Walking path frim GF to MK

[DisVacationClubMommy]

We just stayed at the VGF and our biggest complaint was the transportation (or lack thereof)! We were wondering why there isn't a walking path from the GF to MK? We love the Boardwalk and the ease of walking not only to Epcot but the Studios. The GF to MK walk must be shorter distance than Boardwalk to Studios.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We just stayed at the VGF and our biggest complaint was the transportation (or lack thereof)! We were wondering why there isn't a walking path from the GF to MK? We love the Boardwalk and the ease of walking not only to Epcot but the Studios. The GF to MK walk must be shorter distance than Boardwalk to Studios.

There is a canal between the GF and the MK. Disney would need to build a bridge over the canal. It's where they store the Electric Water Parade and where it comes out at night.

At the GF, you can take the monorail or a boat to the MK.

 

[deedisneydream97]

When we did the member tour there the day before the grand opening, I asked the same question. The canal was mentioned.....as was some concerns about people wandering over there from Magic Kingdom...curiosity seekers. Made no sense to me. They can wander over to bay lake towers. The canal excuse doesn't cut it either...all kinds of boats floaty over the roadway to bay lake towers. And most people don't realize that when they walk to Epcot they are walking over a road....and that road also goes beneath the water close to where the boat dock is for Epcot. My point is I find it hard to believe that Disney cannot figure out a safe overpass for that canal. Yes, getting to magic kingdom is easy form G.F.V. getting back via monorail is long...

 

[DVC Dude]

The simpler reason is that very few people at VGF are that interested in walking to WDW

 

[deedisneydream97]

Sorry for the typos. Can't figure out how to turn off auto correct on my kindle fire.

 

[DenLo]

The simpler reason is that very few people at VGF are that interested in walking to WDW

Perhaps that was true 10 years ago, but now I would think there are just as many folks that stay at GF that would enjoy the walk to the park.

 

[Andrew015]

The simpler reason is that very few people at VGF are that interested in walking to WDW

I don't necessarily agree with that. Part of the alure to GF/VGF for many guests is the proximity to MK. Getting there by boat or monorail is no problem. Returning (especially during mass-exodus times) is a different story. I, too, have always wondered why this hasn't been done.

I personally think there is more to it than the Water Pagent canal excuse (as others have mentioned, this could easily be overcome). I think it has been ignored on purpose, and is probably done to keep excessive numbers of "gawkers" away from their crown-jewel resort. Just my opinion...

 

[crisi]

The simpler reason is that very few people at VGF are that interested in walking to WDW

Simpler than that even, Disney doesn't want the expense of building and maintaining the bridge and the path. The backstage area for the EWP is pretty open, and to Disney-fy it they'd need to do some landscaping to hide it while simultaneously making it simple to get the EWP out. But even if that weren't the case, the path and bridge would need to be built, landscaped and maintained. Since it runs so close to Bay Lake, you'd need to make sure you build it so that the more rambunctious than average 4 year old can't escape and fall into the water.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When we did the member tour there the day before the grand opening, I asked the same question. The canal was mentioned.....as was some concerns about people wandering over there from Magic Kingdom...curiosity seekers. Made no sense to me. They can wander over to bay lake towers. The canal excuse doesn't cut it either...all kinds of boats floaty over the roadway to bay lake towers. And most people don't realize that when they walk to Epcot they are walking over a road....and that road also goes beneath the water close to where the boat dock is for Epcot. My point is I find it hard to believe that Disney cannot figure out a safe overpass for that canal. Yes, getting to magic kingdom is easy form G.F.V. getting back via monorail is long...

That bridge was built for multiple hotels to have access to Epcot. Otherwise, they had none. Disney would need to justify the cost/benefit of a bridge over that canal and my guess is the cost far outweighs the benefit.

