Walt Disney World might be about to pave the way for Skyliner expansion, quite literally and in two senses of the term. As part of a massive Central Florida Tourism Oversight District project to expand Western Way and improve the interchange, the end result might be both a new resort hotel and Skyliner route.
Let’s start with the basics. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) is preparing for major roadway improvements around Walt Disney World, with a focus on easing congestion and improving flow at the often-clogged Western Way and Buena Vista Drive interchange.
Last year, CFTOD started moving forward on two interconnected infrastructure projects: Western Way widening and a comprehensive overhaul of the Buena Vista Drive/Western Way interchange. These projects have been greenlit, fully funded, and put out for bid. They launch a potentially transformative new era for Walt Disney World’s western gateway…and one that could include hotel and Skyliner expansion.
The Western Way widening project will expand the current 4 lane road to 6 lanes, with 3 in each direction, over a nearly 2.5 mile stretch, starting at the State Road 429 interchange and extending past Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to Buena Vista Drive.
Here’s an image illustrating the project courtesy of CFTOD:
That’s where the other project picks up, as a grade-separated interchange will connect the roads, with Buena Vista Drive elevated above Western Way. This design will reduce congestion and eliminate traffic signals that currently slow down vehicles entering Walt Disney World. The project covers 1 mile of Buena Vista Drive and half a mile of Western Way.
Collectively the projects are aimed at addressing the increased traffic and congestion on the western edge of Walt Disney World property. The widening of Western Way is intended to increase capacity; the interchange would reduce backups during peak travel times. The Western Way corridor connects multiple resort hotels, Animal Kingdom, College Program housing, Flamingo Crossings, and a sea of subdivisions in Horizon West.
Here’s an image via CFTOD illustrating the second project with Coronado Springs in white at the top:
These projects fall within the CFTOD’s bigger picture infrastructure agenda, which includes improving road networks around Walt Disney World to accommodate current traffic and future growth. CFTOD already approved $99.3 million in bonds that would cover the cost of these Western Way projects (as part of the same package as World Drive Phase III).
No timeline has been announced yet for when construction might begin. This should be fast-tracked, but based on timelines we’ve seen for other infrastructure work, my guess is that they’re at least a year (maybe two) away from commencing construction.
I really hope to be wrong about that, as it would put completion around 2030. These projects were badly needed like 5 years ago; I cannot imagine how much worse it’ll be in another 5 or so.
Why Western Way Widening is Badly Needed
Western Way may not mean anything to average tourists. Unless you’ve stayed at Flamingo Crossings or taken the bus entrance to Coronado Springs, there’s a decent chance you’ve never even been on this road. But the words “Western Way” send a shiver down the spine of many a local living in Horizon West.
We moved into Horizon West in 2018, at which point there were a couple of phase one communities. It was still a lot of empty fields, country roads, and (stereotypically) orange groves. By the time we left nearly 5 years later, there were more than a half-dozen additional developments, many more stop lights, more lanes of traffic, plus pretty much the entirety of Flamingo Crossings and the College Program housing development. All of which were built in the span of only a few years.
So much of Horizon West is virtually unrecognizable now as compared to how it looked when we arrived in the area. The Orlando Sentinel has a good article on Horizon West’s “growing pains,” and that’s from 2019. At the onset of COVID, we spent a lot of time walking around subsequent phase of our subdivision that had only just began infrastructure work, meaning there were roads and streetlights (that came on every night!), but literally nothing else. We speculated about how it would probably never be finished, and would just be a zombie town forever.
We couldn’t have possibly been more wrong. Development actually accelerated and relocations increased during the pandemic; as opposed to a zombie town, it became a Zoom town. In our neighborhood, you’d spot more Cowboys, Yankees, and Patriots pride than for any Florida franchise. Everyone was a transplant; we didn’t know a single person from Orlando.
Now home to ~70,000 residents, Horizon West still isn’t done and remains one of the fastest-growing master-planned communities in the United States. There were aspects of Horizon West that we really liked, but concluded that we arrived “too early” because pretty much the only amenities near us were Publix and Cinépolis. They were both super nice, but there wasn’t even a gas station.
We did not like living in Horizon West during the aforementioned growing pains. The area is nice, but the neverending construction and constant game of catch-up as infrastructure needed to be expanded or improved upon to keep pace with the growing population took its toll. By the time roads were widened or schools were finished, they were already undersized.
Traffic also became nightmarish at times. Going pretty much anywhere to the east required crossing Walt Disney World, either to the north of Magic Kingdom or Western Way. The latter was actually the easier option at the time, as Reams Road was just awful all the time. Western Way gradually got worse, too.
