I'm sure the news would leak out. It also likely wouldn't be just as simple as ordering some trains. They would likely upgrade the system to accommodate Innovia 200 trains (I doubt Bombardier would build Innovia 100's for them). Much of the automation technology going into place right now would make a smoother transition though.
Agreed. The monorail is one of Disney's best marketing images, Give almost any American (or Canadian) a one second glimpse of one of Disney's monorails and they'll instantly associate it with Disney parks, and many of those folk will be able to tell you which location: DL or WDW.
I think it safe to say it's a love/hate relationship. I would think they love the marketing aspect of it and it's association with the Disney "brand", but don't like that it's set up as a required transportation system for the resort and the costs that come along with that. I'm sure they would prefer it just be an attraction in the park.
The work at the TTC is related to emergency exit from the platforms. The work on the track is for the automation system to take drivers out of the equation.
It could be, and this is purely speculation. Maybe they decided to spread the costs of upgrading the system out over time, put in the automation now, keep the trains running and in somewhat decent shape, then later on purchase new trains.
There is no INNOVIA 100 and the INNOVIA 200 is based on the Mark VI at Walt Disney World. Before the INNOVIA branding the 200s were called the M-VI.
What I am describing is a little more extensive. I would take it off completely tear it down and rebuild it. They just put Pink and Purple together and rebuilt two cabs. I would also think it would be a good opportunity to completely update the trains, new interior design, guest accessible cabs, new door design etc.
The Innovia 200 or M VI is quite a bit more advanced than the Mark VI. Innovia 200 is the 2nd generation of the Mark VI and Innovia 300 is the 3rd Generation of the Mark VI. So yes there is no Innovia 100, but if Bombardier built one I'm sure that's what they would call it.
There isn't that big of a difference. And the 300s are a completely different suspension system that is derived from the later Alweg design, not the earlier design that the Disney monorails utilize.
The Innovia 200 has a completely different suspension system also. Quite a bit of time passed from when they built the Mark VI and the Innovia 200. They put a lot of advancements into the train. It's a similar form factor to the Mark VI but that's about it. I don't think they just randomly chose the 200 number for their second generation of that style of train.
It's the same large wheel system. If you're going to look at naming why wasn't the M-VI called the M-VII?
Well in any case in 1989 they built the Mark VI's and they built the M-VI/Innovia 200 in 2003. A lot changed in that timespan and a lot of newer technology was introduced. I have always assumed they referred to their 2nd generation train as 200 and the 3rd as 300 implying that their first would be 100 if they built it today. Obviously only Bombardier would be able to answer that. I guess the name itself is kind of irrelevant. One thing we do no for certain is that if you took a LV Innovia 200 off the track and brought it to WDW it wouldn't even run as is without some extensive modification to the system.
That is more because the INNOVIA 200s are designed to be driverless. They would fit just fine on the beam way and if they had manual controls would be able to drive. Las Vegas went from Walt Disney World Mark IVs to M-VIs. The costs of new trains are more about the way transit grade vehicles are designed and built, because they are supposed to last and be rebuilt over many years.
The entire power system would need to be changed to support the required 750 VDC the M-VI requires as opposed to the 600VDC system in place.
