The monorail is overdue for an expansion. Disney World has expanded extensively in the last 30 years with more theme parks and resorts, but not the monorail. Traveling by bus is decidedly un-magical, but is the primary mode of travel for on-site guests. For many guests, if they choose the most efficient mode of transportation, they would not ride the monorail during their whole stay, especially on-site guests excluding monorail resorts. Only guests arriving by car bound for the Magic Kingdom, guests at monorail resorts, and park-hoppers between Magic Kingdom and Epcot have a practical reason to use the monorail.
Here are my ideas for expansion, from least to most extensive:
1) Parallel tracks from the TTC to Hollywood Studios then Animal Kingdom. The tracks would loop at the ends to return trains onto the opposite-direction track. Both directions stop at Hollywood Studios. Stops: TTC, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, TTC.
This addition is simple and would allow monorail-based park-hopping between any two parks with at most one change of monorail. You can hop between Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom non-stop in either direction. Downside: hopping between HS/AK and EC via the TTC is a long distance with a fair amount of backtracking.
2) Additionally, relocate the TTC near the intersection of World Drive and Epcot Center Drive. Divert the Magic Kingdom loop onto the Epcot parallel tracks at the location of the current TTC. Trains stop at the new TTC in both directions. The combined loop would go Magic Kingdom, TTC, Epcot, TTC, Magic Kingdom. Some trains would additionally stop at Grand Floridian and Polynesian between MK and TTC and at Contemporary from TTC to MK. The existing resort monorail loop around Seven Seas Lagoon would remain unchanged for access between resorts and the Magic Kingdom. Possibly the new track linking the MK loop and Epcot can go through Wilderness Lodge and some trains stop there too. However direct access to Wilderness Lodge from MK would not be convenient as you'd have to go around almost the whole loop including Epcot. WL has the boat from MK, though.
Relocating the TTC would make the connection between HS/AK and EC faster and require less track building for the HS/AK extension. Hopping between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom would no longer require a train change at the TTC, only a stop, as would access to Epcot from the monorail resorts.
3) A resort loop that could include Animal Kingdom, All-Star resorts (one stop), Art of Animation / POP Century (one stop), Caribbean Beach, Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk / Beach Club / Yacht Club / Swan / Dolphin, TTC if relocated, Coronado Springs, Animal Kingdom.
This expansion could stand on its own or in combination with one or both of the above. At the least it provides monorail access from resorts to two parks. With a TTC stop it would provide one-transfer access to MK and EC also; without it would be possible with two transfers via HS and TTC. Eight stops would probably be too many, so possibly the value resorts would get left out, or some trains would stop at some resorts and other trains at others.
If all three expansions were implemented, then the monorail network would link all the theme parks and all the deluxe resorts, plus some moderate resorts and even some value resorts.
Here are my ideas for expansion, from least to most extensive:
1) Parallel tracks from the TTC to Hollywood Studios then Animal Kingdom. The tracks would loop at the ends to return trains onto the opposite-direction track. Both directions stop at Hollywood Studios. Stops: TTC, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, TTC.
This addition is simple and would allow monorail-based park-hopping between any two parks with at most one change of monorail. You can hop between Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom non-stop in either direction. Downside: hopping between HS/AK and EC via the TTC is a long distance with a fair amount of backtracking.
2) Additionally, relocate the TTC near the intersection of World Drive and Epcot Center Drive. Divert the Magic Kingdom loop onto the Epcot parallel tracks at the location of the current TTC. Trains stop at the new TTC in both directions. The combined loop would go Magic Kingdom, TTC, Epcot, TTC, Magic Kingdom. Some trains would additionally stop at Grand Floridian and Polynesian between MK and TTC and at Contemporary from TTC to MK. The existing resort monorail loop around Seven Seas Lagoon would remain unchanged for access between resorts and the Magic Kingdom. Possibly the new track linking the MK loop and Epcot can go through Wilderness Lodge and some trains stop there too. However direct access to Wilderness Lodge from MK would not be convenient as you'd have to go around almost the whole loop including Epcot. WL has the boat from MK, though.
Relocating the TTC would make the connection between HS/AK and EC faster and require less track building for the HS/AK extension. Hopping between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom would no longer require a train change at the TTC, only a stop, as would access to Epcot from the monorail resorts.
3) A resort loop that could include Animal Kingdom, All-Star resorts (one stop), Art of Animation / POP Century (one stop), Caribbean Beach, Hollywood Studios, Boardwalk / Beach Club / Yacht Club / Swan / Dolphin, TTC if relocated, Coronado Springs, Animal Kingdom.
This expansion could stand on its own or in combination with one or both of the above. At the least it provides monorail access from resorts to two parks. With a TTC stop it would provide one-transfer access to MK and EC also; without it would be possible with two transfers via HS and TTC. Eight stops would probably be too many, so possibly the value resorts would get left out, or some trains would stop at some resorts and other trains at others.
If all three expansions were implemented, then the monorail network would link all the theme parks and all the deluxe resorts, plus some moderate resorts and even some value resorts.
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