so you don't at least agree that its the harder of the 3 parks to get to?
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connect the Animal Kingdom by monorail
- Thread starter POLY LOVER
- Start date
so you don't at least agree that its the harder of the 3 parks to get to?
SyracuseDisneyFan
Well-Known Member
I'd like to see all of the parks connected by monorail.
No, because it is not. It is a falsehood that has been around since the park opened in 1998.
The hardest park hop, and I am stretching the meaning of hardest "hardest", is between MK and Epcot using the precious monorail. That hop requires you to take either the express of resort monorail to the TTC and then transfer to another monorail to get to Epcot.
All of the other hops require you to only get on a single bus (or boat in the case of Epcot to DHS), no transfers.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
I think you are making a big assumption. You are saying that the reason more people don't visit AK instead of MK is because it's too hard to get to and if you just provided a monorail, it would shift people from one to the other. I don't think that's true. Epcot and DHS are not hard to get to but they do not shift the attendance away from MK in any significant way.
The fact is that people who are there for only one day want to go to MK, not because of easy access but because it is what most people think of when they think of visiting Disney World.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
I know this is off topic but how cool would it be to have a Bambi themed hotel on Lake Bambi - the Lake Bambi Resort.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
When you say "harder", do you mean it takes longer? Because from most resorts, you get to AK the exact same way you would the other parks. I agree that it is further away and thus feels a bit left out of the loop. But it certainly isn't difficult to get there.
The90skid
Well-Known Member
After reading this thread, I want to throw in my two cents! First, to those who think monorails are a more efficient mode of transportation (than the buses or even walking), there are many knowledgable folks here who can and have explained that that is simply not the case. Second, to those who think its all about the cost, think again. People on these forums enjoy hating on the accountants, but they fail to realize that Disney is not operating on a cost leadership strategy. If they were, then the monorails would be taken down asap because they are an absolute money drain. The monorails are clearly at WDW for the customer experience and the Disney brand. Therefore, I believe that for the sake of continuity, AK and DHS should be connected by monorail line. Not because it is an efficient means of transportation, but because the monorail is a symbol of WDW, and it would really connect DHS and AK to the world. Would it cost money? Absolutely, but currently Disney is in a solid financial position, and I think they can handle it, even if it is a long term project.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but this is one of the more silly statements on this thread. Of course Disney has a bucket of money, but they haven't achieved that by throwing it away or spending it on whatever improvement they might think up. There's plenty of evidence to support the idea that Disney is actually a pretty cheap company, from the way they pay their employees to the lack of speed in a lot of maintenance or repair. When they do decide to open up the purse strings and do great things, they do 'em better than just about anyone else. But those purse strings are normally pretty tight, and there's no way they're gonna open up for a monorail to DAK.
No one is "hating on accountants," but rather acknowledging the fact TWDC will no spend on a monorail/rail line to and from AK. And yes, a company that crows about its profits on a quarterly basis could have started such construction by now. Bur for them, busses are more economical....
The90skid
Well-Known Member
I think you are missing my point. If Disney truly was concerned about being "economical", the monorails would be stopped tomorrow.
Or, they recognize how much it would cost to remove them and their lines. And the fact they are an integral part of WDW....
The90skid
Well-Known Member
The costs to remove the monorail pale in comparison to the cost of operating monorails for which there is no ticket revenue. But yes, they ARE an integral part of WDW! That is what I was trying to explain, and because they are, Disney really should consider monorail lines to DHS and AK.
So, because the monorails bring in no ticket revenue, and they're costly to operate, TWDC should build more? That's not going to happen, accountant-bashing or no....
The90skid
Well-Known Member
You're still missing my point. Monorails were a money drain from the beginning; they were always about the image. I believe operating the monorails is almost like advertising expenses for Disney, and I think it is worth it. Again, if Disney was truly only concerned about the costs (a cost leadership strategy), the costs of operating a monorail are enormous on just the monorail lines they currently have. I'm sorry if I did not explain it well enough, and I did not intend for any arguments. Just wanted to share my view
I'm not missing anything. I agree the monorails are and continue to be a drain. Which is why they're not well-maintained and frequently break down. TWDC is not going to double down on such expenses when they're already determined that busses are a more economical means of transportation, and have spent monies to continue down that proverbial road....You're still missing my point. Monorails were a money drain from the beginning; they were always about the image. I believe operating the monorails is almost like advertising expenses for Disney, and I think it is worth it. Again, if Disney was truly only concerned about the costs (a cost leadership strategy), the costs of operating a monorail are enormous on just the monorail lines they currently have. I'm sorry if I did not explain it well enough, and I did not intend for any arguments. Just wanted to share my view
The90skid
Well-Known Member
Well, I am afraid we are at an impass. I still stand by my original post, but I respect your views.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
Isn't this like saying that Pirates or Space Mountain are a money drain? The monorails aren't strictly about transportation - they're about image, yes. But it's all a part of what makes the Disney resort so special. The monorails are just as important as the Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth. They're a fun ride while performing a valuable service in transporting guests around the World. And it would be incredibly cool if they were expanded to run in all the parks. But it just ain't gonna happen.
The90skid
Well-Known Member
No, not quite. Pirates and Space Mountain are within the Magic Kingdom; therefore, their operating costs are covered by the ticket revenues of the Magic Kingdom. The monorails are essentially "free". To cover their cost, they have to take money from all of the other revenue streams because the monorail does not have a direct revenue stream (i.e., monorail tickets). I agree that the monorail makes Disney special, and that in my opinion, Disney should capitalize on it and expand the monorail. I think the boost in image for the park would be worth the expense, but I don't want to rehash my arguments and bore the good people of this forum.
French Quarter
Well-Known Member
Can you say more about this? What is the operating cost of the monorails? I would have thought it was pretty cheap since there is no gas required, very little infrastructure maintenance, and fewer CMs needed To transport a larger number of guests than the buses. But I haven't seen any actual numbers. So can you explain why you are saying they are expensive to operate.
(I understand that they are expensive to build but that is a different conversation.)