Any Monorail News?

[joel_maxwell]

Nice...they have a modern look yet retro feel to them. How many years before WDW gets new ones?

Lee beat me too it... and personally, i bet WDW just keeps getting the regular Mark versions with a small change inside etc etc. nothing drastic like this. IMHO they dont fit the feel of WDW. i wish though... they sure are pretty

 

[CaptainMichael]

Personally, I think monorail access to all 4 parks would increase attendance to DAK and DMGM. MK an EC have the highest attendance, they're also both on the monorail...coincidence?

 

[joel_maxwell]

Personally, I think monorail access to all 4 parks would increase attendance to DAK and DMGM. MK an EC have the highest attendance, they're also both on the monorail...coincidence?

a little, but they are also the best parks with the most entertainment.

 

[CaptainMichael]

a little, but they are also the best parks with the most entertainment.

Well, it's like they are the "main" part of Walt Disney World and the other two parks are just out there.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Lee beat me too it... and personally, i bet WDW just keeps getting the regular Mark versions with a small change inside etc etc. nothing drastic like this. IMHO they dont fit the feel of WDW. i wish though... they sure are pretty

they look like the modern take on the original monorails--so it will feel very retro for Disneyland. WDW needs to focus more on increased-capacity monorails and they could stand to update the look to feel more 21st century.

As for the attendance levels:
1.MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World 16,640,000 3.0%
3.EPCOT at Walt Disney World 10,460,000 5.5%
4.DISNEY MGM STUDIOS at Walt Disney World 9,100,000 5.0%
5.DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM 8,910,000 8.6%

MK will always have the highest attendance and the other 3 parks have similar attendance levels--Epcot is just older and has had more time to expand. Animal Kingdom is well on its way to Epcot attendance levels--if they added a couple more rides (not even E-Tickets, just fillers to help guests pass the time) and a nighttime show, they could easily reach 10m. MGM should have Epcot's levels of attendance by now, but it is a special case in that it is a park in shambles and has been neglected so long that now guests are more likely to skip it altogether in favor of the other three parks. It is also the smallest park and will need added capacity to ever approach the current MK attendance levels.

 

[Champion]

Personally, I think monorail access to all 4 parks would increase attendance to DAK and DMGM. MK an EC have the highest attendance, they're also both on the monorail...coincidence?

So you're saying that people won't go to the other parks simply because they have to take a bus and not a monorail?

So, in your logic, if you stay at anything besides a deluxe in the MK area you never go to a park, because you have to take a bus.

 

[WDWGuide]

The problem is that it seems to be too time-consuming to switch monorail trains between loops unless upgraded with *very* expensive switching systems. So, unless they solve that issue, they would have to have three separate stations at each park (one for each of the others), and a total of six separate loops to connect all four parks. That is ignoring any potential additional resort, TTC and DTD connections.

Also, monorails lacking emergency walkways are a deathtrap in case of a fire or other emergency. While their safety record has certainly been outstanding thus far, the monorails are also the most vulnerable part of WDW if some fundamentalist wanted to make a statement guaranteed to get global attention. The risk to an individual is low regardless, but the risk to the company is probably sufficient to warrant concern.

I hope that they'll consider a light rail system instead, which are cheaper and faster, but I don't think we'll see anything like that for quite a long time.

 

[joel_maxwell]

Well, it's like they are the "main" part of Walt Disney World and the other two parks are just out there.

yeh. AK worse the MGM since you can ride the boat from Epcot to MGM......

they look like the modern take on the original monorails--so it will feel very retro for Disneyland. WDW needs to focus more on increased-capacity monorails and they could stand to update the look to feel more 21st century.

As for the attendance levels:
1.MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World 16,640,000 3.0%
3.EPCOT at Walt Disney World 10,460,000 5.5%
4.DISNEY MGM STUDIOS at Walt Disney World 9,100,000 5.0%
5.DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM 8,910,000 8.6%

MK will always have the highest attendance and the other 3 parks have similar attendance levels--Epcot is just older and has had more time to expand. Animal Kingdom is well on its way to Epcot attendance levels--if they added a couple more rides (not even E-Tickets, just fillers to help guests pass the time) and a nighttime show, they could easily reach 10m. MGM should have Epcot's levels of attendance by now, but it is a special case in that it is a park in shambles and has been neglected so long that now guests are more likely to skip it altogether in favor of the other three parks.

isnt the monorail at DL basically used as an attraction (historically) in which does transport humans but isnt the most efficent way there....

 

[ToTBellHop]

isnt the monorail at DL basically used as an attraction (historically) in which does transport humans but isnt the most efficent way there....

