WDW Airstrip

stuart

stuart

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Many people wonder about the small airstrip that runs alongside World Drive and as to what it was or is used for.

The strip was built in the late 60's with the construction of Magic Kingdom. Many parts were too big for ground transportation and do needed to be brought in by air.

The strip is no longer used for air traffic, unless an aircraft needs to make an emergency landing and cannot make the 20 miles to OIA. Permission will not be granted for landing or taking off by Disney and there was a rumour that if you land without permission the aircraft would be pulled apart and taken off property by truck.

The strip can be accessed over some rough ground at the bottom of the airfield along Vista Boulevard, the main entrance though is from World Drive.

It is now used for the parking of buses, both Disney buses and other carrier buses while they are waiting to pick up parties or wait until park closing when there is a large demand on busses. It is sometimes now used for driver training. Some other vehicles will also park there.

If you dont know its there you will miss it if you are coming along Vista Drive. For the benefit of those who dont know where Vista Boulevard and World Drive are well, World Drive is the long road on which the Magic Kingdom toll sits and Vista Boulevard is where you enter Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

Going to Magic Kingdom on World Drive look on the right just after the toll.

Going to World Drive on Vista Boulevard look right just before you go on to World Drive.
Going to World Drive
 
Captain Cab

Captain Cab

New Member
Originally posted by stuart
The strip is no longer used for air traffic, unless an aircraft needs to make an emergency landing and cannot make the 20 miles to OIA.
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Actually, Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) is only about 8 miles from WDW. It's a fairly large airport and is much more capable of handling emergency landings rather than risking a landing at WDW's airstrip. Plus the last thing you want to do is violate WDW's no-fly zone. It's much better to risk an emergency landing elsewhere than to violate their airspace.

Originally posted by TheOneVader
Is this it?
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Yep, that's the airstrip.


On a side note, where did the the paraplanes (also possible ultralights?) take-off and land from Epcot's "Surprise in The Skies" show?
 
TheOneVader

TheOneVader

Well-Known Member
Actually, Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) is only about 8 miles from WDW. It's a fairly large airport and is much more capable of handling emergency landings rather than risking a landing at WDW's airstrip. Plus the last thing you want to do is violate WDW's no-fly zone. It's much better to risk an emergency landing elsewhere than to violate their airspace.
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Whenever we go we always make jokes on how there's a SAM site insde the Rainforest Cafe volcano that shoots down planes that enter the no-fly zone :lol:
 
M

Mikejakester

Active Member
It's much better to risk an emergency landing elsewhere than to violate their airspace.
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hahahaha... I don't know but for some reason that made me laugh... :lol:


So what your saying is ...

If you are in cessna and your engine dies while being at an altituted of 2,000 feet going at 75 Knts and You have the Disney airstrip straigh in front of you 2 miles away.

You would rather risk your life and turn to some other airport 8 miles away just so that you don't violate their airspace...

hahaah I love Disney, but not that much man...

I say screew the airspace, we are going to disney world!

In the other hand... We would have to check to what extend is the no fly zone... It's kind of hard to have a big no fly zone. having an airport 8 miles away.... Unless the no fly zone is just exactly over the park. in which that would have practically no effect on passing planes.

But it's an interesting thing to chek out!



:animwink:
:sohappy:
 
Captain Cab

Captain Cab

New Member
Originally posted by Mikejakester
If you are in cessna and your engine dies while being at an altituted of 2,000 feet going at 75 Knts and You have the Disney airstrip straigh in front of you 2 miles away.

You would rather risk your life and turn to some other airport 8 miles away just so that you don't violate their airspace...
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Actually, at 2,000 feet you're already well in violation of their airspace. Right now the FAA has a no-fly zone from the ground up to and including 3,000 AGL (above ground level). This extends horizontally for a radius of 3nm (nautical miles) from the center of the no-fly zone.

Here's the actual notice from the FAA's website:
!FDC 3/2122 ZJX FL FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ORLANDO, FL.

EFFECTIVE 0303182000 UTC (MARCH 18 AT 1500 LOCAL) UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO RESTRICTIONS DETAILED IN SECTION 352 OF PUBLIC LAW 108-7, AND 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS. AIRCRAFT FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED AT AND BELOW 3,000 FEET AGL, WITHIN A 3 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF THE DISNEY WORLD THEME PARK (282445N/0813420W OR THE ORLANDO /ORL/ VORTAC 243 DEGREE RADIAL AT 15 NAUTICAL MILES).

