The non existant walkway from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom

[LSUfan4444]

I would think that Disney has to weigh costs vs benefits. I doubt that many people would use it or even think of it as a selling point for staying at GF. Why? Because they already have two ways to get back and forth to MK...from the GF, the MK is about a 4 min ride on the monorail. From MK to GF, the boat takes under 10 mins. So, no need to have a pathway.

I whole heartedly agree that Disney has to weight the cost vs benefits, and I'm sure they did so before the project began, not halfway through.

I do disagree though that having to take/wait on Disney transportation is not a consideration for many who would stay at GF. It isn't the travel time that is a concern, but rather having to wait in lines upon exiting the park after Wishes, etc. Almost weekly there are threads on here with people asking if it is possible to walk from GF to MK.

Being able to walk to two parks is a huge draw to the Boardwalk resorts and alot of people stay there simple for that benefit.

I stay at BWV a lot. I have to tell you that the walkway to DHS is seldom well used. Most people take the boat..even though it can take longer!!
As it is, plenty of people complain about the long walks to food courts at their resorts, or to the bus stops. I doubt many people would use a walkway from the GF to MK.

Again, I disagree and stay there frequently as well. If you use the path, you would see it is used quite frequently. We used it every time we went to HS and saw plenty of people on it every time we used it. probably not as many as the Boat, but it used pretty frequently, ESPECIALLY after Fantasmic!

We're discussing semantics though of "many" people or "alot". As the PP mentioned, it is rumored that it will be a draw for the new GF DVC add-on and they may pull dues from that to fund the project

I just think that Disney has thought about it, and come to the conclusion that there isn't a big enough need to make the money spent on it worthwhile.

If they didn't consider the cost before starting the project, someone should loose their job (or a few people). Just the wasted man hours in labor alone is enough to fire someone.

 

[LSUfan4444]

That walkway from the MK may never have been intended to go all the way to the GF (actually I think it even pre-dates the GF). It may have just been there for viewing of the shows that have periodically been presented on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Those shows were primarily done in front of the MK and walkway may have been a way to spread out the crowds that were watching the shows. Back in the early 70's they had a water skiing show and I think there have been a couple of other shows on the water in that general area.

Someone earlier mentioned paying for an engravement on one of the pavers on that path, I wonder what year that was?

It would not be a short stroll to walk around that part of the lagoon. I have walked it from the MK to the canal and from the GF to the canal and other than doing it to say that you did it I doubt many people would routinely want to walk from the GF to the MK, especially in the summer.

The walk is about .6 mi. For most people, that's about a 12 minute walk. That's shorter than the walk from Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios and about .10 miles longer than the walk to the Contemporary.

Obviously a bridge/path is not a revenue producing project, and it's hard to quantify how many people would have to use it for it to be worth it, but I would expect in time a path connecting MK to all of the monorail resorts to be completed.

 

[rock_doctor]

Come now...this is the same company that has left River Country to fester along Bay Lake for what, 15 years now?

They fancy phrase is "demo in place".... i.e. you leave it to decay back to nature until you need the space. Then you go in and tear it out.

There really is no need for a walkway from the MK to the GF. It is a long distance and two bridges would need to be built. Plus the layout of the GF does not allow for easy egress from the MK side of the resort. All areas beyond the last buildings are service areas. In addition, as you walked from the first lagoon to the second you would have a good view of back stage areas that service the water parade and the jungle cruise.

 

[fbb]

Would the cost of a drawbridge be more than the cost of relocating the storage area for the Water Parade?

 

[Superspectral]

You can find information about the "Walk Around the World" at the following links.

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/walkaroundtheworld.htm

http://allears.net/tp/mk/bricks.htm

http://allears.net/ae/issue614.htm

http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/news/187-it-all-started-with-a-brick

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/walk-around-the-world-to-be-removed.482383/

http://www.imaginerding.com/2008/02/daily-figment-159-walk-around-world.html

IMHO Despite the name of the promotion, I can only imagine actually completing a walkway around the entirity of the lagoon was a stretch goal.

 

[sachilles]

It's not that hard, even with ada compliance.
A small pedestrian ferry boat is used by a local municipality for their bike path that had a similar dilemma. Of course you'd need a boat operator, which is a long term cost.
A floating bridge/dock with a lift could be done for short money.
A floating bridge/dock that is disconnected and floated to the side to allow the parade floats out.
A sinking bridge, that drops below the floats to allow passage.

