Caution: Slow Moving Boats

During my last trip to Disney World, I made the mistake of wanting to go from Disney's Hollywood Studios (MGM) to EPCOT.  This can be accomplished in a variety of ways - taking a bus, (I believe there is a direct bus from the Studios to Epcot) take a bus to the Transportation and Ticket Center and then the Monorail to Epcot, or there is the option of taking a boat. (Actually, there are only two ways to get from Hollywood Studios to Epcot- taking the boat or walking on the path along the canal. There are no buses. The only other option would be to go to a resort and transfer. -Nick)

Disney's Magical Express

In late 2004, the Walt Disney World Resort announced the creation of a "complimentary" guest service called Disney's Magical Express. The service would transport its resort guests from Orlando International Airport to their resort hotel. Guests would not have to worry about retrieving their luggage, as it would "magically" appear in their room within three hours of their arrival. It launched in May of the following year, and despite protests from the Orlando cab drivers (who claimed Disney was placing a monopoly on transportation to the property), it was an immediate success. However, the system is not without its flaws, and the requisite number of guest horror stories surely exist.

Transportation at Walt Disney World

Mike kickstarted this discussion on Friday, and we decided that the transportation issues at Walt Disney World were worth an in-depth look. So, over the next few days, we'll be presenting a series of articles about various aspects of the vast transportation network at Walt Disney World, analyzing what works, what doesn't, and even proposing possible solutions.

Generally speaking, Walt Disney World's guest transportation consists of the following means of transportation:
1) Monorails
2) Buses
-Disney's Magical Express 
-The Morning Rush - A Wake Up Call Suggestion
3) Boats
-The Slow Way (from MGM to EPCOT) - A Single Dock Proposal

Also a part of the fleet are the trams that service the guest parking lots, and I suppose, the walking paths, which I suppose are an effective means of transport.

Our series of articles will focus on the following topics:

1) Disney's Magical Express
2) the Walt Disney World Bus System (which Mike has already touched on)
3) The Monorail System (and why the oft-mentioned "expand the monorail" solution may not be the best)
4) Getting from resort to resort (aka the real Mr. Toad's Wild Ride)

As we update a different section of this topic we will link it to this page as well, so turn here for all of your transportation information and suggestions!

We're Back! Lets talk buses

Just returned from a short trip to WDW, and you guessed it, the trip was too short!  However now that we are back, lets talk about the buses.

I feel like the bus situation in WDW is in need of an update.  Think back to your last trip, and now try and remember all of the time you spent waiting around for a bus, or transferring etc.  I don't know if I have so much fun while in the parks that I have only selective memory when it comes to the on site transportation, but there is a lot of time being wasted with these buses.

More intrigue...

Some more interesting developments down at Walt Disney World...

Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) has hastily constructed a new project office at Walt Disney World, on the grounds of the never used air strip, not far from the Magic Kingdom. They already have an office inside of the Magic Kingdom that they're using for work on the Fantasyland expansion, so this certainly isn't for that project. What could this new office location be for? The rumored DVC units to be built at the Grand Floridian? The revitalized Downtown Disney? Or something else entirely?

The Magic, The Memories, and You

I'm going to start this article off with a quote, because it beautifully summarizes everything that's great about this new castle show:

"When Disney does something right, nothing is better."
~Meg Strong

Question...

What the hell were Bob Iger, Tom Staggs, Joe Rohde, John Lasseter, and Steve Jobs (who is rumored to be near death) all doing at Animal Kingdom last week?

And, why didn't Meg Crofton join them, when she's ostenibly in charge of the place?

Gone to Disneyworld

We will be back shortly, but for the next week we will be in the happiest place on earth.

Let's call it a business trip?

;-)