 

[Andrew015]

I'm no civil engineer, but that canal is not very wide at all. It wouldn't take much of a bridge to span over it. The biggest challege would probably be getting the height required for the water pagent floats to pass underneath it. This might then require stairs, which then makes wheelchair/stroller accessibility a challenge. If they were still hell-bent on building it without having to go vertical, I suppose they could always relocate the water pagent floats.

My guess is that while it would be "nice to have", the demand for such a bridge isn't great enough to warrant Disney figuring out a solution and spending the money, even though I think the cost would be very minimal. Heck, they have a paver walkway going all the way from the MK to the canal, other than the cost of a small bridge, they would only need to add a few hundred feet worth of pavers to get from the canal to GF!

 

[DonnaL]

As other posters above have stated, steps or a ramp would be required to get a bridge high enough to give EWP barges enough clearance. However, I also agree with the poster who states the canal isn't very wide at all. And, I don't think the path is any closer to the water of Seven Seas Lagoon than any other path which is close to any body of water anywhere else on property...several come to my mind....the path from Epcot area resorts to the Studios is very close to the canal, there are many paths thru Old Key West and POR/Riverside and French Quarter which border waterways, Caribbean Beach Resort also has many paths along waterways. I would love to see a completed path from GF to MK...as another poster stated...most of the walkway is already there..only a small bridge is needed.

 

[JimC]

Back when they were selling the paving bricks at MK, Disney indicated that they wanted to create a walking path around the lake. The path is there from the canal to MK. And you can walk from TTC to GF. But the brick walkway was never completed. I've heard that brick sales were insuffient to pay for it; that there were technical issues between the Contemporary and TTC and the canal solution prohibitively expensive (the draw bridge approach used in Epcot to allow the Illuminations floats to move from the canal into the lake).

 

[deedisneydream97]

Agree that the water pagent could easily be relocated. Alot of people don't notice the water "entrance" on the lake side, past BLT. I remember watching one of the big ferries (the ones used to transport people from the TTC to MK) go by while I was sitting on the little BLT beach, wondering "where's it going"? It went through a canal that I never noticed. I imagine that is where they bring water vehicles for cleaning/refurshing etc. The water pagent COULD be stored over there.

When the Poly DVC is built, there will be even more people around seven seas lagoon. Maybe Disney will then be able to justify the expense to build something over the canal. Regarding "safety"....well, the boat docks for service to other resorts are unattended alot, and the rope with the sign "closed" seems to not prevent people from strolling out onto the dock to take pictures and stuff.....water everywhere.

As stated previously, we were told they didn't want people wandering over from MK. Maybe because GF has lots more property and doors leading inside than BLT and Contemporary (harder to keep track of people). Either way, not a biggie for me, as I don't think we will ever stay there. GFV is stunning...but very pointy! and pricey.

 

[wdrl]

Agree that the water pagent could easily be relocated. Alot of people don't notice the water "entrance" on the lake side, past BLT. I remember watching one of the big ferries (the ones used to transport people from the TTC to MK) go by while I was sitting on the little BLT beach, wondering "where's it going"? It went through a canal that I never noticed. I imagine that is where they bring water vehicles for cleaning/refurshing etc. The water pagent COULD be stored over there.

Disney's fleet operations are located on Bay Lake just to the Northeast of the Magic Kingdom. Although the Electric Water Pageant could be parked over in that area, Disney would have to expand those facilities to accommodate the EWP. Disney has two EWPs that have seven barges each and they take up quite a bit of space.

Another factor that some people forget is that in addition to building a bridge over the canal, Disney would have to make enhancements in and around the Grand Floridian Resort to accommodate a new pedestrian traffic pattern. This might include building a second bridge to cross the drainage canal that is next to the Grand Floridian.

The path from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian leads pedestrians to the back of the convention center. Since this is a work area that Disney may not want guests to be in, it would have to redesign the guest traffic patterns around the resort.

As an alternative, the MK to GF path could take guests out to Floridian Way. In fact, the existing path already intersects with Floridian Way. However, since people already balk about having to cross Floridian Way to use the GF's self parking, I think some people will balk at having to walk out to Floridian Way in order to get on the walking path to MK.

