We have some good news to share, especially if you have a stay coming up at Disney's Yacht Club Resort or Disney's Beach Club Resort. A few days ago we noted that a popular transportation perk had gone offline at both properties. This week, it is back.
The Boats Are Running Again
FriendShip boat service has officially returned to the shared dock at Disney's Yacht Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Resort. The dock closed on August 17 for scheduled maintenance, with Disney projecting a reopening of August 21. That timeline held, and guests can once again board FriendShip boats directly from the Yacht and Beach Club dock. All told, the service was offline for roughly five days — about as short as a transportation closure gets at Walt Disney World.
Where the Boats Take You
If you are new to the EPCOT Resort area, here is what FriendShip boat service from the Yacht Club and Beach Club covers:
- EPCOT
- Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Disney's BoardWalk
- The Swan and Dolphin hotels
That is two theme parks and three neighboring resorts, all reachable from a dock just steps outside your hotel — at no cost. It is genuinely one of the best transportation perks on Walt Disney World property, and a big reason why the EPCOT Resort area commands the rates it does.
What Guests Dealt With During the Closure
Disney did not leave anyone stranded during the five-day closure, which is standard practice when a specialized transportation option goes down. Direct bus service to Disney's Hollywood Studios ran from both the Yacht Club and Beach Club bus stops, providing the cleanest replacement for the destination hardest to reach on foot.
For EPCOT, most guests simply walked. The Yacht Club and Beach Club sit within walking distance of EPCOT's International Gateway entrance — roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on where you start. Disney's BoardWalk and the Swan and Dolphin hotels also remained reachable on foot via the pathways connecting the EPCOT Resort area.
Why the Closure Still Mattered
A short closure with alternatives available might sound like a minor inconvenience, but in practice it was not quite that simple. A 10 to 15 minute walk means very different things depending on who is making it — families with young children, guests pushing strollers, or anyone heading back after a full day on their feet in the parks.
This closure also landed squarely in the middle of August, during a stretch when Central Florida saw repeated heat advisories with the heat index climbing past 110 degrees. A walk that feels pleasant in November is an entirely different experience in that kind of weather.
For Hollywood Studios, the direct bus was the practical choice. Guests could also walk to Disney's BoardWalk and use the FriendShip dock there, or take a considerably longer Skyliner route through Disney's Riviera Resort and Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort before transferring. That last option works, but unless riding the Skyliner is part of the fun, it was not the first choice for most guests.
This Was Never a Permanent Change
It is worth stating clearly: Disney never announced that FriendShip boat service was being permanently removed from either resort. This was scheduled dock maintenance with a published end date, and Disney hit that date. That distinction matters when reading transportation news at Walt Disney World — maintenance closures and permanent service changes can look similar in a headline but are entirely different situations.
Construction Is Still Ongoing Elsewhere in the Area
The FriendShip dock closure landed while several other resort projects were already underway. Work has been ongoing at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's BoardWalk Inn, and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
The BoardWalk project is particularly relevant to this area. The Village Green there closed August 10 through September 4, with additional lobby corridor closures scheduled into November. So while the boats are back, guests staying in or visiting the EPCOT Resort area should still check what is available at their specific resort before arriving.
What This Means for Your Upcoming Stay
The boats are running normally, and there is no announced follow-up closure. If you have a Yacht Club or Beach Club stay on the books, your full transportation package is intact — boats to two parks, walking access to EPCOT, and bus service to everything else.
That combination is a big part of why these resorts book out the way they do, particularly during festival season at EPCOT. With the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival opening August 27, having the boats back matters more than usual. Getting from your resort to World Showcase without a bus is exactly the kind of convenience guests booked these hotels for — and now they have it back.