Animal Kingdom walkway!

[wfloyd]

A water taxi would also be an oustanding idea. I still wonder what is up with the water around the Tree of Life.

It’s not attractive, “Look kids, stagnate, muddy water!”
It does not provide any transportation benefit (Other than an occasional character boat), and in fact the limited bridges increase park congestion.
It does not provides entertainment value, nor a unique wildlife viewing experience. Now if it were a giant clear blue reef…

The water used to have a boat ride on it. They closed it down a few years ago. There were two stops on the ride, one where Pooh and Friends have photos now and one almost across from the Flights of Wonder show.

 

[gkrykewy]

If a walking path is at all feasible, and it appears that it is, then it should be installed. As someone else said, it's entirely consistent with the message/theming of the park.

Personally, I'll gladly chip in a special assessment. Very gladly.

 

[tjkraz]

I think I made similar comments in the last walkway thread, but here goes...

Obviously it's impossible to discount the idea altogether, but I think if Disney had serious intentions of adding a walkway it would have been done at construction. They certainly knew 10 years ago that a large part of the appeal of the BW/BC/YC area was the ability to walk to two theme parks, yet they chose not to offer a similar amenity at AKL.

And I doubt that the idea of a walk that's 1/4 or 1/2 mile longer than the Crescent Lake area would have been a deal breaker. I suspect there were more serious logistical concerns that kept the project from getting off the ground.

Some differences between the two areas include:

1. In the Epcot area guests are walking past a handful of shopping and dining establishments. Getting a handful of walk-in customers/shoppers per day would certainly justify the cost in the long run.
2. The Epcot area is almost self-policing. The existing water patrols on Crescent Lake help keep an eye on the paths in the quieter areas (near DHS), while the BC/YC/BW/Swan/Dolphin loop is so populated with guests that there's really no need for a visible security presence.
3. None of the paths run alongside existing roadways.

All of the above would be issues in constructing an AKL-to-DAK path.

Now, if Disney had plans to add another resort or two to the area, that could well change things. But I can't envision Disney building a path along the road or thru the nearby swampy land as things stand now. That would be a nightmare to police, not to mention the potential hazard to guests.

I'm sure there are solutions that would work (covered walkway, elevated walkway, etc.), but all are expensive and thus equally unlikely.

Never say never, but I suspect the greatest likelihood for such a project would have come right at the start and it didn't happen for whatever reason.

 

[lisareniff]

There are definitely safety differences between the BWV-DHS path and the possible AKL-AK path. I say differences because I don't think either are inherently safe. I've walked alone home one night on a deserted BWV-DHS path and was a little apprehensive (not saying the concern was valid, I'm just used to having full knowledge of my surroundings). I don't think the canal patrols are all that frequent to make much of a difference between patroling the BWV-DHS path on boat and the AKL-AK path on car or bike (would the boat patrol have been there if the path wasn't there?). I'm not sure safety concerns should kill the AK-AKL path idea. The first portion of the path would be the road and loop the where all the buses travel. Very high visibility. The next section, after turning the corner, is quieter but would still have all the AKL/V traffic and would be a pretty walkway. The last section that cuts through on a service road could be turned into a nice animal viewing area and enhance the resort.

 

[hakepb]

That Google map really got me wondering about the logic in the orgional AKL vs DAK placement. Why so far? Ive taken my car and bus transportation to DAK several times, but never really knew where AKL/AKV existed.

Why did Disney decide to make a deluxe resort so far from the associated park with no "premium transportation" (monorail or boat instead of the more common bus)
Is/was there a plan to use the space for DAK expansion? Od were they unsure about how many supporting structures were needed to care for the animals?
Were they unsure about personal safety so close to wild animals?

 

[crisi]

That Google map really got me wondering about the logic in the orgional AKL vs DAK placement. Why so far? Ive taken my car and bus transportation to DAK several times, but never really knew where AKL/AKV existed.

