Curious about the Disney Springs Boat to Port Orleans Resort? Here’s everything you need to know about the free boat transportation between Disney Springs entertainment complex and Disney’s Port Orleans resort.
Whether you are staying at Disney’s Port Orleans resorts, or just want to explore, this free boat service is a great way to travel!
Sassagoula River Cruise
You can travel to Disney Springs via the Sassagoula River Cruise which is a free water taxi service. You can travel within the following locations:
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
To go to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, you’ll want to go to the Disney Springs Marketplace Dock. I’ve circled it in the image below. It’s located near the Rainforest Café.
It can be a little tricky the first time, so be sure to use the maps your My Disney Experience App.
Walk to the Marketplace section of Disney Springs and you’ll actually exit Disney Springs to get to this dock.
You’ll see signs for each of the locations: Disney’s Saratoga Springs, Old Key West Resort, Port Orleans – French Quarter, and Port Orleans – Riverside.
You’ll want to get in line on the right. There’s signs to guide you.
Each boat is also marked with a colored flag to help you know where it’s headed. If you see dual colored flag, that means it stops at both of those locations.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort flags are yellow and purple. Riverside has a yellow flag and the French Quarter has a purple flag.
Disney Springs Boat Service Details
The boats tend to run about every 20 minutes or more. It can get very busy in the late afternoon and early evening as people are both leaving Disney Springs for the day or going to Disney Springs for supper.
Even though the line can look long, each of the Sassagoula River Cruise boats holds between 32 and 37 people depending on if it’s a short boat or a longer one. You’ll find the the line can move more quickly than expected.
However, if you have reservations at a restaurant, make sure you allow plenty of extra time to get there.
It’s hard to know how long the line for the ferry will take. This is by no means a fast way to travel. Rather it’s meant for leisure and convenience.
Keep in mind that the ferry boats cannot run if the water levels are too low. Sassagoula River is a beautiful 2½ mile waterway that was created by Disney. June is the most common month for closures due to low water levels.
Boat captains start running this ferry service at 10:30am and the last boat leaves Disney Springs at 11:30pm unless otherwise posted at the Disney Springs docks.
It’s really a great way to travel and a lot of fun….and you can’t beat the price = FREE!
What to See
The boat ride itself will vary based on where you are headed, but once you are actually on the ferry, the ride is about 15 to 20 minutes long to Port Orleans Resort.
There’s great views from the boat of Disney Springs.
You can also see the beautiful grounds of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort.
Heading off toward Port Orleans you’ll be able to see the Treehouse Villas, which are really cool! You can also see great views of Disney hotels as well as wooded areas.
All in all, these boats are a nice relaxing way to get from one place to the other!
For me, it’s the best way to travel and a nice way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks.
Why Use the Free Boat to Port Orleans
For my family, the most obvious reason for using the Disney Springs boat to Port Orleans is to get beignets at Scat Cat’s Cafe at Port Orleans French Quarter.
They offer gluten free beignets at this location, which can’t be found in any of the parks. You can read more about Scat Cat’s Gluten Free Beignets here. And of course you can find regular beignets as well as some amazing Cajun food.
The Sassagoula River Cruise is an easy way to resort hop and check out other resorts like Port Orleans Riverside.
And of course, if you are staying at Port Orleans, it’s a super easy way to get over to the Disney Springs resort area for shopping, amazing food, and entertainment.
More Disney Planning Tips
Here’s some more articles that can help with planning your vacation to Walt Disney World Resort.
Learn all about the Best Things for Kids to do at Disney Springs here. So many fun ideas!
Check out our favorite restaurant at Disney Springs here. Raglan Road Irish Pub serves up delicious Irish food and has amazing offerings including gluten free fried fish. Plus, you can’t beat the live entertainment!
Learn all about the Best Walt Disney World Tips here. Get all the best insider information for planning your best vacation!
Don’t miss our expert advice on Avoiding Long Lines and wait times at Disney theme parks.
Headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Disney fans can find out where to meet The Mandalorian and Grogu here.
Learn all about the Best Rides for Adults at Magic Kingdom here. So many rides that grownups can enjoy!
You can find the best rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom here and which 1 to avoid.
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