THIS RESTRICTION DOES NOT APPLY TO:

(A) THOSE AIRCRAFT AUTHORIZED BY ATC FOR OPERATIONAL OR SAFETY PURPOSES, INCLUDING AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING FROM AN AIRPORT USING STANDARD AIR TRAFFIC PROCEDURES;

(B) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR AEROMEDICAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS THAT ARE IN CONTACT WITH ATC.

THOSE WHO MEET ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA MAY APPLY FOR A WAIVER TO THESE RESTRICTIONS:

(A) FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES OF THE VENUE INCLUDING THE TRANSPORTATION OF EQUIPMENT OR OFFICIALS OF THE GOVERNING BODY;

(B) FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY PURPOSES OF THE VENUE. INFORMATION REGARDING WAIVER APPLICATIONS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE FAA WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.FAA.GOV/ATS/ATA/WAIVER, OR BY CALLING 571-227-1322.
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Here's a cutout of the Orlando sectional chart.

Apparently it looks like the warning is just for the Magic Kingdom (aka Disney World to the FAA) itself. Apparently it's OK to fly low (as low as 1,000 ft AGL) over everything else outside the no-fly zone.

Getting back to the emergency situation, as pilot-in-command it is your decision on how to bring the aircraft down safely without injuring anybody or damaging/destroying any property. Chances are likely injuries and damage will occur during an emergency landing, but it's your job to keep it to a minimum. During emergencies the FAA allows pilots to use private airstrips if need be. However, the airstrip in this example is in a no-fly zone, and the penalities may be severe if you violate WDW's airspace.

So as pilot-in-command, do risk the penalities (possibility of permament loss of flying privileges, inprisonment, and/or fee) and land anyway at the airstrip, or do you risk the aircraft and try to find an alternate landing area? Myself, I do not know the answer as either may be correct. Right now though I'd say to avoid WDW's airspace at all costs and try to find an alternate landing area instead.

By the way, as pilot-in-command you should be flying high enough so that you can easily handle an emergency should it occur. Flying low is fun, but it's extremely risking should the unthinkable happen.
 
M

Mikejakester

Active Member
Actually, at 2,000 feet you're already well in violation of their airspace. Right now the FAA has a no-fly zone from the ground up to and including 3,000 AGL (above ground level).
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Ok
:hammer:
Nice info... nice everything.



Just tune to ATC and tell them your situation.

THOSE AIRCRAFT AUTHORIZED BY ATC FOR OPERATIONAL OR SAFETY PURPOSES,
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Im sure they can arrange something.
I think they will have the last word on what you could do.

but I think if you don't have any other choice
:veryconfu I mean. There can't be any mayor punishment for trying to save your life and a plane.
It's a very debatable subject.
But in a worse case scenerio I don't think they would do anything mayor if you use that airstrip, but then again
it's in a Worse case scenerio.

Didn't Walt use it?
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I think I've heard something like that before. I think he did.
not sure tho.
 
Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Originally posted by stuart
The strip was built in the late 60's with the construction of Magic Kingdom. Many parts were too big for ground transportation and do (sic) needed to be brought in by air.
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Sorry, but a truck can handle a much bigger load (part) than an airplane then (in the 1960's) and now (2003).
 
jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by Al
Didn't Walt use it?
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This is false.

Walt disney Died In december of 1966, Just a few months after the announcement of the plans, construction of WDW did'nt comence untill late in 1969, three years after walt died.

On a side note , walt's death put the whole project in jepodary, It was Roys determination that kept the project alive, If walt would have lived to be a ripe old man , WDW would be a very diffrent place than it has become.
 
M

Mikejakester

Active Member
How old was Walt when he died?

You guys think Disney would be any different if he was still alive today?

If so in what ways would it be different?
 
CDS Disney

CDS Disney

Member
If you have Flight Simulator 2000 you can fly out of the air port just search for epcot center in the airport list and you can fly over a poor rep. of Epcot and Magic Kingdom
 
A

Al

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by jmarc63
This is false.

Walt disney Died In december of 1966, Just a few months after the announcement of the plans, construction of WDW did'nt comence untill late in 1969, three years after walt died.

On a side note , walt's death put the whole project in jepodary, It was Roys determination that kept the project alive, If walt would have lived to be a ripe old man , WDW would be a very diffrent place than it has become.
Click to expand...


Oops, sorry , your right, Walt couldn't have used it. I think I was thinking about Roy. Did he use it? I heard somewhere that his personal jet used to land there. I could be wrong though :)
 

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