Monorail Lime
Well-Known Member
Did we ever find out why the "Walk Around the World" was scrapped? It seemed like a very useful concept and not too expensive to implement.
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2hours to get to my car...
- Thread starter Jakester
- Start date
AEfx
Well-Known Member
I'm sure you're not speaking for Disney here, regarding "if you don't like it, go somewhere else"
I do understand the history and reasoning behind it, and I'm sure AEfx does too.
The company was landlocked in Cali, and didn't have space for the "Grand Approach", but in Florida they had the land to try it. The fact that the Lagoon was created due to excavating dirt to elevate the MK no doubt contributed as well.
But I find it interesting that this type of "Grand Entrance" - making guests dependent on a transportation queue to enter and leave the park - was not duplicated for the Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong Magic Kingdoms. Perhaps experience in Florida showed them that while aesthetically interesting, this approach can cause logistical problems.
Personally, I can enjoy the "buildup" in the mornings; that is, when the monorails are running smoothly and not down or delayed, causing me to wonder if I'll miss the Welcome Show/Rope Drop even though I parked my car a full hour before park opening
In the evenings though, after the park is closed, I am less enthusiastic on nights when the park closes WITH the fireworks, there is a long queue for the monorails and ferries, and I am dead tired and just want to hit the pillow so I can wake up and do it all again at a different park the next day! In those moods, I totally understand where AEfx is coming from.
That said, on nights when the queues aren't bad and there's a nice cool nip in the air, a ferry boat ride standing on the upper deck, watching the beautiful Magic Kingdom lights fade away in the distance, can be quite lovely and sublime
Thanks for the assist, David.
Yes, David is correct. Of course we all at this board know WHY it's like that.
But, a) the average person shouldn't need to be "educated" on the way to get to the gate of the park and why it's like that, if it requires that much explanation, it's sort of useless in the first place, not to mention because b) there is no practical way to "educate" the guests before they arrive anyway so the thought is futile.
David also has similar feelings to myself. Some days, it's wonderful. The build up is great, especially when bringing people to the parks that have never been there before. However...other times make that not worth the trade-off, IMO.
Yet again, David makes another great point - they didn't duplicate this EVER again. Not because, "It's MK it's unique!" but because...it's just a poor idea in terms of logistics. And, again, it's all illusion (just like bag-check theater) - it is not land-locked, cars are parked right behind buildings that you are in, and it's a whole hell of a lot of inconvenience some times when it really is not necessary.
A walkway really needs to happen, and could be done in such a way as not to interfere with the Ferry. Although, to be quite frank, the Ferry as "classic" as it is has always felt redundant with the Riverboat in Liberty Square.
I have no problem with the distance, it's the time consuming nature, and all the things that can go wrong making it worse. I'd much rather walk out of the gates and just keep walking and finally end up at my car than have to walk out, wait in a line, get on crowded transport with more BO and germs to expose myself to (since I haven't already gotten enough all day apparently), and then have to get up and motivate again for a walk to the car finally as I've been up for 18 hours at that point and am exhausted.
So we all get the "romantic notion" of it (in fact, I believe I even specified that) but sometimes practical concerns take effect. Like many things, another option doesn't hurt anyone - you still want to use Ferry/Monorail? Go for it. I'll be using the walkway should one ever become available. It won't stop any one else from doing what they do now, just will have more options for the rest of us who are just tired of waiting in 3 lines before we even get in the park.
MysticOrient
Member
Great idea! This would provide a convenient pedestrian alternative for Floridian and Poly guests (like Contemporary guests have now).
And it would also provide a scenic and more "legitimate" walking path to the TTC as well, since there is a nice and pretty walking path connecting the Poly to the TTC
Do you think that this walkway might be completed once the "alleged" GF DVC units are built?
Frau Farbissina
Member
We just went through this too. It was a mess. Took us over an hour to get from the MK to Epcot for Epcot EMH. It's a shame. I get the reasoning behind it, but I'm still disappointed.
Biff215
Well-Known Member
Great idea! This would provide a convenient pedestrian alternative for Floridian and Poly guests (like Contemporary guests have now).
And it would also provide a scenic and more "legitimate" walking path to the TTC as well, since there is a nice and pretty walking path connecting the Poly to the TTC
I have to agree that the GF/Poly route for a walkway is the way to go. Even with a sidewalk, the Contemp side idea would be much more dangerous. The way cars and buses drive as they go under the water overpass is just plain scary. I doubt Disney would ever encourage such a trek due to the safety issues.
Biff215
Well-Known Member
Probably not, but should be considering the increased load on the system that already is having issues. This is something they should have hit DVC up for when planning the addition (and I'm a DVC member).
