EPCOT Resorts Cancelled Monorail Loop

[alissafalco]

I never understood the "expense of construction" (or the "million per mile" urban legend). It's a bunch of cement pylons and "rails" (beams) that are pre-fabbed. Connect the juice, build a station where necessary and off you go.

The complicated part is the construction around existing infrastructure.

The million per mile isn't an urban legend. On the history channels " Modern Marvels" tv show, they showed the building of EPCOT. They also showed the building of the Epcot monorail and they said in 1979 it cost them a million per mile to expand and build. So that's what it cost in 79!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The costs for Monorails have come down over the last few years making them much more cost effective. A on line search has piles of systems and costs, some very expensive and others much more cost effective. Today a average system costs the same as a road (1 1/2 lanes in each direction).

If WDW does expend the monorail system, I believe it would be more likely to see loops from resorts to the AK, HS and Epcot.

Now all that said, I really see a light rail or a pod system being built, covering the resorts and parks. This type of system is the coming thing, it consists for cars or pods of varying size to fit the capacity needs, and travels over a rail or rails or roadway, computer controlled. Since it will be on the ground for the most part, with some elevated areas, it would be more cost effective.

This system would be especially effective if combined with a station for guest arriving form outside the park/airports.


Time will tell.

AKK

 

[danlb_2000]

In my research so far, I've identified three ways costs of an extension could be lowered.

1. Use of existing components and infrastructure, such as the buried footers. I've confirmed only one exists east of Future World.

2. Combining future extensions with larger future developments that overlap territory. For example, to the east of EPCOT, as well as NW (west of Living Seas and north of the EPCOT resorts), and directly south and center World Showcase are vacant land zoned for future development. Structures for these developments can be designed to support a monorail line running through them (ala Contemporary) and lowering overall costs.

3. Place the order whenever the LV monorail (which is based on the same specifications) places its order for the planned extension of that system (to the LV Airport). Placing the order for the parts with Bombardiar together in a single production run will lower the costs for both systems' extensions!

Where did you find this confirmation?

 

[Goofyernmost]

Indeed...

Thanks Martin

That's the most logical route design that I have ever seen. Great idea...they should do it.

lego606 said: ↑

That's a crazy long route just to get to Epcot. You have to go all the way to the Studios and back?​

​

It's not as long as it might seem. When the monorail originally started from MK to EPCOT it was designed to run on the opposite rail. With the design shown above if they left MK on the right hand rail they would have stopped and let passengers off before entering EPCOT, then proceeded on to DHS. It wouldn't have altered the time for EPCOT at all, in fact, would have made it shorter. It would have dropped off passengers in DHS and Picked up at the same location (other side) and then have made it's way back to EPCOT to pick up and continue on to MK. I really wish they would have done this. It was quite workable. I would have required a third train on the route daily. Oh, well! Whatcha gonna do?​

​

 

[PeterAlt]

Where did you find this confirmation?

I took the EPCOT Center blueprints and overlaid it on top of the satellite imagery. Spent way too much time making sure all the buildings and roads lined up perfectly so that there was no room for error. The eastern spur passes over the buried footer perfectly centered and exactly where it should be, according to the blueprint. To be that accurate (we're talking mere inches of accuracy), it can't be coincidence and is therefore confirmation. There are other out of place large concrete blocks in the middle of nowhere that I suspect could be footers but I have no way to verify or identify what these are yet. Another interesting thing is, after superimposing the blueprint of the satellite imagery, I noticed that the path follows already cleared lines in the forest and continues off the area of the blue print. I suspect this was cleared to help plan the system from satellite imagery like what I'm doing. An odd thing is that these cleared lines lead to full circles that are as wide as the SSE monorail roundabout. Could planners have considered the use of roundabouts as an advanced switching feature (or as a mechanism for creating "off-line" loading platforms) throughout the planned system in multiple locations?

 

[litaljohn]

I dunno, before Disney expands the monorail track I think they need to improve their tech quite a bit. they desperately need to find an innovative way to secretly spray deodorant on everyone to make those later monorail trips manageable. if they ever do that or solve it with better air systems or something then I'm fully on board for them to do whatever they want.

 

[marni1971]

In my research so far, I've identified three ways costs of an extension could be lowered.

1. Use of existing components and infrastructure, such as the buried footers. I've confirmed only one exists east of Future World.

Can you post a shot of the eastern footer appearing on plan? Whilst art shows the eastern spur, I've never come across an actual indication of its position.

 

[PeterAlt]

See http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/as-promised-my-monorail-plan.862991/

 

[PeterAlt]

Can you post a shot of the eastern footer appearing on plan? Whilst art shows the eastern spur, I've never come across an actual indication of its position.

Yes, I will. Give me some time. I just posted the DHS portion of my monorail plan.

 

[Computer Magic]

I'm like that kid that always likes to be told the same bedtime story over and over again...

