Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?

jbolen2

Well-Known Member
Here’s some photos I took of the Las Vegas Monorail system. This runs on the same size track as the WDW system. They are fully automated, and have emergency walkways for the entire system.

We use the monorail when we go to our convention out there every year. Staying at a hotel that has it makes getting around easier on us getting back and forth to the convention center.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
I dont need anyone to tell me how hot it is in Orlando when I can walk out of my house behind the MK and judge myself. The heat isnt "unbearable" it's typical summertime. I swear the theatrics on this forum about the "unbearable heat" are so great they deserve a Tony Award.
It's not just this board. Seems like the Hysterical Media has latched onto the heat index like it's some irrefutable proof of Man's Inhumanity to Man.
 

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
The Vegas system is pretty nice with the numerous times I've used in when in town it was reliable. The automation seemed to be well tuned. The only ("only") catch, is the cost. Now many people site the full cost per mile which is stupid as that includes some very large and expensive stations that had to go in as there was nothing behind the resorts to support it. In the case of WDW, I can't believe that new trains, evacuation walkways, and even re-routing a bit would cost anywhere near what that system cost as a total. Obviously new trains should be about the same. That said, I'm stepping off the "monorail is still a viable transportation solution" soap box.
In general, infrastructure costs more than people are able to understand. One of the Disney springs parking garages cost $58 million.
The issue with the whole “it costs so much so they won’t do it” is kinda bunk. New monorail lines, stations and trains are amortized over years and decades. All the work they’ve been doing with the overpasses, parking lots/garages, and buses costs lots of money too. (MM+/NextGen also cost as much as a monorail expansion, but we won’t rehash that) The issue that holds Monorails back more than anything is the reliance on cars at WDW and Central FL tourist destinations as a whole. WDW Phase One was inspired by E.P.C.O.T.’s reduced reliance on the automobile. You could drop off your car to a parking lot and not have to use it or any automobile based transit to get around. Crescent Lake is walkable, but isolated from the rest of property beyond its immediate neighborhood. Of course, plans were drawn up for an extension to Crescent Lake/D-MGM, but never put into place and a later expansion plan that Eisner nixed before 9/11.

Disney’s current urban plan doesn’t use Monorails due to cost but rather they’ve decided that a car based system is the only option. To them, Monorails (and gondolas) are an expensive trincket to upsell hotel rooms to insane prices to maximize profit.
 

Brad Bishop

Well-Known Member
It's not just this board. Seems like the Hysterical Media has latched onto the heat index like it's some irrefutable proof of Man's Inhumanity to Man.

I saw one headline yesterday on the news: "Heat Wave Hits Mid West - 154M At Risk!"

Reading that the takeaway is that we could lose up to 154M people over the next few days because of the heat. The reality is: It's gotten hot before. It'll get hot again. It's a slow news day when you have to make "Summer" the topic.
 

wdisney9000

Truindenashendubapreser
Premium Member
The a/c on the monorails is laughable. Unless you consider lukewarm air dribbling out of crooked/bent vents to be useful. The $30 pedestal fan in my garage does a better job.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Well, if Siemens isn't going to take over the system, and Bombardier can't crank out new ones fast enough, looks like Disney will have to bite the bullet (train) and fix the current trains.

There's precedent, with how they send the steam trains away for refurb... and if the frames/fuselages are in good shape, there's no reason why they couldn't just gut them and replace the interior systems with new components.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
The issue with the whole “it costs so much so they won’t do it” is kinda bunk. New monorail lines, stations and trains are amortized over years and decades. All the work they’ve been doing with the overpasses, parking lots/garages, and buses costs lots of money too. (MM+/NextGen also cost as much as a monorail expansion, but we won’t rehash that) The issue that holds Monorails back more than anything is the reliance on cars at WDW and Central FL tourist destinations as a whole. WDW Phase One was inspired by E.P.C.O.T.’s reduced reliance on the automobile. You could drop off your car to a parking lot and not have to use it or any automobile based transit to get around. Crescent Lake is walkable, but isolated from the rest of property beyond its immediate neighborhood. Of course, plans were drawn up for an extension to Crescent Lake/D-MGM, but never put into place and a later expansion plan that Eisner nixed before 9/11.

