We're taking a short break from our usual focus on freight trains and instead turning our attention to train rides. In this video, we take a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad in Orlando, Florida.

Walt Disney was a lifelong lover of trains, so it's no coincidence that the Walt Disney World Railroad made its maiden run on October 1, 1971, the same day that Magic Kingdom opened. The narrow-gauge railroad's route around the park is about 1.5 miles long, and the full loop is known as "The Grand Circle Tour." Completing the tour takes about 20 minutes, including stops at each of the railroad's three stations. Two or three trains run simultaneously each day, depending on how busy the park is. Each train is powered by one of the park's four steam locomotives and includes five passenger cars; each passenger car holds approximately 75 people, giving each train a total capacity of about 375 passengers.

At 0:30, our first-person ride along "The Grand Circle Tour" begins at the Main Street USA Station, near Magic Kingdom's main entrance. We pass through a short tunnel and Splash Mountain before stopping at the Frontierland Station.

At 3:38, our ride continues as we pass the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster and traverse a swing bridge over a canal (which connects to Rivers of America) before stopping again at the Fantasyland Station.

At 8:02, our ride concludes as we pass Tomorrowland Speedway, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover and the Space Mountain roller coaster before returning to Main Street USA.

At 11:04, we offer a look at an arriving train from the outside, as seen from the Fantasyland Station. The steam engine shown is WDWRR 2, known as Lilly Belle; it was originally built in 1928 and is named after Lillian Disney, Walt's wife.

All clips were recorded in April 2017, with occasional commentary from our fellow passengers.

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