Walt Disney World offers two different opportunities for fishing- cane pole fishing at the resorts and guided fishing excursions. The guided fishing excursions offer multiple departure points around Walt Disney World and during our experience, we were able to fish inside EPCOT before the park officially opened for the day.
Fishing at Walt Disney World is one of those extra experiences that many guests do not realize even exist and the guided fishing excursions are a great opportunity for anyone who loves fishing or is curious about trying it.
Walt Disney World fishing excursions include a fishing guide that drives the boat and provides any assistance during your experience you need. My teenage son loves to fish and this was the perfect outing to add on to our Walt Disney World vacation. Keep reading for my full Disney World fishing review that covers all the basics, details on booking this experience, and how this is enjoyable for everyone in the group- not just the avid fishing hobbyist!
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Walt Disney World Fishing Excursions
Walt Disney World fishing excursions are guided catch-and-release trips that are offered year-round. The fish you will be catching are largemouth bass.
There are two different excursions to pick from:
- Sun Tracker pontoon boat that can accommodate up to 5 guests
- Tournament-style NITRO bass fishing boat for up to 3 guests
Once you pick the style of boat you want to fish from, you select a 2-hour or 4-hour trip. If it's available you can add an extra hour when you arrive at the marina. The pontoon boat is the far more comfortable option and also has a cover from the sun or rain.
The Walt Disney World fishing excursions include:
- An experienced guide
- Rod and reel
- Tackle
- Artificial and/or live bait (NITRO boats will not offer live bait)
- Assorted Coca-Cola beverages
- All Guests may bring their own nonalcoholic beverages. Guests 21 years and older may bring alcoholic beverages. A valid form of identification is required.
All of this information can be found on the Walt Disney World fishing page on their website but when it came to trying to figure out where we could go and from where, that information is not easily listed. So how do you know where your fishing trip will go?
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Where Can You Go Fishing at Disney World?
The resort you depart from determines what area of Walt Disney World you fish at. There are a few different areas that allow fishing including Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, Village Lake, Crescent Lake and World Showcase Lagoon. All of these marinas offer fishing excursions:
- Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney's Contemporary Resort
- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney's Old Key West Resort
- Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney's Wilderness Lodge
- Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Pick the resort that aligns with the lake you want to fish at. The cast member who will book your reservation can help with this! You can only book by calling and full payment is required at the time of booking. The Walt Disney World fishing excursions are very popular so book in advance!
Call (407) 939-FISH or (407) 939-3474 to make a reservation. Advance reservations are highly recommended. Learn when advance reservations can be made.
Dockside Fishing Disney World
If you are interested in fishing at Walt Disney World for a more affordable cost, there is dockside fishing available at Port Orleans-Riverside and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
Dockside fishing is typically available from 7AM to 1:30PM and you can rent a pole for just under $7. As with the fishing excursions, all dockside fishing is catch and release.
How Much Does Fishing at Disney World Cost?
The Walt Disney World guided fishing excursions are $270 for a two-hour trip and $455 for a four-hour trip. There is a discounted rate for solo fishing excursions available so be sure to ask the cast member when you call if you are booking a trip for just one.
It is also customary to tip your fishing guide so be prepared for that. The fishing guides are truly extraordinary.
Walt Disney World Fishing Excursion Review
We departed from the marina at Disney's Yacht Club to fish at World Showcase Lagoon and Crescent Lake. Even though we were staying at Port Orleans-Riverside during our stay if we wanted to fish at World Showcase Lagoon (inside EPCOT) then we had to depart from this marina.
The fishing excursions are available during the morning or afternoon. We picked the early morning time from 7AM to 10AM so we could go right to the theme parks when we were done. This was also the only time we could fish at EPCOT since fishing in the World Showcase Lagoon is only available in the morning.
We departed from the Yacht Club Marina and went straight to the World Showcase Lagoon. Since EPCOT had an opening of 9AM that day we were inside EPCOT before the park opened.
The view of EPCOT was wonderful especially since Spaceship Earth was still light up as it was not fully light out yet.
We could even hear the music from the World Showcase as we fished. I am not an avid fisher so I was more along for the ride and I loved this part of the excursion. I was content just taking in the scenery and enjoying the quiet of EPCOT. Such a special experience.
As for the fish, they were biting! We caught fish after fish after fish when in EPCOT and our guide said part of it is because the fishing is so limited in the World Showcase Lagoon (only available in the morning) so they were hungry and ready to go for the live bait.
My son was thrilled, he ended up catching over 10 fish in our two-hour fishing trip. This was heaven for a kid who loves to fish!
Our fishing guide was fantastic- he was personable and made the entire experience seamless. He hooked all the live bait on the hooks for us (I was not particularly interested in doing it!) and took the cue from my son on how much he should help or not. He gave us great fishing tips and even helped my son set up three fishing poles at once to see how much we could catch.
After we finished at World Showcase Lagoon, we headed over towards Hollywood Studios and fished right in the water next to the entrance and the Disney Skyliner. Such cool scenery for both fishing locations, this was a huge perk for me. But honesty, my son just cared about catching fish and his favorite part of the experience was how many fish he did catch!
Is Fishing at Disney World Worth It?
Overall, this is a great experience if you have someone in your family that enjoys fishing. Even if you have a group of beginners, it's not a big deal because the fishing guides take care of everything for you. Or if you have a group of experts, the guides will take their cue and let you do all the work. It was the highlight of our trip and my son wants this to be a repeat experience every time.
While it was expensive, I feel that the cost is worth it especially due to the time and attention you receive. Being able to ride a boat through the World Showcase Lagoon before the park opening was great and the fishing guide was wonderful. My son enjoyed this experience and it was one of the most unique things we've done at Walt Disney World.
But what makes the fishing trips at Walt Disney World truly magical are the wonderful fishing guides. These guides are extremely experienced and have a love for fishing. But don’t worry if you’ve never fished before, they love sharing their experience with those new to the sport. They will bait and hook your fishing poles for you and even help you reel in your fish if you need it. Don’t want to touch a fish? No worries there either, they won’t make you! You can get as authentic with the experience as you’re comfortable with.
Overall, the fishing excursions at Walt Disney World are a great addition to your trip and can easily be incorporated into any park day.
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FAQs- Fishing at Disney World
Yes, you are able to enjoy a fishing excursion from most of the Disney resorts with a marina and dockside fishing at Port Orleans-Riverside and Fort Wilderness.
No, you do not need a fishing license at Walt Disney World since you are fishing on private property.
Dockside fishing is just under $10 to rent a pole.
Yes, all the lakes are well-stocked with large mouth bass.
Yes, but you still must follow all catch and release rules and only fish where permitted.
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