Even if a stop is added between MCO and DS, the impact on travel time will be minimal, from my experiences with the current South Florida segment, the stops at mid-way stations are very quick, no more than 3 minutes on the platform.. The train should be faster than driving especially when there is traffic..
You're not going to be able unload then load famlies with luggage in 3 minutes.
Brightline service to Orlando is scheduled to begin early next year, that is right around the corner, and yes the DS station might be a few more "years away" but it will certainly happen within the next few years, before we know it we will start seeing changes at WDW to adapt to this new service and infrastructure to support the new station at DS.. It's not far fetched that this service could very well (and easily) replace the former DME service, Mears Connect is simply a band-aid and as we know it is not even officially endorsed by Disney..
I agree, even with the existing service Brightline has already changed South Florida and the expansion to Orlando will further amplify that, it is already highly anticipated by locals, especially in areas like West Palm Beach that will now be a stones throw away from Orlando with Brightline.. I think the bigger challenge will be finding a way to connect other train systems like Amtrak, and local public transit like SunRail, etc. to Brightline, as it stands riders will need to take an Uber/Lyft from the Orlando Amtrak Station to the Brightline station at MCO which is a bit of a hike, this is not efficient, a puzzle that will need to solved by a very complex maze of government entities..
FWIW on this part, connecting directly from Orlando Amtrak to MCO might not be a huge need. Usually you'd be at least hitting up some sort of destination before making that intermodal connection.
Several of us think Brightline would be horrible DME replacement for reasons already stated.You're trying to put a round peg in a square hole.
I strongly disagree, it is very feasible, this is what it will most likely look like:
Disney discontinued luggage handling before they stopped bus service. There is no indication Disney has any interest in restoring it. Service could be restored for guests taking buses if there was interest, assuming someone is willing to pay.
It seems when they changed from the SR-417 route to a more northerly route towards the Convention Center, Disney opted out. There has to be more to the story. Maybe Disney was going to have to pony up more $$$? Maybe they were only interested if it was a non-stop from the airport??
I feel bad for the people in Tampa and Southeast Florida, who were hoping for an alternative to driving or flying to WDW. I never expected it to be an efficient replacement for DME, but I know if I lived in either of those areas I would have seriously considered taking the train to Disney over the alternatives.
I'm not surprised at this, given the selection of the northern route along 528 and I-4.
Hmm, near DS but not on Disney property - Bonnet Creek, maybe? Or near 535/Palm Parkway/Winter Garden Vineland Rd.? Anyway, fun to watch.
So that would absolve Disney of the expense of providing transportation from the station to other areas on property, if it’s not on Disney land, correct? That would save them a lot of money, and may be a big reason it changed. I agree, fun to watch (but I will snack on chocolate instead of popcorn while we wait).Hmm, near DS but not on Disney property - Bonnet Creek, maybe? Or near 535/Palm Parkway/Winter Garden Vineland Rd.? Anyway, fun to watch.
Well, I'm not certain that having the station on their land would require Disney to provide transportation to their resorts for guests with luggage, which is a quite different kind of transportation than what they provide between their parks and resorts, although I am certain that many people would expect them to do so!
