Disney World wants Florida's fast train to bypass competition

The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
Perhaps the days of Disney making the metropolitan Orlando county governments dance to its tune are over?

This is going to be a TAXPAYER funded rail system; it should have as many stops as needed to serve the PUBLIC efficiently (too many stops would make less convenient to use)...whether Disney likes it or not!

How much money is Disney going to pour into this project? What about Universal, Sea World, etc?

Common sense would tell you that the easier it is to get from WDW to the convention center, the MORE people will stay at WDW! I've attended conventions with my husband...if staying at WDW, he's had to ride buses to the Convention Center, which meant he had to leave early enough to get through traffic. If I (and our children) hadn't been with him, he would NOT have stayed at WDW!
 
P

pheneix

Well-Known Member
>>>Perhaps the days of Disney making the metropolitan Orlando county governments dance to its tune are over?<<<

Yep. This article is testament t ohow many people Disney has managed to ________ off over the years. It also doesn't help that many of the attractions along I-drive, to include Universal and Sea World, would file a class-action suit of epic proportions if Disney were to ever get it's way (and they won't).

Disney had better quit playing hardball with the state now, or else they WILL pay for it in the future.
 
The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
I'm not objecting to the train having a stop (or even several) at WDW....I object to it NOT having other stops along the way! (BTW...I'm not saying that anyone thinks that's what I meant...I'm just clarifying my earlier statement ;) )
 
dreamer

dreamer

New Member
Who's the biggest taxpayer in Central Florida? Do you remember Orlando before Disney?

If Disney World weren't there, Orlando would probably be fighting to have even one train stop. In fact there probably wouldn't even be talk about a train at all. Orlando would be lucky to have a Holidome, much less a big convention center.

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Get real.
 
The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
Yes, I do remember Orlando before Disney. You weren't stuck in traffic for hours, you could still afford to buy a house or rent a decent apartment, and there weren't tacky motels and tourist traps covering every inch! ;)

Seriously, Disney did bring a lot of good things to Orlando, but also caused many problems. You have to take the bad with the good. However, just because Disney was instrumental in putting Orlando on the map, does that mean that they should have carte blanche to do whatever they please forever?
They have already been the recipient of many incentives and special treatment not given to other companies...how much more "progress" can the area take?

This is a public works project that will also benefit Disney...why should they be able to dictate where else it stops, as long as it stops at their property?
 
wishiwere@wdw

wishiwere@wdw

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Disney is acting as though "you owe us" so that this project won't happen unless it is their way. However, Disney is no longer the only source of tourism in the Orlando area. They should be happy to have a publically funded transportation project going on so soon. Maybe they could settle by taking a light rail from some sort of transportation hub. We could all benifit by going from Orlando airport to Disney without going on a highway.
 
dreamer

dreamer

New Member
Is the new project designed for Orlando local transportation or for transportation throughout the state?

I think the hub idea sounds good. I agree that having easy local access from places other than the airport will benefit Disney. I suspect a smart politician could convince them of that.

BTW: Pretty much all the other stuff in Orlando is there 'cause of Disney. Except the orange groves. If you don't like the traffic move to Palatka -- or how about Mayo, Florida --and quit complaining. I'm sure N Florida has lots of unemployment lines for you to stand around in while you think about not having to wait in traffic.
 
The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
Actually, a lot of people ARE moving to Palatka...my property there has more than doubled in value since I purchased it! ;)

This project is funded by state funds, not just Orlando, Tampa, etc. As I stated, (I voted for it), I have no objection to the project...I just don't think Disney should be calling the shots.

And as long as I LIVE in Florida, I'll complain as much as I please. ;)
 
DanStat

DanStat

Well-Known Member
Dreamer, where in Tennessee are you?

I don't know of anywhere I've been in Tennessee that has more traffic than Florida.
 
cymbaldiva

cymbaldiva

Active Member
I don't know if this is considered on or off topic...I don't personally live in TN, but on the rarities I've visited I have noticed that whoever designed the interstates going thru either Nashville or Memphis had to have been totally high! It's the most confused mess I've ever tryed to drive in! As for actual amount of traffic, between the 2 choices FL wins hands down!

I'll also take a moment to agree with Mom - she lives there while most of us only visit ...she can say whatever she pleases! :)
 
jimmybop

jimmybop

Member
Originally posted by dreamer

BTW: Pretty much all the other stuff in Orlando is there 'cause of Disney. Except the orange groves. If you don't like the traffic move to Palatka -- or how about Mayo, Florida --and quit complaining. I'm sure N Florida has lots of unemployment lines for you to stand around in while you think about not having to wait in traffic.
Click to expand...

sorry.. a bit off topic
I thought Disneyland was built on orange groves, and disney world was mostly wetlands???? (like the rest of the undeveloped property)
 
CAPTAIN HOOK

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
It sounds to me that Disney is turning into an out-of-control monster organisation. If Disney doesn't want the train to stop at or near other attractions it should :-
Fund the train itself,
Buy out and then run the other attractions,
Buy out and close down the other attractions,
Or,
Stop belly-aching and concentrate on getting its own house in order,
or co-operate WITH the other attractions and make the Orlando area even better for tourists.

