Massive Upgrade For MK Monorail Station

[BrerFrog]

I believe this is supposed to be completed prior to end of year.

That is great. It means I will get to see it completed.

 

[Tom]

I thought the same thing. I just searched the permit thread and couldn't find anything relating to the monorails. However, if this is true we could see some permits being filed soon, as the time between a permit being posted online and work beginning varies often.

I hope the changes aren't as massive as the OP says they are. I've always found the monorail station quite charming.

There have indeed been no permits filed for this work - even for the ceiling fans that have supposedly already been taken down, which is odd since they file permits for lesser work.

If this is true, you or I will be finding out soon enough :animwink:

Yes. This is Correct!

We will be doing a MAJOR upgradeo n the MK's Monorail Station in January 2011.

Epcot's will start on July 2011.

Huh? Who is "we"?

 

[raven]

Yeah, that's what I was referring to, Co-Pilot Gardens. The fellow responsible for putting that plan together has been championing it for a good ten years or so. I hope it's finally happening, but I'd be surprised if it did. It sounds like work is definitely happening on the lights, but I don't know about the rest of it.

So we've seen the same art? I get excited everytime I see those concept but always thought they were blue sky. If we are talking about the same thing then Epcot's will be HUGE along with some other concepts for it. :animwink:

 

[TheBeatles]

Well, the original idea was to sell Monorail-themed bricks like Walk Around The World, to comprise the extended queue of, and perhaps have a Monorail cab there as a photo op.

this doesn't sound like a great idea.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

So we've seen the same art? I get excited everytime I see those concept but always thought they were blue sky. If we are talking about the same thing then Epcot's will be HUGE along with some other concepts for it. :animwink:

Don't remember art per se, just a model and documentation. Doesn't mean I didn't see it, just don't remember any. And I actually have no idea about EPCOT. :lol:

 

[SeaCastle]

Raven, will any EPCOT project related to this involve the kennel area? I remember there were some hints that the kennel area may be used in the future (I don't know the timeframe) for guest use.

 

[_Scar]

Huh? Who is "we"?

 

[landauh]

Work has been going on for the last month and a half. Some of the old lamp posts have been removed (you can see them on top of a storage shed when coming into MK station on the resort beam), new conduit installed underground and new posts with better lighting installed.

The fans have been replaced (yes they are already installed), also with new conduit, with ones that have lights. This is to provide better lighting for drivers to see the entire length of the train.

Chandliers are scheduled (supposed to be this week) to be installed in the center of the station for more light.

The center railing down the exit ramp is scheduled to be removed.

Bob Iger was here in January or February to see the crowds during park exit. The major modification to the station is to extend the queue area and remove the crowd blocking the turnstiles and boat docks.

 

[s8film40]

From what I have always heard the ramps can't be widened unless they are extended also. Since any major remodeling of the ramps would require them to make them ADA compliant which would mean a less steep angle and breaks that would extend the ramp quite a bit. This is where the Co-Pilot gardens thing came about the monorail pilot that came up with it knew to enlarge the station the ramps would have to twist and turn through that area between the station and the train tracks in order to achieve an ADA compliant ramp and not extend into the ticket booths.

 

[landauh]

The ramps won't be widen, the load platforms will to allow for a switchback style queue. Haven't heard anything about decreasing angle of ramp, but current ramps are with-in ADA guidelines, even as steep as they are.

 

[Tom]

Work has been going on for the last month and a half. Some of the old lamp posts have been removed (you can see them on top of a storage shed when coming into MK station on the resort beam), new conduit installed underground and new posts with better lighting installed.

The fans have been replaced (yes they are already installed), also with new conduit, with ones that have lights. This is to provide better lighting for drivers to see the entire length of the train.

Chandliers are scheduled (supposed to be this week) to be installed in the center of the station for more light.

The center railing down the exit ramp is scheduled to be removed.

Bob Iger was here in January or February to see the crowds during park exit. The major modification to the station is to extend the queue area and remove the crowd blocking the turnstiles and boat docks.

The CEO of the company went to Orlando to watch people leave a theme park so that he could authorize remodel work at a monorail station? :shrug:

 

[landauh]

The CEO of the company went to Orlando to watch people leave a theme park so that he could authorize remodel work at a monorail station? :shrug:

He was here for other issues and this was one of them. He stood on the railroad platform and watched the park exit one night. A few days later some engineers were looking over the MK station.

 

[Tom]

He was here for other issues and this was one of them. He stood on the railroad platform and watched the park exit one night. A few days later some engineers were looking over the MK station.

Interesting. Had no idea. It's reassuring to think the CEO might actually take the time to appreciate the smaller details of the company.

 

[s8film40]

The ramps won't be widen, the load platforms will to allow for a switchback style queue. Haven't heard anything about decreasing angle of ramp, but current ramps are with-in ADA guidelines, even as steep as they are.

The ramps are not within ADA guidelines, they are allowed since they were built before the ADA. If you want to see the difference between an ADA compliant monorail ramp and one that isn't just look at the TTC and compare the MK ramps to the Epcot ramps. Anything built new or remodeled has to be within current guidelines they can't be as steep as the MK ramps and they also have to have breaks, or they could put in an elevator.

 

[Tom]

The ramps are not within ADA guidelines, they are allowed since they were built before the ADA. If you want to see the difference between an ADA compliant monorail ramp and one that isn't just look at the TTC and compare the MK ramps to the Epcot ramps. Anything built new or remodeled has to be within current guidelines they can't be as steep as the MK ramps and they also have to have breaks, or they could put in an elevator.

Correct. The slope of the ramps at the MK station, as they currently exist, are not ADA complaint. They're too steep, for too long of a horizontal run.

I would love to see some sort of winding queue in the grassy area north of the station - that would be very nice.

 

[Disney1971]

Also a correction: Everything in the OP is true but the time line for the widening of the ramps is not correct. This should be completed right before the opening of the FL expansion as the capacity of the park is also going to go up another 10 thousand guests. Sorry Guys

 

[raven]

There are concepts to utilize the area of the old kennel area in front of Epcot but they are just concepts right now.

 

[captainkidd]

He was here for other issues and this was one of them. He stood on the railroad platform and watched the park exit one night. A few days later some engineers were looking over the MK station.

He should have taken a spin on the resort monorail line to see how filthy the resort stations are.

 

[trr1]

There are concepts to utilize the area of the old kennel area in front of Epcot but they are just concepts right now.

concepts for what if I may ask

 

[DisneyParksFan1]

This should be very intersting.

Speaking of Epcot, raven, I remember you said that something drastic will be done at Future World and one of those things will ruin the sightlines, is there any date you can give as to when this will be revealed or completed?