bridge GF to MK

[Gehrig1B]

Now if we can get a walkway from Wilderness Lodge to MK.

 

[jo-jo]

Does anyone know the distance from HS to BCV by the walkway? Just curious how that compares the numbers mentioned for GF.

 

[ChimneyJim]

Does anyone know the distance from HS to BCV by the walkway? Just curious how that compares the numbers mentioned for GF.

Looks like 1.1 miles at it's shortest.

.

 

[DanBoris]

Something else I'm confused with is how will they connect this to GF itself?View attachment 416859
Looking at the 3d image above, the new walkway would presumably go where that dirt service road is on the bottom right. They would probably have to link it in with the convention center.

They could do something like this:

 

[Tink-osophy]

I hope the Water Pageant is still safe!

 

[BaymaxFan78]

They could do something like this:

View attachment 417055

that would work!!


as you can see in my horrible attempt at a map, the blue path is similar to the one above. The red path is the path they are likely to go with. The yellow one is just a giant bridge that is a bit odd but could work. The green one is just my wild idea of a bridge that I hope they dont do but you never know.

 

[mrsap]

I stayed at GF this past week and noticed a crane over to the left of the opening where they keep the Water Pageant. DH speculated they could finally be building a bridge for a walkway. I guess we’ll see soon enough.

 

[jknezek]

I wonder about this walkway. I think it's a great idea. I think they need to reestablish the TTC to Poly path that is long gone as well. Make it a full loop. As if RunDisney needs to be more popular, but imagine the first race to circle the lake? Demand would be high to say the least. But I also wonder about this. While the monorail has a demand problem at certain times of the day, that has been ongoing for a long time. There haven't been too many rooms added to the monorail resorts except the Contemporary tower, and I think people tend to walk from there. The additional DVC at the Poly and GF weren't really game changers in terms of volume for the monorail.

So the question becomes why now? Maybe the KISS method applies and it's just because it finally came up on Disney's infrastructure priority list. I'd like to believe this is true. But I wonder if they aren't looking to add either more rooms to the existing monorail resorts or, and I don't know how they'd get around the marshy ground problem, another resort on the line. Or, despite the refresh of the current monorail fleet, I wonder if they are actually going to bite the bullet and eventually pull the current fleet in favor of new tech, shutting down the loop for an extended recommission. In either case, having the walking path pulls a significant number of people from the loop if needed. Once the Skyliner opens you will presumably have more buses available (though probably still short of what they wish) and could tap into that alternative to move people around as well. Though I'm not equating the opening of the Skyliner with anything to do with the monorail since the monorail refresh is obviously a bandaid for at least a few years. It has to be enough to push well through the 50th.

Anyway, just some future speculation about the options this helps provide. And no, I don't think any of this is imminent, but it is interesting to ponder. That bridge, depending on what they build and how it's done, could be pretty expensive. Dropping the demand on the resort loop provides flexibility. If we see some more simple flexibility options open, such as changing to larger boats across Seven Seas as opposed to the small launches, I'll be real interested to see what comes next. Disney is going to have to add boats with Reflections, I could see them repurpose some of the launches to Bay Lake and shift the bigger boats or add the bigger boats to Seven Seas resorts. Something to keep an eye on I suppose.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

I stayed at GF this past week and noticed a crane over to the left of the opening where they keep the Water Pageant. DH speculated they could finally be building a bridge for a walkway. I guess we’ll see soon enough.

View attachment 417604

That crane has come and gone for a while now. Wasn't sure before but maybe it's for the bridge.

I wonder about this walkway. I think it's a great idea. I think they need to reestablish the TTC to Poly path that is long gone as well.

That pathway is still there. We used it on July 4th.

 

[jade1]

That new path might be packed for NYE Fireworks IMO.

 

[jknezek]

That pathway is still there. We used it on July 4th.

Doh. Yes. I meant the TTC to Contemporary. Good catch, thanks!

 

[DanBoris]

That crane has come and gone for a while now. Wasn't sure before but maybe it's for the bridge.


That pathway is still there. We used it on July 4th.

I saw a picture of that area and besides the crane is also showed a bunch of sheet pilings which would be a first step to building a bridge.

 

[WDW Rails]

that would work!!

View attachment 417486
as you can see in my horrible attempt at a map, the blue path is similar to the one above. The red path is the path they are likely to go with. The yellow one is just a giant bridge that is a bit odd but could work. The green one is just my wild idea of a bridge that I hope they dont do but you never know.

Literally all of the area that you've outlined here is backstage and non-guest accessible area. All of the things that have been said so far are great and really cool ideas, but they don't take away from the reality...that entire corner is not for guest use. This was something that came up multiple times when I was working in transportation, both buses and monorails, and every time it came up the same answer was given; "It's not EVER going to happen." There's construction and staging in the woods, staging for the Electric Water Pageant, backstage areas of Grand Floridian, including loading docks and Cast access, as well as waterways used to move watercraft. There's entirely too much in that one little area to be contended with for a walkway to ever be placed there. It's not just a matter of drop a bridge (actually you would need 2), pave a path, and there ya go. Yes, I understand that the monorail does currently traverse that area, but it's a lot different to have guests confined to a train 30 feet in the air than to have them on the ground within feet of things that Disney does not want guests to see or be in close proximity to. Like I said before, it's a really great idea, but it's not one that's ever going to happen.

