Disney World’s free transportation system really can’t be beat. It’s FREE, for starters, but it’s also efficient and convenient.
Disney Springs
Between Disney World buses, the Monorail, the Skyliner, and boats, you can get to pretty much anywhere you need to go on Disney World property. But sometimes closures can happen that can affect how you get from point A to point B. For example in bad weather, the Skyliner closes. Other circumstances also affect transportation, and we’ve got a closure to warn you about.
Did you know that there are ferry boats that take Disney World visitors between Disney Springs and Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside, and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter?! Well, there are and it’s known as the Sassagoula River Cruise! These ferries are such a nice way for these guests to get between Disney Springs and their hotels. But they aren’t always available.
The boat dock in Disney Springs
If you are relying on the ferry only to find that it is closed unexpectedly due to something like weather, you may not know what to do! Closures happen from time to time due to weather and technical issues. We have also seen the boats close in the summer due to low water levels and other construction in the area.
The boats are closed
If you find yourself in this situation, a bus should be available for you to hop on to head back to your resort. There are not buses from Disney Springs to the parks, so keep that in mind! But there will be a bus that can take you back to your Disney World hotel! At Disney Springs, you can find the buses at the Town Center Bus Depot located between the Lime and Orange garages. You can also take a ride service like Uber or Lyft if you’re really in a hurry!
Disney Springs Buses
Sassagoula River Cruise Hours
If you are looking to hop on the Sassagoula River Cruise boats, they typically run between 10:30AM -11:30PM and new boats tend to arrive every 15-20 minutes. There is quite a bit of room on these boats, so unless it’s super busy, you shouldn’t have an issue having room onboard!
On a Boat
WATCH OUT for 4 Transportation PROBLEMS at Disney World Hotels
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Wow! I only go to wdw for the resorts and Disney Springs as I don’t have a smartphone and Disney has made it too confusing and stressful to enjoy the parks without one. This will definitely change my travel plans! Not only do I enjoy the boats but taking a bus is no longer convenient to and from Disney Springs since they put the bus stop all the way to its far end! And it takes a lot longer without the beautiful scenery and relaxation of the boat routes. Extremely disappointed…..
There has been a noticeable lack of rain in April. I hope they use this down time to figure out why half the boats list to the port side… Unbalanced boats are nervy.
Oh noooooo. I hope they fix it really soon! We were hoping to use it to get from Disney Springs to Riverside in a few weeks.
I hope this is temporary! I’m staying at Saratoga Springs in 3 weeks and I love taking the boat to Disney Springs. I hope it reopens by then!
We checked in today at Port Orleans Riverside after a Disney Cruise and we were sad to see the boats closed. We asked a cast member by the dock at the resort and they confirmed it is closed until the water levels rise again. The water level is very much visibly low judging by the dark water line on the walls of the waterway.
Just got home from a Saratoga springs trip. Boat was down for the last two days. Not a huge deal, but I always like the ride and it drops you off at a perfect location.
A cast member confirmed to us it was because the water levels were low (this was also left as a message on the room phone).
It was also mentioned unless the forecast changes, it could be down for a week or two.