Start by creating a long-term, phased transportation plan. Without anywhere near the information needed, I would see something like this:

Goals: Reduce or eliminate the need for guests to rent cars / reduce overall number of parking spaces due to redundancy between parks and resorts parking / free up huge amounts of (already developed) prime property / reduce overall cost of vacation for most guests that choose to stay on-site / discourage local pass-holders and day guests from visiting the property for short periods where secondary expenditures are unlikely / encourage local pass-holders and day guests to visit less frequently but for longer periods of time (full day on property in lieu of several pop ins for Wishes, etc.) / provide comprehensive on-site transportation system / front-load security and transportation hassles / encourage guests to stay on property / differentiation from competitors / create a superb and seamless vacation experience / make EPCOT the physical and emotional center of WDW

WDW Arrival Gateway: ($1.2B) In the area that is the front nine holes of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course (adjacent to Disney Springs and close to EPCOT) create an Arrival Gateway for day and resort guests to be dropped-off or park their cars and enter property. The front nine holes of the course would be rebuilt north of the current back nine holes on land already partially developed. Virtually all guests would park here at this newly created Arrival Gateway. Exceptions will be outlined below. Parking structures and valet parking options would be adjacent to existing Disney Springs parking. Important to note that WDW should see a dramatic reduction in total number of parking spaces. To start fewer guests would arrive by car. Also, a large portion of resort parking is redundant with theme park parking. When guests arrive, their luggage would be taken directly to their resort. If their room is not ready or if they are not attending the parks until the next day, guests would be encouraged to enjoy Disney Springs. Most security would be centralized here and would only occur once per visit. Guests would drop off luggage with a security CM. Luggage would then be screened before being sent to the guest’s resort. Importantly, the entire luggage process would be separate from the personal security screening and entry so as to not burden day-guests.  Guests would be screened individually just before entering property. This would enhance security while also greatly reducing and centralizing security screening. It would also minimizes its impact on guest experience by keeping screening once-per-visit and essentially ‘off property’. This would also act as an effective psychological barrier to promote guest retention for the duration of their vacation. This system would have the additional effect of encouraging guests to choose on-site resorts over competitors by keeping the guests from having to enter site and go through security every day. Once guests are ready they would board private, 6-8 person PRT pods (Personal Rapid Transit) at the Arrival Gateway. The pods would transverse the short distance between the Arrival Gateway and a newly created Central Transportation Hub. The Central Transportation Hub would be built on a portion of what is now the main EPCOT parking lot immediately adjacent to the entrance to EPCOT. Importantly, the arrival experience would be private and personal. This would create anticipation and a juxtaposition with the public energy once inside the bubble of WDW. These pods, starting at the Arrival Gateway, would take guests quietly and efficiently through manicured wilderness before entering a short tunnel under Epcot Center Drive. Once in the tunnel, displays would light-up and a Disney narrator would give guests a overview of the where they are, where they are going and a description of the various on-site transportation options. The guests would also be given specifics regarding their resort and how to best get there. Guests would then emerge from the darkness onto a path with beautiful and lush earthen berms on each side with the view open only straight ahead to the newly built Transportation Hub, gleaming in the near distance. Returning Pods would be routed through a physically separated berm and track path such that the arrival and departure experiences are separated. The goal here is to enhance the arrival experience by having all energy and motion inwards. Upon nearing the Transportation Hub the view widens and the narrator would continue giving general information, weather reports, etc as the pods approach the Transportation Hub. The pods would round a short curve before docking at an elevated platform as EPCOT comes into view just beyond the bustling Hub. Once out of the pods, guests are now located in the central hub for all on-site public transportation.

