Walt Disney World will no longer have a Brightline high-speed train station at Disney Springs. Disney has confirmed to the Orlando Business Journal that plans for the station have been cancelled.
Disney spokesperson Avery Maehrer’s statement on the project to the Orlando Business Journal.
“As many people who are involved in this project are aware, the new route configuration does not support a Disney Springs station and as a result, we don’t anticipate being part of this project.”
The station at Disney Springs was announced in 2020 and was expected to link Walt Disney World with the Orlando International Airport and southern Florida. At the time, the project was supposed to take two to three years to complete.
However, the Brightline route has changed since that announcement. The new route, which was influenced by the city of Orlando, Orange County and Universal Orlando Resort, now goes to the Orange County Convention Center area on I-Drive. Universal has agreed to donate land for a train station in the area that will bring guests close to their new Epic Universe theme park.
Disney was more supportive of the old route proposal that skipped much of the I-Drive area. That plan drew criticism despite its lower overall cost. Now with a new plan moving ahead, Disney has decided to remove themselves entirely.
This is a disappointing development for Disney guests who wanted a new connection between Walt Disney World and other Florida destinations. Some suggested Brightline could be a suitable replacement for the Disney Magical Express, but that claim was mostly unfounded and impractical.
