Brightline, a privately owned high-speed rail, debuted its expanded service last week linking downtown Miami to Orlando International Airport in less than four hours. It's the first privately owned passenger operator to link two major U.S. metropolitan areas in decades.

No, Disney does not own Brightline. Brightline is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States, owned by Fortress Investment Group through Florida East Coast Industries. While there was once a plan to build a Brightline station directly at Disney Springs, Disney pulled out of that specific agreement in 2022 after Brightline changed the proposed route to include a station on International Drive (the "Sunshine Corridor"). In 2026, Brightline continues to operate its high-speed service between Miami and Orlando International Airport, and while they offer shuttle connections to the Walt Disney World Resort area, they remain a completely separate corporate entity. The two companies maintain a "cooperative" relationship for tourism logistics, but Disney holds no equity in the rail line and has focused its internal efforts on its own bus, monorail, and Skyliner systems.