"A long time ago, the Walt Disney Co. planned to extend the Walt Disney World monorail system, but due to difficult economics and a national recession, those plans were shelved in favor of more buses..."

Buses didn't come into play until more resorts outside the monorails were built which was about the time Studios was built.

I guess my point being they scraped the monorail for a bus system

See link of resorts opening http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disn_World#On-site_Disney_resorts

 

[PeterAlt]

Key points to my plan:

• New multi-level DHS Parking Structure allows for expansion of DHS within existing parking lot
• DHS parking structure doubles as a monorail station and Intermodal Center
• New on/off ramps from World Drive spiral into and out of the new DHS Parking Structure
• New ground-level light rail line connects DHS Intermodal Center, Disney Springs, and Animal Kingdom
• Light rail will elevate over roads and through the DHS Intermodal Center
• A diamond-shape spur (with switches) continues the EPCOT monorail loop at World Drive to a new loop through the DHS Parking Structure to the DHS Intermodal Center
• Elevated walkways lead to Fantasia Gardens and the DHS entrance from the DHS Intermodal Center
• New DHS entrance near Fantasmic!
• Elevated moving sidewalks connect Disney Boardwalk and Typhoon Lagoon (not shown)
• Use of existing buried monorail footer to extend the EPCOT loop via a new spur and switch east of SSE for an extremely short distance to a new development on nearby vacant land (off the map) already zoned for future development that would include a hotel, convention center, emergency services, light retail, and intermodal center for the light rail line
• Diamond shaped spur and switch (off the map) connecting EPCOT and Magic Kingdom monorail lines into a single continuous loop
• Portions of this plan can be paid for as part of the DHS overhaul

 

[tem325]

I'm like that kid that always likes to be told the same bedtime story over and over again...

"A long time ago, the Walt Disney Co. planned to extend the Walt Disney World monorail system, but due to difficult economics and a national recession, those plans were shelved in favor of more buses..."

I really wonder how much money DW saved by using busses instead of an extended monorail for more resorts. What I would really like to see is at least a monorail expansion to connect all four of the parks together---that would be very convenient!!!

 

[marni1971]

Yes, I will. Give me some time. I just posted the DHS portion of my monorail plan.

Please do. A quick screenshot will suffice. I've only had confirmation of the western footers in Futureworld, and even so there is another proposal to loop the DHS spur north of The Seas as opposed to south of The Land

 

[PeterAlt]

Please do. A quick screenshot will suffice. I've only had confirmation of the western footers in Futureworld, and even so there is another proposal to loop the DHS spur north of The Seas as opposed to south of The Land

In the meantime, please comment on my plan. It is literally months in the making! In other words, I put A LOT of thought and research into it. It would save Disney a ton of money, while also allowing DHS expansion and maximize profit potential through leveraged land use.

 

[marni1971]

In the meantime, please comment on my plan. It is literally months in the making! In other words, I put A LOT of thought and research into it. It would save Disney a ton of money, while also allowing DHS expansion and maximize profit potential through leveraged land use.

TDO do know that the busses are a finite service and a resort wide, separate transit system will be needed sometime.

Do you plan on serving the Epcot resort area? As it stands, the DHS monorail plan I posted does so, indicating there is a desire to do so. They also have three proposals for serving the CBR / POP / AoA area, one of which is monorail based. Is that a consideration too?

 

[PeterAlt]

TDO do know that the busses are a finite service and a resort wide, separate transit system will be needed sometime.

Do you plan on serving the Epcot resort area? As it stands, the DHS monorail plan I posted does so, indicating there is a desire to do so. They also have three proposals for serving the CBR / POP / AoA area, one of which is monorail based. Is that a consideration too?

Not shown on my map are elevated walkways with moving sidewalks that go from the DHS Intermodal Center to the EPCOT Resorts. It could alternative be an expansion of the Fantasia Gardens elevated walkway. I have to take a closer look before I add this element to my plan. The light rail would also connect Coronado Springs, AKL, the water parks, etc. I'll make a separate map for the light rail route.

Also not shown would be a monorail diamond spur and switch combining the EPCOT line with the Magic Kingdom line into one continuous loop.

 

[PeterAlt]

The elevated moving sidewalk to the Boardwalk would be better placed across the street at a light rail stop rather than the DHSIC.

Elevated moving sidewalks would be placed at light rail stops to connect it to resorts it goes near but not through. Another could be placed at a stop near Typhoon Lagoon and into Typhoon Lagoon. Maybe even from Disney Springs to Typhoon Lagoon. I need to figure out distance and cost before I put these into the map.

 

[PeterAlt]

Please do. A quick screenshot will suffice. I've only had confirmation of the western footers in Futureworld, and even so there is another proposal to loop the DHS spur north of The Seas as opposed to south of The Land

Here's your quick screenshot. It's not the best of quality...

 

[PeterAlt]

 

[PeterAlt]

This concept art of Horizons shows the easterly spur in the background.