Credit: ITMSelf-driving cars were once a futuristic idea you saw in movies. Now they’re cruising Orlando’s busiest tourist corridors, and a new video is sparking a very real conversation about how they handle everyday traffic. A clip shared on social media shows a Waymo vehicle apparently entering an intersection near Universal Orlando Resort while the light was red.
Nobody was hurt, and no cars were hit. But the video has people wondering what it means for visitors who might hop in one on their next trip, including those planning a Disney vacation. Here’s what the video shows, what Waymo has said about Orlando, and where the service stands near Walt Disney World.
What the Video Shows
The clip was posted to Threads by a user named @melisaunfiltered on Sunday, October 4. They said it happened at the intersection of Kirkman Road and Carrier Drive. In the footage, the van is seen inching forward into the intersection while the light is red. By the time the light turns green, the Waymo is about halfway through. No cars were hit.
The poster tagged the company and didn’t hold back. “One of your cars ran a red light today at a major intersection near Universal Orlando,” they wrote. “This is a serious safety concern.”
View on Threads
It’s worth being careful here. This is one video from one social media user, and the description of what happened comes from that post and the clip itself. The information available doesn’t include a response from Waymo or an explanation of why the vehicle entered the intersection the way it did.
How Waymo Ended Up in Orlando
Waymo vehicles arrived in Orlando earlier this year. The self-driving service also operates in other cities, including Dallas and Houston, and the company has big plans. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said, “Waymo is serving more riders than ever, as we are on track to serve over one million rides per week by the end of this year.”
She added, “Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando are critical to our plans, as we lay groundwork for service in 20+ cities. Each community has its own unique charm and transportation needs, and we’re eager to provide a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to travel.”
The company has also worked with Lighthouse Central Florida, an organization that helps people with vision loss lead independent lives, to make sure the service meets a variety of community needs.
Where Waymo Operates in Orlando
But the Disney situation is more limited than the map might suggest. Public passenger rides do not currently serve the Walt Disney World theme parks or resorts. Waymo operates in parts of the Orlando tourist district and downtown, and test vehicles have been spotted mapping and operating near Disney areas. Full commercial availability for riders at Walt Disney World hasn’t launched.
Why a Video Like This Gets Attention
Intersections near major resorts are some of the most crowded places in Central Florida. Tourists unfamiliar with the roads, rental cars, shuttles, and pedestrians all share the same space. When a self-driving vehicle appears to misjudge a signal in an area like that, it naturally draws scrutiny.
A single clip doesn’t tell us how Waymo performs overall, and it doesn’t prove a pattern. Questions about how any driver, human or automated, behaves at a busy intersection are fair to ask, and the answers matter most to people who don’t know the roads. It does highlight why visitors are paying attention to how these vehicles behave in busy tourist zones.
Planning Transportation for Your Disney Trip
If you’re splitting your trip between Disney and Universal, it’s smart to check Waymo’s current service area in its app before counting on it for a ride. Service areas can change, and availability near Disney may expand in the future.
Whatever you choose, stay alert at intersections. If you’re crossing streets near resorts, wait for the signal, look both ways, and don’t assume any vehicle, human driven or autonomous, will stop. If you ever feel unsafe in a ride, you can contact the service or end the trip as soon as it’s safe to do so.
What do you think about self-driving cars in Orlando’s tourist areas? Tell us in the comments whether you’d ride in a Waymo on a vacation, and share any experiences you’ve had getting around Orlando.
