than 5 miles from you

While I'm not going to say I have waited forever for a boat and you're completely wrong, I will say that my experience has shown me that it's best to allow about 45 mins if taking the boat. IF the boat is just pulling away from the dock when you get there, it can be almost 20 mins before the next boat comes. I know that I have stood there, in the Florida sun, midday, waiting for a boat to come for 30 mins. Not sure why it happened but it did. That was at probably 3pm-ish. So, maybe they just didn't have as many boats in service.
I can walk to DHS from BW in less time than taking the boat. I have walked past the dock as the boat was leaving for YC/BC. I got to DHS and was headed to bag check as the boat came around the bend, towards the DHS dock. And that was at a pretty normal pace.

So.....if you don't see a boat coming into the BW dock, from Epcot, you may want to just walk it. Head to the Village Green, across from the dock, and stay to the right. Right after Wyland Galleries, you will see a tunnel like thingie....pass through there, out to the pool area. Walk through the pool area, you will come to the sidewalk to DHS. Go left and you're on your way.

As someone said, you want to get to Fantasmic! earlier rather than later....so allow enough time to get there and get a seat and relax for a bit.

 

[GranddadTom]

Yes, as others have said, it's the wait that is the big unknown. I believe that it takes the boat about an hour to make a complete round trip. I have also heard that the number of boats in service varies from a low of three to as many as eight (at the busiest time over the holidays). So you can do the math. Three evenly spaced (how often does this happen?!) boats would be 20 minutes apart; four would be 15 minutes. One piece of advise - the boat goes from DHS to the S/D to the Y/BC and then to BW. If you're going to the Boardwalk, it's quicker to get off at the S/D and walk over the bridge to the Boardwalk.

 

[boogiedownwanda]

Thanks everyone for the helpful hints!

"Doom"- I'm definitely printing out your tip and taking it with me. Many thanks!

 

[buzz5985]

We have gotten to the BW dock just when the boat was leaving - another solution is to walk over to the Swan/Dolphin - less than 5 minutes from the BW dock - and get the boat from there. You can get to the Swan/Dolphin before the boat even gets to Beach Club.

We usually walk - but the little boy in our group really wanted to take the boat.

Janis