Walt Disney World Resort closed part of World Drive last night to install a new digital sign over the roadway going southbound between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. The sign is not yet on, but installation appears to be complete.
New Digital Sign Over World Drive
The road closure caused significant delays for anyone leaving Magic Kingdom after 10:00 p.m. last night. We have reports of drivers being delayed by nearly two hours. Both directions were affected by the installation.
The new sign was installed over World Drive going southbound between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. This is the largest digital sign to be installed yet; it spans nearly the entire width of the road.
Over the past year, we’ve been seeing the old purple and red exit signs from the 1990s being replaced with blue and gold signage. Now, we are starting to see the addition of digital signs being installed around the Walt Disney World Resort.
In late March, a new digital sign was installed on World Drive North near the Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom Resort area exit. In February, we reported that another new digital sign popped up at the end of the ramp from Buena Vista Drive to World Drive, just before the EPCOT exit.
World Drive Construction Impact
Construction work has been ongoing around World Drive for years to improve traffic flow to and from Magic Kingdom. A new traffic ramp connecting World Drive and Floridian Way opened late last year, as part of the World Drive Expansion Project.
Also due to construction work on World Drive, on May 1, the Shades of Green Resort lost walking access to the monorail station at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Shades of Green guests previously opted to utilize the walkway between their resort and the monorail station. By doing this, they could catch a ride over to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. With the walkway closure due to World Drive expansion, guests no longer have that option. This is a permanent change. The resort transportation around Walt Disney World is now provided exclusively by a separate fleet of buses which shuttle guests to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.
Take a look at some of our other coverage on the World Drive Expansion Project below:
- PHOTOS: Construction Continues on World Drive and Floridian Way as Phase II of Magic Kingdom Area Improvements Make Progress
- PHOTOS: Roadwork Continues on World Drive Near Magic Kingdom
- Permits Filed for Phase II of World Drive Roadwork at Walt Disney World
These new digital signs around the resort are not yet active, and could be utilized for a variety of purposes. We are guessing they may be implemented for traffic updates, park status updates, or even as digital exit signs.
What do you think the new digital signage will be used for? We’d love to see your opinions in the comments below.
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