For a while, talk of a train connecting the Orlando International Airport DIRECTLY to Walt Disney World (with a station in Disney Springs) was the big news in town…but then suddenly things changed.

In June of 2022, Disney backed out of the deal for a Brightline train station within Disney Springs. But, in 2022 we also learned that an alternative station was still being planned for a place near the original Disney Springs site, just not on land owned by Disney. Since then, Brightline has shared a bunch of updates about the construction of the line from South Florida to Orlando, its station within the Orlando Airport, and more. But what’s happening with that reported station “near” Disney World? Here’s what we know.

The Sunshine Corridor Program

The plans for a Disney Springs Brightline station fell through, according to Disney, because the configuration of the train’s line “did not support” the station.

This all has to do with the decision to opt for a path through Orlando under the Sunshine Corridor Program. This is a plan that would make use of SunRail’s existing tracks to a certain extent. This idea of the Sunshine Corridor Program was formed after MANY debates over what path the train would take from the airport to spots through Orlando.

The current plan would have the Brightline train go from Orlando International Airport, along State Road 528 and Taft-Vineland Road, with stops at the Orange County Convention Center and on South International Drive. 

The current route brings the train close to the site of Universal Orlando’s new theme park — Epic Universe — and other tourist attractions on International Drive. The route has been supported by a number of local officials, as well as Universal Orlando. Land and a reported $125 million from Universal and other partners has been offered to make this plan a reality.

The “Alternative Station”

While a Disney Springs station is NOT in the works, Ben Porritt, Brightline’s senior vice president of corporate affairs, previously said, “an alternative station will be placed near the original Disney Springs site, albeit not on land owned by Disney.”

Chuck Whittall, the president of Unicorp National Developments, indicated that stakeholders in the area could partner together to find a property that could work for this station. It could be beneficial to those businesses if a station were built near them to bring more tourists to the area.

In early 2023, it was revealed that progress on the Brightline train’s path through Orlando had hit some delays because there were too many “cooks in the kitchen” — in the form of government entities and private businesses. But we also got an important update at the time about just how involved Disney still was in the project, despite the loss of the Disney Springs station.

US Rep Darren Soto, who represents part of Orlando, said “We have to engage Universal, SeaWorld and Disney. We have to engage the airport, the SunRail Commission, local officials and particularly the Florida Department of Transportation.”

He continued, “Disney has to be a part of this. They are continuing to work on a potential stop with FDOT and we hope to get some new plans soon. The question will be whether it is served by SunRail, Brightline or both. That’s still up in the air.”

So, while the Disney Springs Brightline station was scrapped, this January 2023 update made it seem like Disney was still very much involved in Brightline’s next steps through Orlando and a station near Disney World was still in the works. Those updates were shared in January of 2023, however, so what’s happened since then?

Well, as we mentioned before, there’s been a lot of progress made on the construction and testing of the Brightline Train’s line from South Florida to Orlando. Plus, we’ve seen all kinds of details about the Brightline Train station within the Orlando Airport.

Tickets for Brightline’s train service between South Florida and Orlando are currently on sale for dates starting September 1st, 2023, though service could start a little before then and Brightline would release an update on those ticket sales if that does occur.

We have also heard some not-so-great news in terms of complications that could cut Brightline’s service to Orlando in half. Still, it seems like steady progress is being made on Brightline’s connection from South Florida to Orlando. What happens after the Orlando Airport station opens? What exact path will the train take through Orlando and what stations will be built? That remains a bit of a mystery.

In an update provided in late July of 2023, the Orlando Business Journal noted that “The Sunshine Corridor has proposed stops for both rail systems at the Orange County Convention Center and on South International Drive near the Walt Disney World Resort.” So it seems that the South International Drive station (if approved and built) may be the one “close” to Disney World.

A Brightline ridership report indicated that the stops planned would “provide convenient access to Central Florida business destinations and major theme parks and resorts including SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort, among others.” (Orlando Business Journal)

But just how close will that International Drive station be to Disney World? That much is not yet 100% clear. But, suffice it to say, it likely won’t quite be the same as hopping off the train at Disney Springs and being IN Disney World right then and there. So even if that International Drive station near Disney World does get built, you should expect to take at least some other form of transportation to actually get to Disney World itself.

What Now?

Well, while plans for the Sunshine Corridor have been proposed, they still need to be finalized, approved, and put into action. So there’s still a ways to go.

In terms of a construction plan (assuming plans for the Sunshine Corridor move forward), the Orlando Business Journal shared that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer has said the construction could be split into 3 phases:

• “3A: From Orlando International Airport to the main existing SunRail line
• 3B: From the main SunRail line to the Orange County Convention Center
• 3C: From Orange County Convention Center to South International Drive near Walt Disney World Resort”

In other words, it could be a while before we see any kind of station near Disney World.

The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission appears to have its next Board Meeting scheduled for September 28th, 2023, at which point we could potentially hear a bit more about what progress (if any) has been made on Brightline’s path through Orlando.

One thing we do know is that Brightline has been already looking toward the future, with considerations of stations on the Treasure Coast and in Brevard County, according to the Orlando Business Journal. The station at Brevard County could be located at or around Port Canaveral, connecting guests to a major cruise port.

We’re continuing to look for updates on the Brightline train situation and we’ll share that news with you once we know more.

In the meantime, click here to see INSIDE the Orlando Airport’s Brightline Train Station.

Would you take the train from the airport to a station near Disney World? Tell us in the comments.