Ahoy there James, and welcome back to planDisney!
It sounds like you're looking to set sail - albeit for a short amount of time gliding on the shallow waters of
EPCOT - and we're glad to have you back on board with another question for us!
This month we recently took advantage of the complimentary
Water Transportation available to convey us between destinations at EPCOT World Showcase and found ourselves asking a similar question. To be honest, we wanted to know whether it would be faster for us to wait in line to be able to sail across the World Showcase Lagoon or just take a brisk walk over and dodge the eager
EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival crowds.
At this time however, I confirmed that the FriendShip Launch across World Showcase Lagoon is only available from the docking points adjacent to Canada and Morocco, scheduled to run an hour after EPCOT opens until an hour prior to EPCOT park close. In our experience, we found that this was an interesting way to observe the
reimagining of the former Nighttime Spectacular and you might be able to see the remnant barges as they are slowly removed. (Depending on the work within the lagoon that may take place during the day including preparations ahead of the evening Fireworks, as well as inclement weather conditions the FriendShip Launches may not be in operation as these offerings are subject to change without prior notice.)
If you're curious about our findings, we found that it took us under 10 minutes to walk from either end if we weren't distracted by
the tantalizing wafts of food scents and friendly Characters along the way. By comparison, the time it took to wait to load the FriendShip launch and unload at the other end following the ride took over 15 minutes. That said, there really was nothing like gliding across the water with a gentle breeze and a chance to give the feet a little break.
On your visit in May I can definitely suggest having a snack at either end of your ride across the lagoon, like the
Impossible Lumpia with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce at Trowel & Trellis, the
Shrimp Scampi Poutine from
Refreshment Port or the
Coconut Tres Leches at La Isla Fresca. I can also recommend planning around one of the last trips of the day to get some beautiful, relaxing glimpses of the sky over World Showcase as it transitions from day into evening. Don't hesitate to
come back to planDisney again to ask me any more questions, James - you're always welcome here and I hope you have a wonderful time traversing World Showcase!
Wishing you all the best on your next adventure sailing from one country to another!
Prince