 

[jknezek]

Literally all of the area that you've outlined here is backstage and non-guest accessible area. All of the things that have been said so far are great and really cool ideas, but they don't take away from the reality...that entire corner is not for guest use. This was something that came up multiple times when I was working in transportation, both buses and monorails, and every time it came up the same answer was given; "It's not EVER going to happen." There's construction and staging in the woods, staging for the Electric Water Pageant, backstage areas of Grand Floridian, including loading docks and Cast access, as well as waterways used to move watercraft. There's entirely too much in that one little area to be contended with for a walkway to ever be placed there. It's not just a matter of drop a bridge (actually you would need 2), pave a path, and there ya go. Yes, I understand that the monorail does currently traverse that area, but it's a lot different to have guests confined to a train 30 feet in the air than to have them on the ground within feet of things that Disney does not want guests to see or be in close proximity to. Like I said before, it's a really great idea, but it's not one that's ever going to happen.

Except for the fact that a permit was filed and Disney confirmed the walkway is happening. So something is being done. https://fldep.dep.state.fl.us/parep/rep_detail/master_detail.asp?bis_id=565320
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...connecting-grand-floridian-and-magic-kingdom/"

• In a statement, an official said, “This walking path from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will give our Walt Disney World Resort hotel Guests another convenient way to reach Magic Kingdom Park.”

"

 

[rteetz]

Except for the fact that a permit was filed and Disney confirmed the walkway is happening. So something is being done. https://fldep.dep.state.fl.us/parep/rep_detail/master_detail.asp?bis_id=565320
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...connecting-grand-floridian-and-magic-kingdom/"

• In a statement, an official said, “This walking path from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will give our Walt Disney World Resort hotel Guests another convenient way to reach Magic Kingdom Park.”

"

Disney has not filed a South Florida Water management permit yet for this project which one would assume they would need because this is impacting the water in the area.

 

[jknezek]

Disney has not filed a South Florida Water management permit yet for this project which one would assume they would need because this is impacting the water in the area.

True. It's a FL Department of Environmental Protection permit. Obviously they will need more. But it is a permit labelled "Grand Floridian to MK Walkway ". As far as news goes, we've agreed more was happening with less information than this. It's kind of hard to say it's "never going to happen" when this permit is out there. I am curious about who confirmed and provided the quote in the link I posted.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

Literally all of the area that you've outlined here is backstage and non-guest accessible area. All of the things that have been said so far are great and really cool ideas, but they don't take away from the reality...that entire corner is not for guest use. This was something that came up multiple times when I was working in transportation, both buses and monorails, and every time it came up the same answer was given; "It's not EVER going to happen." There's construction and staging in the woods, staging for the Electric Water Pageant, backstage areas of Grand Floridian, including loading docks and Cast access, as well as waterways used to move watercraft. There's entirely too much in that one little area to be contended with for a walkway to ever be placed there. It's not just a matter of drop a bridge (actually you would need 2), pave a path, and there ya go. Yes, I understand that the monorail does currently traverse that area, but it's a lot different to have guests confined to a train 30 feet in the air than to have them on the ground within feet of things that Disney does not want guests to see or be in close proximity to. Like I said before, it's a really great idea, but it's not one that's ever going to happen.

I get what you're saying, but most of that is visible from Floridian Way. I see how walking across a bridge will let you see into "backstage" areas, but you can get the same view from a rentable boat.

 

[rteetz]

True. It's a FL Department of Environmental Protection permit. Obviously they will need more. But it is a permit labelled "Grand Floridian to MK Walkway ". As far as news goes, we've agreed more was happening with less information than this. It's kind of hard to say it's "never going to happen" when this permit is out there. I am curious about who confirmed and provided the quote in the link I posted.

I believe someone asked Laughing Place and they said it was in an email or something from a Disney contact.

According to sources this is all part of the MK entrance overhaul.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

Disney has not filed a South Florida Water management permit yet for this project which one would assume they would need because this is impacting the water in the area.

True. It's a FL Department of Environmental Protection permit. Obviously they will need more. But it is a permit labelled "Grand Floridian to MK Walkway ". As far as news goes, we've agreed more was happening with less information than this. It's kind of hard to say it's "never going to happen" when this permit is out there. I am curious about who confirmed and provided the quote in the link I posted.

Yeah, but at least we know that they are trying to do this.

 

[WDW Rails]

If it ever happens I'll be more than happy to come back here and eat my fair share of crow, but I'd like to point out that Disney has filed many a permit for projects that never came to fruition, so I'll stand by the statements I've made until such time as they're proven conclusively wrong.