Despite Disney canceling plans for a Brightline high-speed rail station at Disney Springs, the mission is full steam forward and could have a cease “at” Walt Disney World. This submit shares every thing we all know to this point: the opening timeline, development progress, testing, how helpful it’ll be for getting between Universal, Orlando Airport, and different locations in Florida.
The present saga began when Brightline signed signed a letter of intent with Walt Disney World a number of years in the past. At the time, Brightline had secured rights to concern $1.75 billion in tax-free bonds, and the 170-mile Central Florida hall had 35 miles of recent prepare right-of-way, constructed alongside the Beachline Expressway.
Then in November 2020, Walt Disney World revealed plans to considerably increase its transportation community by including a Brightline prepare station at Disney Springs. The events issued a joint announcement revealing that Brightline and Disney formalized plans and entered into an settlement on station development.
However, that settlement was scrapped in Summer 2022, when Walt Disney World revealed that the corporate’s plans for an on-property station to connect with the multibillion-dollar Brightline mission aren’t any extra.
“As many people who are involved in this project are aware, the new route configuration does not support a Disney Springs station and as a result, we don’t anticipate being part of this project,” stated Walt Disney World spokesperson Avery Maehrer.
That wasn’t the top of it, although. Shortly thereafter, Brightline launched a press release that though the unique plan known as for a single station at Disney Springs, a broad vary of stakeholders got here up with another answer often called the Sunshine Corridor that may service extra of the vacationer hall–and add one other station to the road.
The Sunshine Corridor options two new stations and integrates Brightline’s intercity service with SolarRail, by means of an east-west growth. In addition to the airport, one new station shall be positioned close to Universal’s Epic Universe and Orange County Convention Center.
There will even be another station positioned close to the unique Disney Springs website, albeit not on land owned by Disney as a part of the Sunshine Corridor plan. (From what we perceive, the placement isn’t considerably totally different–it’s Disney’s involvement and the decrease chance that they’ll incorporate the station into Walt Disney World’s transportation community which have radically modified the equation.)
Taken collectively, these three built-in stations will present entry to the most important financial and employment facilities in Central Florida and supply the perfect alternative for the success, in response to Brightline and SolarRail. Crucially for readers of this website, it signifies that Brightline will service Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and Walt Disney World.
The Sunshine Corridor will now take Brightline alongside State Road 528 and Taft-Vineland Road, by means of the International Drive hall, and down Interstate 4. Walt Disney World’s previously-proposed plan had the route bypassing the vacationer hall.
However, representatives of I-Drive companies, Universal Orlando, Orange County Convention Center and even the City of Orlando all pushed for the Sunshine Corridor route to be able to service many extra theme parks, inns, and associated companies in want of rail transportation to the airport. Universal even pledged land and financial assist to make the Sunshine Corridor a actuality.
Fast-forward to Late 2022, and there are a handful of developments. Earlier this fall, the SolarRail Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission voted unanimously to approve a decision in assist of the Sunshine Corridor proposal. This paves the best way for that route to maneuver ahead, though nothing is official with trains in Florida till it really occurs.
The SolarRail decision will assist native governments solicit federal funding for the growth, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer informed the Orlando Business Journal. working relationship between SolarRail and Brightline shall be important to attracting federal grants along with the $15.9 million grant for the Tampa route awarded to Brightline over the summer season.
Another vital growth is that Brightline has began testing its trains at larger speeds by means of northern Brevard County in preparation for its opening to Orlando. The space is seeing trains journey at 79 mph this month, however the velocity will improve to 110 mph in early 2023.
The work, often called a sign and monitor cutover, integrates a brand new second railroad monitor into the prevailing hall and takes place alongside a 13-mile part of monitor, spanning 18 railroad crossings. Brightline trains handed by means of crossings in a matter of seconds, and are in preparation for Brightline’s extension to Orlando in mid-2023. The present testing concluded on November 5, 2022–extra testing at larger speeds and totally different crossings will possible happen down the street main as much as that 2023 extension.
Brightline expects to start out service from South Florida to Orlando International Airport by mid-2023. Brightline’s West Palm Beach to Orlando growth is over 80% full and anticipated to complete development by early 2023. (The above map is outdated–Brightline has not but launched an up to date one.)
To my data, there may be not but a agency timeline for the Orlando to Tampa route. Previously, development was not even slated to start on the roughly 16.7 mile route from Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World till someday in 2024. The remaining 68 miles of the 85-mile path to Tampa would start development within the second quarter of 2025.
Presumably, the controversy over routes has additional delayed that timeline. However, Brightline did construct a buffer into its plans, with planning slated to wrap up by the fourth quarter of 2022. In principle, that is nonetheless possible.
That would end in development on the airport to Universal/Convention Center part ending by This fall 2025, in response to Brightline. The second section’s design part will happen by means of third-quarter 2024. Construction of this section work would lengthen previous 2026.
