mickeyonasticky
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2010
- Messages
- 585
Hey guys :]
So I talked to my friend who is a Transportation CM about all the questions and general confusion that have been discussed on the board. I asked him if he would mind writing up an overview of sorts, hopefully to alleviate some of these issues.
These are his thoughts, not mine. Also, his thoughts and opinions do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the Walt Disney Company.
Hope this helps
So I talked to my friend who is a Transportation CM about all the questions and general confusion that have been discussed on the board. I asked him if he would mind writing up an overview of sorts, hopefully to alleviate some of these issues.
These are his thoughts, not mine. Also, his thoughts and opinions do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the Walt Disney Company.
TRANSPORTATION OUTLINE
To clear up some confusion here, let me explain the different types of transportation that operate in the Magic Kingdom area and how they operate. Everyone is familiar with the busses and the two monorail loops (Resort and Express), but there seems to be much confusion in the world of watercraft.
For starters, everyone seems to refer to watercraft as the ferry. While it is true that the Transportation Department does utilize ferries, that is only one of four types of transportation watercraft. Let me explain the differences to you.
There are three ferryboats at WDW. These are the biggest boats on the water, and are easily recognizable by their two decks. They can carry up to 600 guests. The ONLY destinations that these boats serve are the TTC and the Magic Kingdom.
Aside from the ferries, there are three motor cruisers that service the Magic Kingdom and the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. The motor cruisers do NOT service the TTC. The motor cruisers can carry up to 120 guests.
There are also six motor launches that service the Magic Kingdom and the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. Like the cruisers, the motor launches do NOT service the TTC. The motor launches are often run in conjunction with the motor cruisers. Each motor launch can accommodate up to 39 guests.
There are also two Z-drive boats formally called Magical Fireworks Voyage boats, or MFVs. The above photo is when the boats were in Animal Kingdom as the Discovery Island Riverboats, but now two of them have been repainted and are in service at the Magic Kingdom. While the primary purpose of these boats is for the Pirate and Pals Fireworks Voyages, these boats are actually operated by the Watercraft team and can (and often are) pulled into service the Magic Kingdom and the resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. These boats do NOT service the TTC. The MFVs, when used for transportation, will work in conjunction with the motor cruisers and the motor launches. Each MFV can carry up to 72 guests.
Now that we have the types of boat out of the way, let me explain the different routes to you. The most heavily trafficked route is the one run by the three ferries TTC to Magic Kingdom to TTC. The ferryboat dock at the TTC is to the left as you look at the monorail stations. The ferryboat dock at the Magic Kingdom is on the Tomorrowland side of the park, again to the left as you exit the turnstiles. This route opens in the morning one hour before the Magic Kingdom does, and closes ninety minutes after regular park close. The ferries also are operational during Extra Magic Hours and hard ticket events, like the Halloween and Christmas parties, whereas the monorail (both lines) is no longer operational. Its not uncommon to have busses at the Magic Kingdom servicing the TTC as well as the ferries when crowds are heavy and monorails are down.
Please note that this is the ONLY route run by ferries. If you ask a Cast Member to direct you to the ferryboat and you want to go to the Polynesian, they will direct you to this route. Its always best to tell the Cast Member where you want to end up so that he or she can accurately assist you.
The other three types of boats cruisers, launches, and MFVs are placed on one of four colored routes: Blue, Red, Green, or Gold. The route that the boat is on will always be signaled by a colored flag on the front of the boat. These routes (with the exception of the Blue) open 30 minutes before the Magic Kingdom and close 90 minutes after the Magic Kingdom. These routes (again, except the Blue) are operational during both morning and evening Extra Magic Hours.
The Blue Route services the Contemporary, the Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness. This route does NOT service the Magic Kingdom. This route normally contains two motor launches. The Blue Route opens at 6:45 am and closes at 11:30 pm regardless of what time the Magic Kingdom opens and closes.
The Red Route services the Magic Kingdom and the Wilderness Lodge. This route normally contains one motor cruiser and one motor launch, though it is not uncommon to see an MFV on the route in place of the motor launch.
The Green Route services the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness. This route normally contains two motor cruisers, though it is not uncommon to see a motor launch replace one of the cruisers.
It is also not uncommon for the Red and Green routes to be combined, with either two cruisers and a launch or all three cruisers. In this case, the boats will stop at the Magic Kingdom, the Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness. If a boat is running the combined route, there is a special partially red, partially green flag that is displayed on the bow.
Finally (and most importantly for people concerned with early monorail closures), the Gold Route services the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian, and the Polynesian. This route normally has two motor launches on it, though it is not uncommon to see two motor launches and an MFV; however, during times when the monorail is not operational for any reason (be it a breakdown which happens unbelievably often or a planned closure like during the Halloween party or Extra Magic Hours), the Gold Route will ALWAYS have one motor cruiser and one motor launch, and MAY have one MFV as well if the crowds are exceptionally busy.
THE IMPORTANT PART FOR GUESTS AT MONORAIL RESORTS
For guests staying at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian, its vital to know that these boat services exist. It takes the same amount of time to take the boat to or from the Polynesian. While the monorail may travel at a higher speed, it still has to stop at the Grand Floridian and frequently has to hold for further traffic clearance at the Electrical Water Pageant channel before reaching the Magic Kingdom. The boat, on the other hand, is a direct trip to the Magic Kingdom from the Polynesian, and is often quicker than the monorail. Same thing on the return trip: while it is true that the boats will have to make a stop at the Grand Floridian first, thats one stop compared to two on the monorail line (at the Contemporary and TTC), not to mention the infamous further traffic clearance that seems to happen all too often on the monorails.
With the Grand Floridian, its even more clear cut: there is no doubt that the monorail will get you to the Magic Kingdom quicker than the boats will. However, if youre in the mood for a pleasant time and not too concerned with your arrival time at the park, I urge you to give the boat a try. Its an enjoyable ride.
As far as leaving the park and getting back to the Grand Floridian, to me it seems the only option is the boat. If you were to take the monorail, youd have to stop at the Contemporary, the TTC, and the Polynesian before getting to the Grand Floridian. Even with no holding, this trip is going to take nine to ten minutes minimum from the time you get on the train. With the boat, the Grand Floridian is the first stop it is literally two minutes away from the Magic Kingdom by boat. This is something that a lot of guests dont seem to realize, I find, as the lines at the Gold Dock (the one nearest to the monorail station) at the Magic Kingdom tend to be quite short, especially when there are three boats on the Gold Route.
These are the Magic Kingdom transportation options. Be sure to take the time to know where youre going when you leave the park. A common problem seems to be confusion between ferries and other boats. Bottom line: if youre staying at a monorail resort, you have no reason to set foot on a ferryboat either walk to the Contemporary or hop on a Gold boat. And for people complaining about having to wait for the ferryboat well, when was the last time you left the Magic Kingdom at park close and immediately got on a monorail? Youre going to have to wait either way.
Hope this helps
) but I think only the top 2 boats (ferry and motor cruisers )are WC acessable. I've never tried the Z drive boat so I'm not sure about it.
