First Roundabout Under Construction for Floridian Way Roadway Widening Project
New aerial photos show that progress is being made on the first of three roundabouts as part of the World Drive Phase III/Floridian Way project. This project, which has been under construction for years now, will ease congestion along Floridian Way, a stretch of road that connects neighborhoods north of Magic Kingdom to the main World Drive artery running through the middle of Walt Disney World. We’ll take a look at permits and aerial photos from
Bioreconstruct as we check in on the latest progress.
First Roundabout Under Construction Along Floridian Way Extension
We’ll start with a look at the latest construction progress from some 3,800 feet above the northern end of Walt Disney World property. In the photo below, we can see the new Floridian Way road snaking through some forested area west of Magic Kingdom and west of the Grand Floridian Resort. Actually, there is a lot of land clearing going on in this area of property, thanks to the support areas needed for the Cars-themed expansion of Frontierland and the all-new Villains Land. In the lower left of the photo below, we can see work on a trailer complex for a temporary Walt Disney Imagineering project headquarters. On the lower right, we can see excavation work for a brand new water management facility as part of the requirements set forth in draining the Rivers of America and affecting water management in Magic Kingdom.
Shifting perspectives a bit, we can see how the new Floridian Way roadway will be wider and further away from the Grand Floridian Resort. The current Floridian Way roadway is the skinny, 2-lane road that runs directly next to the resort hotel complex. By rerouting Floridian Way, not only does Disney create a wider roadway for the increase in traffic over the past decade-plus, but there could be a strategic benefit to allow for the development of a new hotel in the area. We
explored that concept back in 2021.
Zooming in more, we can see the work taking place to create one of three roundabouts connected to this project. This particular roundabout will connect to the current north exit to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, as well as the nearby Cast Member parking lot.
Here are some permit screenshots showcasing the three roundabouts part of this project, and a closer look at how the roundabout ahead will connect to the Grand Floridian. For more on the new entrance for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort,
check out our earlier coverage of the permits. The roundabout we’re looking at today is the northernmost roundabout in the permit screenshot below.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort isn’t the only beneficiary of this work. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is
receiving a brand new entrance, too, in an effort to ease congestion on the west side of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Overall, the World Drive Phase III/Floridian Way widening project should create a much easier traffic flow through this area. With the addition of the Polynesian Resort Island Tower and the possibility of an entirely new hotel in the area, Disney is well-positioned in terms of traffic when this roadway project is complete.