Walkway from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom

[illiram]

Does anyone know if there has ever been any consideration from Disney for a walkway from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom like there is from Bay Lake Tower to Magic Kingdom?

We would like to stay at Grand Floridian DVC and that is one of our big reasons not to. We like the monorail but don't like battling crowds at the end of the night. It seems to me that this could unclog some of the craziness at the end of the night for Grand Floridian guests and Grand Floridian DVC guests.

It looks like there's a waterway but they could easily build a small walking bridge there.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

grand Floridian is almost 30 years old. It seems unlikely they will add a walkway.

 

[PetePanMan]

Although farther than you may think, I totally agree. I know they store the water parade floats down the canal there butI still think they can and should have a walking bridge that can just open as required. There must be some other issues as it seems obvious.

 

[supersnoop]

You can hop on a boat and go straight back to VGF. It's quicker than the monorail.

 

[drusba]

^Where does she board?

 

[book_junkie]

Does anyone know if there has ever been any consideration from Disney for a walkway from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom like there is from Bay Lake Tower to Magic Kingdom?

We would like to stay at Grand Floridian DVC and that is one of our big reasons not to. We like the monorail but don't like battling crowds at the end of the night. It seems to me that this could unclog some of the craziness at the end of the night for Grand Floridian guests and Grand Floridian DVC guests.

It looks like there's a waterway but they could easily build a small walking bridge there.

It's not feasible as any bridge would have to be a drawbridge to allow the water pageant floats through, as well as any other water craft that need back stage access through that canal. Additionally, I'm sure it would be a huge liability hazard as a previous potential jumping spot for lake divers, and now for other issues.

GF and GFDVC was added long after the Contemporary and Poly. Walkways weren't a concern but there's a nice path from the poly to GF. And from the Poly to TTC. Or the boats to GF.

 

[book_junkie]

^Where does she board?

If you mean the boats, they're right at the end of the walkways of the Monorails. As you're going out of MK, head toward the monorails, but look left as you're walking. They stop at GF first, then then Poly, dropping GF guests off / picking them up near Narcossee's. At the Poly, they drop off/ pick up near the water craft rental on the far side of the big pool.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You can hop on a broad and go straight back to VGF. It's quicker than the monorail.

Only hop on consenting broads!

 

[ScubaCat]

Only hop on consenting broads!

It's a broad mistake to randomly hop on a broad, abroad.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You can hop on a broad and go straight back to VGF. It's quicker than the monorail.

That usually is frowned upon as a way to get back to VGF.

 

[drusba]

You can hop on a boat and go straight back to VGF. It's quicker than the monorail.

I knew you would catch and change it eventually and thus I avoided quoting your original post. I wish i had a dollar for all the times spell check has done me in.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I knew you would catch and change it eventually and thus I avoided quoting your original post. I wish i had a dollar for all the times spell check has done me in.

Some of us obviously couldn't resist.

But I've been got too by auto-fill.

 

[DebbieB]

It's not feasible as any bridge would have to be a drawbridge to allow the water pageant floats through, as well as any other water craft that need back stage access through that canal. Additionally, I'm sure it would be a huge liability hazard as a previous potential jumping spot for lake divers, and now for other issues.

GF and GFDVC was added long after the Contemporary and Poly. Walkways weren't a concern but there's a nice path from the poly to GF. And from the Poly to TTC. Or the boats to GF.

I agree. I always thought they would not do it because you have the lagoon on one side and woods on the other, liability risk. Now add in the alligator attack. It's a fairly long walk that would need security surveillance.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I thought there was a plan for this several years back with the purchased bricks... "Walk Around the World" or something like that??

MG

 

[Shanti]

I agree. I always thought they would not do it because you have the lagoon on one side and woods on the other, liability risk. Now add in the alligator attack. It's a fairly long walk that would need security surveillance.

Not to mention it would cost them $$$...

 

[DebbieB]

I thought there was a plan for this several years back with the purchased bricks... "Walk Around the World" or something like that??

MG

They started it, there are purchased bricks up to the canal where the boats are stored. They stuck a bench there and that was it, they didn't continue. I doubt they ever will with the alligator and wildlife hazards.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Out of curiosity, I just measured the walking distance from the MK security checkpoint to the GF.

For comparison, its 0.49 miles from that point to the front doors of BLT.

If a bridges were to be built (two actually – one over a small inlet right next to the GF, and another by the canal that has the water pageant floats), it would be 0.64 miles to the edge of the GF resort, and 0.86 miles to the GFVs.

 

[ErinC]

It seems like much of the pathway is already complete. They could do a draw bridge just like they use in Epcot's world showcase. That bridge goes up and down to allow the globe to float in and out of the center. I don't understand why they would have ever gone that far with the current path unless they originally planned to complete it all the way to the GF. Now with recent wildlife events I'm thinking it's now even less likely to ever be finished if it was even on the radar at all.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

A couple of articles on the Walk Around the World:

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

Although in looking at the brochure it appears they had it in mind for what they completed. I imagine if the demand had been great enough then it might have gone all the way around 7 Seas.

http://www.allaroundorlando.net/2014/06/retro-disneys-walk-around-world-bricks.html

One thing that had caught my eye while riding the monorail to MK sometime this spring was that it appeared that Disney had stopped maintaining the nice looking beach down that walkway between MK and GF and was letting grasses fill it in. My gut says that's more about cost saving than anything though.

 

[deedisneydream97]

We had a long chat with a DVC salesguy when VGF was being sold. He said that a walkway would never happen...it would create "not wanted" easy access to the Grand Floridian by people not staying there. One might ask....what about BLT and the Contemporary? MK to GF.....very dark and nothing around. MK to BLT..bus stops, monorail right above, busy roadway and traffic light in addition to walking past the guard shack entrance, plenty of cameras around. The reason why we decided against selling a small Wilderness Lodge contract for a GF contract. A PITA to get a small boat from the MK after a busy night.

Then again, never say "never". The walk from Hollywood Studios to BoardWalk Villas can be creepy and scary. Not a lot of light and plenty of scary sounds in the bushes!!!