While there are other things do see and do in Florida (yes, perhaps they are only operating on the back of WDW success) Disney will NEVER stop tourists visiting them.
Universal, SeaWorld et al have all managed to open up and operate (poach tourists) with WDW in their back yard, why can't Disney face the fact that the tourists go to Florida to visit WDW and then visit the other attractions for the odd day.
Anyone know where I can buy a 10 day park hopper ticket for SeaWorld :brick:
 
M

Mr D

New Member
What Disney or rather Eisner wants is to funnel the cash cow herds directly past all the other theme parks and keep them on Disney propert to inhibit them from staying and paying offsite. The competition is getting bigger and better and resort guests are increasingly looking at other ways to stay more affordably. I for one originally sent Disney $3900 to stay at a luxury resort at WDW for my family last year, then I found out all about the rental vacation homes and we stayed at Families First for two weeks at about $1200 (post 9/11 bargain rates) we finally got our money back from Disney and in the long run we had a better stay in a peaceful home for a longer period of time, plus I bought PAP's for the whole family. If we had booked the vacation plan package from Disney it would have been, more expensive, shorter in duration, less private and smaller accomadations, having to eat out on a daily basis, and also we rented a car allowing us to see other places at Orlando.

My guess is that there will be a hub with seperate trains for accessing WDW and other directions. also Universal will want a diect access as well of some kind from the airport.
 
dreamer

dreamer

New Member
Sorry for being argumentative yesterday, but as an outside observer it seems that having a statewide system that makes multiple stops in one city would be as logical as having multiple Orlando International Airports in Orlando. I agree that having a single stop in DW is not the best thing.

(I would wager that having Disney World go belly up would hurt Orlando's economy (and the state economy) more than having the convention center or Universal Studios fail. See what happens to property values in Orlando then.)

The Miami stop will probably meet up with Metrorail. Orlando will need to create its own local system if the state's not going to pay for it.

I live in Bristol, TN. (Known for it's 148,000 soon to be 160,000 seat NASCAR stadium). On my way to work 90% of the drive is on streets with a speed limit of 25 or 35. We have no traffic at all and lots of mtns. I grew up in Miami when it didn't have much traffic -- I remember when the Palmetto Exwy was REALLY a palmetto exwy (palmettos lined the wide median) and the Turnpike was almost empty from Miami to Wildwood. I learned Suwanee River and "I Want to Wake Up in Florida" in school along with God Bless America like all Florida school kids did in the 60's. I love Florida from the reefs in the Keys to the bass fishing at Lochloosa in N Fla. (I also lived in Gainesville.) I'm not there now 'cause Bristol is a better place for me (not necessarily for everyone) to raise my kids and because the population is 3 times (it was 7 million then) what it was in the Florida I remember.

When my kids are grown there's a good chance I'll return -- I've got 42 years left in the DVC so I hope DW is around for a long time. If you build the train, arrange for easy access to the Keys which is probably where I'll live and I plan on taking it to Disney.
 
Sketch105

Sketch105

Well-Known Member
Orlando is not going to bend. If Disney had wanted it, they should have built there own train line ahead of them.

Wow, Project Orb certainly looks cool. The entire monorail concept seems to be the most legitimate way to go, seeing as there areno drivers (for the Orlando area;We're not talking Disney here), it pays itself off once it starts operation, and does not need to acquire land while the light rail needs to acquire land, needs taxpayer subsizidation, track needs to be replace every few years, etc. etc. etc.
 
goofyguy

goofyguy

Member
I don't really have a problem with Disney attempting to get the stop near them. I also wouldn't have a problem with Universal, Sea World, or Big Bob's Discount Stereos. It would be stupid for any business owner not to use their clout to try to get the station near them. That's what capitalism is all about.

Now, it's the job of the politicians to ignore that pressure and do what's in the best interest of the people. That's what democracy is all about.

It's a great country (when it works). :)
 
jmarc63

jmarc63

New Member
Originally posted by Sketch105
Orlando is not going to bend. If Disney had wanted it, they should have built there own train line ahead of them.

Wow, Project Orb certainly looks cool. The entire monorail concept seems to be the most legitimate way to go, seeing as there areno drivers (for the Orlando area;We're not talking Disney here), it pays itself off once it starts operation, and does not need to acquire land while the light rail needs to acquire land, needs taxpayer subsizidation, track needs to be replace every few years, etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...


There have been rumors since the late 80s that Disney wanted to build a Monorail link to OIA, weather it was true and was shot down for political reasons or mono-tary ones I don't remember.
 

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