WL boat to MK...????

[susy]

I have been reading all the WL threads in anticipation of our trip and the fact that I have nothing else to do!

How long does the boat take to get to MK? I have heard 10 minutes and I have heard that stopping at FW adds another 3-4 minutes... is this in addition to the 10 minutes? If so, this is not that great . The bus from AKL took 15 to get to MK... and that's the longest ride to any park from AKL! I don't think I will fall in love with the WL the way that I did with AKL and CSR... Please tell me WL is going to be great! We have a woods view booked becuse I want to see"woods" at this resort and all the decorations should be up...

We are arriving the day before Thanksgiving ..will the lobby tree be up?

 

[Ratpack]

The info you got is correct. From WL to MK directly is about 10 minutes and if it goes to FW then it adds another 10 minutes or so, but i is much more relaxing than riding a bus anywhere. Most times when we were there last July the boats went from WL to MK and either had already been to FW or didn't go at all. There is also a boat that go from WL to CR and then you can take the monorail anywhere. We love WL and don't even think of staying anywhere else, this July will be three times in a row. I think you will be very happy with the Lodge.

 

[stanley]

Don't sweat the boatride. It is one of the small pleasures of WL.You can sit indoors or outside with mellow Disney music playing in the background. It is especially relaxing on the way back after a long day at MK. If you go back during the fireworks the boat will often stop to let you watch; you will also stop if the water pageant is going by.

 

[patsal]

WL is a great place and a wonderful resort--it just has really lousy transportation because you share everything with the campground! While I'm sure it is no "picnic" for the campground either it really deminished the "Deluxe" feel of the resort. We love WL, but we hate the transportation and drive ourselves nearly everywhere becasue it saves so very much time.

 

[Hnymoon@Dixie]

You get really nice views of the contemp. & WL from the water. Very relaxing! I think you may just fall in love with the lodge!

 

[jwfla422]

WL is one of our favorite MK resorts to stay in with the FW cabins right behind there. WL is so cozy and peaceful. At that time of year you'll be able to enjoy the large fireplaces in the lobby area. It beats a value or moderate resort anyday.

The boat from WL goes directly to MK, when you return from MK it stops at FW first. The boat ride is very enjoyable, no comparison to a bus ride. You can also boat over the CR and hop the monorail to the other resorts.

IMHO, being so close to FW is one of the perks. We enjoyed renting bikes at WL and riding them through the FW campground. They have lots of activities for the kids at both WL and FW. You can hop on the boat to FW (taking the CR/FW boat is faster than the MK boat) and check out the nightly campfire with Chip and Dale and the movie. TEB at FW is a great place to have a good dinner and it's quite reasonable...the cheapest buffet on property!

Back at the lodge, WCC is a fun place for dinner, but if you can splurge I highly recommend AP, it is our absolute favorite restaurant on WDW property!

 

[mat2672]

The WL is awesome! If you go into it looking to be disappointed, thats what your going to get. I think the transportation issues at the WL are so overrated. So what if you share a ride with the campground. The boat ride is so relaxing, especially later in the evening. Its incredible. Trust me, the great things about the lodge will totally outweigh spending a few more minutes on the boat. Ive stayed there several times and I just dont get the issues people have with the transportation there. I think alot of it comes from the same people who will go to a bus stop and after 5 minutes are saying that they cant believe theyve waited 20 minutes so far and no bus. life's too short! And the Wl may not have the monorail like some other deluxes, but the price isnt near the same either. With the discounts that are always out, you'll usually pay about $130 a night for an awesome resort. Just my opinion

 

[Justinsmom]

We just got back from the WL on Saturday. We've loved the boats! It was a very relaxing way to travel. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a boat. Most times it was waiting or just pulling up. The 10 minute ride was always a pleasure. A total time of 10 minutes is not a long time IMHO.

 

[susy]

Thanks for all of your comments!!!

I guess the thing that confused me was when people compare AKL and WL (as if often the case on this board) and the boat ride from WL to MK is always praised to the high heavens and the ride from AKL to MK is a fate worse than death. I guess in reality, the "times" are not very different at all. It's funny how pretty much the same thing is a HUGE plus at one resort and a HUGE minus at another.

 

[esrade]

I agree with most everyone else. We just got back from the WL and the boat ride really should be viewed as a 'bonus' because it's an experience in itself whereas the bus is really a means to get from point A to point B. The boat ride is relaxing, breezy, and we always like looking at the birds on the island, the cars going under the water bridge, seeing Space Mtn and the Castle come into view, etc.

Also, I don't know if it's faster to from AKL to the MK but the bus ride from WL to AK took FOREVER because of the Blizzard Beach stop.

 

[adisneynut]

How soon do the WL boats begin running from the Lodge to MK? I had rather not take the bus.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Originally posted by adisneynut
How soon do the WL boats begin running from the Lodge to MK? I had rather not take the bus.

The WL boat to the MK will not be running that early. I believe it starts running 30 minutes prior to park opening.

Here is what we usually do for an early PS at the MK when we are at the WL. The smaller boats that service the CR/WL/FW start running at 7:45. We take this boat to the CR. From the CR docks it is no more than a 15 minute walk to the MK. We find the walk is faster than taking the monorail.

Another option would be to take the WL bus to the TTC, and catch the monorail from there.

 

[DisneyKidds]

As for the WL boat to the MK, we love it. It is a very pleasant boat ride. It shouldn't be compared to a bus as a means of transportation, even if it takes as long as a bus ride.

As for time, we always try and be at the dock 30 minutes before we want to be in the MK. I don't think we have ever waited more than 10 or 15 minutes (if that long) for a boat to arrive, and the ride is between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on whether you stop at FW. There have been times that the wait/ride has been 30 minutes, and there have been times that the boat was at the dock when we got there and we were at the MK in 10 minutes.

Relax and enjoy the experience, and don't worry about whether the boat ride to the MK is longer than the bus ride from AKL.

 

[susy]

Thanks for all of the replies. I know I sound silly, but the morning that we will be gong to the MK from WL is ...Thanksgiving Day!! It will also be EE AND we will have to exchange our vouchers for passes.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by DisneyKidds
The WL boat to the MK will not be running that early. I believe it starts running 30 minutes prior to park opening.

Here is what we usually do for an early PS at the MK when we are at the WL. The smaller boats that service the CR/WL/FW start running at 7:45. We take this boat to the CR. From the CR docks it is no more than a 15 minute walk to the MK. We find the walk is faster than taking the monorail.

Another option would be to take the WL bus to the TTC, and catch the monorail from there.

A better option would be to take the character breakfast bus that starts running at 7 AM.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
A better option would be to take the character breakfast bus that starts running at 7 AM.

The character breakfast buses don't serve the MK resorts, so that isn't an option.