Central Transportation Hub: A new transportation center would be built on a portion of the current EPCOT main guest parking area immediately adjacent to the current entrance to EPCOT. The architecture would take it’s cues from the various pavilions of Future World. All public transportation systems would be a hub-and-spoke model with this transportation center being the central hub. Several transportation option would be available from here:

• existing monorail line would have a station here that would replace the existing EPCOT station
• all bus lines would be spoke-routes from here directly to resorts and parks
• try to restrict bus and tram lines solely to resort-transportation hub lines
• a station for a newly created steam-train line that services Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness and a future Adventureland themed resort pad
• walkways directly into nearby EPCOT and future resorts and entertainment pads built on the land currently serving as EPCOT parking
• Personal Rapid Transit system (on a slightly elevated platform and routed through the wilderness) from the Transportation Hub to Animal Kingdom
• outdoor covered pick-up/drop off  area for on-site, autonomous point-to-point vehicles (outlined below)

Transportation Financial Model: Parking fees lost at parks would simply be made up at the Arrival Gateway. This layout would justify parking fees for resort guests which would help the transportation financial model. The Arrival Gateway plan would reduce or eliminate incentive for guests to rent cars at ORL while greatly reducing incentives for guest to split vacation at competitors resorts. In addition to this, parking fees could be structured such that they encourage guests to stay on site. This could potentially work by not charging by the day, but rather charge a one time larger fee every time a car is parked. This would result in cost savings for guests staying on site for several days and disincentivize guests staying off site and parking everyday. This plan would also justify an increase in park admission cost by creating a truly enjoyable and efficient intra-property transportation system. Guests will collectively pay around a billion less on rental cars. The plan would be to take part of that savings and increase parking and theme park admission fees. Guest cost for point-to-point autonomous pods would be made such that it pays for itself as well as subsidizes the public system. The guest fee for autonomous pods could be adjusted throughout the day to promote near continuous utilization. Allow guests that stay on site, and that normally rent a car, to see an overall reduction in the total cost of their vacation while taking the remainder of that money to pay for transportation development and operation.

Monorail Extension: Currently there are no serviceable resorts on the EPCOT end of the TTC-EPCOT monorail line that have direct access to the EPCOT station. Empty trains run from EPCOT to the TTC in the morning and at night empty trains run the other way. This monorail line is under-utilized. While costly, expanding this monorail line to service the EPCOT area resorts will nearly double it’s efficiency. This would require approximately 2.2 miles of track at an approximate cost of $200m. Additionally, as track is added, operating clearance will be provided to accommodate additional trains as well. The decreased load on other transportation systems will help pay for this expansion. This is due to the fact that this line is currently running so far below it’s potential efficiency.

No Private Cars on Property: With one exception described below, no private cars would operate on-site. The only vehicles on internal roadways would be the autonomous point-to-point vehicles and buses. Park staff, emergency services and maintenance would use a separate, outlying road system. The guest roadways would be modified to no longer appear as modern freeways. Roadways would be narrowed; traditional striping would be replaced. Routes would be shaded by center median trees. Lush landscape would come right up to the road edge. The goal is to make the road environment novel and visually distinct from typical roads and highways seen in everyday life. A lack private transportation on property would create a much greater sense of being ‘in the bubble’. Existing road system could be streamlined, returning large portions back to wilderness while also reducing maintenance and liability costs. This would create the opportunity for beautiful, untouched wilderness between the parks (think the difference between traveling across the country by train and by car).

Passholder Parking: At each theme park create modest-sized, dedicated Passholder Lots using a portion of the existing parking. Each of these lots would have direct access to the closest available public roadway. Guests using these lots would not use any of the interior, intra-property roadways. Importantly, guests would need to leave their current park and circumnavigate the property to travel to a different theme park on the same day. These lots would be broken up into several smaller lots such that capacity could be controlled. Using existing technology, electronic signs (at road heads leading to these lots) would display current parking availability. Parking availability information could also be available via an app that uses guest distance from the park and a historical-predictive algorithm to estimate parking availability upon arrival. Once parked, walkways would take guests through a dedicated security entrance into each park to the side of the main entrances. Importantly, these lots would be free of charge. The lots would be seasonal and not all would necessarily be open at the same time. The thinking here is that this would give operations a way to optimize park capacity, encourage regional guests to purchase passes and at the same time give a great perk to passholders that differentiates WDW from it’s competitors. Operations could schedule some or all lots to be open at some or all parks. This would vary by day of the week and season. This would give operations a powerful and granular control for optimizing park capacity and staffing levels. These could also be used as paid, overflow lots during high season for day guests if the Arrival Gateway becomes overwhelmed. This could really give WDW the leg up in capturing more local and regional passholders. It also would create a valuable perk for locals and even regional guests that are not renting cars. Most importantly this plan would give operations a powerful and variable tool similar to Extra Magic Hours, etc.

