We’re sharing the advice your Disney World boat captain wishes they could give!

Friendship Boat at Yacht Club Resort

There are tons of ways to get around Disney World, from buses to the Skyliner to the iconic Monorail. But we have to admit that there’s something extra relaxing and magical about cruising around the resort on a boat! Our fascination with the Disney World boats got the better of us, and we asked one of our reporters, who has experience as a Disney World boat captain, what they wish they could tell their guests onboard. Let’s dive right into the three things they shared!

Here are three pieces of advice Disney World boat captains wish they could share, straight from the source!

Don’t Block the Other Guests Exiting the Boat

We’ve all seen (and probably been guilty a time or two ourselves) people who walk through an entrance and instantly stop right in their tracks to figure out their next move. And, of course, everyone behind them also has to stop, or worse, accidentally bump into them if they can’t slam on the brakes quick enough to react. According to our reporter, guests stopping right after exiting the boat is also a fairly common sight for Disney World boat captains!

Friendship boat

Guests who stop as soon as they step onto the dock create a bottleneck for other guests behind them, which makes the process of disembarking both slower and more dangerous. Instead of stopping as soon as you step off the boat, wait until you’re all the way off the dock to take care of any reorganizing you may need to do. This keeps the disembarkation process moving and makes things safer for everyone!

Wait Until You’re Off the Dock to Stop and Reorganize!

We often see people stopping as soon as they get off the boat to reopen and reload their strollers, reorganize their belongings, or catch their bearings. If you need to take care of one of those tasks, try to wait until you’re off the dock if possible to avoid potential bottlenecks and collisions!

Fold Up Larger Strollers

Speaking of strollers… The policies for strollers can vary depending on what type of boat you’re taking. While larger boats like the Magic Kingdom Ferryboat allow strollers to be used on board, many of the smaller watercraft like water taxis require all strollers to be folded before boarding.

Magic Kingdom Ferryboat

But even if you’re boarding one of the medium or larger-sized boats that allow stroller use on board, it’s important to keep in mind that larger strollers may still need to be folded if they can’t fit through the hallways. Since many of the boats are older, they weren’t necessarily designed with modern strollers in mind, and you likely won’t be able to get through the halls with a double or triple-wide version.

Ferryboat

If you have a larger stroller, folding it up before you board can help prevent a bottleneck if it is too big to navigate through the halls. Keep in mind you can always ask a Cast Member if you have questions about the policies or logistics for whichever water transportation you’re about to board. Which brings us to our third tip…

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions!

Guests can (and should!) ask a Cast Member any questions they may have about the boat they’re getting ready to board. Whether it’s the route and stops a particular boat is making or the policies and rules onboard, please don’t be shy about asking for any clarification you may need!

Boat Transportation

The routes can be very long, and many of them have recently moved around a bit (and they will very likely change again at some point in the future). Cast Members know the logistics can be confusing, so they won’t judge you for asking. In fact, our reporter said they were super grateful to get questions from guests, since it could save both the guests and Cast Members a ton of frustration down the line!

Ferryboat Entrance

Basically, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! When in doubt, definitely ask.

Keep these tips straight from a Disney World boat captain in mind the next time you’re about to hop aboard to make your boat ride even more relaxing and seamless. We’re here to help make sure you have all the info you need to set yourself up for a successful Disney World vacation, so stick with us at DFB for more!

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What’s your go-to Disney transportation? Share with us in the comments!