Railroad Forums 

  • Brightline Orlando (MCO) and Disney Extension - PHASE 2

  • This is a forum for all operations, both current and planned, of Brightline, formerly All Aboard Florida and Virgin Trains USA:
    Websites: Current Brightline
    Virgin USA
    Virgin UK
This is a forum for all operations, both current and planned, of Brightline, formerly All Aboard Florida and Virgin Trains USA:
Websites: Current Brightline
Virgin USA
Virgin UK

Moderator: CRail

 #1557301  by NaugyRR
 
My girlfriend and I were just discussing that while I was home for lunch. I think it would be a good partner for the buses rather than a straight up replacement. The trains would need a pretty fast interval to keep up with the buses, and people would really need to plan ahead for the trip home. At least from MCO to Disney you can have the Magical Express team take your luggage straight from the plane to your room, whereas on the way back you'd have to lug it all with you from the resort to Disney Springs to the train then to the plane. Not to mention you need to be outside the resort for your bus three hours prior to your departure.

I think if Disney gave you the option when you booked for the train or bus, that would be ideal. As much as I like the train, I'd still probably take the bus. We like to fly in the night before, stay at the airport Hyatt, and get up early for a full resort day, rather than getting there the day of and losing most of it to travel time.
 #1557316  by Erie-Lackawanna
 
hi55us wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:45 pm Would be a lot cheaper than operating the Magical Express buses to each resort.
And MUCH less convenient for Disney resort guests, who have a one-seat ride from MCO directly to each hotel on the Disney property on the Magical Express. I don’t see Disney making access to their resorts more difficult than it it currently is.

This station is most useful for Disney guests traveling from Southeast Florida and the Treasure Coast.

Jim
 #1557325  by bostontrainguy
 
Yeah, If you were a family of four with lots of luggage the last place you want to be dropped off is a busy crowded shopping and restaurant area. Much easier to take the bus from the airport directly to your hotel where you can check-in and settle into your room.
 #1557381  by HenryAlan
 
Agree with the others that most people going between MCO and the resorts will prefer to continue using the bus service. Speaking for my own family, a one seat ride from MCO to hotel would definitely be our preference. However, I think the likelihood of a combined trip that included Miami now becomes significantly higher.
 #1557505  by eolesen
 
It's not just the one-seat aspect, but Disney exchanges the baggage as well with the airlines. At least they did prior to COVID, and will probably resume doing so after Covhysteria startes to subside.
 #1557520  by mtuandrew
 
Disney will absolutely handle through baggage service & transfers, of course - they’re probably the most competent resort operators in the world and wouldn’t leave guests to make their own way. I suspect this station is also for day trippers who don’t need baggage service though.
 #1557538  by eolesen
 
They're not going to want to handle the bags for a hotel-train-plane nor do I think TSA would sign off on custody changing hands.

At least with the bus transfer, the bags are locked up and segregated from the time they're tendered until they're delivered to TSA for screening.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 #1557738  by Arlington
 
Multiple reports (probably from the same source) say that Disney Springs is to be the agreed site of the Brightline Station.

This makes sense, since Disney Springs is
1) already a transport node for WDW (you can see the bus bays in the link at #2, below)
2) already multimodal (as home to the Lime and Grapfruit garages) (which seem to have a large median between them)
3) already a "transition zone" between "not Disney" and full Disney Control, that allows space for other "branded experiences" like Brightline
4) allows for minimal diversion out of the I-4 median (or might even still *be* in the median)

Typical report:
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/stat ... -agreement
 #1560834  by NaugyRR
 
While not directly related to Brightline, it could have an impact, this came up in my news feed today...

Fair Use:
"Disney’s Magical Express service, which provides guests with transportation between Orlando International Airport and the Walt Disney World, will be ending in 2022.

The service is set to end on January 1, 2022. While Disney’s Magical Express service is still available for stays through that date, DME is no longer providing luggage delivery for those arriving to and departing from Orlando International Airport. Resort airline check-in service is also no longer available."
https://wdwnt.com/2021/01/breaking-disn ... ney-world/

I think that's a shame, as it really added value to an already expensive experience. While I don't use the provided luggage tags, not having to worry about transportation to and from the airport was a huge peace of mind and one less thing on my planning plate.

