Friendship boat transport: how long to allow?

[IncredibleboysMom]

I'm not sure where this question fits, so please move it to another forum if needed.

We are planning to park hop to Epcot from the Studios for lunch as no one can agree on lunch at the Studios. Thinking of doing the ToT and RNR, hopping for an early lunch at Chefs then returning to the Studios. How long should we allow for this? There will be those with mobility issues with us, so walking is not an option.

Thanks!

 

[FredQc]

I would try to find a dining option at DHS! The boat ride from DHS to Epcot is about 20 minutes, maybe 22-23 minutes. In case you just miss the boat, you may have to add a 10- to 15-minute wait. Also, don't forget the walking time from your in-park location to the boat station outside the park. Overall, it is going to cost a lot of time.

If there's no agreement possible for the lunch location at DHS, would splitting your party between two locations be a good compromise?

 

[Robo]

Once boarded and underway, allow 25-30 minutes for the full DHS to Epcot boat trip.

 

[maxiesmom]

Between the transportation to and from and lunch, I think it will take at least 3 hours out of your day.

 

[buzzrelly]

I would try to find a dining option at DHS! The boat ride from DHS to Epcot is about 20 minutes, maybe 22-23 minutes. In case you just miss the boat, you may have to add a 10- to 15-minute wait. Also, don't forget the walking time from your in-park location to the boat station outside the park. Overall, it is going to cost a lot of time.

If there's no agreement possible for the lunch location at DHS, would splitting your party between two locations be a good compromise?

I agree! We went from DHS to EPCOT for an ADR at Via Napoli and ended up just missing a boat and having to wait for one, and by the time we got to our reservation, we were 30 minutes late. It took WAY longer than I thought it would and I would never do it again. Total waste of time.

 

[maxiesmom]

I want to add that I think good food choices are very limited at the Studios. So much so that I have skipped lunch and then had dinner at Epcot when we hopped over for fireworks. Could you all do quick service for lunch and then go have dinner at Chefs?

 

[amylevan]

What about cutting the trip a bit shorter and eating somewhere in the Boardwalk area?

 

[IndianaRRT]

On a previous trip, we hopped from DHS to Beaches and Cream via the Friendship boats. Total time involved, including eating and returning, was 3 hours. The friendship boats are among our favorite ways to travel about WDW, but you'll wind up frustrated and disillusioned if you want to use them for express transport.

 

[Shanti]

I'm not sure where this question fits, so please move it to another forum if needed.

We are planning to park hop to Epcot from the Studios for lunch as no one can agree on lunch at the Studios. Thinking of doing the ToT and RNR, hopping for an early lunch at Chefs then returning to the Studios. How long should we allow for this? There will be those with mobility issues with us, so walking is not an option.

Thanks!

That would take a loooong time. Find a lunch you can all agree on at Studios, or just have a snack there instead of lunch, and have a big breakfast & big dinner somewhere else. Part of group vacationing is compromise, and it's needed here.

 

[hakepb]

I once had an hour+ from DHS to Boardwalk because we had to wait for a boat, and the 1st boat filled up, so we had to wait for the 2nd boat.

If you have the time it’s a kinda relaxing ride, or it’s stressful if you need to get somewhere.

 

[chs27]

The walk is quick and easy from DHS to the Boardwalk.

 

[evilqueenmindy]

The walk is quick and easy from DHS to the Boardwalk.

This! If you do indeed have your heart set on the boat, take it to swan/dolphin, get off there and walk the rest of the way. You’ll get boat time, it cuts off the worst part of the walk between the two parks (particularly if it’s really hot) and getting to stroll down the boardwalk is fun. Also you’ll beat the boat to the international gateway.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

I'm afraid I agree with the others. This will be a LONG detour out of your day. The 25-30 minute estimates are from boat dock to boat dock. Realistically, you are adding 10 minutes from wherever you are in DHS to the boat dock, plus another 10-15 from the Epcot boat dock to your restaurant. You are pretty close to an hour by now.

This would be a great plan if you were doing a morning at DHS and evening at Epcot. But if you are ending at DHS, you can count on another hour transport back to DHS.

I'm sorry to be a party pooper, but with mobility issues, too, this lunch excursion could be trouble.

 

[Lesley Wake]

We took it in September. Based on photo timestamps it was a 28-minute journey. That was with the captain seeing us coming to the dock and waiting for us. Also not many people getting on/off at resort stops, so was probably the shortest time you could expect. It was a lovely relaxing journey though!

For OP, are you planning on FPs for ToT and RnRC? If so, I’d try to push those to the afternoon, and start at Epcot instead, with the early Chefs lunch and then heading to the Studios.

 

[subtchr]

The walk is quick and easy from DHS to the Boardwalk.

It’s a lovely walk, but many people would not consider 1.1 miles either quick or easy, especially if it’s hot.

And that distance is cutting through the Boardwalk pool. If you don’t do that it’s about 1.25.

 

[maxiesmom]

The OP stated that they have some guests with mobility issues so walking is not an option.

I know one of my family members decided we could walk back to the Swan from Epcot. My dad, who is still very mobile at 78 years old, found the walk tiring. And we stopped a few times along the way to rest, or to sit on a bench.

 

[Eastern]

I would also not park hop for lunch, unless you are staying in the park you hop to. Takes too much time out of your day.

The walk is long, but one time we did it, we walked faster than the boat.

 

[tbholc81]

We stayed at Beach Club recently, and never used the boats. They take a long time and walking to and from HS and EPCOT was much faster. Look on the board walk or in one of the Hotels behind EPCOT, there are a lot of options there.