Road widening work to begin on major section of Walt Disney World property

[WDW1974]

One day soon Buena Vista Drive and World Drive can look like the 605 freeway at the 91 ... just lanes of traffic ... 'cause, of course, that's what Old Man Disney wanted when he bought all that land.

The blessing of size for all the timeshares and traffic we could ever imagine.

~Five weeks in Europe sounds just about right!~

 

[Mad Stitch]

...the car show where you've got to walk all the way around it to get to your seat,...

I’ve never under stood that either. It seems to me that the whole area of the grandstand and stage should have been rotated 180 degrees. Maybe the construction workers were holding the blue prints upside down. A conversation for a different thread I guess.

 

[Rasvar]

I’ve never under stood that either. It seems to me that the whole area of the grandstand and stage should have been rotated 180 degrees. Maybe the construction workers were holding the blue prints upside down. A conversation for a different thread I guess.

This one is simple, look at the positioning of the theater on something like Google Maps. The grandstand faces NE-ENE. This location keeps the afternoon sun behind the Grandstand instead of being directly in the guests face on a hot summer afternoon. It would be blazing hot in the summer. In the winter, low sun angles would make it hard for the audience to see.

 

[maxairmike]

Reconfiguring the entrances would cost Disney money, widening BVD does not. BVD is owned and maintained by RCID.

Actually, no matter if RCID or the parks themselves use their budget, Disney is still paying in some way, shape, or form for the improvements. It's a bit of a twisted mess to connect all the dots, but it's really about what budget it comes out of. RCID can offset costs with bonds and public works funds, whereas the parks cannot. It's a very, very odd and complex relationship, and I've always wanted a look at how they manage the books at the District and corporate levels to work everything out.

 

[s8film40]

Actually, no matter if RCID or the parks themselves use their budget, Disney is still paying in some way, shape, or form for the improvements. It's a bit of a twisted mess to connect all the dots, but it's really about what budget it comes out of. RCID can offset costs with bonds and public works funds, whereas the parks cannot. It's a very, very odd and complex relationship, and I've always wanted a look at how they manage the books at the District and corporate levels to work everything out.

Yes ultimately Disney pays either way, but I'm sure they would rather something like this come from tax money they already paid rather than having to take it on themselves.

 

[GrumpyFan]

Actually, no matter if RCID or the parks themselves use their budget, Disney is still paying in some way, shape, or form for the improvements. It's a bit of a twisted mess to connect all the dots, but it's really about what budget it comes out of. RCID can offset costs with bonds and public works funds, whereas the parks cannot. It's a very, very odd and complex relationship, and I've always wanted a look at how they manage the books at the District and corporate levels to work everything out.

Ditto. I've always wondered how RCID is funded exactly. I'm guessing sales tax from the parks and resorts as well as Downtown Disney. Or is it more complex than that?

 

[s8film40]

Ditto. I've always wondered how RCID is funded exactly. I'm guessing sales tax from the parks and resorts as well as Downtown Disney. Or is it more complex than that?

It's not sales tax but rather property tax from all landowners. I've never done the research to find out how much funding they have but if you look closely at everything they do RCID seems to have an excess of money. The newer fire stations are some of the nicest new buildings in the district even by Disney standards. The roads they maintain always have the best sidewalks, lighting, maps, trashcans etc. I've toured some of the utility facilities and they are clean well maintained and have in many cases the newest and best equipment. The road signs are always being replaced when needed, in fact the ones Disney is responsible for are faded and worn and just like in so many areas by comparison RCID makes Disney look bad.

 

[GrumpyFan]

It's not sales tax but rather property tax from all landowners. I've never done the research to find out how much funding they have but if you look closely at everything they do RCID seems to have an excess of money. The newer fire stations are some of the nicest new buildings in the district even by Disney standards. The roads they maintain always have the best sidewalks, lighting, maps, trashcans etc. I've toured some of the utility facilities and they are clean well maintained and have in many cases the newest and best equipment. The road signs are always being replaced when needed, in fact the ones Disney is responsible for are faded and worn and just like in so many areas by comparison RCID makes Disney look bad.

