As Magic Kingdom gears up for its largest expansion in history, Walt Disney World is also preparing for the additional guest capacity that comes with it. A fourth ferryboat is joining the fleet on Seven Seas Lagoon, and it’s a long time coming.
A First in Nearly 50 Years
Can you believe the last time a new ferryboat was added to the Magic Kingdom fleet was in 1976? The new 120-foot vessel is currently being designed and built at a Florida marina, with plans to ship it in pieces to Walt Disney World over the coming weeks. Assembly, paint, and finishing touches will follow, putting the boat’s debut at sometime in 2027.
Meet the Meg Crofton
The new boat will carry the name of Meg Gilbert Crofton, Walt Disney World’s fourth president; making this the first ferryboat in the fleet named after a woman. The existing ferry trio of the Admiral Joe Fowler, the General Joe Potter, and the Richard F. Irvine were all rechristened in 1997 and have each gone through major refurbishments in recent years.
Like her counterparts, the Meg Crofton will feature a portrait on the first deck, developed by Walt Disney Imagineering and paired with a plaque telling her story.
Crofton herself didn’t hold back upon hearing the news: “I was humbled to learn that my name would be on this new ferryboat. It means so much to be recognized by the cast members I had the privilege of working with for so many years.”
The Legacy Behind the Name
Crofton’s Disney story began in 1977 when she joined the company as a marketing manager. She climbed through the ranks before being named Walt Disney World president in 2006, a role she held until 2013.
Her tenure included overseeing the opening of New Fantasyland (the resort’s biggest theme park expansion since Animal Kingdom launched) which brought Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Be Our Guest Restaurant, and more to Magic Kingdom. She also opened Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in 2012.
The Disney Parks Blog captured her impact well, noting that what made her truly remarkable was the legacy she left with the people she led, driven by a genuine belief in what lasts: how you make others feel.
In 2015, Crofton received a Main Street, U.S.A. window recognizing her as the founder of the “Center for Leadership Development,” with the motto: “We start leaders on their journeys.” She retired from Disney that same year.
How do you feel about a fourth ferry boat being added to Seven Seas Lagoon?
