Attack of the Lakeshore Lodge

[DonMacGregor]

Suggestion for Reflections/CFW to WL to MK transportation system.....

https://www.retrowdw.com/pictorial-souvenir/wdw-resorts/fort-wilderness-railroad-gallery/


View attachment 900303

Put something like that in plus a lazy river and it will sell. Will also setup a strong sales future for BRV 2.0 but I'm not sure if Disney thinks that far ahead.

Or, trench a canal, lay down a guide track, and stick the Liberty Belle over there (I’m kidding).

 

[BayTower2010]

Suggestion for Reflections/CFW to WL to MK transportation system.....

https://www.retrowdw.com/pictorial-souvenir/wdw-resorts/fort-wilderness-railroad-gallery/


View attachment 900303

Put something like that in plus a lazy river and it will sell. Will also setup a strong sales future for BRV 2.0 but I'm not sure if Disney thinks that far ahead.

What a great Idea, have a loop going from Reflections, to Wilderness Lodge, to Magic Kingdom by the bus stops and you have a winner. Not sure how the tracks will be laid out, maybe some one with better knowledge than my self could lay it out on a map of the area.

 

[DonMacGregor]

What a great Idea, have a loop going from Reflections, to Wilderness Lodge, to Magic Kingdom by the bus stops and you have a winner. Not sure how the tracks will be laid out, maybe some one with better knowledge than my self could lay it out on a map of the area.

That would require crossing the water somewhere.

 

[Chili327]

What a great Idea, have a loop going from Reflections, to Wilderness Lodge, to Magic Kingdom by the bus stops and you have a winner. Not sure how the tracks will be laid out, maybe some one with better knowledge than my self could lay it out on a map of the area.

I think the loop would only be CFW to Reflections to WL and loop back around… but a nice train loop in the wooded area sounds amazing!

 

[Mikey15]

That would require crossing the water somewhere.

Yeah, getting over to MK would probably never happen. The underpass between Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake I don’t believe is even wide enough to add a pedestrian path from TTC->Contemporary, much less a railway.

Still, a choo-choo circling from WL to River Country to the Fort and back is a wonderful idea. Could reduce golf cart / internal bus dependency at the Fort too!

 

[CarolynFH]

Years ago, there was a train at FW, remains of which are still visible. I’m sure @bama_ed has the details. I don’t think it was there by the time we stayed in 1994.

 

[Kailunkat]

Whelp since it doesn’t look like I’m going to get my climbing wall, zip line to MK or a monorail upgrade anytime soon - I guess I should hang over here and hope for some nice trains.

 

[ocdb8r1]

I'd much prefer a lazy river connection to MK....float on over.

 

[CraigInPA]

That would require crossing the water somewhere.

Not necessarily. By following the existing roadways and then the monorail line, they could get to MK without a water crossing. But, that's a very long ride, so I'm sure Disney would never do it. If they ever bring back the train formerly used at the Campground (and it's really, really unlikely), it'll be limited to just the Campgrounds, Cabins, and Reflections.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Or, trench a canal, lay down a guide track, and stick the Liberty Belle over there (I’m kidding).

Yes please! My daydreams had them incorporating it tastefully (and hopefully safely but I'm not sure how that would work with the spinning paddles on the back.....its a daydream) into the resort perhaps as a part of the awesome pool/lazy river at whatever ends up being built.

What a great Idea, have a loop going from Reflections, to Wilderness Lodge, to Magic Kingdom by the bus stops and you have a winner. Not sure how the tracks will be laid out, maybe some one with better knowledge than my self could lay it out on a map of the area.

I had discussed a few options with some friends and I'm 99% sure it would have to be raised up to be safe and avoid contact with people/cars/roads as much as possible for safety and ease of operations. I'm thinking of how the Disneyland railroad passes through critter country and near main street and such.

That would require crossing the water somewhere.

I think the loop would only be CFW to Reflections to WL and loop back around… but a nice train loop in the wooded area sounds amazing!

