This weekend, the FriendShip route was changed (again) at EPCOT, giving guests looking to travel around World Showcase Lagoon a new option. Well, it’s not really a “new” option, per se, but it is different than what you may be accustomed to. We made it out to EPCOT to take a look!
“New” FriendShip Route: Canada to Germany
Typically, guests can find that the post-COVID FriendShips route was between the Canada dock and the Morocco dock. It was a nice, quick trip between the 5 o’clock corner of World Showcase and the 1 o’clock corner. That said, there are four total FriendShip docks available for operation, with the docks in Mexico and Germany typically out of service. Now, that’s changing.
When we visited EPCOT this weekend, we noticed that while the Canada dock remained in service, the Morocco dock was out of service. Instead, the FriendShip was docking in Germany. As you may remember, the Germany dock had been out of service since at least 2020 until March of last year. In March 2024, the Germany dock was opened while the Morocco dock was closed for refurbishment. A few weeks later, the Morocco dock refurbishment was complete, and it reopened, closing the Germany dock in the process.
Now, something similar appears to be happening, but we think that there could be something more at play here. Over the weekend, an eagle-eyed reader sent us a message with photos of a grand opening celebration. More than a dozen Cast Members were present, and there was a ribbon cutting. To me, this signals that the dock is the new standard dock to be utilized during normal operations. Walt Disney World did not return a request for comment for more information about the change in operations.
At this time, we assume that this isn’t a short-term change like the change last year while the Morocco dock was closed for refurbishment, but without confirmation from Walt Disney World, we can’t say for sure. The FriendShips operate during the midday hours into the early evening, usually starting service around 11am. At this time, both the Morocco dock and Mexico dock remain closed.
While visiting EPCOT this weekend, we snapped some photos of the change in FriendShip route, and even included a video showing the relaxing ride and views of World Showcase as we made our way from the Canada dock to the Germany dock!
Perhaps interestingly, the closed Mexico and Morocco docks have mislabeled, temporary-looking signs. The Mexico dock has “Transportation to World Celebration”, and the Morocco dock has “Transportation to World Showcase”. Those signs should be swapped, given the point of origin of the dock and where the FriendShip typically travels from those docks. Hopefully, the temporary, incorrect signage is a sign that Disney is actively working on new signage for each of the docks – perhaps leading to a full reopening of the FriendShip service sometime this Summer. We’ll have to wait and see!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
