Change in boat service between OKW/SSR and DTD

[Debbie Jean]

I am staying at OKW and was returning from DTD... thought it would be nice to take the boat so I headed for the dock in the Marketplace... turns out today is the first day of a new system...

Boat for OKW and SSR run between the resorts and Pleasure Island only. They are now running what they are calling a DTD boat taxi between the three docks, Marketplace, PI and West Side.

If you are at the Marketplace and want the boat for OKW/SSR, you have to take the taxi to PI and transfer... with an ECV, it was a pain! If I had known, I would have simply gone to the PI dock to begin with.

Now having said that, I prefer to go to Marketplace, but maybe they are thinking that PI is more central. I can see where having the water taxi between West Side and Marketpace would be a nice way for folks to get from one are to the other.

Anyway, CM told me this was the first day of the change.

 

[emlutz23]

That's interesting! I wonder why the did that? We will be at SSR in a week and this is good to know! Thanks for the update!

 

[BroganMc]

Did they implement the next leg of the change? When I was there last week I "interviewed" a ferry captain about how the THV service will work.

In two weeks (June 1 - Monday), the SSR/OKW ferry route will split. The OKW ferry will make a round trip from PI to OKW running every 20 minutes at peak time. SSR will run a circuit through THV - Carriage House - PI and back. Port Orleans ferry will continue to run from Marketplace. So if you want to ride the ferry to OKW or SSR you'll have to do a transfer at PI.

I think the reason for making PI the Vacation Club ferry dock is because it was getting too crowded at Marketplace. The lines were doing double duty between water taxi, DVC and River Cruise.

Anyone staying at SSR (especially if using an ECV) will find it much faster to just take the West Side or Congress Park walkways to get to DTD. If you're in Grandstand or Springs you can easily outrace the ferry to DTD via West Side walkway. There's also a second bridge from THV that could make it a faster walk/ride then waiting on a ferry.

 

[lah3hh]

Wow this is a major change and I want to thank both of you for sharing. I wonder if this is something they are just doing during the busier times at WDW (summer vacationers) or if this is going to remain this way from here on out. Do you happen to know?

I don't mind the walk from SSR to DTD via the West Side walkway...but...don't do it when it is starting to get a little dusk. I spoke to many of the CMs and there is a higher chance of 'gator' issues since you are walking right by the canal and they come out more during dusk hours. We walked it once during dusk and was sort of 'advised strongly' to not do it again.

 

[Dizny Dad]

DW and I also enjoy the boat from SSR to Marketplace. We are sorry to hear of these changes. WE also enjoy the walk when staying in Congress Park, but the boat ride just has always made it for me more of a "down time" relaxing experience, rather than a hurry up and shop type deal.

Just recently back from "The World" and walking thru PI, there is just not that much of a draw right now to go there.

Could it be that the PI area will indeed become more of a shopping area (as I beleive I have read elsewherte on the Disboards) and that the boats will now take you to what they want to highlight in the near future?

 

[LIFERBABE]

I dont think this is a bad change. I like that you can now taxi between the 3 stops of DTD.

I also like that the PI location is more central and a quick walk to either location.

We like the boats and we enjoy walking.

 

[Caskbill]

This change has been announced for months now, but not that widely known by members.

The basic reason is that SSR and OKW will have separate boats since SSR will have two stops, the main SSR dock and the new dock down by THV's.

If they just kept it the same, you'd have a boat going from OKW, to THV, to SSR, to Marketplace. That would increase the travel time quite a bit. But by making two boat runs, with the OKW boat no longer stopping at SSR, the travel time is decreased.

The downside was that this makes the Marketplace dock too crowded, to handle a new boat, so the decision was made to move the OKW and SSR boats to the PI dock.

IMO this is a good balance and if one wants to go to the Marketplace or West Side they can just take the shuttle boat. That's really not a lot different than the old routes. If you wanted to go from OKW to the West Side, you took the boat from OKW to SSR to Marketplace, then took the shuttle boat to West Side, or you had to walk.

The PI dock is definitely more centrally located to all of DD. It's the closest dock to T-Rex for example, or to Fulton's. And with the new restaurant going into PI, that dock may become a prime destination for members wanting to go out to eat, especially once you start to get tired of going to Rain Forest all the time and want something different.

 

[FindTheMickeys]

We were at the World in October 2007 and November 2008 and could Water Taxi to the other locations at DTD... There were 3 boats - One for SSR, one for Port Orleans Riverside and one for PI... When we stayed in Congress Park, it really wasn't a time saver to take the boat as then you have to walk all the way from the Carriage House to Congress Park, when you can walk from the Marketplace in just under 15 minutes...

 

[bcvdreamer]

I don't mind the walk from SSR to DTD via the West Side walkway...but...don't do it when it is starting to get a little dusk. I spoke to many of the CMs and there is a higher chance of 'gator' issues since you are walking right by the canal and they come out more during dusk hours. We walked it once during dusk and was sort of 'advised strongly' to not do it again.

Thanks for this tip! We're headed to OKW in a few weeks and we were planning on walking to DTD. This never crossed my mind.

