If DeSantis Wants to Regulate Disney World, Start With Its Horrible Drivers

You would have to be a masochist to enjoy driving on Walt Disney World property and its surrounding area. Between confused tourists and reckless excitement, navigating the Orlando theme park is an exercise in patience. With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis barreling down on Disney World in hopes of regulating it, perhaps he should first focus on the roads. Orlando has horrible drivers, and the issue is extra prevalent at the Walt Disney World Resort. Countless stories about the road chaos can be told, including one frustrated driver who recently took to social media to detail his encounter with a Cast Member hit-and-run while driving on Disney property. Let’s take apart this traffic nightmare that has some Guests screaming, “Jesus, take the wheel!”

This Isn’t Pixar’s Cars

As a resident of Orange County for over a decade, I have seen some things. Tourist drivers are some of the most unpredictable creatures I have ever encountered. I cannot remember the last time I went to Walt Disney World and did not witness a completely ridiculous and dangerous traffic situation. In fact, just the other day, I saw a driver miss their exit. Instead of accepting responsibility for their mistake, they swerved over the median and across oncoming traffic to get into the opposite side’s exit ramp. Not even ten minutes after that, someone was mindlessly driving on the wrong side of the road as traffic turned to meet them.

Disney World drivers are predominantly tourists, many of whom are from out of the country. Renting a car in Florida has little oversight, provided you have a driver’s license and are the appropriate age. Tourists get extremely excited on Disney property, often ignoring traffic signs. About eight million notices tell you not to stop at the entrance arches, but it is not uncommon to see cars slow to a crawl or swerve to the side of the road to get a picture. Vacation mode has the added effect of complacency, which sometimes leads to selfish traffic decisions.

Orlando and Horrible Drivers

Outside of the “most magical place on Earth” is the I-4 highway, or what locals would call the “most stressful place on Earth.” This busy freeway is constantly backed up or has a major accident. God forbid it rains, or the entire thing becomes even more chaotic. In fact, a Teletrac study lists this location as the deadliest stretch of highway in the United States. 150 people were killed on it from 2016 to 2019, which averages to one death per mile.

#BREAKING: Crash blocks westbound lanes of #I4 in #Orlando https://t.co/XaCYsmVTKJ #wftv pic.twitter.com/m6A0AjiqrJ

— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) June 22, 2023

Florida is often ranked 15th for states with the most traffic fatalities per 100,000 citizens, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Some drivers don’t even have car insurance, which leads us to our next encounter.

Uninsured Disney Cast Member Does a Hit-and-Run on Property

TikTok user Matthew Rosenblatt (@mattrmedia) recently took to the platform to report a crazy encounter with a Cast Member on Walt Disney World property. He claims the Cast Member rear-ended his car outside the Polynesian Resort. After revealing an expired out-of-state license, she sped off and left him waiting two hours for Florida Highway Patrol.

“Right behind me is Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and right behind me is my pickup truck that just got rear-ended by an uninsured motorist that doesn’t have a driver’s license that left the scene of the crime,” Rosenblatt narrates in his video. “Oh yeah, one little fun fact to add in — it was a Disney Cast Member that hit me!”

Rosenblatt also stated that he almost got into two wrecks on his way into Disney property and ended his rant by saying the area sucks to drive around. When asked why law enforcement didn’t do anything, he claims they said she showed ID before leaving, fulfilling her legal requirements.

@mattrmedia

I got rear ended at Disney. The driver is uninsured and doesn’t have a license. They’re also a cast member. 2 hours waiting on FHP so far… this has been interesting. #disney #disneyworld #magickingdom #polynesianresort #wdw #hitandrun #caraccident

♬ original sound – Matthew Rosenblatt

Florida Has the Highest Rate of Uninsured Motorists

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Florida is the number one state in America for uninsured drivers. In 2021, about 20% of Florida drivers were on the road without car insurance. While shocking, it is a little understandable. The cost of living in Florida has skyrocketed in the past decade, leaving many unable to afford the costs of insuring their vehicle. However, they still need to get to work in order to survive, and public transportation is not a strong suit for the sunshine state. This is also an issue that Cast Members frequently point out Disney fails to meet via its average wages.

This problem could see legislation to address it, but it doesn’t seem to be on the radar at all for Florida legislators. If DeSantis wants to start improving some things on Walt Disney World property under his new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, maybe he should start by doing everything he can to help make the roads safer in the state he governs.