Disney Springs is a popular shopping and dining district at Disney World and it may see increased crowds and less transportation this summer.
At Disney Springs, there are boats that will take guests from the entertainment and shopping district back to several resorts. The Disney Springs "Sassagoula River Cruise" can be boarded at the Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Port Orleans Resort at Riverside, and also at the French Quarter.
Resort guests can take the boats from their resort to Disney Springs and back again. That isn't going to 100% change but starting this summer, the boats are reportedly going to close down as a result of the new summer drone show, "Disney Dreams That Soar."
The drone shows will occur twice a night all summer with two shows. One at 8:00 p.m. and the next at 10:00 p.m. It is now rumored that the boat transportation will shut down prior to the start of the first show at 8:00 and will not return after that time until the next morning.
This is huge news for guests hoping to catch the show and then catch the boat back to their resort. Now, they will either have to walk back or take one of the buses to their resort. It is not convenient.
It is unclear if transportation cast members will be on hand to direct guests where to go and how to get back but Disney has used signage previously in lieu of cast members. The drone show will begin this summer and will end sometime in September. While the summer months at Disney Parks can see a lot lighter foot traffic, that is not typically the case for the Springs where guests come to dine, shop, and experience live entertainment.
Between now and the start of the drone show, it is possible that Disney re-thinks this approach and keeps the boats in operation following the show at 8 until the next one at 10 and then starts running again after the 2nd show until normal hours, sometimes quite late.
The fact that Disney is looking to close the transportation option early is a bit surprising and I have to imagine that many guests will not be pleased with the news.