Western Way Extension

[danlb_2000]

Are they really tearing down the convention center at the Contemporary to build another Bay Lake Tower? I find that hard to believe as it'd block the front, or at least part of it, of the Contemporary and I thought that the convention center there was fairly popular. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they took down the other Garden Wing (South) and built another tower there, though.

It's a rumor.

 

[Stripes]

@danlb_2000 Nice find (and as always very much appreciated)! Theoretically-speaking, is this area the last big chunk of land in which they could squeeze another gate? Or is there others?

 

[danlb_2000]

@danlb_2000 Nice find (and as always very much appreciated)! Theoretically-speaking, is this area the last big chunk of land in which they could squeeze another gate? Or is there others?

No, there are other suitable areas. Here is the land suitability map from the RCID 2020 master plan. Red is considered suitable, light green marginally suitable and green un-suitable. This map isn't 100% up to date. Most of the red around Flamingo Crossing is being used for third party hotels and stores, the red to the west of the Epcot parking lot has been used for the solar farm, and most of the red on the other side of World Drive from DHS has been used for a new storm water retention pond and fireworks launch area.

 

[Stripes]

No, there are other suitable areas. Here is the land suitability map from the RCID 2020 master plan. Red is considered suitable, light green marginally suitable and green un-suitable. This map isn't 100% up to date. Most of the red around Flamingo Crossing is being used for third party hotels and stores, the red to the west of the Epcot parking lot has been used for the solar farm, and most of the red on the other side of World Drive from DHS has been used for a new storm water retention pond and fireworks launch area.



View attachment 157221

Okay, thanks for getting back to me!

 

[KevinYee]

No it's a dead end.

It's not a dead end. As others have said, Hartzog connects to Avalon, and thus to 192 (wayyyyy West of World Drive). It was connected by dirt road until... 2008 maybe? and now it's a paved road, but still very, very undertraveled. It's perhaps the best kept secret back road in still.

 

[maxairmike]

It's not a dead end. As others have said, Hartzog connects to Avalon, and thus to 192 (wayyyyy West of World Drive). It was connected by dirt road until... 2008 maybe? and now it's a paved road, but still very, very undertraveled. It's perhaps the best kept secret back road in still.

I take it you haven't tried to use it between 4-6pm to go from on property to 192? I tried that once a few months ago, and never again.

 

[KevinYee]

Don't think I have tried at that time slot, no. Interesting. It's not very crowded usually.

A few years ago, there was enough wildlife here that I literally hit a wild boar with my car, and a few months later, got to watch a bald eagle 8 feet away from me guard its rabbit kill.

 

[Next Big Thing]

The irony, of course, is that 192 got a Super Target and some nicer Darden/Bloomin restaurants and stole the market away from Flamingo Crossing before anything could be built back there.

My guess is that this expansion is WDW finally realizing it will have a severe CM housing problem within the next decade the way the real estate market is shifting.

They've also been stuffing as many as 8 people per apartment. Some of the 6 bedroom apartments are only 2 bedrooms as well, 3 per room with bunkbeds recently installed.

They're simply running out of room to house the amount of people they are hiring.

 

[Figment1986]

I take it you haven't tried to use it between 4-6pm to go from on property to 192? I tried that once a few months ago, and never again.

good thing i use that road after 9pm usually... still some traffic coming from mostly cast leaving though.

 

[GhostHost1000]

wouldn't it make more sense to tear down the other garden wing and build another tower of some kind there?

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

Here is a map that shows the current ownership of the land around Flamingo Crossing. Most of the land to the west of this where the road is going is owned by Disney.
View attachment 157195

Even Flamingo Crossings, LLC is controlled by Disney. Just looked it up on www.sunbiz.org and found this. Same is true of Golden Oak property as well. I think that they de-annex them so that it doesn't interfere with WDW proper. Yet they can still control, etc.

Notice the Title Manager is still Disney Imagineering.

 

[WDWdream97]

I hope the raise speed limit once the 4 lane road opens up. Currently the police uses the area where Flamingo Crossing Blvd. meets Western Way, as a speed trap.

 

[Figment2005]

I hope the raise speed limit once the 4 lane road opens up. Currently the police uses the area where Flamingo Crossing Blvd. meets Western Way, as a speed trap.

Is it really a trap if you know it's there and still get snagged?

 

[WDWdream97]

Is it really a trap if you know it's there and still get snagged?

Good point...

 

[roj2323]

Here's an overlay. Interestingly the road goes straight through the middle of the red area.

 

[R W B]

No, there are other suitable areas. Here is the land suitability map from the RCID 2020 master plan. Red is considered suitable, light green marginally suitable and green un-suitable. This map isn't 100% up to date. Most of the red around Flamingo Crossing is being used for third party hotels and stores, the red to the west of the Epcot parking lot has been used for the solar farm, and most of the red on the other side of World Drive from DHS has been used for a new storm water retention pond and fireworks launch area.



View attachment 157221

Going off of your picture, I don't see many places large enough for a 5th gate in the future. Am I not reading the map correctly?

 

[danlb_2000]

Going off of your picture, I don't see many places large enough for a 5th gate in the future. Am I not reading the map correctly?

Yes, there are not a lot of large contiguous blocks of suitable land left, but they could start using some of the less suitable land. As for suitable land it looks like the largest block left it east of where the speedway used to be. There is also a good sized chunk south of DHS and a mix of suitable and marginally suitable west of Magic Kingdom.

 

[Big C 73]

There is always the possibility of purchasing new land if necessary, although unlikely.

 

[matt9112]

Is it really a trap if you know it's there and still get snagged?

trap nah....unnecessary yes.

 

[matt9112]

people talk about a 5th gate as if the current parks are fleshed out well.