Autonomous Vehicles Have Arrived in Orlando – Is Disney World Next?
Guests visiting Walt Disney World may soon have another transportation option at their disposal, as Waymo has launched autonomous rides in Orlando.
According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, the first Waymo passenger in the city was Mayor Buddy Dyer, who took an eight-minute trip through downtown on Tuesday.
Photo: Spectrum News 13
“It’s an exciting day here in the city of Orlando,” Dyer said. “We like to think of ourselves as a future-ready city, so embracing new technology is important.”
Although Waymo has officially arrived in Orlando, only users who have received an invitation through the Waymo app can currently schedule rides.
Photo: Central Florida Public Media
“As soon as we’re ready to invite more and more people day by day, week by week, it’ll go to your email and there will be a code that you put into your app,” said Waymo spokesperson Mark Lewis. “So we don’t have 10,000 people competing for just two dozen vehicles.”
The Vehicles Are Not Operating on Expressways or Highways
It should be noted that the vehicles are presently limited to a 60-mile service area that stretches west of downtown along the I-4 corridor and Florida Turnpike. The autonomous cars will not operate on expressways or interstate highways.
Photo: Fox 35
Eventually, however, Waymo intends to broaden its service area.
With Waymo breaking into Orlando’s autonomous vehicle market, Tesla is expected to follow soon. The company’s driverless cars are anticipated to launch in both Orlando and Tampa by June.
Safety Concerns?
While some concerns have been raised about the safety of driverless vehicles, Waymo reports that its cars have been involved in 11 times fewer serious injury collisions than human-driven vehicles.
Photo: Waymo
Dyer echoed that sentiment.
“We hear anytime there’s an accident and it’s a self-driving car, but there are far more accidents with people driving cars than self-driving cars,” he said.
Perhaps one day, we will see autonomous vehicles traveling the roadways of Walt Disney World.
As always, be sure to check back with MickeyBlog. We will continue to keep you updated on all the latest news coming out of Walt Disney World.