I took a 2nd look at the map and I realized another option would be perhaps to sneak it in as a tie into the TTC to link it to the poly and also give you not-so-direct access to the monorail? Still, having the train go over the area where the water bridge is with the monorail there and the busses doing their thing would make that spot a great energy/vibe spot. I love timing a good boat ride from WL to MK when fireworks are starting and the monorail is overhead. Add a train for even more fun

 

[Mouseforward]

The original train was on hastily laid tracks that were not easy to maintain due to it being swampy. They would need elevated tracks if rebuilt so that is probably a dealbreaker.

A MK skyliner would be cheaper

 

[Mikey15]

Not necessarily. By following the existing roadways and then the monorail line, they could get to MK without a water crossing.

I think you need to look at a map

Even if they went the long way around the Lagoon past Poly and GF, there’s still the water crossing by GF for the electrical water pageant floats…

 

[Joroc0801]

It seems to me we may be wanting an alternate transportation system when simply adding alternate boat routes would be the most efficient and potentially cost effective solution. Boats are just as reliable as the skyliner from a weather standpoint and I'm sure they'd like to avoid over developing on what some claim is very unstable land. Unless they don't feel that the Bay Lake under/over pass is a long term solution. And if that's the case they wouldn't be choosing to expand that way in the first place.

Has anyone ever felt that the boats were over crowded or inconvenient? I haven't stayed often enough to have different experiences but I thought it was a fast and reliable option during our stays.

 

[Mikey15]

It seems to me we may be wanting an alternate transportation system when simply adding alternate boat routes would be the most efficient and potentially cost effective solution. Boats are just as reliable as the skyliner from a weather standpoint and I'm sure they'd like to avoid over developing on what some claim is very unstable land. Unless they don't feel that the Bay Lake under/over pass is a long term solution. And if that's the case they wouldn't be choosing to expand that way in the first place.

Has anyone ever felt that the boats were over crowded or inconvenient? I haven't stayed often enough to have different experiences but I thought it was a fast and reliable option during our stays.

Looove the boat for WL to MK. I’m sure it’ll be just as great for River Country tower to MK.

I think what we’re spitballing is more the internal transportation for the Fort area because it is so sprawling. If the new tower is somehow integrated with the CFW cabins, how does one get between them? Even for dinner, assuming a table service option?

 

[Brian Noble]

I've stayed at VWL several times, and used boat transportation to some of the other Bay Lake/Seven Seas resorts. They seem to come by "often enough" and it's almost never the case that I have to wait for more than the next boat. Maybe at park close? But that's about it.

IMO, the boat is one of the very best things about VWL.

 

[LittleBitGoofy]

IMO, the boat is one of the very best things about VWL.

Agreed. That boat dock on the first day of our first WL stay was where I decided we needed to add CCV as another home resort.

Geez, all of our home resorts have boat transportation. I might have an issue here...

 

[Mikey15]

Agreed. That boat dock on the first day of our first WL stay was where I decided we needed to add CCV as another home resort.

Geez, all of our home resorts have boat transportation. I might have an issue here...

Well I suppose if you work it out the only WDW DVC ~without~ boat transportation of some sort are:
AKV
RIV

Even OKW and SSR have the DS boats! And Contemporary got the blue flag boats back.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Not necessarily. By following the existing roadways and then the monorail line, they could get to MK without a water crossing. But, that's a very long ride, so I'm sure Disney would never do it. If they ever bring back the train formerly used at the Campground (and it's really, really unlikely), it'll be limited to just the Campgrounds, Cabins, and Reflections.

Obviously if they want to run it all the way around Seven Seas Lagoon past GF to get there, they could but that would never happen, even if they were printing their own money. They aren't running 4 or 5 miles of new railroad track, 75% of which would be running next to the existing Monorail, just to add a novelty transportation system for one resort. Even then, it would need to cross the service canal to MK.

The only way it would be (barely) feasible would be a direct path, which would necessitate going over at the very least the channel between Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon.

 

[Tatebeck]

Yeah they would do a skyliner before a train. Much less work to add that

 

[DonMacGregor]

Yeah they would do a skyliner before a train. Much less work to add that

Not to mention the fact that finding, restoring, and converting narrow gauge locomotives and rolling stock is a blindingly expensive and VERY long and laborious process.