Autonomous Pods: Commission and deploy an autonomous fleet of family sized vehicles that would operate on a point-to-point transportation model using existing roadways. If needed, this system could be launched with human drivers in the vehicles, then slowly transitioned to autonomy. Guests would have the ability to reserve and pay for transportation via the point-to-point autonomous pod system. These pods would allow guests to go directly anywhere on property for a fee. This fee would subsidize the public system financial model.

Fort Wilderness Steam Train line: Two trains would service a rail loop through the wilds from Wilderness Lodge, a future resort to the south of Wilderness lodge and Fort Wilderness. This line would connect these resorts to the Hub. No bus routes would service these resorts. This would enhance the feeling of being remote and would be in keeping with their theming.

Alternatives to Buses: Don’t rely on a monolithic, single stroke transportation model like an all bus approach. Create visually arresting and specialized modes of transport unique to each resort such that the vehicle itself becomes the identifier of where it’s going not simply the signage on the bus. Scale the luxury of the each unique, resort transport such as to encourage resort-upgrading and to create new experiences for guests each time they come and stay at a different resort (horse-draw wagons, themed and historically representative watercraft, self-driving pods, sky-buckets, etc). Collaborate with companies like Podaris and LUTX Pathfinder for self driving pods servicing the contemporary. Don’t work with vertical companies like Uber.

EPCOT Resort Area Development Plan: Create a long-term development plan that puts EPCOT and the central transportation hub at the CENTER of WDW. This plan would place new resort, DVC, dining and other entertainment directly in and around EPCOT such as to create multiple, pedestrian-friendly districts with direct access to EPCOT and the transportation center. Now with EPCOT at the center of attention and transportation activity, it will start to become the very heart of WDW and we haven’t even really touched the park itself yet. Some of the goals for this area:

• Using some of the unused pavilion pads around World Showcase, create up to three additional pedestrian and watercraft routes that feed from World Showcase directly into new, pedestrian-scaled, resort pockets located in groups around World Showcase.
• Start by developing new resorts and DVC only at locations within these newly created pedestrian districts around World Showcase and Future World
• Expand Monorail loop to just around the perimeter of EPCOT such that it services each of the newly created pedestrian districts
• A mixture of walkable destinations and diverse transportation systems will enhance the quality and vitality of the guests experience
• Develop the area that is currently the EPCOT parking lots into the highest demand resort and DVC locations on property. The resorts would be both conveniently close to EPCOT and to the Transportation Hub, making the entire property easy to reach for guests in these resorts. Develop resorts in keeping with the architectural language of EPCOT. This pedestrian zone could service the development of resorts, DVC, a large convention center, shopping, dining and entertainment venues. The entire zone would be one level above the ground. The ground level would be dedicated to ground transportation and tree gardens. The second floor and above would house the monorail station and all resorts, shops and entertainment venues. Elevated walkways would connect  the various buildings and programs. It would also be the most accessible ‘in the bubble’ shopping and entertainment district making it a desirable destination for day-guests and visitors.
• Expand strongly into the large scale convention market. Build and market an international-scale convention center within the Future World resort district with direct access to the Transportation Hub and Arrival Gateway. Market heavily to CES, TechCrunch, Science, Medical and Tech conventions, etc.
• Tough Sell: Create a small HRM college in the Future World Resort development area. Students would live on site or arrive via the Arrival Gateway. Students would receive a highly coveted HRM degree from a college located on Disney property and one that teaches Disney’s unique approach to hospitality. Aim for high student to employee retention via grants, etc. Would add another layer of energy and vitality to EPCOT. EPCOT would be a living classroom and this could become one of the World’s best and most highly valued HRM degrees.