Why did Disney decide to make a deluxe resort so far from the associated park with no "premium transportation" (monorail or boat instead of the more common bus)
Is/was there a plan to use the space for DAK expansion? Od were they unsure about how many supporting structures were needed to care for the animals?
Were they unsure about personal safety so close to wild animals?

As I recall, the build map for that area between AKL and AK has a bunch of land unsuitable for building. Disney has a lot of space, but much of it isn't very buildable.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

As I recall, the build map for that area between AKL and AK has a bunch of land unsuitable for building. Disney has a lot of space, but much of it isn't very buildable.

Exactly.

The land between the AKV and DAK is classified as "Class II wetlands."

According to the CONSERVATION ELEMENT document in the Reedy Creek Improvement District Comprehensive Plan, "Development is not permitted in Class I wetlands. Class II wetlands may be used for passive recreation (i.e., trails) and, in special circumstances, for access and utility corridors. The loss of wetland acreage is strongly discouraged and must be mitigated according to the policies set forth in the Land Use Element and Land Development Regulations."

For more information, see http://www.rcid.org/uploads/rcid-comp-plan_cons.pdf

 

[hakepb]

I just got back from WDW, and my suspisions about the (man-made?) pond looking unpleasant (next to the road, between the DAK bus stops and AKL) were confirmed. That pond is currently surrounded by a tall, electric fence with 2 layers of barbed fencing.
I'm not sure what Disney has in that pond, but it is nothing I want to be walking any closer than 100 feet away from, much farther if it involves a smell. And there is currently only a few feet (~10?) between that fence and the road.

 

[gingermouse17]

OOOH! A Kilamanjaro Safari truck-wouldn't that be fun!

Great Idea

 

[lisareniff]

I just got back from WDW, and my suspisions about the (man-made?) pond looking unpleasant (next to the road, between the DAK bus stops and AKL) were confirmed. That pond is currently surrounded by a tall, electric fence with 2 layers of barbed fencing.
I'm not sure what Disney has in that pond, but it is nothing I want to be walking any closer than 100 feet away from, much farther if it involves a smell. And there is currently only a few feet (~10?) between that fence and the road.

I was wondering about the pleasantness of that 'pond'. That could really be the reason.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I just wanted to throw in that the Bus service this year was one of the worst of 13 trips over the last 13 years.

we waited longer for EVERY bus from VWL than we have in years.
No bus ever came before a 30+ min wait.

We have always had to wait for buses but there were always short waits to help make the longs ones not too bad.
this trips they were ALL long and we were a bit late for a few dinners because of the waits. and yes we always plan for extra transportation time...but this was extra extra.

 

[cogero]

WE just got back from the BC and I had issues with the MK and AK busses but I loved the option of walking to both MGM and Epcot. Being from NY I love to walk and the walk to MGM took less time than waiting and riding the boat and the boat smelled in my opinion

 

[jdg345]

Since it would be relatively flat ground they are traversing, maybe they could re-purpose an old, removed ride system, like Disneyland's old Peoplemover. They could re-theme the cars with animal prints instead of bright colors. They could build it just slightly above ground level and a slight embankment, saving the high cost of elevating the track, though it still would be a major expense. But given the rising cost of gas....

They would need to put a rain cover over the track for FL, the covered cars wouldn't keep guests dry in an area that gets that much rain. And there would be no A/C. They would also need to build it on the perimeter of the Savannahs, not thru them. This would increase travel time, but at least the guest would be in motion instead of waiting at a bus stop. Tey would also have to allow spacing between the cars, so the whole system wouldn't have to stop and start to load disabled guests in wheelchairs. They could have two or three w/c access peoplemover trains that stop on side tracks, then are blended back into the regular track, after the wheelchair guest loads or exits. All relatively simple technology from the 1960s, but costly for the initial build out. If more resort rooms are added to this general area, it may be a viable option.

This is a great idea! It could be Safari themed with tour music or recorded messages or something.

 

[disneynutz]

I wonder if Disney kept the old aerial tramway parts. Seems like a excellent answer between AKL and AK.