Revival at EPCOT: Attraction Reopens After Four-Year Closure, Delighting Guests

A fan-favorite feature has finally returned to the Walt Disney World Resort.

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There’s a plethora of different transportation methods available at Walt Disney World, and the Friendship boats are just one example. Guests visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, can navigate the massive property by way of car, bus, or Monorail, as well as the Disney Skyliner, which gives guests a birds-eye view of the resort as they travel in sky buckets. Of course, guests who wish to walk to and from the parks have options as well, with certain Walt Disney World Resort hotels, like Disney’s BoardWalk, featuring walking paths that lead directly to the theme parks.

One of the coolest ways to get around Walt Disney World are these Friendship boats, which are placed around EPCOT. There are four different docks present at World Showcase Lagoon. Previously, guests could use these to travel the country. However, due to Illuminations showtimes, these boat docks were closed to guests. These boat docks have not been in use since at least early 2020, right before the Walt Disney World Resort closed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, guests can now once again take a Friendship boat to get to and from the Germany and Canada Pavilions, something not possible for at least four years.

Twitter user Evan Patel shared a video of one of these boats in action, a sight that will undoubtedly excite longtime fans of EPCOT.

This is so exciting! Ironically I posted this awesome video on my instagram account today. You can go to my instagram from the link in my bio

This is so exciting! Ironically I posted this awesome video on my instagram account today. You can go to my instagram from the link in my bio https://t.co/cHQJ2Jhefb pic.twitter.com/Yg9nfeVtM3

— Evan Patel (@EvanPatel11) March 19, 2024

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Guests now have the option of boarding a Friendship boat from Canada to Germany. The Mexico launch station, as well as the Morocco station, is currently closed for refurbishment. Friendship boats depart every 15 minutes at EPCOT, giving guests a unique way to navigate the theme park. These boats also provide incredibly unique views of World Showcase.

World Showcase is just one piece of EPCOT, with the park featuring four new and distinct neighborhoods. EPCOT is split into World Showcase, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Celebration. These four lands became official as part of EPCOT’s massive, multi-year transformation. Along with this transformation, EPCOT became home to several new and impressive attractions, like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the park’s first-ever roller coaster.