Grand Floridian Resort introduces private water taxi service

[Missymoe4]

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

This looked like the line Monday afternoon. After sitting on a broken monorail for 45 minutes they had us walk to the boats, to wait an hour to get to the MK.

$20 is looking pretty darn fine.

 

[rael ramone]

Thoughts:

A boatride from the GF to the WL or FW could be a pleasant ride. It can even be an 'attraction' for some people.

Some things can feel like a money grabbing upcharge ('premium parking' I'm looking at you). The Behind the Seeds Tour at the land doesn't (the modest fee keeps it to people who are truly interested) and a modest fee for this service could be the same thing.

But for this to work as anything other then a money grabbing enterprise it needs to be an 'enjoyable' trip. You are making a reservation for something that you can get for half price via Uber that doesn't need a reservation and will get you in half the time. It needs to be worth it. The service should be top notch, done by a truly informative CM, in a pristine watercraft. (Even a ride within the Monorail loop could be worth it if the craft & CM makes it a special trip).

That said:

The primary transportation option between (and starting at the) GF & the MK or Contemporary should be the monorail. One stop to the MK, 2 to Contemporary. If the monorail does it's job, then it should be quicker to jump on the Monorail then even Uber... And a properly maintained Monorail would be far more pleasant then an Uber ride. If you want quick & pleasant transportation, for the price premium that the Monorail resorts charge, the Monorail should be the preferred mode of transportation for any (other then those who really want to do the boatride - if you NEED to do the taxi to go to a Seven Seas Lagoon location then the Monorail has failed to do it's job). I share concerns with others that this 'additional service' could result in a downgrade of the standard transportation to 'enhance value' for the new taxi. The 6pm 'curfew' is also a negative. One who wants to eat at Artist Point or go to Hoop De Doo would have to depend on at least a return trip either via Uber, or if relying on WDW transportation would have to do a changeover.

 

[rael ramone]

I don't need a personal narrated tour when going to dinner, (especially for $20 for 10 or less) and I hope that's not what this would be. Interaction, fine, but not a type of narrated or planned duty by the captain. They should just keep it similar to what is already offered on the free launch, information without overdoing it. It's just an alternative form of transportation, one that will be attractive to some. I'd much rather sit with my kid in a boat on Seven Seas Lagoon, chatting with him and taking in the sites, than sharing the back of an Uber car. One other thing about Uber, for those of us that use car seats or boosters a boat is a lot more convenient. Using a car seat/booster with Uber adds a fee.

I just think people are setting way too high expectations if you expect this to be an "attraction". Can't something just be a relaxed way to spend some QT with your family, without anyone else entertaining you? Just to escape the crowds for a bit on your way to a meal. Those are my favorite types of moments.

A boat ride that just has a party of guests and the captain should serve the needs/desires of that party. Someone who wants the driver to 'just drive' should do just that. Others may want something more, perhaps even a 'detour' to point out some interesting sights, providing it doesn't make the party late or the driver late to his next appointment. It should feel like a 'premium' service. Perhaps, to some, even an 'attraction' (when it comes down to it, an attraction is in the eye of the beholder). And I'm sure $DIS won't mind if some would like to pay the $20 for a ride just to enjoy the ride.

 

[21stamps]

A boat ride that just has a party of guests and the captain should serve the needs/desires of that party. Someone who wants the driver to 'just drive' should do just that. Others may want something more, perhaps even a 'detour' to point out some interesting sights, providing it doesn't make the party late or the driver late to his next appointment. It should feel like a 'premium' service. Perhaps, to some, even an 'attraction' (when it comes down to it, an attraction is in the eye of the beholder). And I'm sure $DIS won't mind if some would like to pay the $20 for a ride just to enjoy the ride.

I guess my line of thinking is just- Water Taxi. Not a private tour. I'd like it to remain $20 so would rather not have it made into an attraction/experience.lol

 

[OliveMcFly]

Can I not take this to MK anymore?

 

[righttrack]

I think if you can call it quickly, like an Uber, it would be nice. There are times when your plans foul up and you need transportation. Sometimes water is nicer than a taxi. Sometimes you want to go on a bar crawl. Other times you want to have a family conversation over travelling. It's a nice option. I may or may not take advantage of it, but it's nice to know it's there. I wonder what Mears thinks about this.

 

[Beacon Joe]

If they'll take me directly to and from Fort Wilderness...