I would assume it’ll be a similar story even after the widening is complete, as development of Horizon West still shows no signs of slowing down. But at least this is a start, and a grade-separated interchange at Western Way and Buena Vista Drive should alone be huge.
This is great news for locals, Cast Members, and anyone who stays out at Flamingo Crossings. But it also might have ramifications for future development at Walt Disney World…
Hollywood Hotel & Skyliner Expansion?
Western Way needs critical infrastructure improvements to reduce congestion. This may not be on the radar of average tourists, which is why I walked through the above anecdote.
Otherwise, I fear there might be a tendency to assume this isn’t really a problem (since it isn’t one for you), and Walt Disney World’s real motivation for widening Western Way is paving the way for future revenue-generating expansion.
That might happen, but the Western Way project would need to happen even independent of that. This is not a discretionary project. To the contrary, I would argue it’s one that’s already overdue by several years, and was probably one of the biggest things that was derailed and delayed by the whole Reedy Creek debacle.
Nevertheless, if tens of millions of dollars (potentially north of $100 million by the time all is said and done) are spent on infrastructure, Walt Disney World might want something to show for it. Enter Disney’s Hollywood Hotel and Skyliner expansion.
In the past, Skyliner expansion has been one of the Top 10 Walt Disney World Rumors We’d Bet Against. However, that list predates the Western Way widening, and also, it originally included the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster. About that.
Every time I hear “rumors” of a supposed Skyliner expansion, the routes are different. Sometimes there’s a connection for Coronado Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the All Stars to Animal Kingdom. Then there was Coronado Springs to Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And so forth.
Previously, I had a hard time believing that any of these routes would happen. The first Skyliner fulfilled a goal of getting buses off the roads, upgrading accommodations to create two “Value Plus” and one “Moderate Plus” resort, while giving a new Disney Vacation Club tower in no man’s land a distinct selling point.
My reason for betting against Skyliner expansion essentially boiled down to answering a critical question: what does this do for Disney? Coronado Springs already does reasonably well as the convention hotel, the All Stars serve a role as budget-friendly accommodations, and there’s little incentive to spend a lot to make access easier to a shopping center filled with third parties.
That’s still the operative inquiry, but it’s possible the equation will change with the Western Way expansion project. I’m still skeptical that shifting the All Stars upmarket (and thus making them more expensive) is a pragmatic move. I don’t know how connecting Animal Kingdom Lodge to the Skyliner makes sense, especially given that much of that is existing DVC inventory and those owners would suddenly see their maintenance fees skyrocket if the Skyliner were added.
Coronado is more borderline. A compelling case could be made for a Skyliner connection, and that alone instantly makes Gran Destino Tower a quasi Deluxe Resort (it already is one, but novel transportation seals the deal). Coronado has aggressive discounting and abundant last-minute availability whenever it’s not hosting a convention, which is why it’s the resort at which I most frequently stay. The Skyliner could take it from underrated and underappreciated to being in high demand and commanding prices above Caribbean Beach.
Coronado Springs alone is not enough to justify a new Skyliner route, though.
A new hotel across from it is, though. The alleviated traffic and new above-grade interchange quite literally paves the way for development across from the Western Way and Buena Vista Drive intersection. Close inspection of the interchange plans reveals what could be the entrance to a future resort complex, with separate access for backstage traffic and buses.
This massive plot of land across from Coronado Springs and north of Blizzard Beach is also nestled behind Hollywood Studios, with Animal Kingdom not that far away in the opposite direction. There’s easily enough space here to accommodate not just one hotel, but a new resort district that could be master-planned from the beginning (as opposed to retrofit or shoehorned in) as a mixed-use Disney Vacation Club and hotel development.
We’re talking the next Crescent Lake Resort Area, with potentially 2,000 or more rooms added to the resort inventory. This could hold both Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, for which we’ve previously advocated as a new park gateway property at DHS, as well as Toy Story Hotel, which is a lot better of a concept than we originally believed (there’s something to be said for accommodations themed to Andy’s Room!).
Developing a new resort district on that parcel makes a tremendous amount of sense, especially given that the additions in the 10-year plan are going to meaningfully drive attendance. Walt Disney World will want to capture those guests as on-site stays, too.
If there is development there, it also stands to reason that it’ll need a hook, similar to how Lakeshore Lodge is going to have a lazy river, Island Tower has the monorail, and Riviera has the Skyliner. The comparative lack of popularity of Gran Destino Tower despite arguably having the best amenity slate makes the case that something else is needed. I’d honestly be surprised if Walt Disney World builds another resort with all-bus transportation in my lifetime.
The Skyliner is an obvious hook for that resort district from that perspective. Being right behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Coronado Springs makes expansion of that aerial transportation system pretty logical.