In my opinion, building a walking path between the Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom is doable, but its not a simple thing of just throwing up a short bridge over the EWP canal.

 

[disneynutz]

It doesn't matter what guests want if the change doesn't make Disney more money. Why would any company spend millions of dollars to create a walking path just because an few people might use it.

Bill

 

[crisi]

With the Epcot resorts, the financial equation was simple - put in the bridges and the backdoor and they run a lot less boats and no buses to two parks. The bridges were also designed into the original landscaping of Crescent Lake - and since Crescent Lake was created, they had a lot of leeway.

When the GF gets that path, watch out, the next step will be Disney deciding that the monorails are too expensive to run.

 

[Andrew015]

With the Epcot resorts, the financial equation was simple - put in the bridges and the backdoor and they run a lot less boats and no buses to two parks.

Also helping the financial justification was all of the additional revenue to be had from pushing people over to the Boardwalk entertainment area after EPCOT park closing. And the inverse is true - making it as simple as possible for the EPCOT Resort guests to spend money at World Showcase by simply walking over the bridge.

Unfortunately, I don't believe the financial payback to be as good with a walkway to GF, but I also don't believe the cost to be anywhere near as significant as the one joining EPCOT to it's nearby resorts.

 

[Andrew015]

When the Poly DVC is built, there will be even more people around seven seas lagoon. Maybe Disney will then be able to justify the expense to build something over the canal.

Very good point...

 

[crisi]

I don't know if more people is a driver.

I am BWV owner and that is where we usually stay. I often take the path from BWV to DHS. That path is there, and its usually deserted, even with all the Epcot resort. Sometimes I see one or maybe two other people taking that path.

We usually eat over at the Contemporary on a MK day, and we've made that walk a few times - it isn't my favorite walk - more "street" than path - it compares unfavorably to the BWV/DHS walk which is not great by any stretch. But once you get past the buses, there aren't a lot of walkers. Even when we've done the "its closing time, lets walk over to the CR and catch a cab rather than deal with the buses" it isn't exactly a popular walk.

We've done the walk between SSR and DTD, too - that wasn't exactly rush hour.

The simple truth is that these paths don't get used much - other than the BW/BC path to Epcot (even there, there are FAR more people waiting for the boat each morning to Epcot than bodies on the path from the BW - and at closing time, its only worse). If they are put in as part of the original design, they exist. But once the original capital is spent, Disney can't justify them for the use they get.

 

[Andrew015]

It doesn't matter what guests want if the change doesn't make Disney more money. Why would any company spend millions of dollars to create a walking path just because an few people might use it.

Bill

I agree with part of your statement - in order for Disney to justify the project, the end result of the capital expenditure should be an increase in sales and/or profitability. But who's to say that adding a bridge wouldn't do just that? Increasing access to and from three (soon to be four) of their flagship resorts - GF, VGF, Poly and soon to be Poly DVC - and their most popular theme park sounds like a recipe for some additional revenue to me.

This might be the game-changer that causes some families to add on "park hopper" ticket options, as it would now be more feasible to sneak back to the hotel for an afternoon nap or a dip in the pool. Also, it would make getting to an ADR at Citricos much quicker than taking the monorail. Disney has seen the value of making their attractions "walking accessible" at other venues: EPCOT and the surrounding resorts, and the new walkway currently under construction connecting SSR to Downtown Disney.

Regarding the cost, while this project could certainly creep into the millions if building a bridge like the one connecting EPCOT to Crescent Lake, I don't think it would have to in order to be a success. As previously mentioned, most of the paver walkway already exists today. They would just need a structure to reach accross a small canal (we're not talking the Mississippi here). A little guy like this is what I have in mind:



Once again, this would require moving the EWP floats to another location, but I don't see that being the end of the world. This picture below might help to give others a better idea of what we are talking about: