We May Not Ride the Brightline Train to Disney World as Soon as We Thought

There’s a new major mode of transportation coming to Central Florida, which will transport guests from Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs.

MCO Airport ©Orlando International Airport

The high-speed train Brightline is currently in the process of finalizing important details of the route that will connect the airport to Disney World, although several key factors still need ironing out before construction begins.

Orlando Sentinel reported that the company is still in talks when it comes to the service’s route, the overall cost, and the projected timeline to completion.

©Orlando International Airport

Amongst the plans currently on the table, Brightline currently prefers a route that would fall along Road 417 through Hunters Creek and would cost an estimated $1 billion. Another plan in consideration costs more than double at above $2 billion and would fall along State Road 528 to International Drive.

© Brightline

Michael Cegelis, Brightline’s executive vice president of infrastructure development, shared that the “service of nearly 17 miles from Orlando International Airport to a station at Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs is slated to start in five years.”

The Orlando Airport to Tampa route will include a stop at Disney Springs ©Brightline

If service is currently slated to start sometime between now and 2026, that would extend Brightline’s projected timeline to completion by nearly three years. Previously, it was shared that the Brightline Train route would be scheduled for completion sometime in the second half of 2023.

©Brightline

There are several other factors being considered between the two proposed routes, including cost, disruption and noise amongst residential neighborhoods, and other “construction challenges.”

©OrlandoSentinel

The Brightline Train will replace Disney’s Magical Express as a means of transporting guests from Orlando International Airport to Disney World property. The complimentary bus transportation service is scheduled to end its run on January 1st, 2022.

Disney’s Magical Express

We’ll continue to monitor the developments coming from Brightline, and we’ll keep you informed with all the latest news!

Click here to learn more about Disney’s Magical Express being discontinued in 2022.

Would you take the Brightline train from Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments!

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5 Replies to “We May Not Ride the Brightline Train to Disney World as Soon as We Thought”

  1. This is a terrible idea.

    Magical Express was easily the most efficient way to get people to their resorts. It was also a far superior customer/guest experience. Whomever is driving this project has no idea what visiting Disney is like with 2 kids and all their bags.

    Think about it… The Disney experience STARTED for me in NYC at LaGuardia. When I gave them my luggage and traveled lightly with no stress. Then at MCO, MY FIRST DISNEY “RIDE” when my kids would beep their magic bands at the airport to ride the Magical Express. Seriously, who thought this was a good idea? Good luck finding an Uber with 2 car seats, good luck if you have someone in your party who lacks mobility or has a disability.

  2. After a five hour flight to get to WDW the last thing I want to do is collect luggage then find /wait for a train then go to the springs to wait some more to board the bus to get to the resort. I get going green and all that but this doesn’t make allot of sense. Disney, where’s your famous customer service? I love the convenience of the magic express and will miss it. What are we supposed to be doing for 5+ years while Brightline decides on routs etc? No thanks, I’ll talk a taxi or shuttle to the resort to save more waiting and expensive train tickets. Better rethink the magic express WDWexecs

  3. If the Brightline train transports people from the airport to Disney Springs, I guess that means that the buses from Disney Springs to the resorts will be packed with people and all their luggage. Sounds like a terrible idea to me.

  4. I would likely never use the train. I don’t see dragging baggage onto the train, then off at Disney Springs then onto a resort bus or into a cab to our usual hotel on Hotel Plaza Blvd. Thanks but I’ll continue to rent a car.

  5. While this option sounded interesting to begin with, are we going to have hoards of people showing up at Disney springs, especially on the weekends with bunches of luggage in tow? And are they planning on having people ride regular Disney resort buses with all their luggage? I just don’t see this being an efficient option unless you are a couple coming in for a short trip with only carryons.