JEANYLASER
Well-Known Member
Crazy!
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LA TIMES: Walt Disney World plans to deploy driverless shuttles
- Thread starter kpilcher
- Start date
If this will save me and my party having to wait for busses and the crowds associated with them and get me to the parks or other hotels more easily and quickly, then I am all for it. This looks to me like the horizontal elevator solution that they looked at a few years ago.
I am sure they will be programmed to dispense outrageous rumors and will do it more efficiently then a human driver.
Shuttle's P.A.: "Hello folks, we hope you're enjoying your self-driving ride to the Magic Kingdom. Did you know that the Magic Kingdom is really the second story of the park? That's right, under the Magic Kingdom is a series of utility corridors -- utilidors - that all our cast members and their vehicles use to move around magically out of sight. The utilidors run miles and miles and connects all four parks and the soon-to-be-built fifth park: Disney Marvel Superhero World!"
Uncle Lupe
Well-Known Member
Could see these being uses as internal resort shuttle for the sprawling resorts. But speed would have to increase.
When we tried to use the stop closest to our room we watched multiple full buses go by before one finally stooped to pick us up.
Having an internal shuttle of this type to take us to the main depot would continue a legacy of the parks and resorts being a showcase for just over the Horizon technology.
Looking at you World Showcase extinct transportation.
When we tried to use the stop closest to our room we watched multiple full buses go by before one finally stooped to pick us up.
Having an internal shuttle of this type to take us to the main depot would continue a legacy of the parks and resorts being a showcase for just over the Horizon technology.
Looking at you World Showcase extinct transportation.
jayhawkmickey
Well-Known Member
Walt's people mover lives! Slightly different operating system (no tracks) and 40 years late but I think he'd be happy.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Imagine if Walt Disney was teleported from 1955 to Pandora yesterday. That is what I thought watching those amazing videos yesterday.
Indeed. The industry is trying to create demand. Our local news ran a piece about these vehicles being introduced to Manchester Airport recently. They were demonstrated on a closed road miles from the airport, with no one from the airport on camera.
Obviously the airport didn't know anything about it.
A bit like the Australia proposal for Showcase a few years ago. Generated plenty of buzz but Disney knew nothing about it.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
This could be an interesting development. I could see it working (even on roads with other vehicles) as long as they have dedicated lanes. It's a little bit of an upfront investment to carve out the individual lanes, but once that's done it would actually be a big cost savings over paying all those bus drivers. It's also a pretty cool showcase for the technology and a throwback to Walt's desire to use the parks as a place to demo transportation technology.
I can see this very easily start with replacements for the parking shuttles since that is already an isolated path without a lot of car traffic and then eventually spread to resort to park transport. I think getting to Disney Springs would be the most difficult task since there's such heavy traffic in that area. Maybe there's a creative way to make some "backroads" that would avoid the main roads in that area.
I can see this very easily start with replacements for the parking shuttles since that is already an isolated path without a lot of car traffic and then eventually spread to resort to park transport. I think getting to Disney Springs would be the most difficult task since there's such heavy traffic in that area. Maybe there's a creative way to make some "backroads" that would avoid the main roads in that area.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Haha...so true. Their websites are generally horrible.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
No offense to the bus drivers, but I think the overall experience will be a huge upgrade over the busses for guests. I would much prefer getting on a 10 passenger driverless shuttle that may go slower than the bus but doesn't have to stop for traffic. If they choose to they could add touchscreens to each vehicle that allow people access to tons of info about the parks, resorts or restaurants. It seems like a win for guests to me...I don't see a big downside.
Of course the aim of all of these new transport systems is to improve guest experience while also cutting labor costs. How is that a bad thing? I guess if you are a bus driver it is, but for guests you get a more enjoyable experience and it's possible because TWDC is saving money on labor costs. That long term savings from labor costs is being invested in new and better technology.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
If the 'savings' were actually invested in a better park experience that would be one thing we could all support but in reality they are being used to offset revenue declines in other business units.
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Not true in this case. I don't think there's a large net sum gain for TWDC here. They are spending money on the new technology, new vehicles, dedicated lanes, etc. That is offset by a decrease in labor costs for bus drivers. In the long run the new spend is probably mostly offset by the cost savings but the guests all get a better experience (or at least we hope it's better
). One of the areas that consistently gets less than stellar marks from guest surveys is bus transportation. If they can address the problem and it also cuts some costs how is that a bad thing?
Robbiem
Well-Known Member
I think this is a great idea, true to the original EPCOT spirit of the resort- I've been on these at London airport and they are fun - one of those moments where people like me can get very excited by something that makes you think that a tomorrowland future really is just a dream away
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Not true in this case. I don't think there's a large net sum gain for TWDC here. They are spending money on the new technology, new vehicles, dedicated lanes, etc. That is offset by a decrease in labor costs for bus drivers. In the long run the new spend is probably mostly offset by the cost savings but the guests all get a better experience (or at least we hope it's better
@GoofGoof we shall see what happens to the new projects in light of the accelerating revenue declines at Media Networks. I suspect the brakes will be coming on shortly
yensid67
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't this be a good fit for Future World at Epcot? Maybe we need to look at this not as transportation for the property, but as transportation for #1 Cast members to get from Cast Services building to their areas, #2 Use as a replacement for Trams(?), #3 Use as transportation from resorts closest to the park(s). I think it they would ever put in another mode of transportation it will include those that do not have monorail access! I could see this being used at Disney Springs to go back and forth from Cirque to Marketplace I could see it being used at Animal Kingdom and Lodge for guests. Wonder if this would be less expensive than running busses? Might be better footprint overall! I guess time will tell! Either way, its exciting to see he news!
GoofGoof
Premium Member
I think you are correct in the order of rollout. CMs first to work out the kinks, then parking trams which can have dedicated pathways easily laid out and the final phase would be resorts to parks over short distances. I think AKL to AK would be a perfect place to start. I don't see this as being as efficient for longer distances or routes that would require crossing highways. I still think maybe a light rail type system would be a good solution for a cross property route like AK to EPCOT to DS.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
Haha. Lots of negativity I see. If the world thought like this thread we would still be using horse and carriage. If this is actually being considered, I hope Disney's initial reaction isn't "this can't work because..." but rather, "let's make this work!"
This type of technology is becoming very advanced and moving along very quickly. It would be nice to see Disney become involved and take it to a level not seen yet. Ya know, become innovators.
This type of technology is becoming very advanced and moving along very quickly. It would be nice to see Disney become involved and take it to a level not seen yet. Ya know, become innovators.
The CM buses seem like a good place to start. The Westclock shuttle is by far the most frequent bus route on property, running 4 or more buses at most times on a route less then a mile end to end. It does run on public roads, but the recent reorganization of the cast parking lot reduces the amount of traffic on the route. The other good option is the EPCOT CM shuttle around the outside of the park. This would be easy to automate as well.
GrumpyFan
Well-Known Member
Hate to be the fly in the ointment, but how is it possible that they can bring something like this online in such a short time (if true), when the project automating the monorails has been ongoing for 2-3 years?
I know, I know, different project, tecnology, company, etc, etc.
Not saying I don't want it to happen and not trying to derail the conversation, I'm just a bit skeptical.
I know, I know, different project, tecnology, company, etc, etc.
Not saying I don't want it to happen and not trying to derail the conversation, I'm just a bit skeptical.
Because with automated road vehicles you have about 10 big companies pouring hundreds of millions of dollars of research and development into it. And they're all racing to be the one to get a fleet of government-approved vehicles to market. Historically, it's typical for only a few companies to profit big from a new technology by being one of the first. And they all want to be first so as to be that big profiteer.