There’s something genuinely sweet about this one: Walt Disney World Transportation Cast Members recently got the chance to sign a piece of the newest Magic Kingdom ferryboat before it’s installed…
…and honestly, more milestones in life should involve everyone leaving their signature on the thing before it launches!
Photos shared on the WDW Ambassador Instagram page show Cast Members from across every mode of Disney World transportation taking part — watercraft, bus, Minnie Van, and Skyliner teams all got in on signing the piece before it becomes a permanent part of the boat. New Walt Disney World President Joe Schott was also on hand and added his own signature to the mix, which is a nice touch considering how directly this ties into his division.
This is the fourth ferryboat joining the Magic Kingdom fleet, and it’s currently under construction backstage near the park. It’ll be named the Meg Gilbert Crofton, honoring Walt Disney World’s fourth president, who led the resort from 2006 to 2013. Meg’s tenure includes some genuinely major Disney World history. She oversaw New Fantasyland, which brought us Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Be Our Guest Restaurant, and she also opened Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in 2012. Meg spoke about the honor herself, sharing how humbled she was to learn her name would be on the boat, and how much it means to be recognized by the Cast Members she worked alongside for so many years.
The new ferryboat will fit right in with the rest of the fleet in terms of capacity, look, and feel, and just like its three siblings (the Admiral Joe Fowler, the General Joe Potter, and the Richard F. Irvine) it’ll carry a portrait of its namesake on the first deck, developed by Walt Disney Imagineering, alongside a plaque sharing her story for generations of future guests crossing Seven Seas Lagoon.
This marks the first ferryboat fleet expansion since 1976, and construction has actually been happening in pieces at a Florida marina before being shipped to Disney property for final assembly, painting, and finishing touches. The timing tracks with growing demand at Magic Kingdom, especially with expansions like Piston Peak National Park on the way in the years ahead — more people means more boats needed to move them across the lagoon.
Between the Cast Member signatures and the tribute to Meg Crofton’s legacy, this new ferryboat is shaping up to carry a genuinely meaningful piece of Disney World history before it even sets sail.
Are you Team Ferryboat or Team Monorail for getting to Magic Kingdom? Let me know if you’re excited for the Meg Gilbert Crofton to join the fleet!
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