Grand Floridian Resort introduces private water taxi service

[No Name]

I don't like this. I feel like it just sets up a darker future. Now Disney may be less inclined to keep their free transporation systems up to par, much less improve or expand them. Because if the Monorail is a crowded and yucky experience, the private water taxi goes up in appeal and value.

Of course it would be dumb for a number of reasons for Disney to go with that logic, and purposefully allow the experience to worsen for many guests. But I wouldn't put it past them. Short-term thinking has had plenty of moments.

 

[WDWBryan]

I could be wrong, but I think when my family stayed at Poly when I was young.. you had to show your key to be able to use the transportation as well. I know my mom has talked about that, not sure if it was on trips before kids or not.

I remember as a kid staying at Fort Wildneness with a youth group and we were all given KTTW cards supposedly for transportation but I don't remember ever needing to show them.

 

[rob0519]

Let's say this turns out to be a relatively well used option. How many boats are dedicated to this endeavor? How often will a boat depart? What if there are only 4 passengers, will it still leave as scheduled? How will the $20 charge be collected from multiple parties? Still many unanswered questions. I've paid for rooms at the CR, Polynesian and GF and honestly, I don't us paying an additional $20 to get from one resort to the other, especially if I can't use it for dinner reservations or returning from the park after 6:00 PM.

 

[Daveeeeed]

I have an idea!!! Disney Transport fails??? Use your feet!!!

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

Does it come with desserts and a cash bar?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I have an idea!!! Disney Transport fails??? Use your feet!!!

Yes, let's walk from the GF to the MK.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Yes, let's walk from the GF to the MK.

I was referring to the resorts as you can pay for that. GF to Poly, TTC to poly. Contemporary to MK etc.

 

[rogerrabbitfan9]

I don't think this really supposed to be used for transportation, but more as an experience, which happens to get you somewhere. From that point of view, I think this could work pretty well, especially coming from an early evening meal. I'm assuming it doesn't run any later because the pontoons don't have lights?

 

[doctornick]

Just the Floridian and not the Poly or Contemporary?

 

[Horizons78]

Yes, but Uber doesn't provide a boat across Seven Seas Lagoon...

Actually they do provide limited service across Seven Seas Lagoon when the GPS goes haywire.

Very limited service.

 

[raymusiccity]

'Back in the Day' when The Magic Kingdom was the sole destination, you'd also have the opportunity to buy a ticket to ride on that 'highway in the sky'. Not many people remember the ticket window just to the left of the escalator leading to the monorail station at the Contemporary Resort Hotel!

 

[shipley731]

I don't think this really supposed to be used for transportation, but more as an experience, which happens to get you somewhere. From that point of view, I think this could work pretty well, especially coming from an early evening meal. I'm assuming it doesn't run any later because the pontoons don't have lights?

If they are using the pontoon boats as I suspect, they aren't running at night as they use the boats for fireworks cruises.

 

[22YrsDVC]

It's about time Disney started having more exclusive programs for Muffy and I. Now, if we could only get an exclusive club in WDW as well. I don't have these New World Order issues in DL.

On a serious note, it would be so much better if they would just finish the walking path between GF and MK.

I would love to gambol from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom. We could have foot races with the Monorail...

 

[ford91exploder]

I would love to gambol from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom. We could have foot races with the Monorail...

The people on foot would win every time recently...

 

[ford91exploder]

Finally an amenity which one would expect at a Deluxe hotel. This is exactly the sort of thing the Deluxes should offer.

 

[Biff215]

I don't think this really supposed to be used for transportation, but more as an experience, which happens to get you somewhere. From that point of view, I think this could work pretty well, especially coming from an early evening meal. I'm assuming it doesn't run any later because the pontoons don't have lights?

The pontoons do have lights, as they are used nightly for fireworks cruises. Those are worth way more than the $20 they're making during the day, so no way they're giving that up. Id imagine they wouldn't do it anyway due to safety with so many larger watercraft already crossing the lagoon in the dusk/dark.

 

[Biff215]

Here is a photo I took during our Poly stay last year. This is the line for the launch. Sometime around 8am. It was Labor Day and we chose to skip the parks that day, I didn't see the monorail lines so don't know if they were long. If we had a breakfast reservation at CR instead of Ohana a private ride would have been perfect on a day like that. I think it's less about being "hoity toity" and more about Disney realizing that there are people who will pay to cut stress out of their vacation.lol View attachment 173713

No way to know for sure, but I'd guess that the monorail was either closed or down when that picture was taken. That's the only time I've ever seen the resort launch lines anything close to that.

I have no problem with this new offering, although I probably wouldn't use it as the time saved would be minimal most of the time. As others have pointed out, this is simply attempting to offer a "premium" option at their flagship resort. It certainly feels exclusive, I'll just bet I beat that boat 9 times out of 10.

 

[Missymoe4]

I will do this in a heartbeat!!
I know, who wants to pay more money than they have to? But, shoot, after waiting an hour in line on Monday (the monorails broke down) and watching 1 boat move along the lake...$20 is worth my time.

 

[Missymoe4]

I don't like this. I feel like it just sets up a darker future. Now Disney may be less inclined to keep their free transporation systems up to par, much less improve or expand them. Because if the Monorail is a crowded and yucky experience, the private water taxi goes up in appeal and value.

Of course it would be dumb for a number of reasons for Disney to go with that logic, and purposefully allow the experience to worsen for many guests. But I wouldn't put it past them. Short-term thinking has had plenty of moments.

That's a good point. But their transportation systems are NOT up to par.

 

[Missymoe4]

Does it come with desserts and a cash bar?

Even better!