Battle for bullet train self-serving for all parties

Posted | Contributed by kevin38

Orlando attractions are contributing to a "derail the bullet train" fund, intended to raise enough signatures to put a repeal on the ballot of the constitutionally required bullet train project. The train is supposed to bypass International Drive from the airport and go straight to Disney's property. Disney would not allow the route to enter its property if it stopped on I-Drive, which would doom the possibility of recovering the cost to build the train. [Ed. note: The linked article presents this as if the companies are trying to destroy a "solution" to a problem that doesn't exist. The article totally neglects to acknowledge that Disney used its influence to prevent a stop at I-Drive and the convention center, a move that would benefit more Orlando businesses and not lock tourists into Disney.]

Related parks

This was a boondoggle from the very beginning. The citizens of Florida should not have voted to included this in our State Constitution to begin with. The idea was presented with absolutely no accounting for how much this would cost the tax payers.

I have never seen an estimate of how long it would take a high speed train to get from Miami to Tampa. No matter how fast it goes, it is bound to make stops, and because of politics it is bound to make many stops. If I can get to Tampa quicker by driving than by taking the train, guess what I am going to do?

Disney acted in their self interest. If you want to fault them for that then so be it. There are few companies that don't act in their self interest.

I think they need to drop riders off at a neutral location(If they build it) and build a Big monorail (Up I drive through Universal To Disney Around to Sea World. One big Circle )No location is gonna please everyone.The people of fla voted to build this. I may ride it one day when I am Sixty. It may be a good thing but if the cost to ride is higher than driving I will still drive. If everyone still drives this will be a Useless Cost to taxpayers. It may be cheaper to give the tourists free rental cars Than to build this.I f the charge to ride is too high people will drive But they have to charge enough to pay for system to run Some day if this gets built you will be able to drive to nearest town in fla. (Pensacola,Tallahasee,or Jacksonville)and get on high Speed train but is there enough Business to support this.?The government gives enough to Amtrack.

I don't blame Disney at all... I blame the commission and the taxpayers for doing really stupid things. I know that the people that run the convention center and the surrounding hotels are super-pissed about this, and who can blame them?

I blame them in that they should have organized better before the commission made its decision, not after. But, no matter how you look at it, Disney can guarantee far more riders than even if the I-Drive group all banded together and presented one unified voice.

The problem isn't where the route should go, the problem is that they want to build it at all.

I think the best thing that could come out of the whole situation is if Disney puts enough red tape around the preceedings that the train gets repealed. It still boggles my mind that there would be something that makes a public ballot to MANDATE a high speed train system. Only in Florida ...

I think that trains just make more controversy than they are worth. The lightrail in Houston was and still is a huge political topic. People believe the cost was too high for the distance that was given and the poor location that it is in. I happen to agree with this party. It took millions of dollars, is only 8 miles long and doesnt go to any major residential areas.

This is actually kind of the same thing as Florida's Bullet Train. Some people dont like the location it's going and believe it is going to cost too much for what is offered. At least, that is how I understood it.

while you cant blame Disney for looking out for their interests, there is no reason not to try and come up with another idea to solve this dilemma....honestly, i feel that they (the state) should build ONE central station in Orlando for the high speed rail, and Disney could offer shuttle transport from that station, just like they do from Orlando Int'l Airport...to me that would seem like the smartest thing. anyone agree? its a win-win situation for both Disney, and the attractions and resorts on I-Drive. it would be rediculous for the train only to stop at WDW....if i were a FL taxpayer, and that were the case, then i would be in Tallahassee raising some serious hell about this.

You must be logged in to post