Logistical questions do exist, though. Although it looks like it’d be easy enough to add another Skyliner station across from the existing one at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the route couldn’t be a straight shot.
That would put the lines right over the park, which is probably a non-starter. It’s one thing to have support columns dotting a Value or Moderate Resort; it’s another entirely to have them crossing Sunset Boulevard. This probably means a turning station would be necessary, and likely in the DHS parking lot to route a line behind the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster.
Another option would be adding a second entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a la International Gateway at EPCOT. If this is going to be Crescent Lake 2.0, that only makes sense. There’s probably enough space behind Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to accommodate a Skyliner station there, although it might be tight.
Another possibility is pedestrian access via a bridge over World Drive. I’m not sure whether that, or honestly any of this, is actually workable. There’s a reason I’m a blogger instead of an urban planner or civil engineer!
Then there are the questions of other Skyliner routes, potentially connecting to Animal Kingdom or Blizzard Beach. Depending on the routing of the DHS to the new resort district, the Skyliner station might already be pretty close to the Blizzard Beach parking lot. In which case, two birds with one stone.
If the station ends up on the opposite side of the future resort district, a separate connection to Blizzard Beach strikes me as exceedingly unlikely. Water parks just don’t see the year-round guest volume; it would be a tremendous expense for limited value. Connecting Blizzard Beach via a walking path would be far more cost-effective, and a comparable selling point.
Animal Kingdom is a wildcard. If the station is by Blizzard Beach, there’s the potential for a straight-shot Skyliner route from there to Animal Kingdom, right behind the future Indiana Jones Adventure show building. Both of these proposed routes would be on the longer side, but the strike me as within the realm of possibility.
We know that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District 2045 Comprehensive Plan allows for significant hotel expansion in addition to the mythical 5th gate. That 2045 plan also allows the addition of 53,076 hotel rooms. That’s a lot of hotel rooms!
If we’re being realistic, all of the above might be more of a 2040s project than a 2030s one. As discussed elsewhere, Walt Disney World is once again building Lakeshore Lodge on the shores of Bay Lake between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, which will add the first brand-new hotel to the Magic Kingdom resort area in decades.
Also on the DVC side is those 2042 contracts expiring. How that will unfold remains to be seen. We’ve also discussed this previously, but Disney has several options for dealing with those, most of which will “create” new hotel or timeshare inventory to (re)sell.
Then there are the other rumored and/or speculated projects on more prime parcels. Is Walt Disney World really going to develop an all-new resort district before fleshing out the existing ones? The main reason we’re betting against a 5th gate is because of the added infrastructure costs. Although it’s not quite the same with a new resort district, it’s undeniably more desirable to build near Magic Kingdom first.
While we’re on the topic of infrastructure paving the way for new hotels, I’m convinced that’s one of the drivers of the Floridian Way re-routing project. That once that’s done, Walt Disney World will get a new flagship resort north of Grand Floridian in the early 2030s.
On the other side of the park, the Villains Land laydown yards will flip a lot of the land to the northwest of Magic Kingdom from “marginally unsuitable” to “marginally suitable” for future development. That land that could become future park expansion to build out Magic Kingdom even further. It could also be an in-park hotel overlooking Villains Land, a la Fantasy Springs Hotel at Tokyo DisneySea.
This is to say nothing of other parcels around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. Walt Disney World may want to play it safe by squeezing as many expansions along here as possible, as nothing sells quite like proximity to Magic Kingdom!
Ultimately, there are a lot of possibilities for future hotels at Walt Disney World. Not all of them are going to be built; to the contrary, most will not. If we fast-forward a decade, I fully expect there to be new more inventory (beyond Lakeshore Lodge) either under construction or recently opened at Magic Kingdom. That’s simply the smartest play, so it will happen.
Far less certain is another resort district between Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Coronado Springs. There are probably multiple reasons why this won’t happen, and honestly, I’d put the odds of it in the 2030s at less than 50%. But that’s still higher than any other potential new resorts beyond Magic Kingdom (or maybe the entrance to EPCOT).
Not only that, but it’s the only plausible possibility for Skyliner expansion, as it’s highly unlikely that gets greenlit without being tied to some massive new development that Walt Disney World wants to sell. Given that reality plus the cost of the Western Way infrastructure work and ability to reposition Coronado Springs upmarket…this might just make sense down the road. Let’s all put it on our bingo cards for announcements at the 2034 D23 Expo!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Would you like to see an Skyliner expansion at Walt Disney World? Thoughts on a new resort district across from Coronado Springs with direct access to DHS? Do you make the drive down Western Way to get to Walt Disney World? How’s current rush hour traffic? Agree or disagree that this roadway expansion is badly needed and overdue? If you have any questions or thoughts to share, please post them in the comments. We love hearing from readers!
