Disneyland gets new Monorail Trains!!!! First in 20 years!!!

wbboy29

Member
Original Poster
I just saw this article in the OCRegister online. Just makes me wonder if WDW will be getting any new trains in the next few years. I know the WDW monorails are bigger, so we couldn't get the exact same ones but just makes you wonder. By the way I LOVE the look of the new trains. Very cool. Pictures are posted after the article (photos courtesy of the OCRegister)


New monorail arrives at Disneyland
Guests will be able to ride the new train starting in February. The first car shipped in today.
By SARAH TULLY
The Orange County Register

ANAHEIM – The first new monorail car in two decades slid onto the Disneyland track on Thursday as the theme park prepares for guests to ride it starting in late February.

Starting Monday, five flat-bed trucks transported in the five cars of the first redesigned train from Vancouver, Canada, where they were built. Crews ripped off white shrink wrap, which made the cars look like a Space Shuttle, and took about an hour and 15 minutes for a crane to hoist the nose of the first red-striped train to the parking area.

The ride started in 1959 as part of Disneyland's first expansion and the current cars have carted visitors around the Disney area since 1987. For three years, Disney Imagineers have been working on the upgrades that will roll out through the summer.

"I think we're always looking for ways to update and refresh classic attractions," said Scot Drake, the monorail lead designer. "This is definitely an iconic attraction."

The biggest change is the look of the train: The first electric cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Bench seats will face the windows, allowing visitors a full view of the parks, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel. The capacity and speed will remain the same.

Until the February debut, Disney workers will put finishing touches on the construction and test the train after the park closes.


mon1.jpg


mon2.jpg


mon3.jpg



So, what do you think?
 

WeLComeHomE OKW

Active Member
That is absolutely the coolest thing i have ever seen.

I want one.

ARGH!!! SO COOL!!!!

I want to go visit in February just to experience it.

At least Disneyland is getting the treatment it needs.

Poor Spaceship Earth...
 

DisneyYorkian74

Active Member
I hope WDW never gets those monorail cars.

I don't like the retro 1960's future look they have to them.

I'm also not really fond of the color scheme.

I definitely think they should stick to the monorail design they have been using for decades now.
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Yes, when do we get our new monorails? Personaly, the new model is cool looking, but as DisneyYorkian74 said, a little too retro and not enough future looking for me.

Still, you can't beat the fact that they're new.
 

DisneySaint

Well-Known Member
Retro is only cool if we've done the modern/futuristic thing successfully and - needless to say - we are not even close to that.
 

wbboy29

Member
Original Poster
I hope WDW never gets those monorail cars.

I don't like the retro 1960's future look they have to them.

I'm also not really fond of the color scheme.

I definitely think they should stick to the monorail design they have been using for decades now.

Really!?! Oh man, I LOVE the new look and color scheme. I love the fact that monorail red or blue or purple, will actually be red & blue & purple, not just have a stripe representing the color of the train. And I think that retro look is SO cool. But I'm really into the retro stuff, so........ hahaha.
 

EpcotServo

Well-Known Member
Ooooo....SHINY!


I want em'.....I'm kind of getting tired of our Monorail's "Smelllikepeeandgetbackedupallthetime" features.

:cry:
:lol:
 

DisneyYorkian74

Active Member
Really!?! Oh man, I LOVE the new look and color scheme. I love the fact that monorail red or blue or purple, will actually be red & blue & purple, not just have a stripe representing the color of the train. And I think that retro look is SO cool. But I'm really into the retro stuff, so........ hahaha.

I'm not sure about Disneyland...

But all the architecture around the monorail track outside the Magic Kingdom is very Victorian and gives off a feel dating back to the 1920’s.

Everything matches very nicely in my opinion right now; and I think colors and architectural design are going to clash if you stick a retro 1960’s looking monorail car into the mix.

All the monorail cars being white also matched the inside courtyard of the Contemporary resort nicely (as well as the outside of the resort), I don’t think sticking a solid color like black, red, green, or purple will match as well.

I could be wrong though...
 

wickedfan07

Member
Spiffy! I think those new monorail trains will look really nifty cruising through DL's Tomorrowland (even though I've never been to DL before). Whether they will work in DCA is another story. I don't think that design would work too well in WDW, though, if Disney ever decided to bring the design (or something similar) back East. I think the retro look will work better in DL's Tomorrowland than it will, say...along World Drive or running past the Polynesian or the Grand Floridian.
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure about Disneyland...

But all the architecture around the monorail track outside the Magic Kingdom is very Victorian and gives off a feel dating back to the 1920’s.

Everything matches very nicely in my opinion right now; and I think colors and architectural design are going to clash if you stick a retro 1960’s looking monorail car into the mix.

All the monorail cars being white also matched the inside courtyard of the Contemporary resort nicely (as well as the outside of the resort), I don’t think sticking a solid color like black, red, green, or purple will match as well.

I could be wrong though...

I agree with you on those points.

Also, I think that Disneyland's Mark VII wouldn't look too good in Epcot, either. Dare I say it, but I think it's just a little too retro and a little too elaborate for Epcot's architecture of simple, clean lines.
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Still, that dosen't mean we can't have new monorails of a slightly altered design to fit us better.
:shrug:

:lol: I think we can all agree on the fact that we would like to see new monorails at WDW. Some of us just feel that a design like Disneyland's new monorails would look out of place. An altered design for WDW would be great!
 

wbboy29

Member
Original Poster
That's a good idea. What about the Tokyo Design. With the big Mickey shaped windows, solid neutral color scheme with color accent similar to WDW's, and large size with a pass through all the way through the train. Although I think Tokyo's might be too big to fit our track....


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But, I still like DL new design better...... that's just my opinion though, haha
 

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
Uh...no. Please do not bring an incarnation of Tokyo Disneyland's monorail to WDW. Too boxy, to subway train like, don't like the Mickey windows, and the fact that it doesn't have a pilot doesn't help either.

*I don't like Tokyo's monorail very much, do I?* :lol:
 

echoscot

New Member
I'm not a fan of the driverless monorails either. Disney parks are known for guest service and stuff, and one of the great things about monorails is the pilots who drive them. Don't let's lose that personal touch...
 

Rufus T Firefly

Well-Known Member
Still, that dosen't mean we can't have new monorails of a slightly altered design to fit us better.
:shrug:

Sadly,DL seems to be more interested in updating and upgrading the classic attractions than WDW. POTC, HM, SM, TSI, Autopia, Tiki Room, Subs and the Monorail have all received face lifts and TLC. (IASW is next) Here's hoping (maybe wishing) that when COP is no longer wanted in MK that an updated version well be welcomed back to it's original home in DL.
 

JonnyK

Active Member
That looks actually cool, i kinda like it.

wikipedia is updated with the timeline of this -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Monorail_System

Built by TPI Composites

* Mark VII - December 20, 2007[2]
o Sleek/Retro Design
o New seating configuration.
o Designed and engineered in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering and TPI Composites
o Three Monorails being upgraded to the Mark VII, one Monorail at a time, to allow 2 Monorails to operate in the park at any one time.


but for the time being - it would be nice if the WDW Version had this overlay for the millions of dream....

(disneyland one)

db_2007_1003_DLMonorailAD5.jpg
 

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