I wonder if this will eventually have any impact on guests choosing the park hopper option...or for those of us with APs, exercising the park hopping option. If it gets to me more and more of a pain to get from one park ot the next, guests might just start picking a park and sticking with it all day.
DonaldDoleWhip
Well-Known Member
IMO, if they had chosen to build a GF DVC north of the existing GF, then there would've been a completely sensible reason to complete the walkway. With the planned location south of GF (on the beach), I don't think anything's going to happen (unfortunately).
It would be lovely to be able to walk all the way around the lagoon.
It would be nice if they could have some kind of information in the park if the monorails shut out, Some people dont have mobile access to sites like this or anything while at the parks. I didnt know that day until i got home why the monorails werent running, or until i even got out of the park
HahaI love how people twist truth to try and make an opinion have some back up to it. The reason those parks don't have the same build up is more than likely due to space! None are anywhere near the same size as Walt Disney World and all of them have land that is at a premium far more than WDW so it wouldn't make sense along with the fact that the number of people arriving at those parks by car is much less so they do not have the huge carparks MK has. The whole sense of arrival is different at those parks due to the scale of them.
artdeco
Member
Lightning in Florida is a foreseeable event, right? That's why they have lightning protection systems on structures throughout Florida.
If you can foresee the possibility of a lightning strike disabling your business in a way that impacts your revenue, then you plan around it to mitigate that impact when it happens. Your plan is created so that you will meet your business objectives.
I am certain Disney has a plan for a completely disabled Monorail, and I deduce from this event that the plan is not to come up with effective backup transportation. More likely, the plan is to make somebody in Guest Relations work a little harder at placating angry guests.
A business decision was made which demonstrates a balance that favors cost savings over guest experience. It's no more complicated than that. And in my opinion, the balance was tipped the wrong way here.
If you can foresee the possibility of a lightning strike disabling your business in a way that impacts your revenue, then you plan around it to mitigate that impact when it happens. Your plan is created so that you will meet your business objectives.
I am certain Disney has a plan for a completely disabled Monorail, and I deduce from this event that the plan is not to come up with effective backup transportation. More likely, the plan is to make somebody in Guest Relations work a little harder at placating angry guests.
A business decision was made which demonstrates a balance that favors cost savings over guest experience. It's no more complicated than that. And in my opinion, the balance was tipped the wrong way here.
talonstruck
Member
wasnt there a gator concern?
talonstruck
Member
While Lightning is foreseeable, you still cant predict where it will strike. You can plan for it hitting stuctures but in reality it only works if it hits the protection device.
peachykeen
Well-Known Member
There is a plan. To replace the Resort Monorail, we bring up what is called the "Gold Route" bus (named because of the flag color of the launches that service those resorts) that runs MK-CO-PO-GF and back. We also bring up busses to run from MK to TTC to replace the Express beam, and of course our watercraft partners help out if any extra boats are available.
Some people just don't know or listen to CM's advice about the best way to use these backup systems. There is a backup plan.
Victor Kelly
Well-Known Member
I have been to Mk in the past where the monorails were completely down. They had busses and trams running to the parking lot. Busses to TTC, trams to the parking lot. Disney has a plan, and while it may appear poorly implemented, it does work. There are flat out, a lot of people in peak times and this makes it seem as if nothing is moving.
Transportation works their butts off when things go haywire.
Now, is there still a 3rd ferry boat? When we were there last sept and oct, there was generally only 1 running? And where is the drydock?
Transportation works their butts off when things go haywire.
Now, is there still a 3rd ferry boat? When we were there last sept and oct, there was generally only 1 running? And where is the drydock?
I think on the side of frontierland (behind splash)
peachykeen
Well-Known Member
One of the ferries is out for refurb. The dry dock used for MK watercraft is located back by Monorail shop, close to Central Shops. To get there, the ferries have to cross over the waterbridge by Contemporary and under the Monorail beam, them turn left and pass BLT then there is a waterway to reach drydock.
flynnibus
Premium Member
They could have bought land to reproduce the same effect, especially at DLP. But they chose not too. I think it's more for the idea that they weren't reproducing the 'vacation resort' concept that WDW originally had. No other location has tried to duplicate that resort environment outside the parks. The lagoon serves as the anchor to tie the original WDW attractions together, provide entertainment, setting, and the setback for the MK. Without the resort, there isn't nearly the same benefit to the lagonn.
invader
Well-Known Member
What did WDW do with the subs from the old 20,000 Leagues ride? I mean I would think they could use them to move folks across the lagoon :ROFLOL:
How sweet would that be?
I'd rather walk.