Monorail/boat issues 7/3

[Skyway]

Anybody know what was wrong with the resort monorails on 7/3, and why they did not have boat service to certain resorts?

Going to MK from GF around 6pm, we waited more than 15 minutes for a monorail to arrive. At that rate, I'm guessing they only had one or two on the line.

Going back to GF after fireworks was even worse. The line to board monorails was expectedly huge. It was no surprise when a worker came along saying we'd probably be on the third monorail. What WAS surprising was that he said the NEXT monorail was 15 minutes away. That likely meant a 45 wait!

So we got out of line assuming the GF boat would be faster. You can imagine our surprise when we discovered the GF/Poly boat was not running. In fact, the signs had been removed from the dock! When and why was this boat route discontinued? Is it temporary? I can't believe they would not have it running during one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

Since we had gotten out of the monorail line, and to rejoin it would have meant an even longer wait, and since there are no MK-GF buses, we took the ferry to the TTC and then walked back to the GF!

It's nights like this that I wonder why Disney doesn't spend the $$ to build a drawbridge over the canal separating MK from the GF. They've already got the walking path that dead-ends at the canal. Why not extend it?

 

[marni1971]

I`d assume the perimeter & mirror fireworks (did they shoot them on the 3rd?) curtailed some of the services.

Still a bit of a mess though.

 

[rainfully]

Yes, the mirrors were going off of the island last night. That's why they shut down the boats.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I`d assume the perimeter & mirror fireworks (did they shoot them on the 3rd?) curtailed some of the services.

Still a bit of a mess though.

Yes, the mirrors were going off of the island last night. That's why they shut down the boats.

Exactly, on nights when we have the mirror fireworks (New Years & 4th of July and previews of said shows) lake operations are suspended prior to and after the show when the lake is deemed safe again. Monorail usually gets back up sooner because they aren't on the lake. It's a nice break for us to chill out and watch the fireworks which are always amazing.

 

[wdwmagic]

Video of last night's show with the island mirror now at http://www.wdwmagic.com/wishes_video.htm

 

[marinoalulema]

any updates?

 

[james15]

I dont know about the delay on the 7/3/08.Unless they changed it again ,the monorail runs during the perimeter fireworks.The only restrictions being no trains on the spur.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I dont know about the delay on the 7/3/08.Unless they changed it again ,the monorail runs during the perimeter fireworks.The only restrictions being no trains on the spur.

It's entirely probable that the monorail chose to break down at that time

 

[Coasterman18]

On the third at 8Pm they had fireworks at the Grand Floridian Wedding Pavillion out on the lake for a fairy tale wedding. Usually they suspend boat operations till it is safe to resume service.

Also, I got on the resort monorail at GF and it was crowded due to the TTC running express and Resort to MK. They could were trying to keep the crowd moving through the ttc to mk.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

So we got out of line assuming the GF boat would be faster. You can imagine our surprise when we discovered the GF/Poly boat was not running. In fact, the signs had been removed from the dock! When and why was this boat route discontinued? Is it temporary? I can't believe they would not have it running during one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

It's also possible you went to the wrong dock, I've seen them changes docks for that route fairly often. I'm assuming you went to the one next to the Resort Monorail ramp?

 

[Fun2BFree]

On the 3rd, a sign placed at the dock said that due to the perimeter fireworks, the water launches would cease operation between 8:30pm and 9:30pm.

 

[Shannon_Yensid]

I have some thoughts -
the launch dock for the Grand/Poly has been relocated (for the short term they are sharing with what was exclusively for the fort and wilderness lodge) so as was mentioned, you might have been at the wrong dock
the fireworks on the 3rd and 4th required all boats to be docked 10 minutes prior to launch and they could not resume until given the all clear from the fireworks team
i have no explanation for the monorail taking 15 minutes other than perhaps what was previously mentioned that a monorail decided it would break down at that crunch time. If that was the case then a replacement couldn't be brought back on stage until after the fireworks team gave the all clear because the spur closes for the 360 fireworks.
or it could have been the tens of thousands of people in the area slowing everything down. on both the 3rd and the 4th roughly 25,000 people left the park in the hour following the fireworks
as for the walk way to the grand, plans for that had to be scratched when they discovered a safety issues associated with a 20 ft stretch (something about gusty wind, i dont know the details but i do know the plan to continue the walk around the world was scratched for safety reasons)
in any case i'm sorry you had a bad experience and hopefully things with turn to a more positive tone :wave:

