Is Disney Property Open to Cars?

[ExtraMagic]

My family will be in Orlando in June. Depending on people's experience in the next few weeks, we *might* go to Disney Springs. But I wonder if other parts of WDW property are open to just drive around? I could totally get behind driving past Tower of Terror or trying to catch a glimpse of the floating mountains of Pandora! Do any of you know?

 

[brockash]

My family will be in Orlando in June. Depending on people's experience in the next few weeks, we *might* go to Disney Springs. But I wonder if other parts of WDW property are open to just drive around? I could totally get behind driving past Tower of Terror or trying to catch a glimpse of the floating mountains of Pandora! Do any of you know?

As sad as it sounds, we're interested in this too lol. Will be following for info.

 

[tobikaye]

I think I saw a heading for a YouTube video where someone had done so.

 

[OKW Lover]

The major roads in WDW are all public thoroughfares. We are local and drive through WDW often.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Kathy Werling who works for Dreams Unlimited (who runs the disboards) did a drive around WDW video. So yes you can drive around https://www.facebook.com/kathywerling/media_set?set=vb.1531383287&type=2

 

[cranbiz]

Certain roads on property are considered backstage and are almost always gated or barricaded. Ungated roads, for the most part, are public roads and open to anyone.

One interesting road is the one to VM South, by FIW on World Dr. It's called Bear Island Rd and the World Dr end is ungated and you can drive past the waste water treatment plant, VM South and the transfer station/recycling station out to Western Way. However, the entrance off of Western Way is gated.

 

[hopemax]

Certain roads on property are considered backstage and are almost always gated or barricaded. Ungated roads, for the most part, are public roads and open to anyone.

One interesting road is the one to VM South, by FIW on World Dr. It's called Bear Island Rd and the World Dr end is ungated and you can drive past the waste water treatment plant, VM South and the transfer station/recycling station out to Western Way. However, the entrance off of Western Way is gated.

Out of curiosity, can you drive down Bear Island Rd from World Dr. to Western Way? My Dad is able to shop at Cast Connection, and it would be so much easier to go down Bear Island Rd, because we usually enter WDW from the north. We drove down the road once, but saw the gate and since he only has spouse credentials and not a Disney ID, we turned around. But we didn't know if from that side, the gate was like the employee exit in the MK parking lot that will open automatically, no ID needed.

Getting home, we hop on 429, but don't always want to pay tolls both directions just to shop.

 

[cranbiz]

Out of curiosity, can you drive down Bear Island Rd from World Dr. to Western Way? My Dad is able to shop at Cast Connection, and it would be so much easier to go down Bear Island Rd, because we usually enter WDW from the north. We drove down the road once, but saw the gate and since he only has spouse credentials and not a Disney ID, we turned around. But we didn't know if from that side, the gate was like the employee exit in the MK parking lot that will open automatically, no ID needed.

Getting home, we hop on 429, but don't always want to pay tolls both directions just to shop.

When I was a CM, that gate opened automatically (like the gates on the cast parking) from the Bear Island/World Dr side. you only needed the transponder/ID from the Western Way side.

 

[ExtraMagic]

Just had to share that I had a great time driving around property! Its very strange to see empty parking lots and so few others on the road but it was such a boost to me!