I've been thinking about this for a while now. After being a long-time supporter of monorail expansion, I now have a better solution: convert existing monorail tracks into a new system that supports high-capacity peoplemover trains that would have "fixed" routes between attractions, as well as lower capacity PRT cars with "on-demand" service from the attractions to the resorts (or from resort to resort) - all sharing the same track.
To ride the PRT, you must use your resort room key at the station to call a car in for service and tell it your destination using either a smart phone app or a touch screen display at the station. A master computer would control both the peoplemover trains and the PRT cars along the same elevated guideway (or fixed "fenced"-off ground level pathway in some places, for example enroute to AK) at similar speeds and controlled so that there is never a traffic jam or collision. The stations for the peoplemover and for the PRT would be "off line" and have separate tracking so that other vehicles could "pass through" without having to slow down or stop for another vehicle that's loading guests at a station. The peoplemover trains would have the same capacity as the current monorail fleet. The tracks would be converted from a single beamway to a flat and narrow guideway. Both the peoplemover trains and the PRT cars would use the same inter-compatible technologies shared on both the guideways and the vehicles. The vehicles would use rubber tires, controlled via GPS systems, wi-fi communication with radios on the guideways and the vehicles, and use inverted electromagnet propulsion (like on the WEDway Peoplemover or the "push" found at the start of Rock 'N Rollercoaster).
New guideways that connect to the converted monorail lines could then split off and go to DHS, AK, DTD, TL, BB, and the rest of the resorts not currently on a monorail line. To save on cost, much of the new tracks could run on ground-level. For instance, there is nothing inhibiting rights of way from DHS to AK, so on ground guideways could be fenced-off next to the roads, without the need to build bridges in that area. The beautiful thing about this idea is that the peoplemover routes can always change simply by programming new routes, instead of having to knock-down and re-align the tracks. To those who will miss monorail, these new peoplemover trains and PRT cars would look sleeker and even more futuristic!
What do you think?
To ride the PRT, you must use your resort room key at the station to call a car in for service and tell it your destination using either a smart phone app or a touch screen display at the station. A master computer would control both the peoplemover trains and the PRT cars along the same elevated guideway (or fixed "fenced"-off ground level pathway in some places, for example enroute to AK) at similar speeds and controlled so that there is never a traffic jam or collision. The stations for the peoplemover and for the PRT would be "off line" and have separate tracking so that other vehicles could "pass through" without having to slow down or stop for another vehicle that's loading guests at a station. The peoplemover trains would have the same capacity as the current monorail fleet. The tracks would be converted from a single beamway to a flat and narrow guideway. Both the peoplemover trains and the PRT cars would use the same inter-compatible technologies shared on both the guideways and the vehicles. The vehicles would use rubber tires, controlled via GPS systems, wi-fi communication with radios on the guideways and the vehicles, and use inverted electromagnet propulsion (like on the WEDway Peoplemover or the "push" found at the start of Rock 'N Rollercoaster).
New guideways that connect to the converted monorail lines could then split off and go to DHS, AK, DTD, TL, BB, and the rest of the resorts not currently on a monorail line. To save on cost, much of the new tracks could run on ground-level. For instance, there is nothing inhibiting rights of way from DHS to AK, so on ground guideways could be fenced-off next to the roads, without the need to build bridges in that area. The beautiful thing about this idea is that the peoplemover routes can always change simply by programming new routes, instead of having to knock-down and re-align the tracks. To those who will miss monorail, these new peoplemover trains and PRT cars would look sleeker and even more futuristic!
What do you think?
