Hi Debbie, and welcome back to planDisney!
Thanks for stopping by with your question about one of my happy places:
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. I may be a little biased because it’s my husband’s favorite Resort hotel, but once you stay there, you’ll want to choose it again and again. And there’s no bad time to visit. So, regardless if your vacation is around the winter holidays (the Christmas tree in the main lobby is straight out of a classic Christmas movie) or during the warmer months, you’re in for quite the home away from home.
Of course, like most Walt Disney World vacations, you’ll want to explore the theme parks, too. Pulling from my own family’s experiences and from a chat with a Disney Cast Member, I am able to provide you with an answer to help your planning process. While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact time of the first boat’s arrival, the trend is about 45 minutes to an hour before Magic Kingdom opens for
Early Entry hotel guests. Right now, because of an 8:30 a.m. opening, you can expect boat #1 to arrive around 7:30 a.m.
I recommend getting to the dock about 10 minutes before then to be among the first to hop aboard. My boys and I usually take a seat in the adjoined covered area and take in the view before the
water transportation arrives.
On a similar note, Disney transportation continues to run until about an hour after
theme park closing time. For example, as a Deluxe Resort hotel guest, you are eligible to enjoy
Extended Evening Hours on select nights and at select parks. If it’s a Magic Kingdom night, you can still take the boat transportation back to your home base of Wilderness Lodge (weather permitting).
AN EXTRA GEM: Although I personally prefer taking a relaxing and scenic ride over to Magic Kingdom, taking a bus from outside of the Lodge’s lobby is another option. Download the
My Disney Experience app, if you haven’t already, and check out bus transportation times in your hotel reservation section. Bus arrival times tend to be pretty accurate (plus or minus a couple of minutes).
Debbie, have an amazing time on your upcoming trip to The Most Magical Place on Earth! Please don’t hesitate to
revisit us here at planDisney if you have any additional vacation planning questions. I’m
all
ears
! Magic always,
LeAndra