I wonder if Disney and Brightline are planning an airport rail shuttle; I'm sure people will use it as such, although I'd rather have direct transport to Port Orleans rather than airport-train-Disney Springs-boat/bus.
 #1560835  by Pensyfan19
 
NaugyRR wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 3:18 pm While not directly related to Brightline, it could have an impact, this came up in my news feed today...

Fair Use:
"Disney’s Magical Express service, which provides guests with transportation between Orlando International Airport and the Walt Disney World, will be ending in 2022.

The service is set to end on January 1, 2022. While Disney’s Magical Express service is still available for stays through that date, DME is no longer providing luggage delivery for those arriving to and departing from Orlando International Airport. Resort airline check-in service is also no longer available."
https://wdwnt.com/2021/01/breaking-disn ... ney-world/

I think that's a shame, as it really added value to an already expensive experience. While I don't use the provided luggage tags, not having to worry about transportation to and from the airport was a huge peace of mind and one less thing on my planning plate.

I wonder if Disney and Brightline are planning an airport rail shuttle; I'm sure people will use it as such, although I'd rather have direct transport to Port Orleans rather than airport-train-Disney Springs-boat/bus.
Very saddening to hear this news. I remember almost every time I went to Disney World, I went on the busses with Disney adverts, cartoons, trivia, etc. Even when I visited there in June 2019, they were still playing similar nostalgic cartoons and adverts. They will be missed. :(

On the other hand, this is absolutely great news for Brightline since that eliminates competition against bus transport (which causes and gets stuck in traffic) and the bus service would be redundant and too slow in comparison to Brightline´s direct rail service from the Airport to Disney World!!! :-D :P
 #1560838  by NaugyRR
 
Pensyfan19
On the other hand, this is absolutely great news for Brightline since that eliminates competition against bus transport (which causes and gets stuck in traffic) and the bus service would be redundant and too slow in comparison to Brightline´s direct rail service from the Airport to Disney World!!!
Direct service to Disney Springs, not Disney World. The bus takes you directly to the front of the resort you're staying at and brings you straight back to the airport at least three hours before your scheduled flight. Sure the bus has to stop at other resorts along the way, but it's fast and direct, and ran 24/7. You could catch a bus from the airport to your resort at any time.

The train will be timetabled and terminate as far as Disney Springs. From there you will need to walk with your luggage through the crowds of the shopping area, then on to a bus or boat crowded with already-checked in guests, and then arrive at your resort. Going from the resort back to the airport will involve additional planning as you'll have to schedule your flight around the train schedule.

I'm as big a train buff as the next guy but even I see this as a royal pain. I think the main market for the train is going to be Florida residents, not people flying into MCO.
bostontrainguy
No, I think this move actually is related to Brightline
Part of me thinks that, but I'm not so sure. I think if Disney wanted to supersede the buses they'd have to replace them with their own company-owned buses, or arrange a hell of a shuttle pattern with Brightline.
 #1560900  by HenryAlan
 
NaugyRR wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 3:18 pm I wonder if Disney and Brightline are planning an airport rail shuttle; I'm sure people will use it as such, although I'd rather have direct transport to Port Orleans rather than airport-train-Disney Springs-boat/bus.
Yeah, it's a shame, because the one seat ride plus luggage handling at no cost was nice. Just the same, there were times when the bus I was on would be routed through multiple resorts before reaching my destination. I might prefer a single transfer with a direct connection from there to the resort over hitting multiple other locations. Knowing Disney, they will likely still handle the luggage part, so people will take a train to Disney Springs, probably spend some money there, and then after a few hours, hop on a bus. Might work better for a lot of folks, and certainly for Disney.
 #1561020  by bostontrainguy
 
Apparently Disney's contracted bus company was totally blindsided by the announcement and said it will still operate the service:

We just reported that Disney’s Magical Express will be discontinued in 2022, but that doesn’t mean that a similar option won’t be available. Mears, the company that operates Magical Express, has released a statement on the announcement. Mears spokesperson Roger Chapin told Spectrum News, “Walt Disney made us aware of their decision. While we are disappointed Disney will no longer offer this service, we intend to continue offering transportation services between the airport and all area theme parks and hotels to meet the demand of our visitors now and in the future.”
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 8