Whenever the subject of the Brightline larger velocity rail service comes up, the subject inevitably shifts to Disney’s Magical Express. As such, we should always but once more reiterate that these trains have been by no means billed as a substitute for Disney’s Magical Express. Brightline is NOT the “reason” Disney’s Magical Express ended; Walt Disney World had no intentions of changing DME, both immediately or not directly. The (dangerous) determination to finish Disney’s Magical Express was made for causes having nothing to do with Brightline.
If the prepare have been changing the bus, it stands to motive that Disney’s Magical Express wouldn’t have ended ~4 years earlier than the proposed/cancelled Brightline station at Walt Disney World really went into service. There have been additionally a spread of sensible explanation why Brightline was by no means meant as a DME substitute.
To that time, Brightline most likely won’t be a sensible choice for a lot of out of state visitors flying into Orlando International Airport and staying on-site at Walt Disney World. That can be much more time-consuming than taking any of the present choices because of prepare frequency and transfers from Disney Springs to inns.
If you want help selecting the perfect floor transportation from the airport to their resort in your wants, we cowl the vary of choices in our Guide to Airport Transportation for Walt Disney World. We have used Uber and Lyft on a lot of events in 2022 for getting between Walt Disney World and MCO. These providers are our suggestion for anybody who values their time and doesn’t wish to break the financial institution with a personal switch. Alternatively, the Sunshine Flyer and Mears Connect are our prime suggestions for shared shuttle providers.
Rather than out of state vacationers, the profit Walt Disney World, Universal, and different companies within the vacationer hall will see from Brightline is connecting Orlando to Florida’s Gold Coast. Guests from South Florida are a rising demographic for Disney and Universal, and this high-speed rail will facilitate simpler weekend getaways for them.
The Brightline high-speed rail would even be helpful for high-spending convention-goers to journey lengthy distances throughout the state. Those are the 2 large beneficiaries of Brightline from the attitude of the theme parks. It was by no means about changing an airport shuttle bus. There have been–and are–higher methods to perform that. Brightline makes essentially the most sense for the longer routes in Florida, not the quick leg between MCO and the 2 vacationer hall stops in Orange County.
Ultimately, plans to attach South Florida to Central Florida to Tampa are rolling proper alongside regardless of some slowdowns alongside the best way. That a lot is to be anticipated with regards to excessive velocity rail and Florida, and though we’ve been down this (rail)street earlier than, it actually does seem that this time shall be totally different.
Brightline is actively setting up a brand new rail line to attach stops in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to Orlando. The firm has been working with private and non-private stakeholders, and it’s thrilling to see the growth plans beginning to come to fruition. With service connecting South Florida to Central Florida solely months away from opening in 2023, that is actually beginning to really feel actual–and prefer it’ll be a viable transportation choice between Orlando International Airport, Universal, and Walt Disney World in only some years.
While I don’t suppose Brightline shall be a gamechanger for touring between MCO and Universal or Walt Disney World, there shall be some use instances for such journeys. Moreover, there are the aforementioned South Florida guests eager to do lengthy weekends on the theme parks with out driving up.
My honest hope is that Walt Disney World has a change of coronary heart and opts to work with Brightline quite than taking its ball and going dwelling. Not simply because it’s the appropriate factor to do quite than taking the anticompetitive tact, however as a result of it’s protected to say that is what Walt would’ve wished. I do know, I do know. Invoking Walt’s wishes many years after his demise is poor type. He was an advanced man with great enterprise acumen who was additionally unpredictable, and his views possible would’ve advanced over time.
But I additionally know that Walt Disney cherished trains, and as soon as a prepare lover, all the time a prepare lover. That’s simply science. His ardour for railroads is effectively documented, and his ambitions for a metropolis of the longer term concerned environment friendly mass transit. When it opened, Walt Disney World was billed as a “city” of the longer term, with revolutionary transportation that lovingly paid tribute to the corporate’s founder.
In Disney’s protection, they’ve really achieved extra alongside these strains not too long ago with improved bus dispatching know-how and app monitoring (it’s not excellent, but it surely’s a begin) and the Skyliner gondolas. I don’t understand how Walt Disney World may combine the Brightline station into its transportation community and switch it right into a hub of types connecting the on-site and off-site spheres, however I even have little doubt that they may pull it off and improve the usefulness and effectivity of the upper velocity rail.
It’s all a matter of urge for food and ambition, and proper now, Walt Disney World appears extra intent on making a walled backyard and insulating itself from the competitors than it does enhancing mass transit in Central Florida. While I can completely perceive the corporate’s viewpoint from a enterprise perspective, it nonetheless breaks my coronary heart as a fan of Walt Disney, his legacy, and the promise of mass transit within the United States.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every thing you’ll want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider the Sunshine Corridor and Brightline’s plans to attach South Florida with Orlando International Airport and Central Florida’s vacationer hall with Tampa? Wish Walt Disney World didn’t cancel plans to proactively take part within the Brightline mission? Hopeful that Disney will rethink the choice and be actively concerned with the station close to Disney Springs? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Hearing your suggestions—even whenever you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!