Disney Expands Magic Kingdom Ferry Fleet with Fourth Boat Launching in 2027

May 01, 2026 in "Magic Kingdom Ferry boats"

Gallery / 8 Photos
Meg Gilbert Crofton - Magic Kingdom's Fourth Ferry Boat

See all 8

Posted: Friday May 1, 2026 9:03am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney is adding a fourth ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom fleet for the first time since 1976. The new vessel is expected to launch in 2027, growing the Seven Seas Lagoon fleet from three to four boats.

Meg Gilbert Crofton - Magic Kingdom's Fourth Ferry Boat

The new 120-foot ferry is already under construction at a marina in Florida. Disney plans to ship it in pieces to the resort over the coming weeks before assembling, painting, and completing the final fit-out on property. That process will take approximately one year.

Magic Kingdom ferryboat

Naming the New Boat

The fourth ferry will be named the Meg Gilbert Crofton, after Walt Disney World's fourth president. The existing three boats — the Admiral Joe Fowler, the General Joe Potter, and the Richard F. Irvine — were renamed in 1997 to honor individuals instrumental in making the resort a reality. The new boat continues that tradition.

Meg Crofton Opening of Art of Animation Resort 2012

Meg Crofton began her Disney career in 1977 as a marketing manager and served as Walt Disney World president from 2006 to 2013. During her tenure, she oversaw New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom — the resort's first major theme park expansion since Animal Kingdom opened. That project brought Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Be Our Guest Restaurant to the park. She also opened Disney's Art of Animation Resort in 2012.

A portrait of Crofton, developed by Walt Disney Imagineering, will be displayed on the first deck of the new vessel alongside a plaque telling her story.

Meg Crofton Ferry Boat Portrait

"I was humbled to learn that my name would be on this new ferryboat," Crofton said. "It means so much to be recognized by the cast members I had the privilege of working with for so many years."

Crofton received a window on Main Street, U.S.A. in 2015, identifying her as the founder of the Center for Leadership Development.

Magic Kingdom Expansion

The new ferry boat arrives as Magic Kingdom undergoes its largest expansion ever. The queue expansion permit recently approved by the South Florida Water Management District for the existing ferry docks at Seven Seas Lagoon suggests Disney is preparing the infrastructure to handle increased capacity.

The new vessel will have a similar capacity, look, and feel to the existing three boats. No specific launch date within 2027 has been announced.

Admiral Fowler Ferryboat Magic Kingdom

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

lazyboy97o28 days ago

Frank Well lead the company during significant expansion of Walt Disney World that included multiple hotels, two water parks and two theme parks. Card Walker was Roy’s COO who oversaw the initial building of Walt Disney World and then lead the company to build EPCOT Center. Marty Sklar lead Walt Disney Imagineering from the late 70s into the 00s. Was a major figure in the creative development of EPCOT Center and then supervised all of the hotels, parks and other offerings added in the 80s and 90s. Duck Nunis was a major figure in the initial development of Walt Disney World and went on to lead operations of Disneyland and Walt Disney World for years while, including the aforementioned expansion of the 80s and 90s. John Hench was a lead creative on Magic Kingdom, including Cinderella Castle and Space Mountain. He then lead creative development on EPCOT Center and continued to be a senior creative at Walt Disney Imagineering through the 80s and 90s.

lazyboy97o28 days ago

None of those you list were major influences on Walt Disney World. Kim Irvine’s career was almost entirely at Disneyland.

TrainsOfDisney28 days ago

Do you mean the design of it?

Mr. Sullivan28 days ago

Only two of these people really had any hand in WDW

FettFan28 days ago

Just because one is the first at something doesn’t necessarily mean they are good at it. It’s sad that we honor empty corporate lackeys because “first woman!” instead of true visionaries. Mary Blair? Harriet Burns? Alice Davis? Kim Irvine? Nope, name it after the first female board room member who helped start mucking things up at the behest of Darth Iger.

FettFan28 days ago

More importantly we see our beloved Liberty Belle still intact and just waiting.

FettFan28 days ago

Should have named it the Frank Wells, given the role he played in shaping the Disney Renaissance… I would also accept the E. Cardon Walker, the Marty Sklar, the Richard Nunis or the John Hench.

DCBaker28 days ago

In a new aerial photo from bioreconstruct, you can spot the new ferry boat starting to be assembled:

Jon81ukMay 06, 2026

I think this is the key thing, I think it seems like they wanted to avoid four men's names across the boats and were keen to acknowledge a woman strongly connected with WDW. A lot of people are suggesting other men they could have used and there was a few women of Imagineering that were named in this thread but the first woman to lead WDW seems fitting.

SirwalterraleighMay 05, 2026

That’s probably not much of a concern…more ferries would likely be replacements more than adds. That’s probably what this one is coming in medium to long term

SirwalterraleighMay 05, 2026

Carrying a bucket for Meg Crofton…a rather forgettable underling of bobs empire? …that’s bold, cotton

SirwalterraleighMay 05, 2026

I think a more likely idea is just charge $100 for the lot to anyone. They don’t cater to APs…merely tolerate them. Never really. Been decades

PurduevianMay 05, 2026

This theoretical new lot would not have a tram, monorail, or boat. It could also help prevent disney from buying a 5th or 6th ferry boat in the future if it took enough strain off the TTC.

flynnibusMay 05, 2026

Customers aren't nominating and voting on people. The lady didn't find a job title on the ground either.. she apparently did the job enough that she kept getting promoted. It is, because it's asking me to back a judgement when I wasn't the one making the judgement in the first place. We do not start with the assumption that someone is garbage until proven otherwise. But here, person is being painted as unworthy because.. they were in HR in career building roles? FACING. The honor is given to the person being named -- Not because they expect the guests to applaud them.