VWL - boat & pool clarification

[heather13]

What time does the boat leave VWL to MK each morning? Previous posts indicate both one hour before the park opens and 30 minutes - would like to know what the current status is (or does it change seasonally?)

Does the boat leave earlier if there are MEMH?

And approx. how long is the boat ride?

As for the pool, if we are staying in DVC does that mean we can only use that pool, or can we use either? Or are there other resort pools we could use?

 

[firstwdw]

It is my understanding that you can use both pools. They are really not very far from one another and the Lodge pool has the slide and activities for the kids. There is also a kiddie pool that is about a foot deep but there are no slides or any water toys in kiddie shallow pool

We went a few weeks ago and the first boat left for MK at 8:30. We'd make sure to get down to the dock about 10min before just to be safe but we always made the 9am opening of MK no problem. I never timed the boat but it never felt long at all-maybe 10min. You get a great view of Magic Kingdom and the resorts surronding the lake plus you see monorails going in and out of the contemporary and you go right under the monorail tracks. Very cool. I don't know if the boat runs early for EMH bc the day MK had EMH we went to AK instead.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

The boats don't usually leave out until about 8:30am. When we stayed at WL, we went down thinking they started early and they didn't, we had to take a bus to MK for Am EMH

 

[Lynne M]

What time does the boat leave VWL to MK each morning? Previous posts indicate both one hour before the park opens and 30 minutes - would like to know what the current status is (or does it change seasonally?)

Does the boat leave earlier if there are MEMH?

And approx. how long is the boat ride?

As for the pool, if we are staying in DVC does that mean we can only use that pool, or can we use either? Or are there other resort pools we could use?

All guests at WL and VWL can use the theme pool and the quiet pool (the one closer to the Villas). If you're a DVC member staying on your points, you can 'hop' to most other resort pools (not BLT, AKV, or BCV), as long as it's not during a blackout period. Check the DVC member site for the latest pool-hopping info and blackout dates.

 

[heather13]

All guests at WL and VWL can use the theme pool and the quiet pool (the one closer to the Villas). If you're a DVC member staying on your points, you can 'hop' to most other resort pools (not BLT, AKV, or BCV), as long as it's not during a blackout period. Check the DVC member site for the latest pool-hopping info and blackout dates.

We're renting points, so not "officially" DVC members. I'd built a half day into our schedule for pool time / loafing, so I thought it might be fun to go elsewhere if the family feels up to it. Knowing we can go to the theme pool though helps!

Too bad the boat doesn't leave before 8:30. I'm planning on EMH @ MK and an early ADR @ MK. We picked VWL so that we wouldn't have to take the bus very often. Oh well

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We're renting points, so not "officially" DVC members. I'd built a half day into our schedule for pool time / loafing, so I thought it might be fun to go elsewhere if the family feels up to it. Knowing we can go to the theme pool though helps!

Too bad the boat doesn't leave before 8:30. I'm planning on EMH @ MK and an early ADR @ MK. We picked VWL so that we wouldn't have to take the bus very often. Oh well

That time of the morning, the bus shouldn't be busy. Our trip was in August and the morning we went early, we were the only people on the bus. It didn't take 5 minutes to get to the MK.