How long is boat ride from WL to MK?

[JJsmama]

Dh did not like the long, crowded bus rides from ALLStarsM to MK with our two worn out little ones. Have to keep him happy or we cannot go

We want to be able to get back to the room quickly so we can have a nice break and get back to the park without losing LOTS of time.

How long is the boat ride from WL to MK? IS it usually crowded or long wait? Is the bus faster? I would like to do Contemporary b/c we can walk over or do the short monorail ride, but many of you seem to like WL better and it is cheaper.

 

[Kimberle]

Not long, maybe 10 minutes or so.

There are 3 ways to MK from WL.

The "fastest" is the large boat (can roll strollers on), which goes MK/WL/FW. (any order).

If you need to get to MK for an early PS, you can take the small boat (fold strollers) to CR, then walk or monorail to MK. This boat goes CR/WL/FW, runs 7am - 10pm.

Or, you can take the bus to TTC then monorail or ferry over to MK. (This would be the longest route.)

You'll love the lodge!! I have stayed at both CR & WL.

 

[mrssalvaggio]

We visited in December. It is about 5-7 minutes if you go straight from WL to MK. However, if you go after 3pm, the boat goes to FW before heading to MK. That ride takes about 12 minutes. The only time you might have to wait for a boat when leaving MK is at park closing. They keep them coming though, so we never had too long of a wait.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Unless there is a problem or a REALLY long line, the absolute longest it takes is about 30 minutes, and that is if you just miss a boat (I can't stand it when I hear that darn horn toot and I know I'll be walking onto the dock just as the boat pulls away!! ) and have a maximum wait for the next AND you have to go to Ft. Wilderness first. On average I'd say it takes about 15 minutes including waiting for a boat and the actual trip. Of course you have to add time to get from the dock to your room if you want door to door.

The WL gets a little bit of "preference" over Ft. Wilderness in that during times of maximum traffic going to the MK (the morning/early afternoon) the boats usually stop at Ft. Wilderness first, then WL, and then directly to the MK. During times of maximum traffic back to the resorts (afternoons and evenings) the boats usually go from the MK to the WL first, and then on to Ft. Wilderness.

We usually don't wait more than 5 minutes or so before a boat arrives, and then the actual trip from the WL to the MK is less than 10. Even if you have to sit through a stop at Ft. Wilderness, the boat ride is fun and relaxing, and our kids love it. Being able to roll the stroller right on with sleeping kids is great.

As for problems or long lines, we haven't seen that often. One trip one of the larger boats was out of service so the wait for a boat was a little longer than usual. On that same trip, due to a large boat being down, the line right after the MK closed moved slower than usual. That one time it took more than 45 minutes to get back, but that was unusual and only happened once.