 

[Chuck S]

I can't say as I'm fond of this change. Now, with Mom's manual wheelchair it is either another load/unload cycle for the water taxi, or 1/3 of a mile to Earl of Sandwich. It was rare that we ever went to the PI or Westside area...and we seldom drove because of the lousy parking situation at DtD.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hummm...the old routes don't mean anything to me 'cuz we've never stayed at SSR before - but it WILL matter for me this weekend - we're staying at SSR for the first time. We also have 2 dinner ressies in DTD (which we're not that familiar with). Will there be a map that we can follow or will the CM's be able to tell us which way to go? Will allowing 30 min. for the boat be enough time? We requested Grandstand, although who knows where we'll really be... We're going to T-Rex and Wolfgang Puck Cafe...

 

[DisneyFreaks]

I can't say as I'm fond of this change. Now, with Mom's manual wheelchair it is either another load/unload cycle for the water taxi, or 1/3 of a mile to Earl of Sandwich. It was rare that we ever went to the PI or Westside area...and we seldom drove because of the lousy parking situation at DtD.

I have to agree. We never visit PI or the Westside. Finding a place to park at the Marketplace can take longer than the actual time we spend there. We usually walk if staying in the Congress Park area. We have never seen any gators but will rethink this plan now that I have read what a pp said.

 

[Ksp]

Thanks for the info! We'll be at OKW in June - I love taking the boat over to DTD ... it might not be a time saver, but I just enjoy the ride.

 

[BroganMc]

The PI dock is actually in a better location than West Side or Marketplace. A couple years ago when the Marketplace dock was being refurbished the ferry took you to PI. We loved that because we could go left or right depending on what we wanted to do:

Left for shopping and hot dogs or ice cream vs. Right for dining and movies.

PI dock takes you directly outside Raglan Road. Around the corner is Fulton's and T-Rex.

Did the Streets of America restuarant open this weekend? The ferry captain I interviewed for the blog indicated that was the first change to take place this past weekend. It signaled the change of the ferry route. In another week the THV dock will be opened.

As it is now, PI is just starting to come to life. The dance clubs are still closed but Raglan is usually busy at one end and there's a street party at the other. The balloon ride is at the entrance to West Side. Streets of America would be in the middle.

P.S. I wouldn't worry about gators. I go out a lot at dusk or night and use both walkways. The ones from SSR are very well lit and high off the canal. In talking to the animal control folks at AK about this I got the message that the gators are most likely apt to run screaming from you. They can smell you long before you see them. Only place I'd be concerned is some of the lower level walkway closest to OKW. Round by where the trees and golf course are. That is not lighted at all and is a lonely stretch. If a gator were to decide to take a walk that's where I'd expect to find him. Yet still, he'd most likely run screaming from me.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I can't say as I'm fond of this change. Now, with Mom's manual wheelchair it is either another load/unload cycle for the water taxi, or 1/3 of a mile to Earl of Sandwich. It was rare that we ever went to the PI or Westside area...and we seldom drove because of the lousy parking situation at DtD.

I wasn't thrilled when they told me, either. I seldom go to PI or Westside and with the ECV it is easier to simply disembark at PI and scooter over to the Marketplace.

It makes sense, I guess when THV are added to the mix and PI is the central DTD location. I did notice the T-Rex and balloon ride, so hopefully there will be more appealing options going in here... hard to compete with the specialty shops in the Marketplace, World of Disney, Pin Trading, Goofy's Candy, the Earl , Wolfgang, Ghiradelli, etc., etc.

 

[La2kw]

I like this change. It's more central to all of DD and we do enjoy both Westside and Marketplace. PI is just a joke anymore, but with the new bridge, it's easier to head over to the Westside. We do enjoy HOB, WPC, Bongo's, and DQ. We also enjoy Ghiradelli's and the shops at the Marketplace.

That Marketplace dock was getting to be very confusing and crowded. Seems like a good solution.

 

[tink too]

I don't mind the walk from SSR to DTD via the West Side walkway...but...don't do it when it is starting to get a little dusk. I spoke to many of the CMs and there is a higher chance of 'gator' issues since you are walking right by the canal and they come out more during dusk hours. We walked it once during dusk and was sort of 'advised strongly' to not do it again.

We took the SSR/West Side path regularly during our trip in April, at all different times of the day and night and never had any issues - apart from the sprinklers! DD7 sure thought it was hilarious seeing her mum trying to outrun the sprinklers by the golf course! None of the CM's we encountered near that path gave us any warnings about gators.

I also like that the PI location is more central and a quick walk to either location.

I totally agree - it should also mean that the boat dock will be less crowded.

The basic reason is that SSR and OKW will have separate boats since SSR will have two stops, the main SSR dock and the new dock down by THV's.

If they just kept it the same, you'd have a boat going from OKW, to THV, to SSR, to Marketplace. That would increase the travel time quite a bit. But by making two boat runs, with the OKW boat no longer stopping at SSR, the travel time is decreased.

When we were at SSR at the beginning of April, there were already separate boats for OKW and SSR. At that time, they were still using the same queue at the Marketplace boat dock which meant it was very congested at times. The water taxi was only running between Marketplace and Westside at that time, so I'm assuming that the PI dock was closed.

 

[Debbie Jean]

When we were at SSR at the beginning of April, there were already separate boats for OKW and SSR. At that time, they were still using the same queue at the Marketplace boat dock which meant it was very congested at times. The water taxi was only running between Marketplace and Westside at that time, so I'm assuming that the PI dock was closed.

This week has been single boat service to both resorts maybe because the crowd levels are lower. I assume they will go to separate service permanently when THV opens.