Epcot 12/11

[coltow]

OK so I just got back last night. We had a great time and I'll post a trip report in a day or 2. We virtually had transportation nightmare and I'm wondering if anyone else here was with us. On Friday 12/11 the EPCOT monorail was broken at the end of the night. So after Illuminations everyone that normally would have taken the monorail then needed to take buses. It took us about an hour to get back to POLY that night. The CM at the gate just told everyone to head to the bus because the monorail was having technical difficulties. The CM near the bus station said to go to TTC we needed to go to station #1, there were thousands upon thousands of people there with no real line. People were not happy campers and very edgy. My husband made a comment about how it could be worse it could be raining. He thought it would make people laugh and it didn't, he actually got a few dirty looks.

I understand that things to break down. And WDW did keep the buses coming, but I really wish there had been more CMs around the line. We saw many people pushing and shoving to get in front of people and it really wasn't necessary. If CMs had been around to maintain the peace it could have run much smoother.

***Typed wrong date, it was Friday 12/12***

 

[magic2go]

Hey there!

We were there at the same time as well - only trying to get from Magic Kingdom to Epcot. At the TTR, the silver monorail was having issues. CM's told us they'd move it out of the station and it would be just a few minutes for the next monorail to come around.

Well, as soon as monorail silver started to pull away, smoke started to come out the top of one of the vents, and a horrible burning smell started. They quickly shut it off. After a few minutes of standing there, CM's began organizing and sending everyone to buses.

All in all, it did add some time to the trip but I did see that by the time we had made it to the christmas tree in Epcot, the monorail was up and going again.

 

[JerseySkiddie]

They were having a rough monorail day. I was at MVMCP that night so I can't comment on your situation, but earlier in the day they were having trouble on the resort beam. My friends and I slogged through MK to get to the monorail station to get over to the Contemporary for a mousefest event. We sat on the train in the station for about 15 minutes before they announced we had to get off because there was a disabled train at the TTC. It would have been ok if we were going back to Poly where we were staying because we could take the boat but alas no. So we wound up walking to the CR in the rain.

 

[raven]

Now for the real truth.

The truth is that there was a drill was being planned for that night. After the guests left the park a monorail stopped on the beam near the Odyssey. Several fire trucks, police vehicles and other emergency vehicles were waiting backstage for the clearance into the park. No guests or CMs were participants. This was simply an evacuation drill for the department so they know what to do when a real emergency happens. All of the emergency vehicles nearly caused a backup backstage too! :brick:

 

[DMC-12]

That seems like poor planning.

Who plans a drill/shuts down the monorail at that time, right after Illuminations... ??

 

[wdwmemories]

I agree - if this was a drill, I would think it would have made more sense to do it very late at night or very early in the morning, before there are huge crowds using the transportation. :shrug: Doesn't sound like your typical Disney planning...

 

[raven]

It didn't start until after 11:30PM. Plus they had to meet and plan the drill before it started. 11:30PM is 2 hours after the park closing which is typcial for the "all clear" signal to happen. Also take into fact that there are tons of maintenence vehicles and contractor vehicles waiting behind the gates to get into the park at the "all clear" as well. They can't do their work in that area until the drill is over. Often they can't complete an area as it is due to special events.

 

[disney4life2008]

This is why I always rent a car and drive to the parks. The wait to get to your car at HS, AK or Epcot only depends on how long it takes you to talk and or take the tram (which in many cases) is no more than 20 minutes. MK is different but expected.

 

[imamouse]

They were having a rough monorail day. I was at MVMCP that night so I can't comment on your situation, but earlier in the day they were having trouble on the resort beam. My friends and I slogged through MK to get to the monorail station to get over to the Contemporary for a mousefest event. We sat on the train in the station for about 15 minutes before they announced we had to get off because there was a disabled train at the TTC. It would have been ok if we were going back to Poly where we were staying because we could take the boat but alas no. So we wound up walking to the CR in the rain.

We're we sitting on monorail silver in the MK station when they made us get off?

 

[coltow]

Now for the real truth.

The truth is that there was a drill was being planned for that night. After the guests left the park a monorail stopped on the beam near the Odyssey. Several fire trucks, police vehicles and other emergency vehicles were waiting backstage for the clearance into the park. No guests or CMs were participants. This was simply an evacuation drill for the department so they know what to do when a real emergency happens. All of the emergency vehicles nearly caused a backup backstage too! :brick:

It didn't start until after 11:30PM. Plus they had to meet and plan the drill before it started. 11:30PM is 2 hours after the park closing which is typcial for the "all clear" signal to happen. Also take into fact that there are tons of maintenence vehicles and contractor vehicles waiting behind the gates to get into the park at the "all clear" as well. They can't do their work in that area until the drill is over. Often they can't complete an area as it is due to special events.

We were leaving right after the 9:30pm Illumiations. We got back to the room at 11:30pm. So if the drill was at 11:30 then something else happened before. There was a monorail stopped on the track, but it was just as it was entering EPCOT. BTW there were EMH that night so EPCOT was really open until 12:30am

 

[raven]

We were leaving right after the 9:30pm Illumiations. We got back to the room at 11:30pm. So if the drill was at 11:30 then something else happened before. There was a monorail stopped on the track, but it was just as it was entering EPCOT. BTW there were EMH that night so EPCOT was really open until 12:30am

Epcot has EMH on Fridays and that would have been December 12. The drill was on Thursday night, December 11th.

Again, a drill involving that many people and that much equipment takes lots of time and planning. We are talking Disney and the authorities here. It was just a drill.

 

[JerseySkiddie]

We're we sitting on monorail silver in the MK station when they made us get off?

I don't remember color it was. I'm lucky I remember what day of the week it is after that trip!

 

[Eyorefan]

Epcot has EMH on Fridays and that would have been December 12. The drill was on Thursday night, December 11th.

Again, a drill involving that many people and that much equipment takes lots of time and planning. We are talking Disney and the authorities here. It was just a drill.

Okay, I have solved the mystery, Raven and the OP are talking about two different nights... two different events.

There was a drill at Epcot at 11:30 on Thursday, 12/11 as Raven states, but there were also Monorail issues on Friday, 12/12.

If you re-read the OP they say that it was a Friday night, they just got the date wrong.

 

[raven]

Ah ha! :kiss:

 

[coltow]

Okay, I have solved the mystery, Raven and the OP are talking about two different nights... two different events.

There was a drill at Epcot at 11:30 on Thursday, 12/11 as Raven states, but there were also Monorail issues on Friday, 12/12.

If you re-read the OP they say that it was a Friday night, they just got the date wrong.

OMG! So sorry I was talking about Friday 12/12, I just typed in the worng number. Definately was Friday.

 

[magic2go]

Monorail Silver definately had issues at the TTR as the fireworks at the MK were ending. We stood next to it on the platform watching the end of fireworks while they attempted to move it off. It did have smoke coming out of the top of one of the cars and an awful burning rubber kind of smell...

 

[imamouse]

The monorail issues Jerseyskiddie, NortyUK and I encountered were between 1-2 pm on Thurs, Dec 11.

 

[Monorail Lime]

I was at Epcot that night and the mob for the poorly-planned bus queue was indeed horrendous. The worst part of it though was missing my last chance to ride the monorail since it was the final night of our trip. Total letdown.

I hope Silver is recovering comfortably from her ailments.