The complimentary water taxi service from Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge has changed protocols, affecting some transportation wait times and policies.
Magic Kingdom Water Transportation
Previously, there was one boat route that took guests between Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Another, totally separate boat traveled to and from Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Now, one boat is transporting guests to both resorts, leaving Magic Kingdom and stopping at Wilderness Lodge first before heading to the campgrounds.
This means there is no longer a direct boat to the campgrounds, creating a backup at the Fort Wilderness dock. What used to be a 20 minute boat journey from the park to the campgrounds has become roughly 35 minutes with the additional Wilderness Lodge stop.
The change reportedly has to do with the amount of boats that can accommodate scooters and strollers. Scooters can only travel on the large enclosed boats, not the small open air boats. And strollers have to be folded up on the small boats.
With the updated route, a large boat now stops at both resorts, followed closely by a small boat. A third water taxi connects Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, but this route does not begin operating until the afternoon.
While this policy has occasionally been used depending on seasonal demand, nearby Cast Members confirmed this is the current policy for the near future. They believe this change is a test to see if this protocol is viable for the long term.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.