I assume by "landowners", you mean Disney parks and resorts, right? Essentially, Disney would pay a usage fee to RCID for their services and support. That would make sense. And it would explain why RCID has some of the nicest facilities and equipment and maintains the "community" to such high standards. Still, I would be curious how much Disney pays in "tax" to RCID. So, does Disney maintain the hotel & park directional signs or does RCID?

 

[Slowjack]

This one is simple, look at the positioning of the theater on something like Google Maps. The grandstand faces NE-ENE. This location keeps the afternoon sun behind the Grandstand instead of being directly in the guests face on a hot summer afternoon. It would be blazing hot in the summer. In the winter, low sun angles would make it hard for the audience to see.

Oh, I understood that, but again, it's a reflection of having to shove the show into an available corner rather than having a real plan for the park and its later expansion.

 

[s8film40]

I assume by "landowners", you mean Disney parks and resorts, right? Essentially, Disney would pay a usage fee to RCID for their services and support. That would make sense. And it would explain why RCID has some of the nicest facilities and equipment and maintains the "community" to such high standards. Still, I would be curious how much Disney pays in "tax" to RCID. So, does Disney maintain the hotel & park directional signs or does RCID?

There are a small number of other landowners other than Disney. With some research you could probably find out what kind of money RCID has, they are a public government after all. The hotel and park directional signs are maintained by RCID on the roadways that they own (which is most of the WDW roadways) Disney is responsible for the ones on roads they own and maintain. The most noticeable example is when you are traveling to MK on World Dr. once you pass the overpass of EPCOT Center Dr. where you see all the street lights stop is where Disney ownership of the road begins (Disney doesn't pay for all the nice things like street lights and sidewalks).

 

[s8film40]

Ditto. I've always wondered how RCID is funded exactly.

I found it! I've never really looked for it but it's right on their website, the whole budget.

http://rcid.org/Dept_Finance.cfm

 

[Rasvar]

General info on Reedy Creek: www.rcid.org
It also includes the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista. http://www.rcid.org/AboutUS_main.cfm

 

[flavious27]

I've never really looked at how easy it would be to actually funnel all the traffic to the main entrance from the non-I4 side. Is it achievable without causing traffic issues on the redirect?

I don't think they should funnel the traffic to the main entrance but just make a better entrance on East Buena Vista Drive. One of my blue sky concept for an expanded DHS includes this.

 

[ectomaster]

Nice to see--there is usually lots of congestion there.

Hopefully they will keep the sidewalk present after the roads have been widened!! It's an easy jaunt linking the Epcot Deluxes with Caribbean Beach and adds easy miles to a running regime, and changes up the views.

There is a crosswalk to cross at the intersection, just so we all know.

That would be nice to pass on to the populace. Almost hit a guy the other morning cause he was running AGAINST traffic. /sigh

 

[Rasvar]

I like the concept but the problem is the area. If you look at the RCID Comp Plan, http://www.rcid.org/uploads/Conservation Element.pdf (warning: LARGE), you will see that those areas are both 100 Year flood plain and Class I wetlands. The cost in regulation and wetlands mitigation, along with the disruption to the WDW flood protection system, would be quite high. The Studios is effectively stuck in its current footprint. The lands beyond the canal are for all intents and purposes off limit from development. (I should also add that current RCID policy prohibits development of Class I wetlands)

 

[Texas84]

I can't even find the main entrance. The only time I see it is when I run through it during a marathon or half-marathon. Even when I stay offsite.

 

[invader]

Yeah, I'm a local and I don't even know how to get to the main entrance.

 

[Rasvar]

I can't even find the main entrance. The only time I see it is when I run through it during a marathon or half-marathon. Even when I stay offsite.

It's only possible to access from the US-192/World Drive interchange coming from US-192.

 

[maxairmike]

Or the I-4 World Drive exit. You have to get on to World Dr. at either 192 or I-4 to access it.

 

[goofntink]

The road work and expansion is for Art of Animations addition to the resorts and its added impact for traffic. Other reason will come to light shortly with some additions of new equipment to bus transportation for POP,AOA,ASR,and CBR. Lookup Novabus Company and look for model LFS Arctic. We have three delivered that have been delivered to us this past week and they are sneaking around on property.