The fourth Magic Kingdom ferryboat is taking shape backstage at Walt Disney World. New aerial photos show the vessel’s first deck fully formed, sitting on cradle supports outside its assembly building. The boat remains in bare primer, with no paint or other details applied yet. Plenty of work remains before the Meg Gilbert Crofton reaches the Seven Seas Lagoon.
New Aerial Photos Show the Fourth Ferryboat’s First Deck Coming Together
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- A look at the assembled first deck of the fourth Magic Kingdom ferryboat
- Why this appears to be only the lower level of a two-deck vessel
- Where the boat is being assembled
- The full story so far, from approval to assembly
- What we’re still watching for as construction continues
The First Deck Comes Together
New aerial photos from friend of the site Bioreconstruct show the fourth Magic Kingdom ferryboat with its first deck now fully formed. The elongated, double-pointed hull is unmistakable, surrounded by a safety railing and resting on cradle supports outside a large building.
The deck sits in bare primer gray, with no paint or other details. Open rectangular cutouts run along the centerline, marking where structures and fittings will eventually go – perhaps the motors and stacks. A yellow mobile crane and an orange boom lift work alongside the vessel.
This Is Just the First Deck
So far, this appears to be just the first deck of the vessel. The current Magic Kingdom ferryboats stand two levels tall, and the upper deck that gives them their familiar look is not yet in place for the Crofton.
What you see in these photos is the lower level, built out and ready for the next phase of vertical assembly. Several dark structures with yellow strapping sit staged along the deck, positioned midship, roughly where the stacks would be on the existing fleet. We won’t guess at their exact purpose yet, but their placement is worth noting as the build progresses.
Backstage Buildout
Assembly is taking place at a backstage marina north of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The location sits well outside guest areas, which is why these aerial photos are the only way to track progress.
As Disney confirmed earlier, the boat was built in pieces at a marina in Florida and shipped to property for assembly, painting, and finishing on site. The entire on-property process was expected to take roughly a year, pointing toward a 2027 debut on the Seven Seas Lagoon.
The Story So Far
- Walt Disney World received approval for the Magic Kingdom ferryboat expansion project in March 2026.
- Disney then announced the fourth ferryboat would debut in 2027, naming it the Meg Gilbert Crofton after the resort’s fourth president.
- We exclusively reported that assembly had begun on the new vessel in May 2026.
- Aerial photos soon confirmed that assembly was underway near the Seven Seas Lagoon.
- Disney later began construction on an expanded ferryboat dock at Magic Kingdom to handle the growing fleet.
What We’re Watching Next
The next milestone is vertical. We’ll be watching for the second deck to go up, which will transform this flat lower level into the recognizable two-story ferryboat profile.
Paint is the other thing to watch. The fleet’s existing boats each carry their own color scheme, and the Meg Gilbert Crofton remains in primer for now. We’ve heard that the new vessel will carry a purple color scheme, but that hasn’t been announced by Disney yet.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!