RUMOR: temporary International Gateway Closure (11/27-12/17)

Oh great. l was able to snag a BCV room at the end of our VWL stay this December. DH uses a scooter and we rarely spend evenings in a park. I wanted to see the Holiday Illuminations one last time and using the IG is so much easier. They better announce details before our 30 day mark to cancel a reservation.

Laura
 
So they would have to provide bus service to EPCOT for the Crescent Lake resorts? It's surprising that the shut down would be at such a popular time of year, but I guess Disney has done such a good job of pumping up attendance that there really isn't a great time to shut down International Gateway.
 


A poster on the WDWMagic.com forums who's quite knowledgeable said the IG will be open for foot traffic.

If it's just the boats that will be unavailable, that's good news as far as I'm concerned. :)

Me too! We like to ride the boat, but we can handle walking from BWV to IG better than taking the bus to the front of Epcot and having to walk to WS for dinner!
 
So if true, to get from HS to EPCOT you will need to what take a bus or two?
 


So if true, to get from HS to EPCOT you will need to what take a bus or two?

There’s already a bus from DHS to the front (monorail side) entrance of Epcot. The boats travel between DHS and the back (IG) entrance. If boat transportation to the IG is closed, presumably there will be bus transportation from the Epcot resorts to the front of Epcot.
 
This is not good news. My DH and I have an CP ADR for Ale and Compass on 12/17. My DH has bad knees, so our plan was to use the boat to get back and forth. We were also going to tour some of the other resorts to see the Christmas decorations. Beside the fact that my FP date is tomorrow when the ticket structure changes, can any other bad news come my way regarding this trip? I am getting discouraged fast!
 
Will the boats be running to HS? If not I'm guessing they will be running buses to that park also...my husband has a heart condition and the walk to HS is not the best option for him. I really hope the boats will be running as usual and that IG will be open for our stay 12/2-12/7/18...
 
Will the boats be running to HS? If not I'm guessing they will be running buses to that park also...my husband has a heart condition and the walk to HS is not the best option for him. I really hope the boats will be running as usual and that IG will be open for our stay 12/2-12/7/18...
The Swan/Dolphin alert (currently) says no Friendship boats at all.

Beginning November 28, 2018 until December 18, 2018, Disney's Friendship Boat service will be temporarily suspended and not operational until December 19, 2018. Disney's Bus Transportation will be provided to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
https://swandolphin.com/aboutus/transportation.html
 
The Swan/Dolphin alert (currently) says no Friendship boats at all.


https://swandolphin.com/aboutus/transportation.html

Yikes, this would not be good news for those of us staying in the Epcot area during this time. I thought I read somewhere on these boards, could have been on Rumors / News that the dock was being worked on at the Swan/Dolphin during that time frame which was supposed to be the reason for no boat service at these resorts...that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case...I guess we will have to wait and see...:worried: I will be keeping my fingers crossed hoping for some good news...and Pixie Dust! pixiedust:
 
I thought I read somewhere on these boards, could have been on Rumors / News that the dock was being worked on at the Swan/Dolphin during that time frame which was supposed to be the reason for no boat service at these resorts.
The Swan/Dolphin dock was refurbished back in May, so it's unlikely this closure is for more dock work.
 
This would be good for walkers into Epcot. However, we do not know yet if that’s the case, do we?
No, AFAIK, there has not been an official statement from Disney. However, the website for the Swan/Dolphin does say that there will be no boat service to DHS or EPCO from 11/28 to 12/18, but bus service will be provided. Doesn't say anything about the walking parhs, though.

My GUESS is that both walking paths (& the IG) will be open.
 
No, AFAIK, there has not been an official statement from Disney. However, the website for the Swan/Dolphin does say that there will be no boat service to DHS or EPCO from 11/28 to 12/18, but bus service will be provided. Doesn't say anything about the walking parhs, though.

My GUESS is that both walking paths (& the IG) will be open.

That's my (hopeful) thought, too. I've actually considered calling Swan/Dolphin and asking them.

I also looked up some old threads and it looks like friendship boats have been non-functional for Swan / Dolphin before and still remained functional for DVC resort area. I'd love to believe Disney isn't just intentionally withholding info.
 
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It certainly is frustrating - especially when somehow the Swan and Dolphin can communicate it. But as others above speculated, maybe no news is good news? The consensus over on the rumor board (link in first post) seems to be that this closure is related to the stringing of cables for the Skyliner and that because the boats are stored/docked at the IG (or think someone said they’re stored behind China?) that the boats won’t be operational at all. Several posters have also reported the cancellation of their Illuminations cruises. As someone above said, a very reliable source on the WDWMAGIC forums has said the IG will be open to foot traffic.
 
The consensus over on the rumor board (link in first post) seems to be that this closure is related to the stringing of cables for the Skyliner and that because the boats are stored/docked at the IG (or think someone said they’re stored behind China?) that the boats won’t be operational at all.
Yes, it's reportedly so they can string the rope (cable) for the Epcot line. Apparently they will need to put a barge or platform in the canal to assist with running the ropes. This barge/platform will prevent the Friendship boat from being able to use the dock at the IG since the gondola line runs right over the boat dock.
 
Yes, it's reportedly so they can string the rope (cable) for the Epcot line. Apparently they will need to put a barge or platform in the canal to assist with running the ropes. This barge/platform will prevent the Friendship boat from being able to use the dock at the IG since the gondola line runs right over the boat dock.

Ah, I hadn’t heard that. So that’s why the whole system will probably be down, since the Friendship Boats wouldn’t be able to move from their nighttime dock behind World Showcase into Crescent Lake.
 

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