How Early Are Boats to MK Leaving?

[soniam]

This is our first stay at the cabins. We have a car and usually drive. Debating if we want to do the boat or not. We like to get there early for park opening. How early are the boats leaving? How long is the line first thing in the morning? Are they putting more people on now? I some answers, but they didn't look definitive or they were older. Everything is changing so fast lately. Thanks

 

[Sjm9911]

Of you drive there, dont you still have to take a boat or tram to get to the gate? I would think the boat or bus directly from the fort would be the best option.

 

[2goofycampers]

Boat leaves the dock 30 minutes-ish before MK opens. During normal times we got to the dock 45 minutes before and were good.

 

[fancymouse]

We got to the dock like 45 minutes before posted opening and got the first boat to MK at the end of February. I don’t know if they’ve increased capacity but the small boats didn’t hold that many people and twice we saw people left because the boat was “full”. The bigger boats were fine. The thing is, I don’t think driving would be any faster as you’d be parking at the TTC and then taking a monorail or ferry. If it were me I’d take the boat no matter what. If you want to make sure you board getting to the dock an hour early would guarantee it, but 45 minutes would probably be fine too.

 

[PaHunter]

If you drive to TTC, you need to park, pass thru security, get on monorail, or boat and come around or across the lake. If you take boat from Fort, you get to MK, process thru dedicated security and your in. They have not been doing a dedicated rope drop since before covid, when they opened Main St shops so people could spend more money.

 

[team bradfield]

BOAT

 

[Haley R]

We stayed there about 3 weeks ago and the first boat usually showed up around 6:50 for the 8 am opening.

 

[bama_ed]

We stayed there about 3 weeks ago and the first boat usually showed up around 6:50 for the 8 am opening.

That sounds about right.

800am official opening time

730am "Early Theme Park Entry" for resort guests

700am approximate time boat needs to leave FW dock to make it to MK dock for ETPE

650am approximate time boat needs to arrive at FW dock to load.

Bama Ed

 

[Haley R]

That sounds about right.

800am official opening time

730am "Early Theme Park Entry" for resort guests

700am approximate time boat needs to leave FW dock to make it to MK dock for ETPE

650am approximate time boat needs to arrive at FW dock to load.

Bama Ed

I don’t think the early theme park entry has started yet. They’ve been letting everyone into the park around 7:15

 

[bama_ed]

I don’t think the early theme park entry has started yet. They’ve been letting everyone into the park around 7:15

So +/- 15 minutes it's roughly the same thing, isn't it?

Your message is still the correct one. Get to the dock at LEAST an hour before official opening time.

Bama Ed

PS - but the early entry for on-property guests is comin'. The transportation piece is working. It's like all the other pieces are coming together.

PPS - I was at the Fort in October 2020 and you still had to be down at the Settlement area (bus, boat) over an hour before rope drop stated time. So not much has changed.

 

[Haley R]

So +/- 15 minutes it's roughly the same thing, isn't it?

Your message is still the correct one. Get to the dock at LEAST an hour before official opening time.

Bama Ed

PS - but the early entry for on-property guests is comin'. The transportation piece is working. It's like all the other pieces are coming together.

PPS - I was at the Fort in October 2020 and you still had to be down at the Settlement area (bus, boat) over an hour before rope drop stated time. So not much has changed.

I was just pointing out that everyone is let in early right now, not just resort guests. I’m not sure when they plan to start that.

 

[bama_ed]

I miss the good ol' 3 extra hours in the evening though .....

 

[cedricandsophie]

We were at wilderness lodge last week. We took the boat from the lodge before 7 am. When we got to MK gates, it was open. We were on Peter Pan before 730 Am. And we were done with the runaway train, splash mountain and Pirates before 9 am. And finished the park with all the rides we wanted by 1 just in time for lunch at liberty tree. We were back at the pool well before 3pm. The longest line was for the dwarfs train, about 45 min.

 

[soniam]

Thanks everyone. For some reason, I just got the notification about the replies. If the boat is really getting to Ft Wilderness about an hour before park opening, then being on the first boat and taking it makes more sense than the car. I was worried that people may be starting to wait for the boat at like 5am. I heard some crazy stuff about bus lines last Thanksgiving. They usually are not letting cars through the MK gates until about an hour to 45 minutes before park opening, so it seems like the boat would make it there faster.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Today at Wilderness Lodge, not The Fort, we took a 7am boat for an 8am opening. But they let everyone in about 7:20.

 

[MalkaR]

That sounds about right.

800am official opening time

730am "Early Theme Park Entry" for resort guests

700am approximate time boat needs to leave FW dock to make it to MK dock for ETPE

650am approximate time boat needs to arrive at FW dock to load.

Bama Ed

So if I'm checking in that morning, parking in the lot in front and taking an internal bus to the boat, what time should I plan to arrive at FW? Is 6:30 early enough or does the internal bus take a long time to wait for? Thanks!

 

[bama_ed]

If memory serves, MalkaR, 630am is about the time that the first internal Fort buses arrive each morning to start the daily service (and they don't send many at first). And I don't know for certain which direction they run first or how many show up.

But I will say that in your favor is the fact that the 3 different internal bus lines (Yellow, Orange, Purple) all run between the Outpost (front parking lot) and the Settlement (down by the boats) so it doesn't matter WHICH one you get on of the three as long as you get on the FIRST one of those three that you see come through. (the 3 colors pass through different areas of the Fort in each direction but the starting and ending points are the same for all which is all that matters for you).

So it will work if you are at the Outpost Bus Depot in the front parking lot by 630a and catch the first color bus to Settlement. You can do the boat or at the Settlement Bus depot they have been running a bus during the pandemic to the MK directly (passes but does not stop at WL). Only one bus so if you didn't make it and had to wait for it to go to MK, drop off and come back, it took a while. The first bus or first boat will get you there approximately at the same time but you have a better chance of a second boat coming before you would get a second bus.

Just my opinion. Worth what you paid for it. Good luck to you.

Bama Ed

 

[MalkaR]

If memory serves, MalkaR, 630am is about the time that the first internal Fort buses arrive each morning to start the daily service (and they don't send many at first). And I don't know for certain which direction they run first or how many show up.

But I will say that in your favor is the fact that the 3 different internal bus lines (Yellow, Orange, Purple) all run between the Outpost (front parking lot) and the Settlement (down by the boats) so it doesn't matter WHICH one you get on of the three as long as you get on the FIRST one of those three that you see come through. (the 3 colors pass through different areas of the Fort in each direction but the starting and ending points are the same for all which is all that matters for you).

So it will work if you are at the Outpost Bus Depot in the front parking lot by 630a and catch the first color bus to Settlement. You can do the boat or at the Settlement Bus depot they have been running a bus during the pandemic to the MK directly (passes but does not stop at WL). Only one bus so if you didn't make it and had to wait for it to go to MK, drop off and come back, it took a while. The first bus or first boat will get you there approximately at the same time but you have a better chance of a second boat coming before you would get a second bus.

Just my opinion. Worth what you paid for it. Good luck to you.

Bama Ed

Thank you!

 

[soniam]

Any recent experiences or updates? Thanks

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

On 28Jun, we caught an internal FW bus around 720. Bus delivered us to the Settlement and the MK bus, as Ed mentioned above, pulled in right behind us. We were through security around 745.

Hours are all jumbled up and we do MK again tomorrow. I'll post if anything wild comes up