As of January 1st, 2022, Disney World’s Magical Express went away forever. And although two services — Mears Connect and The Sunshine Flyer — are operating paid transportation services to and from Orlando International Airport and Disney World, we’re also interested in the Brightline train that will eventually connect Disney Springs to the airport.
©Brightline
We’ve had updates about Brightline’s planned route around Florida, as well as delays in its construction. We even have a general idea of when the construction of the line to Disney World could start. And we’ve now got an update about upcoming test runs of the train!
The entire route of the Brightline train will run all the way from Orlando to Miami. According to WESH, test runs will begin on January 18th from West Palm Beach to Cocoa Beach. This is to get drivers familiar with the 130 miles along the route. Currently, the Brightline train only runs from Miami to West Palm Beach.
Brightline Train Construction
In a news release, Brightline said, “Brightline is beginning the new year with a critical step toward the completion of its intercity rail system connecting Miami and Orlando.”
©Brightline
Over 150 railroad crossings have been upgraded during Brightline’s construction phase, including half of the crossings in the section — more will be updated this year. The company also indicated that construction on the route to Orlando is now around 70% complete.
Potential Routes ©Brightline | Obtained via the Orlando Sentinel
Brightline hopes to have this part of the construction done by the end of 2022, with the service beginning in 2023, but the route from the airport to Disney World may not be available until 2026.
UPDATE:
On January 18th, the Brightline train had a passenger-free practice run between south Florida and Orlando International Airport. You can watch the train in action below!
🎶I Hear The Train A-Comin'; It's Rollin' 'Round The Bend 🚊 First @GoBrightline train enters Brevard County for a practice run between south Florida and @MCO without passengers. @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/mn4PRF1yZP
— James Sparvero (@News6James) January 18, 2022
Check out some of these links to see more updates on the train to Disney World:
- NEWS: The High-Speed Train to Disney World Hit a HUGE Milestone
- Learn About the Train’s Opening Timeline
- How Much Will Tickets for This Train COST?
- 10,000 People Voted on Whether They’ll Use the New High-Speed Train to Disney World. Would You?
We’ll continue to keep an eye out for construction updates, so stay tuned for more news!
Here Are YOUR First Reactions to the NEW Disney World Airport Transportation
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No would rather go more direct to hotel and besides you can’t take luggage on Disney buses. If mears is not operating then I would take a limo or taxi
Hi This train is not doing a test run to Cocoa Beach. The tracks turn in Cocoa Fl by the Beach line which is 528.
So what are Disney vacationers to do with their luggage? I guess the families can take all their luggage from the train to a connecting bus to the resort but that is inconvenient. Will Disney offer luggage transport like they did with magical express where it shows up in our rooms when we arrive to the room?
Hi Chris, that’s a great question! We have been told that Mears is looking at options, but they have not yet stated if they will be offering a luggage delivery service, but as soon as we find out we will be sure to let our readers know.
I don’t see Mears offering luggage transport unless there is an added fee. The airlines are not going to send it to the bus area, Mears will have to do that. Disney is most certainly not going to do it. I imagine the train will be the same. There will be busses to take people to their hotels and luggage areas beneath. Drivers will load and unload them, and we will transport them to the train/bus/hotel room.
Agree with Rose that this is NOT a substitute for Disney Express – or for anyone arriving from MCO and going to WDW. It’s just not practical (and literally plane, train, and automobile!)
The use of this train will be by business executives for commuting and for visitors to the area that are using train travel exclusively to get to Orlando. For instance, if you live in Miami and wanted to go to Disney World, you’d take this train to Disney Springs, then grab a ride share to your resort (train and automobile).
The train sounds exciting and I love trians but its not a convienant option to Disney resorts! Bring back the Magical express!! Why does everything good that works go away!! I will not be riding the train.
Also Disney Genie is a confusing mess and too expensive!
For many of our past visits to WDW we’ve hired a town car service. They help with the luggage and take you directly to your Disney resort. All our drivers have offered to allow us to stop at store for items like snacks,items we forgot to pack. They arrived 2hrs prior to our return flight back to Seattle.