 

[formercast84]

I have some thoughts -
the launch dock for the Grand/Poly has been relocated (for the short term they are sharing with what was exclusively for the fort and wilderness lodge) so as was mentioned, you might have been at the wrong dock
the fireworks on the 3rd and 4th required all boats to be docked 10 minutes prior to launch and they could not resume until given the all clear from the fireworks team
i have no explanation for the monorail taking 15 minutes other than perhaps what was previously mentioned that a monorail decided it would break down at that crunch time. If that was the case then a replacement couldn't be brought back on stage until after the fireworks team gave the all clear because the spur closes for the 360 fireworks.
or it could have been the tens of thousands of people in the area slowing everything down. on both the 3rd and the 4th roughly 25,000 people left the park in the hour following the fireworks
as for the walk way to the grand, plans for that had to be scratched when they discovered a safety issues associated with a 20 ft stretch (something about gusty wind, i dont know the details but i do know the plan to continue the walk around the world was scratched for safety reasons)
in any case i'm sorry you had a bad experience and hopefully things with turn to a more positive tone :wave:

It sounds like the monorail was running on reduced power. When I used drive the monorails, there were times when the beam lost partial power for various reasons and we had to keep more distance between trains and we had to travel a lot slower. That really slowed things down. We were also required to only allow one train at the transfer spot of each hotel. The means that if a train was there unloading/loading, we either could not travel through the hotel on the other beam or we had to travel through a lot slower than normal. I am not saying that was happening, but based on the comments I have read, that is what it sounds like.

 

[Disneykidder]

Not sure about the monorail delays/suspension of boats but I love your idea of a walkway from GF to MK. That would eliminate a lot of congestions at the opening and especially the closing of the park.

 

[james15]

Could of been 1)Maintence check 2)slow pilot if there are only 3 trains on the beam.It's easy to have a lost train.If there's lost power on the beam your not going anywhere.Guest get a little exicited when you hit the dead beamway and the trains arcs. Gives new meaning to the 4th of July.:ROFLOL:

 

[unkadug]

Anybody know what was wrong with the resort monorails on 7/3, and why they did not have boat service to certain resorts?

Going to MK from GF around 6pm, we waited more than 15 minutes for a monorail to arrive. At that rate, I'm guessing they only had one or two on the line.

Going back to GF after fireworks was even worse. The line to board monorails was expectedly huge. It was no surprise when a worker came along saying we'd probably be on the third monorail. What WAS surprising was that he said the NEXT monorail was 15 minutes away. That likely meant a 45 wait!

So we got out of line assuming the GF boat would be faster. You can imagine our surprise when we discovered the GF/Poly boat was not running. In fact, the signs had been removed from the dock! When and why was this boat route discontinued? Is it temporary? I can't believe they would not have it running during one of the busiest weekends of the summer.

Since we had gotten out of the monorail line, and to rejoin it would have meant an even longer wait, and since there are no MK-GF buses, we took the ferry to the TTC and then walked back to the GF!

It's nights like this that I wonder why Disney doesn't spend the $$ to build a drawbridge over the canal separating MK from the GF. They've already got the walking path that dead-ends at the canal. Why not extend it?

I've often wondered that myself.

 

[DougK]

They've already got the walking path that dead-ends at the canal. Why not extend it?

I've often wondered that myself.

I really wish they would complete the walk around the lagoon! OP mentioned it was a safety issue but it does not seem like the hardest thing in the world to figure out.

I would LOVE this!

 

[unkadug]

The "gusty winds" reason sounds like BS to me. I find it VERY hard to believe that the winds are any stronger in a certain 20 foot section of shoreline than there are anywhere else.

I call shenanigans!

 

[WDW Monorail]

Not sure about the monorail delays/suspension of boats but I love your idea of a walkway from GF to MK. That would eliminate a lot of congestions at the opening and especially the closing of the park.

There *is* a path from the MK to GF. All it needs is a bridge to traverse the service canal.

 

[WishIwasThere]

They've already got the walking path that dead-ends at the canal. Why not extend it?




I really wish they would complete the walk around the lagoon! OP mentioned it was a safety issue but it does not seem like the hardest thing in the world to figure out.

I would LOVE this!

This is one of the reasons I love the Contemporary Resort...its a short walk to the MK. One time I timed it...and I beat the Resort Monorail to the entrance. Wish you could walk to the GF...I expect it would only be a little longer of a walk than the CR. From there the paths are already in place to go onto the Poly.