Rumor Guest Boat Rentals Not Returning

flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
KeithVH said:
The emphasis above is probably one of the saddest statements I have ever read here. Not saying it's wrong just incredibly depressing.
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For those of us who remember vacationing there before it was theme park central.... it's sad but true.

I have memories like learning to Ski at Disney... nighttime campfires... the excitement of driving the sprites on your own for the first time... seeing Mission to Mars from underneath on the backstage tour... All things that people just don't really do much of anymore as they get conditioned to schedule every waking moment at an ADR or something in the parks. Disney hotels have become more and more just a pool and a room.
 
G

gavvy

Member
We used to rent those small boats when the AP discount was 30% then the discount was cut to 10% and it just didn't seem worth it again. It used to be fun and a bit scary on 7 seas in one of those small things.
 
twilight mitsuk

twilight mitsuk

Well-Known Member
gavvy said:
We used to rent those small boats when the AP discount was 30% then the discount was cut to 10% and it just didn't seem worth it again. It used to be fun and a bit scary on 7 seas in one of those small things.
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For a while they had an unlimited boat rental plan
 
chriskbrown

chriskbrown

Active Member
I would be surprised if they don't bring these back. I have incredible fond memories renting these as a kid at the Contemporary; and we rented them on the last day they were available last March again at the Contemporary. It was alot of fun and an incredible way to see the resorts. The dock space at all of the resorts is just sitting there.

I will say it made zero sense to me to rent boats at the Epcot resorts - nowhere to really go.
 
Deadphish

Deadphish

Active Member
Loved renting the little speedboats on bay lake, couldn’t wait till my daughter would be old enough to drive her own (2022). Last time there I made a deal with her that we would try sorcerers of the magic kingdom on our next trip. Disney does nothing but disappoint me anymore. I’m booking Cedar Point tonight!
 
LaughingGravy

LaughingGravy

Well-Known Member
The water sprites ( or whatever the latest name for them was) used to be an integral part of the vacation resort. We would take a whole day and just do that, the pool, and other resort hopping and shopping things like trying restaurants we otherwise might not have.
I still maintain that cost cutting of alligator removal was a key part of the kid being attacked years ago.
I half expect the ferries from Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary to go next. Can you even get a ferry to the MK from Ft. Wilderness any more?
If all they do is use the large ferries from the TTC, there is no need to do any kind of maintenance to the lakes.
Another reason to not stay at a monorail resort. I'm sure they will lower the prices for the amenity that has been removed.

No alligator mitigation means gators will get bigger. "You're going to need a bigger boat."

A major part of the reason to go in the first place was the whole resort experience. The whole idea of eliminating any kind of non-essential cost center and turning it into a profit center or kill it decreases the value of the resort.

Are resort pools next for an up charge?
 
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LaughingGravy

LaughingGravy

Well-Known Member
ryguy said:
There were 4 things as a kid I was geeked up for on our yearly Orlando/Disney vacations: Go carts, Water Sprites, Contemporary Arcade, and Mini golf. Those 4 activities are what I remember most about our vacations.
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The movie theater showing Disney movies for resort guests (which they could easily add at almost no cost...who owns the movies?...oh, right. Projector, screen, and some seats ) and shooting gallery at the Contemporary were also memorable things, that yes, kept us going back pretty much every year.
 
L

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
LaughingGravy said:
The water sprites ( or whatever the latest name for them was) used to be an integral part of the vacation resort. We would take a whole day and just do that, the pool, and other resort hopping and shopping things like trying restaurants we otherwise might not have.
I still maintain that cost cutting of alligator removal was a key part of the kid being attacked years ago.
I half expect the ferries from Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary to go next. Can you even get a ferry to the MK from Ft. Wilderness any more?
If all they do is use the large ferries from the TTC, there is no need to do any kind of maintenance to the lakes.
Another reason to not stay at a monorail resort. I'm sure they will lower the prices for the amenity that has been removed.

No alligator mitigation means gators will get bigger. "You're going to need a bigger boat."

A major part of the reason to go in the first place was the whole resort experience. The whole idea of eliminating any kind of non-essential cost center and turning it into a profit center or kill it decreases the value of the resort.

Are resort pools next for an up charge?
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That is not what is very magical. Guests staying at the Grand, Poly, Wilderness, etc seeing alligator trappers doing their jobs in seeing eye distance. Gators are a fact of life in many body of waters in FL. That is why I don't swim in any lake or rent a kayak in FL. The only gator I like are the gator nuggets dipped in sauce washed down with an ice cold beer.
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
With Disney trying to make the resort rooms as unthemed as possible, getting rid of more and more resort activities, it's awful. The writing was on the wall when they took boats away from the Port Orleans resorts, I am sure they ran the numbers and said, hey nobody seemed to care they were gone, and look at the money we saved! That is all well and good but people are starting to see other options, Universal has really stepped up their game with their moderate and budget options. The people that run WDW nowadays don't seem to understand that the nostalgia isn't just in a pair of mickey ears and a ride on Space Mountain. It's in the little things that made the resorts like no other place, what made them magical, for some that was renting a water mouse, for others it was catching a piano player do a great show in the lounge, these things just keep being pulled away.
 
DavidNoble

DavidNoble

Well-Known Member
Club Cooloholic said:
With Disney trying to make the resort rooms as unthemed as possible, getting rid of more and more resort activities, it's awful. The writing was on the wall when they took boats away from the Port Orleans resorts, I am sure they ran the numbers and said, hey nobody seemed to care they were gone, and look at the money we saved! That is all well and good but people are starting to see other options, Universal has really stepped up their game with their moderate and budget options. The people that run WDW nowadays don't seem to understand that the nostalgia isn't just in a pair of mickey ears and a ride on Space Mountain. It's in the little things that made the resorts like no other place, what made them magical, for some that was renting a water mouse, for others it was catching a piano player do a great show in the lounge, these things just keep being pulled away.
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You hit it on the head. This WDW (and of the past few years) has shown a desire to move away from doing anything to truly make WDW unique and special. Instead, the focus is on extracting as much money as possible for as little costs as possible and living off nostalgia instead of truly innovating. It's pretty sad.
 
Jrb1979

Jrb1979

Well-Known Member
DavidNoble said:
You hit it on the head. This WDW (and of the past few years) has shown a desire to move away from doing anything to truly make WDW unique and special. Instead, the focus is on extracting as much money as possible for as little costs as possible and living off nostalgia instead of truly innovating. It's pretty sad.
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It's not sad when people keep putting up with it.
 
wishiwere@wdw

wishiwere@wdw

Well-Known Member
We always enjoyed taking the boats out. In particular, the waterways around Port Orleans were a ton of fun to explore... and we’re also the first to go before the pandemic due to cuts. I suspect this amenity will come back in time and in some form but staffing it is not a priority right now; especially when they can’t staff major important aspects of the resort at the moment. Further complicating matters is that the maintenance for the boats is outsourced and a lot of those folks were unfortunately let go. Last I had checked they were still running a skeleton crew to keep the basics operating.

The marinas and the boats themselves added additional kinetic energy to the water and were a great way to take a resort day break from the parks so I sincerely hope they’re able to come back when time is right.
 
Mindy55

Mindy55

Active Member
Just curious- can anyone compare from say 2015 to today - what all has been removed or added from resort experiences only:
we know removed is:
Sammy Duval parasailing, boat excursions
Piano performance at Grand Floridian

Do they still do movies and s’mores on beach at Wilderness Lodge or is the beach gone?
 

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