Any Info on Expanding River Boat Routes?

[P_Radden]

Traveling by water at WDW is one of the most relaxing and enjoyable means of transportation between resorts/parks (where available).

Has anyone heard of news or plans to expand upon existing waterways to provide more transportation options between parks, thus taking some of the crowding off the buses and monorails?

It wouldn't take much to have riverboat access to all parks and Disney Springs with the exception of AK. One connection would need to be made from World Showcase Lagoon to Bonnet Creek. An 2nd optional connection could be make to connect Bonnet Creek more directly with Sassagula River as opposed of using an existing route further south to Disney Springs.

It would be awesome to Ride a boat from MK/TTC to Epcot or DHS or even Disney Springs. Anybody know of projects of this nature down the road?

 

[ToTBellHop]

No. And some of the waterways you include would have awful views and take WAY too long to transport. Not many people want a quick 90-minute boat ride from Epcot to Disney Springs. They would need a ton of boats on the route and it would destroy the relaxation of the Sassagoula River to have drunks from World Showcase cruising by on their way to Raglan Road.

Only suggestion that I'v ever heard seriously discussed was CBR to Epcot.

 

[wdwmagic]

Bus is the transportation mode favoured by WDW. Flexible, high capacity and low cost. Monorails and boats are the opposite. I don't think we will see any expansion of either.

 

[Tom]

I agree that boat rides are usually nice and relaxing, but I can't stand the trip between Epcot and DHS. There's just something about being cramped on an enclosed Friendship boat while it travels about 5mph between parks and resorts.

That aside, adding water transportation would end up costing a fortune, with no return on the investment for WDW (and that's what they're about, obviously).

Water management comes first and foremost over any other development in central Florida. RCID/Disney went to great lengths to put in all the canals on property, to precisely manage water in the giant swamp they own. Those canals are not navigable by passenger boats because of their size, and because of all the locks, spillways and pumps throughout the network.

It simply isn't feasible, really.

 

[Master Yoda]

It is also worth noting that just because water ways exist, does not mean they are navigable. A good number of them are for nothing more that storm run off and retention.

 

[Tim Lohr]

There were plans for both a Monorail and small trolley cars to connect Epcot with Port Orleans, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs and The Downtown-Disney-Springs-Westside-Island-Shopping-Village area, but they went with the water taxi to do the same basic job because it was much cheaper than building tracks for trains... so I don't see why they wouldn't do it again if needed. It does seem like the Golden Oak area would be a good candidate to get its own boats to the Magic Kingdom

 

[P_Radden]

I agree that boat rides are usually nice and relaxing, but I can't stand the trip between Epcot and DHS. There's just something about being cramped on an enclosed Friendship boat while it travels about 5mph between parks and resorts.

That aside, adding water transportation would end up costing a fortune, with no return on the investment for WDW (and that's what they're about, obviously).

Water management comes first and foremost over any other development in central Florida. RCID/Disney went to great lengths to put in all the canals on property, to precisely manage water in the giant swamp they own. Those canals are not navigable by passenger boats because of their size, and because of all the locks, spillways and pumps throughout the network.

It simply isn't feasible, really.

Interesting points. Thanks for schooling me on the reality of a project like this.