Are the monorails still running "backwards"?

[tonypitt]

A few weeks ago when I visited the MK I noticed that they were doing a good bit of renovation to the monorail platforms in some locations. I also noticed that instead of going straight to the MK from the ticket plaza, we actually stopped at a few hotels. I assumed that perhaps the monorail was travelling its old route "backwards" from what I was used to.

Is this still the case? It made it seem as if the ferry might be a quicker trip to the MK in light of this.

 

[MrNonacho]

Maybe you were on the Resort monorail instead of the Express?

 

[Hakunamatata]

Maybe you should have been facing the other direction?

 

[tonypitt]

Maybe you were on the Resort monorail instead of the Express?

I suppose anything is possible, but if you're leaving the MK ticket area, isn't the only monorail one that takes you to the MK? I remember that one going through the Contemporary but not stopping anywhere. The one I rode this time stopped, as I recall, at the Grand Floridian on the way to the MK.

It's been a few weeks since we've been, but it seemed like during the summer when we visited, you walked up the ramp and then loaded the monorail on the left. This last time, though, you loaded the monorail on the right. (I might have those backwards.)

It struck me as odd since the way the gates at the terminal were configured was not conducive to how they were actually loading.

Maybe it was a maintenance thing the weekend we were there. Guess I'll have to pay more attention on this trip next weekend.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I suppose anything is possible, but if you're leaving the MK ticket area, isn't the only monorail one that takes you to the MK? I remember that one going through the Contemporary but not stopping anywhere. The one I rode this time stopped, as I recall, at the Grand Floridian on the way to the MK.

It's been a few weeks since we've been, but it seemed like during the summer when we visited, you walked up the ramp and then loaded the monorail on the left. This last time, though, you loaded the monorail on the right. (I might have those backwards.)

It struck me as odd since the way the gates at the terminal were configured was not conducive to how they were actually loading.

Maybe it was a maintenance thing the weekend we were there. Guess I'll have to pay more attention on this trip next weekend.

I believe you would have stopped at the Poly as well if you stopped at the GF. You probably got on the resort monorail, and likely they had everyone going through both due to the crowds maybee?

 

[tonypitt]

I believe you would have stopped at the Poly as well if you stopped at the GF. You probably got on the resort monorail, and likely they had everyone going through both due to the crowds maybee?

Now that you mention it, we did stop at the Poly. I remembered because I had never seen it up close and thought it was neat that I finally got that opportunity.

It wasn't a peak time when I was there, so perhaps they were running things differently to allow for maintenance and such.

 

[SpectroMan]

Actually, the resort monorail usually runs backwards. The monorail pilot drives from the rear of the monorail on the resort line.

 

[Tom]

Actually, the resort monorail usually runs backwards. The monorail pilot drives from the rear of the monorail on the resort line.

HAHAHAHA! What?! Please tell me you're adding a sarcastic remark like others in this thread

It sounds like tony was indeed on the Resort Loop and may just have forgotten what happened on previous trips.

Tony, just in case you didn't know, for some reason (and I'm not trying to talk down to you if you knew this), but one monorail runs one direction and only goes between the Ticket Center and the MK, without stopping in between - this is the Express Monorail. The Resort Loop runs right beside it, in the opposite direction, and stops at the Ticket Center, MK and all resorts in between. HOpe that helps, if that's where the confusion was

 

[Narthex]

If you on it early afternoon (I think around 2:00 PM) from a possible park hop, they only run the resort/hotel monorail, not both.

 

[SpectroMan]

HAHAHAHA! What?! Please tell me you're adding a sarcastic remark like others in this thread

No I'm serious. To go into the monorail building all of the monorails are the same way. When the monorail is switched from the express rail to the resort rail, it should go the same way as the express rail. So, both lines should go the same way.

We road in the front, I'm sorry the rear, car with the pilot. He was talking about how he had to reset something from the real front of the monorail. And then went on to the explanation above.

 

[BwanaBob]

The monorails are not running 'backwards'.

BTW... they never really have run backwards.
Resort always runs clockwise... express runs counter-clockwise.

Yes... they have stopped using resort as the main train line into the MK. They stopped doing this before Spring Break, as to not confuse or congest the traffic loads on the transportation in and out of the MK.

