connect the Animal Kingdom by monorail

French Quarter

Well-Known Member
It depends on the situation, but, if they do indeed have to evacuate a monorail car the only what it is done is with a cherry picker type of lift truck, fire truck or other vehicle with an extendable arm. Most of the time they do not have to do that because other then no AC sitting there isn't creating any physical danger and they wait for the tow vehicle to get to them and then slowly pull them to the nearest platform. Municipal monorails like the one in Vegas has a side mounted sidewalk on the monorail tracks so if people have to get out they can walk to the nearest ladder or staircase and get back to ground level. WDW does not have that, probably because of the fact that it isn't real attractive.

That's what I thought. So there isn't really a worry of being abandoned up in the air. They can come by with emergency vehicles or give it a tow.
 

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
It depends on the situation, but, if they do indeed have to evacuate a monorail car the only what it is done is with a cherry picker type of lift truck, fire truck or other vehicle with an extendable arm. Most of the time they do not have to do that because other then no AC sitting there isn't creating any physical danger and they wait for the tow vehicle to get to them and then slowly pull them to the nearest platform. Municipal monorails like the one in Vegas has a side mounted sidewalk on the monorail tracks so if people have to get out they can walk to the nearest ladder or staircase and get back to ground level. WDW does not have that, probably because of the fact that it isn't real attractive.
View attachment 114035

Funny you mention the Vegas Monorail. Disney gave the city two of it's trains to the city when it first started..
LV022303kb08.jpg


Now they rot in a junkyard somewhere graffiti tagged and off the strip..
OldMonorailG-stroup.jpg
OldMonorailH-stroup.jpg
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
That's what I thought. So there isn't really a worry of being abandoned up in the air. They can come by with emergency vehicles or give it a tow.
I have tried to not get really graphic, but, having it break down has never been more then a massive inconvenience. That's not the worry or the liability... so here goes... they run on electricity, there are lubricating oils on the wheels and many other parts of the suspension as well as plastics and materials. Electrical fires happen! How do you get off the thing while awaiting emergency vehicles? To my knowledge, this has never happened, but, that doesn't mean it won't ever happen thus the liability and huge possible financial repercussions. If they put in utility "sidewalks" then a lot of the liability would be lessened. But the ambiance would be completely shattered.

I know it isn't likely to happen, but, up until a couple of years ago no one imagined that all the fail-safe systems would be overridden and a Monorail Pilot would be killed. But, it happened.
 

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
with all the talk about overcrowding and spreading out the guest would it be the time to connect the AK to the monorail system? You can hop all parks easily but the AK. If it were connected would more people hop and visit during their stay and thin the crowds if they could easily get there? I'm sure this has been a topic before but circumstances are different now.

No
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
I don't think you are accurate about evacuating a monorail. It's something that comes up so rarely that I'm not sure how this is done. But in the case of emergency, I am willing to bet that there is a system in place and that you wouldn't be stranded up in the air. Maybe someone else could clarify what the protocol is, for curiosity's sake?

Reedy Creek fire department has special equipment specifically for evacuating the monorails.

http://www.reedycreek.org/index.cfm...ail&PhotoID=514&catid=2&section=1&pagenum=127
 

French Quarter

Well-Known Member
I have tried to not get really graphic, but, having it break down has never been more then a massive inconvenience. That's not the worry or the liability... so here goes... they run on electricity, there are lubricating oils on the wheels and many other parts of the suspension as well as plastics and materials. Electrical fires happen! How do you get off the thing while awaiting emergency vehicles? To my knowledge, this has never happened, but, that doesn't mean it won't ever happen thus the liability and huge possible financial repercussions. If they put in utility "sidewalks" then a lot of the liability would be lessened. But the ambiance would be completely shattered.

I know it isn't likely to happen, but, up until a couple of years ago no one imagined that all the fail-safe systems would be overridden and a Monorail Pilot would be killed. But, it happened.

They are infinitely safer than buses, obviously. So I'm not getting your point.
 

morningstar

Well-Known Member
Monorails aren't about saving time or money. They're about the experience. I'd rather take half an hour to hop on a monorail than fifteen minutes on a bus. I count the monorail as a ride, so it's not wasted time. Also I don't even mind queuing for the monorail. The monorail queues feel like I'm still in the park. The bus queues feel like I'm in the parking lot.
 

POLY LOVER

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
They are infinitely safer than buses, obviously. So I'm not getting your point.

How can some claim a bus is safer? A large vehicle sharing the road with tourists usually unsure were they are heading. The bus is traveling with unseat belted standing passengers between 40 -50 mph. Also subjected to bad weather conditions. They are also subject to the drivers skills.

As opposed to a monorail on a defined track with no other traffic to deal with.
There are probably 10 times the bus accident scenarios compare to the monorail.
 

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
To summarize:
1. Ridiculously expensive to build.
2. Ridiculously expensive to operate.
3. When they go down, buses are needed to bypass them. (You can't bypass a broken monorail on that same monorail line.)
4. Most of us get our monorail fix at Epcot and Magic Kingdom.
5. For the same money, a really cool additional attraction could be built somewhere.
6. Buses, although not as fun, are far more flexible to deploy for openings/closings, etc . . .
7. Monorails were super cool in the 70's; not so much now.

I hope this is helpful.
Number 7 is debatable.
 

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