Friendship boats at HS

[hsmamato2]

Is there a schedule for the boats between Epcot/HS (and hotel stops) at night after park close? Do they run till a certain time? thanks

 

[tkd lisa]

30 minutes after park close is the standard. But they'll run as long as people are lined up.

 

[CarolynFH]

When we were there last week and rode the boats multiple times, the captain announced routinely that the last boat leaves the DHS dock one hour after posted park closing time.

Disney won’t leave resort guests stranded. If you miss the last boat, there will be a bus. The bus will drop off at all 5 resorts that are on the Friendship Boat route - Swan & Dolphin, Yacht & Beach, and BW. I’m not sure about Swan Reserve; I don’t know whether the bus will drop off there, or if Swan Reserve guests need to get off at the Swan and walk across the street to SR, which is what they’d have to do when riding the boat.

During the day the boats run about every 20 minutes. At some point in the afternoon they begin coming roughly every 15 minutes.

 

[hsmamato2]

Thank you!

 

[Lewisc]

Numerous times the captain has said when the boats stop running for the night you can walk or wait until the next morning.

I don't have first hand experience with buses that late. Do they load from the front entrance at EPCOT? Walk may be almost as long, maybe longer than walking to your resort

 

[CarolynFH]

Numerous times the captain has said when the boats stop running for the night you can walk or wait until the next morning.

I don't have first hand experience with buses that late. Do they load from the front entrance at EPCOT? Walk may be almost as long, maybe longer than walking to your resort

Well, I was referring to the route from DHS to the Crescent Lake resorts, with the DHS bus stop easily accessible after the boat stops running from DHS.

For someone leaving Epcot after the boat stops running, it’s a somewhat shorter (and more brightly lit) walk from the IG to those resorts, so I wouldn’t expect that buses would be running from the front of Epcot to those resorts. And I think most guests staying at the Crescent Lake resorts consider the IG to be their Epcot entrance/exit, and if they miss the last boat they’d expect to walk home.

 

[gottalovepluto]

30 minutes after park close is the standard. But they'll run as long as people are lined up.

No, the boats do not run as long as people are lined up, you are mixing them up with buses. And no, the standard boat closing time is 1 hour after park close.

Boats are on a fairly strict schedule and the captains are very clear if you’re 1 minute late you’re walking back from EP to your hotel or you can walk or bus back from DHS (they even tell you the bus stop number). Generally the closing time is one hour after park close, but double check with the boat CMs day of. The CMs will tell you on arrival to the park that day of the closing time. If there are extra hours the boats will run one hour past the end of extra hours. If you’re doing a party or after hours, the boats don’t run for those. The buses will run as long as people are trying to get places. (Idk if there is a bus from EP.)

 

[hsmamato2]

That works for me! I like that walk between Epcot/Studios.... it's always seemed safe and well lit even at night.

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed at BWV last year and went to Jollywood. They had a bus running after the boats stopped. Unfortunately it covered all 5 resorts and BW was last. I also did DVC Moonlight Magic and stayed at Pop Century, they had a bus after the Skyliner stopped.

 

[zackiedawg]

Just to add - when staying at other resorts, if you miss the last boat or bus from DHS, you can walk to Boardwalk, catch the Disney Springs bus (which usually run latest of all the busses - generally at least until 12am, sometimes 1am), and then transfer to your resort bus.

 

[CarolynFH]

Just to add - when staying at other resorts, if you miss the last boat or bus from DHS, you can walk to Boardwalk, catch the Disney Springs bus (which usually run latest of all the busses - generally at least until 12am, sometimes 1am), and then transfer to your resort bus.

Yes, but buses will run from DHS to the Disney resorts as long as there are Disney resort guests exiting DHS. Guests might have to ask the CM at the bus station which bus location will serve their resort, and if they’re exiting very late after park closing they may be on a bus that delivers to several resorts instead of to just theirs, but Disney will get them there.

Using DS as a transfer point is most useful when leaving a resort after parks close, e.g. after dinner, and needing to get to another Disney resort.