Florida Bill Could Put Disney Monorail, Railroad Under Department of Transportation

A new bill has been introduced in Florida’s capital that seems to put the Walt Disney World Monorail System and other Disney World Transportation under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

According to the Orlando Sentinel, an unnamed bill is making its way through the Senate that could require all of Walt Disney World’s transportation systems to meet FDOT standards via required safety inspections.

While the bill does not mention Disney by name, the Sentinel reports, “It would require the DOT to establish safety standards for any government or private fixed-guideway system ‘located within an independent special district created by local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties.'”

The Walt Disney Company’s Central Florida property fits the profile as it was officially designated as an independent special district located in both Orange County and Osceola County. And a “private fixed-guideway system” describes track or cable-based modes of transportation such as the Walt Disney World Railway, the Walt Disney World Monorail System, and the Disney Skyliner.

Being a matter of transportation safety, the amendment would give FDOT the ability to intervene on Disney World Property to suspend operations for safety inspections, including those of the raised sections of the track.

Theme Park Insider Scott Gustin shared that a clip of the amendment with Florida Politics Publisher Peter Schorsch, confirming that this line was part of a new FDOT package called “SB 1250.”

Yeah … that amendment is pretty specific, eh? https://t.co/jBrsXIHWZC pic.twitter.com/GGCAtkBfDM

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) April 24, 2023

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However, it should be noted that there appears to be no mention of this in the current draft of the bill–which you can read for yourself.

Nor does it appear to be mentioned in a similar bill working its way through the state House of Representatives.

Both bills focus on altering FDOT’s relationship with any private transportation project and seem to be making adjustments for the onset of the private high-speed railway system Brightline.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System is 14.7 miles long and connects millions of people to Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT from the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.