Magic Kingdom to EPCOT Development Plan: Once development density has been reached around EPCOT, develop the monorail corridor between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Start at the Magic Kingdom parking lots. These parking lots are absolute prime real estate. With the need for parking eliminated, this area and the area of the former NASCAR center can be developed into Monorail loop accessible resorts, entertainment venues or even a 5th Gate. Additional resorts, DVC, venues, shopping and entertainment can now be added to the monorail line with little cost as the line will not need to be expanded to reach them. Create a 2nd phase development plan that focuses all new development only in the corridor from the Transportation Hub all the way to the TTC.

• The planned increase in on-site guest retention could allow for the development of a 5th gate
• Plan the future 5th gate just south of the existing TTC near Magic Kingdom in the location of the current parking lots
• Consider turning older resorts that do not conform to this grouping strategy into on-site CM dormitories

Disney Springs Resorts: Existing resorts around the Arrival Hub and Disney Springs (Old Key West, Port Orleans, TreeHouses, Saratoga Springs, etc.) would keep on-site parking as-is. Guests would take trams or watercraft from their resorts to the Arrival Hub each day. This would maintain a pocket of status-quo resort experience that would not see an increase in booking cost. This entire area along with Disney Springs would be developed to be interconnected and cohesive in feel. It would be the guests second best option to staying on property and maintain WDW’s foot in the off-site resort market.

Typhoon Lagoon: This water park would remain outside ‘the bubble’. It would retain on-site parking and would also be serviced by a tram from Disney Springs. Focus future development at Disney Springs around a new tree lined pedestrian path between Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon. Eventually bring the two areas into thematic harmony. Market water park to local community as a part of Disney Springs District. This would keep a foot in the local water park business.

ESPN Wide World of Sports: This facility would remain outside ‘the bubble’. It would retain on-site parking and would also be serviced by a transportation spoke from the Central Transportation Hub.

Pop Century Resort: This huge resort would remain mostly as-is. The current roads that feed into it would remain. Guests could park their cars here and access the Transportation Hub via a dedicated bus line. A dedicated bus or gondola system would connect the resort to nearby Animal Kingdom. Autonomous pods would also service this resort, but all public roads would terminate at the resort’s existing parking facilities.

Long term ORL to WDW transportation plan: Actively work to find ways around Osceola County tax restrictions which inhibit negotiations with Orange county. Commission a highly public feasibility study to bring a Regional Airport to Osceola County, even if not possible, pursue the idea and discuss with Osceola County. Use the results and publicity of this study, along with sting of reduced rental car tax, to negotiate a direct ORL to WDW only, subsidized rail line with ORL, the state and the county.

Summary

This plan intentionally makes it challenging to move on and off site while at the same time greatly enhancing guest experience on property. It also creates a much greater sense of being ‘in the bubble’. Guests would feel completely transported during their entire vacation. While this transportation plan would be costly, the goal would be for it to pay for itself in as little as 5 years. In addition to all the other reasons, this plan would reduce the overall land development requirements for parking as well as free up premium property adjacent to existing parks. While difficult to quantify, these benefits alone might be sufficient enough to proceed with such a plan if a 30 year view is taken. While park admission cost and parking fees actually go up, Disney could heavily market an actual overall reduction of vacation cost for those guests that wish to remain on-site.

Note to reader: Sorry about the first two articles being primarily descriptions. Not to worry. The third article will include maps and pretty pictures!

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EPCOT III – ‘Save EPCOT!’ coming late March 2017

Now with EPCOT at the center of WDW, the next article look closely at how to revitalize EPCOT itself by respecting its roots.

Questions or Comments? Feel free to reach me at wesley@thelinelab.com or through one of the social media buttons below. Thanks!