Yes. It's a ride. The most-efficient way into and out of the park is by foot.

 

[Lee]

Yeah...and it's weird entering the park from Tomorrowland. Disorienting somehow.

Looks cool cruising around inside the park, though.

 

[PhilharMagician]

So you're saying that people won't go to the other parks simply because they have to take a bus and not a monorail?

So, in your logic, if you stay at anything besides a deluxe in the MK area you never go to a park, because you have to take a bus.

It looks like it was posted as a question not a fact.

I personally feel that the monorail does have an impact on attendance for the parks and for the restaurants in the hotels on the lines. We will plan meals and park visits knowing that we can get around much easier using the monorails. If my family is doing this I would imagine a few of the other 45+ million people that visit each year would have some of the same thoughts.

The monorail personally impacts my trip!

 

[TimeTrip]

Also, monorails lacking emergency walkways are a deathtrap in case of a fire or other emergency. While their safety record has certainly been outstanding thus far, the monorails are also the most vulnerable part of WDW if some fundamentalist wanted to make a statement guaranteed to get global attention.

Why does it feel that in every monorail discussion around these parts, people ignore the possibility of running it on the ground instead of elevated? Surely that would save money and address safety issues. There really isn't a reason to require it being elevated except at overpasses and what-not, except for the "cool factor". Right?

 

[Imaginationeer]

Because running it on the ground denies the idea of crossing over roads. There are a lot of roads and it would be hard to go around them.

 

[wherewhy]

new trains would be nice but I won't hold my breath...maybe after Disneyland gets theirs? From the concept art I saw, they look pretty sleak.

I'll let you know if they updated them yet, we'll be in DL in 2 weeks.

 

[raven]

I vote for Monorail Teal, Burgandy, and Lemon Chiffon

My vote is for my favorite color...clear. :animwink:

 

[WDWGuide]

Why does it feel that in every monorail discussion around these parts, people ignore the possibility of running it on the ground instead of elevated? Surely that would save money and address safety issues. There really isn't a reason to require it being elevated except at overpasses and what-not, except for the "cool factor". Right?

It should be possible to run them on the ground, but it would likely still be quite a bit more expensive than light rail. Who knows what will happen, but I would be surprised if they invested in the transit system (aside from buses) until WDW's development is close to being completed, and I don't anticipate that to happen for another 20-30 years (Unless visitation skyrockets and the roads are no longer able to handle the extra traffic).

 

[SoFlaDisneyFan]

It should be possible to run them on the ground, but it would likely still be quite a bit more expensive than light rail. Who knows what will happen, but I would be surprised if they invested in the transit system (aside from buses) until WDW's development is close to being completed, and I don't anticipate that to happen for another 20-30 years (Unless visitation skyrockets and the roads are no longer able to handle the extra traffic).

No, WDW's development will certainly NOT be completed in 20-30 years. Why rush to develop the LARGE remaining space so quickly? I personally feel that there is no rush and that the company is comfortable in the fact that they can continue to upgrade/expand the property for many, many years to come...beyond the lifespan of any human alive today, unless of course near-future science will allow us to live 150+ years.

 

[ToTBellHop]

There is simply no impetus for Disney to move away from the bus system--it is extremely efficient and now they are investing in audio for the journey to the parks and even video in the future to make it seem less like a bus ride and more like the Disney experience is 24/7 with no gaps--magic in the parks, magic at the resorts, and magic inbetween--from the moment you arrive at the Orlando International Airport til the moment you return to it, Disney is ever-present.

 

[Champion]

Why does it feel that in every monorail discussion around these parts, people ignore the possibility of running it on the ground instead of elevated? Surely that would save money and address safety issues. There really isn't a reason to require it being elevated except at overpasses and what-not, except for the "cool factor". Right?

First, what are you going to do at the intersections?
Second, its not the elevation that costs the larger sum of money. Its the concrete track that runs with it, not the pylons themselves, even though those are expensive as well. You would still have to bury the pylons deep enough to support the weight of the track, so you're only cutting the cost of the above ground pylons, which you won't even cut out around roads, because you need to go over it. And, with running it low and then up and down over roads, you're going to make the ride a lot less smooth.
Third, you would have to create some sort of barrier around the entire track because the track is electrified, so you can't have anyone walking near it.

The fact is that a system where you can add and subtract to specific locations at will is the best choice for WDW's guest flow.

 

[joel_maxwell]

Yeah...and it's weird entering the park from Tomorrowland. Disorienting somehow.

Looks cool cruising around inside the park, though.

i hope to have the privilege one day. i have ridden it virtually from the front.... and it was sooo much fun.