If you have been following the exciting news about Magic Kingdom’s fourth ferryboat coming in 2027, things just got a whole lot more real. Thanks to aerial photographer @bioreconstruct on X, we now have an incredible birds-eye view of the Meg Gilbert Crofton actually coming together backstage at Walt Disney World, and it is something to see.
The latest photos show the first deck of the new vessel now fully formed, with the elongated double-pointed hull resting on cradle supports outside a large service building near a backstage marina north of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The hull is currently in bare primer gray, with open rectangular cutouts running along the centerline where structures and fittings will eventually be installed, and a yellow mobile crane and boom lift are working alongside the vessel. It is very much a work in progress, but the shape of the boat is now unmistakably clear. Comparing the June photos to what bioreconstruct captured back in May, the progress in just a few weeks is significant.
As we shared back in May when Disney made the official announcement, this new boat is a big deal on multiple levels. For the first time since 1976, Disney is expanding its fleet of ferryboats that provide transportation between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Magic Kingdom, growing the fleet from three to four vessels. The 120-foot-long boat will be named the Meg Gilbert Crofton, honoring Walt Disney World’s fourth president and marking the first ferryboat in the fleet named after a woman.
Meg Crofton joined Disney in 1977 and served as WDW president from 2006 to 2013, overseeing the opening of New Fantasyland and Art of Animation Resort. According to bioreconstruct, after the hull is finished, the crew is expected to transport it by rail to Bay Lake for a floatation test before final painting and finishing work is completed. The new ferryboat is targeting a Summer 2027 debut, with the entire on-property assembly process expected to take roughly a year.
The timing of this expansion is no coincidence. With Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land both under construction and set to bring massive new crowds to Magic Kingdom in the coming years, having a fourth ferryboat on the water means shorter waits and smoother mornings for guests. And honestly, for those of us who consider the ferry ride across Seven Seas Lagoon part of the magic of visiting Magic Kingdom, this is incredibly exciting news. A huge thank you to @bioreconstruct for giving us this incredible look at history being built. Are you a ferryboat fan, and are you excited to see the Meg Gilbert Crofton set sail in 2027? Let us know in the comments!
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