Many options that could be made ADA compliant, and are cheap enough to be feasible.
I don't even think you'd have to make the crossing ADA compliant as other options exist....but ethics dictate that it should.

My OPINION, is that they don't believe it will be utilized enough to even warrant the minor expense.

 

[gilesmt]

I may be totally off, but my first thought when I heard boats from the parade use the area, was that Disney would then have to think about people who would jump off the bridge into the boats. When you consider that possibility, along with the ADA requirements, and the need for a walk way, I think it was just not justified at the time, but in time, with DVD at GF and poly being built, more people means more needs, and more justification, it may happen at some point.

Another thought I had and again I could be totally off, I half remember that it was always a plan for another hotel between poly and contemp, and the plans of two such hotels where drawn up, but both scraped due to land water problems in the areas, we are talking swamp area. Now I really as I say be way off, but I thought in one article it also talked about land water problems over near that canal, and it could be that the plans ended due to it being more expensive than it was worth, due to some land water problems that may mean rebuilding a lot more than just a bridge.

 

[danceintherain]

I would think that Disney has to weigh costs vs benefits. I doubt that many people would use it or even think of it as a selling point for staying at GF. Why? Because they already have two ways to get back and forth to MK...from the GF, the MK is about a 4 min ride on the monorail. From MK to GF, the boat takes under 10 mins. So, no need to have a pathway.
I stay at BWV a lot. I have to tell you that the walkway to DHS is seldom well used. Most people take the boat..even though it can take longer!! As it is, plenty of people complain about the long walks to food courts at their resorts, or to the bus stops. I doubt many people would use a walkway from the GF to MK.

Yes, they could make a bridge similar to the one in WS that allows the fireworks barges in and out of the lake. But, that costs money to build and maintain. Then, you have to maintain the actual walkway and make sure it is always safe for guests to walk on.
I just think that Disney has thought about it, and come to the conclusion that there isn't a big enough need to make the money spent on it worthwhile.

Perhaps there are concerns that when the MK closes on a busy night and there is a long line for the monorails - when it will take multiple monorails before you will even be able to get on at all - that people may then walk to the GF and get the monorail there (where it should be basically empty) flooding the monrail station there with tons of people. I can see the GF guests being very unhappy with that.

I think a bigger question is how many people actually know about the existing pathways? I didn't know about the pathway from the Contemporary resort to the Magic Kingdom until I had perused the DISboards for quite some time.

The Epcot area resorts to DHS and Epcot are probably much better known. The same as some people will never arrive in time for Rope Drop, some people will never walk when they can ride, even if it's technically quicker.

I think they just don't see a need for a bridge there. I know it wouldn't make me any more likely to stay in the Grand Floridian if I could walk, and I don't mind walking places.

 

[SueM in MN]

It's not that hard, even with ada compliance.
A small pedestrian ferry boat is used by a local municipality for their bike path that had a similar dilemma. Of course you'd need a boat operator, which is a long term cost.
A floating bridge/dock with a lift could be done for short money.
A floating bridge/dock that is disconnected and floated to the side to allow the parade floats out.
A sinking bridge, that drops below the floats to allow passage.

Many options that could be made ADA compliant, and are cheap enough to be feasible.
I don't even think you'd have to make the crossing ADA compliant as other options exist....but ethics dictate that it should.

My OPINION, is that they don't believe it will be utilized enough to even warrant the minor expense.

If it was being built NOW, it would need to be made accessible.
If it was built before 1991, an alternative option would be allowed.

There would be many ways they could make an accessible bridge, so there would be no justification for not doing it.

I agree that they had their reasons (one of which might be small expected use) for not completing the path.

 

[jaykorf001]

I'd think runners vacationing on site would love to have a bridge there???

 

[baler31]

I'd think runners vacationing on site would love to have a bridge there???

 

[kaybird]

I may be one of the old timers on the board, but I remember walking the path before and during the construction. It was finished, then scrapped because of the lake, and the water pageant. Much like River Country, there became an issue with the water, and because of the distance was difficult to maintain and secure.

 

[mattsdragon]

As a runner, I would love to have the path around the lake complete.

The bridge thing is easy, and no need for any ADA compliance, build it flat, and have a pivot point so that it can be pivoted out of the way the 2x daily that those floats need access.

If anyone has ever been to Curacao, they have a very long pedestrian bridge across the inlet to the harbor that pivots to the side whenever a ship comes by. It's actually a lot easier to engineer for a distance that small than a lifting (or sinking) drawbridge.