The reason they were doing this in the first place was to install the air-gates at the MK station for both express and resort. Problem is they only finished resort-side at the MK station. Everything was put on hold untill the busy Spring Break finished up.

This will happen again... and yes, express will only take you OUT of the MK, not into...

Ferry boat is faster during this process!

 

[Tom]

No I'm serious. To go into the monorail building all of the monorails are the same way. When the monorail is switched from the express rail to the resort rail, it should go the same way as the express rail. So, both lines should go the same way.

We road in the front, I'm sorry the rear, car with the pilot. He was talking about how he had to reset something from the real front of the monorail. And then went on to the explanation above.

I guess you're inferring that there is an actual "front" to the train itself, and that depending on which rail they end up on, the pilot might be sitting in the "back" of the train. I thought you meant that the drivers were sitting in the last car of the train while driving in the other direction, LOL. As in, they couldn't really see where they were going, hahaha. I would have slapped someone if they really thought that :hammer:

 

[BwanaBob]

No I'm serious. To go into the monorail building all of the monorails are the same way. When the monorail is switched from the express rail to the resort rail, it should go the same way as the express rail. So, both lines should go the same way.

All trains can be 'run' from either end/nose.

Depending on which track they are assigned to decides which end of the train will be the master console vs. the slave or passive cabin. Usually, this is done at one of the stations (for obvious reasons).

I'm not the expert on all the intricate workings, though. You might want to ask Invero. He's the Transportation Expert.

 

[Tom]

All trains can be 'run' from either end/nose.

Depending on which track they are assigned to decides which end of the train will be the master console vs. the slave or passive cabin. Usually, this is done at one of the stations (for obvious reasons).

I'm not the expert on all the intricate workings, though. You might want to ask Invero. He's the Transportation Expert.

Thanks Bob. I knew I wasn't nuts.....well, too much!

 

[TimeTrip]

This will happen again... and yes, express will only take you OUT of the MK, not into...

I thought that when they did this before spring break, it would be only INTO the MK in the morning, then only OUT during the afternoon and later. Why wouldn't they do this again?

 

[BwanaBob]

I thought that when they did this before spring break, it would be only INTO the MK in the morning, then only OUT during the afternoon and later. Why wouldn't they do this again?

They may try something similar to this...

remember, nothing was accomplished to the express side last time. They just recently removed some of the extra railing in the load-queue on express at the MK station.

I'm sure they'll mix it up a bit.

 

[macopia]

Right now they're adding the air gates to the express unload side. In the morning, the express only drops off at the kingdom (on the load side). In the afternoon/evening, express only picks up from the kingdom.

Otherwise, you'll be directed to a ferryboat or the resort monorail.

 

[arcsbite]

maybe the world was running backwards and the monorail was parked???

if a monorail honks and there's no one at WDW to hear it...is it ok if I have the place to myself?

 

[Invero]

All trains can be 'run' from either end/nose.

Depending on which track they are assigned to decides which end of the train will be the master console vs. the slave or passive cabin. Usually, this is done at one of the stations (for obvious reasons).

I'm not the expert on all the intricate workings, though. You might want to ask Invero. He's the Transportation Expert.

The monorails can be operated out of either Cab 1 (the true front) or Cab 6. You can tell which is Cab 1, because the skirting will say Walt Disney World Monorail System on it, and below each center window on each car is the car number.

Cab 6 is used to drive on the Resort beam, since it goes clockwise. (Express goes counter clockwise) There have been times when I had to drive from TTC to MK on Express going clockwise. Sometimes, we'd switch cabs. Other times we'd just drive in reverse the entire way.

The ONLY difference between Cab 1 and Cab 6 is that the Binloop audio box is located in Cab 1. The only thing you need that for is to change which spiel to play (Resort, Express or Epcot). The actual cue buttons are on each console.




Last I checked, the Express beam is running one-way due to the installation of the gates. By that, I mean it's either inbound OR outbound traffic flow. All reverse flow traffic is directed to the resort monorail.

 

[BwanaBob]

Thanks, Tyler.

Thats why I yeilded the floor to you!

(just helped out when you weren't around!)