Do you think the monorail should be updated?

tanc

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tokyo Disneyland recently has redone theirs and they look incredible. Being on the monorails have really shown their age, I am not sure the last time they were renovated at all. The capacity looks like it holds a lot more, and it looks a bit more comfortable to ride, and the themeing is great. I guess the monorail is cool at WDW due to it not changing, but to me it just looks old, allegedly the last time there were any real changes to it was in 1989.

 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Of course it needs to be updated. It needed to be updated years ago. But do you honestly think they're going to make a sizable investment like this any time soon? They didn't do it when they were flush with cash, they are definitely going to kick it down the road now.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
OOOH... I like the looks of that. I miss being able to see the forward view as well. Yes WDW needs and has needed a monrail upgrade for some time now. I just fear how they would hold up to the very different kind of guests we get at WDW. Just look at how theyve messed up the parks with uncaring how they trash everything now. Sadly those nice looking handholds and seats wont last in that pristine manner for long.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
The Disney Resort Line utilizes a notably larger beam and train with a different bogie design than the Walt Disney World monorail. Due to existing constraints, manly at the Contemporary Resort, the existing monorails are about as large as possible. This means the open front and walkthrough cabins is not an option for Walt Disney World.

The existing trains don't necessarily need to be scrapped and replaced, as an extensive rebuild could provide the same benefits.
 

Brer Oswald

Well-Known Member
Yes, but they aren’t in a position to with all of these other projects they’ve committed to, in addition to having to deal with the pandemic. Unfortunately, the longer they wait, the more likely they are to have an incident with casualties. That’s an awful thing to even consider, but we almost had a serious accident the previous year.
 

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
Yes, but they aren’t in a position to with all of these other projects they’ve committed to, in addition to having to deal with the pandemic. Unfortunately, the longer they wait, the more likely they are to have an incident with casualties. That’s an awful thing to even consider, but we almost had a serious accident the previous year.
Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's dangerous...an example, the Staten Island Ferry. There are a total of 8 ferries, run 24/7/365 and the last count (2019), handled over 25 million passengers. The first ferry in the fleet, began service in 1965 and is STILL running. The newest ferry in the fleet went into service in 2007...hardly a newbie. There are new ferries under construction to replace the oldest. 11 fatalities in the 20th CENTURY due to one accident. The elements those ships deal with are much, MUCH worse than the elements in Orlando. Longevity equals maintenance and vice versa. I would venture a guess, knowing the state of the public transportation system in NYC, that contrary to popular belief, WDW may just do a better job at maintenance than NYC. They need a good refurb, get that God, awful smell out of the cabins and a little sprucing up. The sky, (and the monorails), aren't falling. There are bigger fish to fry at WDW.
 

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
I was telling my friend the other day that the Bombardier (who also built the monorail) streetcars in Toronto were in operation from 1977-2019, and that’s including canadian winters, so I predict we got at least ten years of service left in these bad boys
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I was telling my friend the other day that the Bombardier (who also built the monorail) streetcars in Toronto were in operation from 1977-2019, and that’s including canadian winters, so I predict we got at least ten years of service left in these bad boys
Which conditions do you think are more harsh on electrical and mechanical systems?

That’s a legit poll question.
 

rreading

Well-Known Member
Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's dangerous...an example, the Staten Island Ferry. There are a total of 8 ferries, run 24/7/365 and the last count (2019), handled over 25 million passengers. The first ferry in the fleet, began service in 1965 and is STILL running. The newest ferry in the fleet went into service in 2007...hardly a newbie. There are new ferries under construction to replace the oldest. 11 fatalities in the 20th CENTURY due to one accident. The elements those ships deal with are much, MUCH worse than the elements in Orlando. Longevity equals maintenance and vice versa. I would venture a guess, knowing the state of the public transportation system in NYC, that contrary to popular belief, WDW may just do a better job at maintenance than NYC. They need a good refurb, get that God, awful smell out of the cabins and a little sprucing up. The sky, (and the monorails), aren't falling. There are bigger fish to fry at WDW.

The WDW monorail seems to have more working parts than would a ferry. To me, it seems that each system (a/c, motors/surfaces/motor/wheels) could be replaced in their own time and that it's possible to keep them running. It's honestly what I would prefer as I love their look and would prefer they didn't change (aside from looking cleaned up)

The smell confuses me - I would have assumed that it would have abated during corona but back in August it was fully present without passengers contributing to it. When the cabins are empty, you certainly also notice that they sure look worn out in the interior.
 

GimpYancIent

Well-Known Member
good question, i was mostly thinking of body work being deteriorated by the salt and sand put on the road at winter, towards the end of their life the rust was really eating away at them.
Moisture (Florida has its fair share) variations in temperature plus the constant wear and tear of thousands of guests using it daily. It is not so much about updating but constant maintenance / inspection / maintenance. That applies to all mass transit systems. I am just surprised that it took Disney until recently to add the Skyliner cable car system to its transportation line up. Redundancy is important at WDW due to its size and the volume of people moving about. If one system goes down its important to have others operating.
 

DVCakaCarlF

Well-Known Member
The WDW monorail seems to have more working parts than would a ferry. To me, it seems that each system (a/c, motors/surfaces/motor/wheels) could be replaced in their own time and that it's possible to keep them running. It's honestly what I would prefer as I love their look and would prefer they didn't change (aside from looking cleaned up)

The smell confuses me - I would have assumed that it would have abated during corona but back in August it was fully present without passengers contributing to it. When the cabins are empty, you certainly also notice that they sure look worn out in the interior.
That’s the smell of money - pretty sure that’s what the bobs say.
 

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
The WDW monorail seems to have more working parts than would a ferry. To me, it seems that each system (a/c, motors/surfaces/motor/wheels) could be replaced in their own time and that it's possible to keep them running. It's honestly what I would prefer as I love their look and would prefer they didn't change (aside from looking cleaned up)

The smell confuses me - I would have assumed that it would have abated during corona but back in August it was fully present without passengers contributing to it. When the cabins are empty, you certainly also notice that they sure look worn out in the interior.
I think there are more moving parts in an internal combustion engine and drive train than electric motors and moving tires...I was just using the ferry as an example...those ships run 24/7/365,,,the monorails are just when the parks are open. It's a lot easier swapping out electric motors than it would be to overhaul an engine.
 

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
Salt and humidity all day long/365
I would think salt water, harsh extremes in temperatures (humidity in the summers and freezing conditions in the winter) and the overall marine conditions would be a little more wearing on a vehicle (i.e. a car from the northeast vs. a car from Arizona) for example
 

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