I think they never completed it because they didn't expect a big enough use for it. But if we've learned nothing from Ray Kinsella, we know "if you build it, He will come"

Who wouldn't want to see "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (or even Ray Liotta for that matter)?

 

[mcd2745]

I think they just don't see a need for a bridge there. I know it wouldn't make me any more likely to stay in the Grand Floridian if I could walk, and I don't mind walking places.

I don't think it would make anyone more likely to stay at the GF. However, for those who do stay at the GF, they may prefer to walk the path back to the resort at MK closing if the monorail and ferries have real long lines with the thinking that they will be back in their room before they would even be boarding a ferry or monorail.

Plus, as others have said, it would be nice for runners (even though I'm not one).

 

[jaykorf001]

I'm new to Disney and used to staying in nice hotels because as my husband would say, I'm a PITA. The pricing on the Disney deluxe resorts (and even the moderates to a large extent) boggle my mind. I understand the parks are the main attraction but one would think Disney would maximize efforts to make the on site experience as primo as possible at these prices -- which IMO would include running and walking trails like this. I guess I'm naive. Or it's more complicated to put that bridge over that canal.

 

[PeterPanic]

Does anyone know why this project was ever scrapped and left uncompleted?



For those who are unaware, there is a paved walkway from Magic Kingdom that comes to an end right at the canal.

Rumor has it that there once was a path there but a number of Guest mysteriously disappeared and the Alligators in the area were becoming morbidly obese and required scooters to get around. So they dug up the existing path, planted grass and used the steel in the bridge to build the wand over SSE in Epcot.

1) Yes, it is previous construction and not in compliance with ADA.
2) But, there is no Grandfather Clause.
3) It does not need to be altered or grandfathered.
4) This is because the Ferry is the alternative.
5) Thus, there is ADA access to MK transportation.

NOTE: We had a meeting in about 2006, and ADA was a
topic. The monorail was a specific example, in case guests
would ask us. Also, the monorail is termed as transportation,
NOT an attraction, thus the ferry is an allowed substitute.

The ramps at the Monorails are not compliant? What a crock! I brought many wheelchaired people to WDW and always used the Monorails when I wanted. These were chairs pushed by manpower, me, and had no trouble dealing with it at all. But, that said, the fact that the ferry exists is, in reality, offering an alternative to getting someone to MK means that they have lived up to the law. As said, no grandfathering is required. There is an alternative.

 

[jw50]

...running and walking trails like this.

The Poly and GF do have maps of running/walking routes (although DVC construction may have taken part of the routes away), don't know about CR. My wife loves going out for an early morning run or walk at the Poly and over to the GF and back. So they don't need to build the bridge just for runners to have a place to run.

 

[gilesmt]

Rumor has it that there once was a path there but a number of Guest mysteriously disappeared and the Alligators in the area were becoming morbidly obese and required scooters to get around. So they dug up the existing path, planted grass and used the steel in the bridge to build the wand over SSE in Epcot.



The ramps at the Monorails are not compliant? What a crock! I brought many wheelchaired people to WDW and always used the Monorails when I wanted. These were chairs pushed by manpower, me, and had no trouble dealing with it at all. But, that said, the fact that the ferry exists is, in reality, offering an alternative to getting someone to MK means that they have lived up to the law. As said, no grandfathering is required. There is an alternative.

I personally think you are very insensitive to the ADA issue. First ADA is for the disabled to get around easier, not for the disabled partner, so just because you had no problem pushing a wheel chair up the ramp does not make it ADA compliant, if your partner who you pushed could wheel themself up the ramp with no problem that would make the ramp ADA complient.

 

[triplejen]

Does anyone know why this project was ever scrapped and left uncompleted?



For those who are unaware, there is a paved walkway from Magic Kingdom that comes to an end right at the canal.

Is it possible that it is NOT intended to be a walkway to Magic Kingdom, but rather a path for a water-to-land transfer point for something - perhaps ELP floats, as it is right next to the place where they are stored?

The walkway doesn't just follow a straight line and end, it also juts down a bit, and right below the area where it juts down is something constructed and blue at the water's edge. Is it a dock? It looks like one. Perhaps the walkway ends at its true destination, and that is it.

Anyway, it's a total guess as I have ZERO knowledge in these areas, but that's my contribution. It looks to me like a place where things on water could be loaded/unloaded onto land, and then transported along the paved walkway to wherever they need to go next.

 

[OhhBother]

That path is part of my favorite running route at Disney -- would love to see them extend it. Nothing like running along with the monorail above and Magic Kingdom to the side.