One of the unique features of the Port Orleans resorts is that they were constructed on the banks of the Disney-created Sassagoula River, a gentle 2½ mile waterway which winds its way through lush woods, past the Treehouse Villas and the Saratoga Springs DVC Resort, to Lake Buena Vista and the Disney Springs shopping, dining and entertainment complex (previously known as Downtown Disney and the Disney Village Marketplace).

The fictional Sassagoula Steamboat haulage company which plies the waters around the Mississippi delta also operates a range of very real water craft in Florida. The “Sassagoula River Cruise” is a free service which ferries guests from both of the Port Orleans resorts all the way down the river to Disney Springs. The twenty minute boat trip is a very pleasant and relaxing alternative to road transport and shouldn’t be missed.

Note: As from 28 June 2026, the ferry service from Disney Springs is exclusively for the use of any current Walt Disney World hotel guests or guests with dining reservations, and Resort ID / dining confirmation will be required before boarding the boat for your return journey. This only applies to guests boarding at Disney Springs, you can travel from a hotel to Disney Springs without such confirmations.

The current fleet, introduced in 2004, consists of some 15 “Sea Ark” boats spread out over four routes, all decked out in a lively brightly-coloured yellow and blue livery, with suitably fitting Southern names:

1. Memphis Miss
2. Louisiana Lady
3. Sassagoula Sunset
4. Bayou Princess
5. Crescent City Queen (spelled “Cresent City Queen” on the boat’s name plate)
6. Magnolia Blossom
7. Florida Queen
8. Buena Vista Queen
9. Saratoga Queen
10. Blossom Queen
11. Jazz Lady
12. Delta Lady
13. Azalea Bloom
14. Southern Breeze
15. Jazz Queen

Routes

The boats run multiple separate ferry routes from Disney Springs, so be careful you catch the right service based on the colour of its masthead flag. As from August 2014, the Port Orleans “Sassagoula River Cruise” service departs from a new Marketplace dock, accessed via the footbridge behind the Rainforest Café which connects to the Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

Note: Following the reopening of the ferries in 2021 after the COVID shutdown, only the four Resort routes have resumed operation. There is no internal water taxi service running between the three Disney Springs docks. All of the Resort destinations are now operating from the same combined dock area located behind the Rainforest Café. The other two Disney Springs docks are not currently in use.

• Yellow Flag: Service between Disney Springs and Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort.
• Purple Flag: Service between Disney Springs and Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.
• Yellow/Purple Dual Flag: Special service that stops at both French Quarter and Riverside.
• Blue Flag: Service between Disney Springs and Disney’s Saratoga Springs DVC Resort & Spa, including the Treehouse Villas.
• Green Flag: Service between Disney Springs and Disney’s Old Key West DVC Resort.
• Red Flag: Internal Disney Springs water taxi, not currently operating.

From August 2015 two independent ferry routes were operated after 5pm, and that has now been extended to provide separate boat services for most of the day. Guests traveling to or from Port Orleans French Quarter should use ferries which sport a purple identifying flag, while Port Orleans Riverside guests should use boats with yellow flags. Later in the evening, boats may call at both resorts which is signified by a dual yellow/purple flag.

The boat captains are in contact with each other by radio so they have the ability to be a little more flexible as demand at both resorts fluctuates during the day. If you want to transfer between the two Port Orleans resorts (perhaps for a swim, or a vital beignet run!) just ask the next boat captain or dockside cast member and they will either drop you off on the way past or contact another boat to accommodate you.

Operating Hours

The river cruise service linking Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter to Disney Springs commences at 10am daily and continues until 10:30pm (used to finish at 11pm) with the last boat back from Disney Springs departing at around 11:30pm. The boats run at least every 20 minutes during the day, and more frequently during busy periods.

As of the time of writing (2026) it is likely that four boats will operate the Riverside route (approximately every fifteen minutes, at roughly h:00 h:15, h:30, and h:45), while two boats operate the French Quarter route every twenty minutes (h:10, h:30, and h:50). After 8pm you can expect all six boats to service both resorts on an approximately 10 minute schedule, to get guests back to their resorts at night. These timings are only guidelines, lots of factors can mean there usually isn’t an exact schedule.

The journey time between Riverside and French Quarter is about five minutes and the onward trip from French Quarter to Disney Springs takes another 15 minutes. The direct boats from Riverside take about 20 minutes. The boats have a limited seating capacity (see below) and are very popular, especially later in the afternoon and early evening, so please allow plenty of time for your journey just in case you don’t manage to get onto the first boat that comes along. Round-trips are not permitted and you must disembark and join the line again to return on another boat.

All Walt Disney World water transportation can only operate subject to local water and weather conditions, and the boats will immediately cease operating and drop passengers off at the first available dock if lightning strikes have been detected in the area within the last 20 minutes. The boats will also stop running if it gets too windy, or if the water level becomes too high to allow for safe clearance under the bridges. However just a simple Florida downpour will not close the service.

There have also been occasions over recent years (most often during Spring time) when the service has been unavailable for a number of weeks due to consistently dry local conditions not providing enough depth of water to operate the boats safely.

In summer 2024, Disney Springs hosted a twice-nightly spectacular illuminated drone show, “Dreams That Soar”, over the lake, and safety considerations required a water craft exclusion zone to be set up. This meant that from end of May 2024 to the start of September 2024, the Sassagoula Ferry service finished at 7:30pm. It has not been announced whether this show will be returning in 2025.

Whenever the boats are not running, you can use the free shuttle bus service which operates from around 8am until 1am. This combined service picks up at both Port Orleans resorts and at “The Landing” bus station in the middle of Disney Springs (behind Planet Hollywood, so quite a walk from the ferry dock which is located behind the Rainforest Café).

Seating Capacity

The manufacturer’s specifications for operating capacity state a maximum 32 people for the shorter versions of the ferry boats, and 37 people for the longer versions. You can tell the difference by the number of pairs of yellow pillars supporting the overhead canopy – three for the smaller boats, four for the larger versions.

As from the end of August 2016, boat captains have been permitted to allow some guests to stand during transit if they wish, with the safety spiel adjusted to state “please remain seated, or hold on to the handrails if standing.”

Wheelchair and ECV guests can be accommodated without the guest needing to transfer from their chair, with a maximum capacity of two wheelchairs or ECVs per boat. The boat captain will attach a ramp to help you embark and disembark safely before other guests are allowed to board.

If you are only intending to travel between Riverside and French Quarter please let the captain know. There is no facility for bringing luggage onto Disney transporation.