Disney’s current urban plan doesn’t use Monorails due to cost but rather they’ve decided that a car based system is the only option. To them, Monorails (and gondolas) are an expensive trincket to upsell hotel rooms to insane prices to maximize profit.

A car based system doesn’t require the large amount of busses they currently operate. That doesn’t mean a monorail fits in to their plans either.... but public transit is definitely a major part of the WDW resort.
 

Lensman

Well-Known Member
A car based system doesn’t require the large amount of busses they currently operate. That doesn’t mean a monorail fits in to their plans either.... but public transit is definitely a major part of the WDW resort.
I agree, I also think the tide turned with the combination of their discovery of the higher spending by captive guests combined with the number of complaints about the bus system (or just the fact that it's not a positive from a guest perspective). I also think the trend toward larger centralized resorts rather than low-rise spread-out resorts will also be a factor.
 

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
A car based system doesn’t require the large amount of busses they currently operate. That doesn’t mean a monorail fits in to their plans either.... but public transit is definitely a major part of the WDW resort.
Yes and no. The bus system can be wildly inefficient and incredibly chintzy at the same time. It undermines the guests’ trust in the bus system and makes them more likely to use Lyft/Uber, Minnie Vans or rent a car. This in turn erodes the cost benefit analysis proposition for guests to stay on property because parking is no longer free for non-DVC guests and free buses come at a cost of time. Thus increasing congestion on the same right of way the bus system uses.

Additionally, the new tower resorts don’t match the density of the low slung values or moderates, include the near 6000 room/suite Pop/AoA complex.
 

Scubacat

Active Member
i second this although your older carolla (orginally op) might not have one as entry level cars haven't gone mainstream with cabin filters until recently. BUT the car might have a slot for one even if it lacks one. get one with charcoal.
The 2005 is gen6 which is the first gen(eration) that has it. 😀 Hopefully new monorails will have such an advanced feature too. Either that or someone will spray the evaporators with coil cleaning foam once in a blue moon instead of just letting guests breathe mildew and mold, which is exactly what the deal is here.

(slightly off topic but spaceship earth must have a Yeti-like problem with its AC because it hasn't worked well in years. Probably going to be a big part of the big upcoming refurb... I'd wager that they'll have to disassemble a lot of the ride system to actually fix/replace the thing)
 

wishiwere@wdw

Well-Known Member
(Please delete if already posted and discussed)

Just saw this on the local news and it appears to have occurred during the recent power outage (edit - actually happened in 2018!) being discussed in which guests were informed they could pop out the windows. I feel for the young girl. Freak accident but it’s still a major bummer.

 
Last edited:

Rteetz

Well-Known Member
(Please delete if already posted and discussed)

Just saw this on the local news and it appears to have occurred during the recent power outage being discussed in which guests were informed they could pop out the windows. I feel for the young girl. Freak accident but it’s still a major bummer.

It claims this was last year in June 2018.
 

matt9112

Well-Known Member
The 2005 is gen6 which is the first gen(eration) that has it. 😀 Hopefully new monorails will have such an advanced feature too. Either that or someone will spray the evaporators with coil cleaning foam once in a blue moon instead of just letting guests breathe mildew and mold, which is exactly what the deal is here.

(slightly off topic but spaceship earth must have a Yeti-like problem with its AC because it hasn't worked well in years. Probably going to be a big part of the big upcoming refurb... I'd wager that they'll have to disassemble a lot of the ride system to actually fix/replace the thing)

just a guess but i believe it has been alluded to that its just turned down (or up) depending on your deffinition for cost savings or something?
 

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