Captain Your Own Private Pontoon Boat Rental at Walt Disney World

Did you know you can rent a pontoon boat and sail around Seven Seas Lagoon at Disney World? We’re sharing everything you need to know about the exciting experience!

Imagine operating a free-floating boat that weaves in and out of the Magic Kingdom Ferry’s path. Or one that can explore the old docks of Discovery Island close-up and at your own pace. Believe it or not, there are free-floating pontoon boat rentals available at Disney World…where you are your own captain! No Cast Member guides, no assigned captain, just you, your family, and a wide-open Seven Seas Lagoon to explore! Pontoon boat rentals at Disney World are a unique experience that not many guests realize they can do. We’ll be sharing a complete guide on how you can rent your own — along with what the boat rental experience is like!

Pontoon Boat Rentals in Disney World

Photo by Maria Salerno

Disney offers rentals of their pontoon boats in several marinas across Property. Each of the boats can hold up to 10 guests, and anyone over 18 years of age with a valid drivers’ license is eligible to captain. Importantly, there’s no boating license required, so you won’t be barred from driving the boat if you haven’t driven one before. 

You can rent a pontoon boat from $45/ every 30 minutes at these Resort Marinas:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Bay Lake Tower
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Photo by Maria Salerno

Pontoon boats rentals at Disney don’t require a reservation, and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. When we rented our boat, it was a busy day! We rented ours from the Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and luckily their marina has so many boats available that we did not have to wait!

The Water Bridge and Seven Seas Lagoon in Disney World

Photo by Maria Salerno

The fact that the pontoon boat would soon be entirely under our control was both exciting and a little daunting at first! After a quick tutorial on how to drive the boat, you are sent out into the very same waters that the massive Magic Kingdom Ferry and various large Resort launch boats traverse frequently.

This is not the Jungle Cruise — there isn’t a track you can follow! The ability to go wherever your heart desires is what makes this experience unlike any other at Walt Disney World. The minute I took over as captain, I steered our boat towards the Bay Lake/Seven Seas Lagoon water bridge. This working water bridge allows boats to pass over the below roadway, reversing the usual layout. I’ve passed below the water bridge several times when on a bus to Magic Kingdom, and likely so have you! Passing other vessels in the tight passage and ultimately steering over the road was such a cool thing to experience from the opposite point of view!

Photo by Maria Salerno

As you pass by Magic Kingdom, (mind the Ferry…they’re a bigger vessel and have the right of way!) you can go anywhere in Seven Seas lagoon! We took our time passing by Narcoosee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian, checking out the Polynesian’s many overwater bungalows, and perusing the progress of the new DVC Tower being built there all at our own pace. 

You Can Extend Your Pontoon Boat Rental Time at Disney World

Photo by Maria Salerno

By the time we passed back over the water bridge, our 30 minutes were up. The time flew by for us on the water, so we decided to keep our pontoon boat rental out for another 30 minutes. Since you don’t pay for your boat rentals until you return, your total cost will be prorated according to how long you were on the water. Feel free to make your journey as long or short as you like!

We couldn’t skip over Bay Lake, especially not with the mysterious, now-defunct original Discovery Island still unexplored! We took a perimeter tour of Bay Lake, passing Wilderness Lodge and the famed Shoe Tree, waving at guests dining at Geyser Point, and finally passed by the Campsites before pulling up to the shores of Discovery Island. 

Photo by Maria Salerno

Overall, the experience is one of the most relaxing and stress-free things you can do on a non-Park day. Your time on the water is truly what you make it! We brought lunch onboard with us and took turns captaining while other members of our party ate and drank in the sights. We sunbathed on the comfy leather seats, pointed out famous Disney landmarks beneath the sun shade, and ultimately ‘let our conscience be our guides’ as we cut our way through the Disney waterways.