First Pedestrian Bridge Officially Opens at Disney Springs


As Downtown Disney continues to transform into Disney Springs, yet another milestone has been reached with the opening of the first pedestrian bridge.
Located near Team Disney, this new bridge provides convenient access to and from Downtown Disney/Disney Springs and will enable Guests to cross Buena Vista Drive without waiting for traffic. With the opening of the new pedestrian bridge, the crosswalk near the Team Disney building will no longer be available.


Here you are some photos of the opening ceremony that took place earlier this week:




Check out some interesting facts about the new pedestrian bridge:



The second Disney Springs pedestrian bridge near Hotel Plaza Boulevard will open later this year.

PHOTOS: © 2015 Walt Disney World Resort. All Rights Reserved.

13 comments:

  1. I thought they would have escalators to each side of the staircase, but that was clearly not in the budget.
    It's a shame it's so bombastic build. I'd rather see the money go to a more elegant design like the green bridge at Universal Studios resort in Orlando.

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  2. Otto - Not everything is budget related. My speculation is this: they see an enormous percentage of guests pushing strollers. Strollers are not compatible with escalators, but that doesn't stop people from trying. Temptation and high probability of accident is removed by just providing elevators (which are required already).

    Besides, we all should be using stairs more just for the sake of personal health. :)

    I'd rather see money go into new attractions than pedestrian bridges across a busy highway.

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  3. I don't see it as budget related either. Especially because once the Lime garage is open and the surrounding surface lots to the garages are open, no one should need to cross the streets anymore except employees on this side.

    The other end will see a lot more traffic with Hotel Plaza Blvd there... it's possible that that bridge will see escalators, but we'll see.

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  4. Escalators on each side of the stairs and you wonder why America is so FAT?

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  5. As Nick says, once everything is completed, this bridge will only be used by cast members, so who cares about escalators...

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  6. Just elevators, no escalators on the other bridge for Hotel Blvd

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  7. Escalators on an outdoor bridge. Sure it was a budget issue, because they are expensive to build, expensive to maintain, and expensive to run, all for a relatively minor bridge, that requires elevators by law. I would not have put them in either.

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  8. Personally I do think the bridges are pretty elegant. The brick and muted color tones fit in with the rest of the area. Anybody who has an appreciation and understanding for fabrication and metal work like this will know just how much labor and designing truly went into this project...and for what? So we can all be safe getting back and forth from Disney Springs to make sure we spend our money paying for these two monsters over the road. I think it's pretty darn fantastic if I do say so myself. American made quality like this costs a fortune!

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  9. Remember this was paid for by taxes from the county. The bridges and the garages are owned and operated by Reedy Creek. An escalator would not theme either with the classic style of bridge. These bridges do hide elevators though.

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  10. Reedy Creek receives 85% of its revenue from Disney - it's on their web page. I see the logic though, as Reedy is generally the 'infrastructure' outside the parks (or property lines is a way to look at it). So it makes sense that a bridge ostensibly serving all pedestrians regardless of where they're going is 'public' and part of the general infrastructure around the area.

    One can still say that Disney didn't want to spend too much on the bridges because Reedy would not have stopped Disney from building these themselves as part of the Springs budget. Companies pay for infrastructure improvements all the time, ie a new mall will br required to pay for intersection, traffic control, water etc due to the new malls impact on the existing local area. All part of getting the deal done.

    They look fine. Simple is easier to maintain too.

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  11. A pedestrian crossing with traffic lights is the better option. Accessible to all members of the public irrespective of their physical capabilities or if they're pushing buggies or wheelchairs. The only downside is the potential slowing up of traffic flow which is no bad thing. Is there still a crossing beneath the bridge ?
    The bridge could have had escalators in addition to elevators so as to provide necessary back-up in case of breakdown. Not everyone will be able to negotiate the stairs.

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  12. "The only downside is the potential slowing up of traffic flow which is no bad thing.".. What?? Have you been down there? That is a huge bad thing, traffic is ridiculous down there, especially on weekends, holidays, and in season. There are cops everywhere down there now trying to make sure that people can cross the street without getting hit, and with all the traffic, that is a huge concern. No, there is no crossing/will be no crossings under the bridges when complete.

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  13. Whoa. Calm down.Deep breath. Exhale and count to ten.
    If the traffic is such a problem then they maybe they should have considered including escalators in addition to elevators to accommodate large volumes of people who are unable to use the stairs.
    Elevators alone might not be sufficient if those numbers are large enough. Otherwise there could be lines waiting for elevators.

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