Monorail Expansion: Who is in favor, who isn't?

[Scooter]

Here's some thoughts:

A Monorail to Animal Kingdom wouldn't look that out of place because the station would be located where the bus station is now. That's far enough away from the entrance so as not to disrupt the theming.

The bus system has changed so many times over the years that a monorail system to all the parks couldn't be any less confusing IMO.

I keep hearing comments about a new system being cost prohibitive.
I couldn't dissagree more.
In fact, Disney could PROFIT from a newer monorail system...and I know just how.
Rent out spaces in the monorail cars for companys to advertise their products. It's been done on buses for years and years.
Not on the outside mind you, that would not look good, but allow spaces on the inside for this. Of course Tobacco and Liqueur companies wouldn't be allowed to advertise for obvious reasons.(Advertisements would be left to the discretion of The Disney Company) but I think a LOT of companys would jump at the chance and pay big bug bucks to be associated with The Disney Company.
This would defray the cost of the monorail expansion, make Disney money, and everyoine would be happy. (Except of course, the Disney Purist, who will complain that the "Theming" of the monorails has been forever destroyed by the Gerber Baby food advertisements):lol:

 

[cloudboy]

I understand the line of thinking that money spent on the monorail is money that could be better spent elsewhere. However, this is a short-sighted line of thinking that is unfortunately all to prevalent across this country. While in teh short term you could do a lot with that money, there are many long term gains by building a monorail. They include increased customer retention (guests staying onsite for all of their trip instead of renting cars and going offsite), Savings in fuel costs (electrical rates will likely not rise as fast as fuel costs), staffing reductions meaning less payroll, a more "inclusive" feel to the world, feeling like you are spending less time riding around, and even if it is transportation, you feel like you are more on a ride, and just plain a greener park with less runoff from the roads creating a better natural environment. Oh, and have you considered what kind of temperature effects you would gain if you converted much of the now paved area into plants and trees?

As far as the complexity of the system, that has been addressed elsewhere. You can't just recreate the bus system using a monorail, you have to do it logically. One route would easilly be able to connect all 4 gates. All teh resorts more or less connect to one or another park - a people-mover system would connect resorts to their home park, where they could pick up the next train and not wait for the correct bus. The only thing that would need a seperate line would be Downtown Disney, which is good anyways to keep outside people from parking there to go to the park.

In the end though, I am starting to not want Disney to grow their monorail. Too many fans of disney ahve put out so much misinformation regarding them in attemps to divert that moeny to rides that it has confused the public. Furthermore, the poor design of the Disney monorail system has been used to protray monorails as gimicky, illogical transportation when they are in fact very well thought out systems.

 

[Nut4Disney]

I wouldn't mind having the monorail extended to other parks or DTD, but if the cost would be around a billion dollars (which is what I've heard), then I would concur that the money should be spent on other things. In addition I would not want the admission price to double to pay for this.

 

[Laura]

Just hang out at the TTC and watch some people trying to figure out how to get from MK to Epcot or vice versa. Just that single transfer is confusing to some people... not all of course, but that confusion would be magnified greatly when faced with the necessary transfers of an expanded system.

There are threads on this forum all the time about how to get from one place to another. For the regulars, it's second nature, but for many, it is confusing. They just don't grasp the idea of transfers, whether by monorail or bus.

I think a monorail expansion is nuts. There'd be so many transfers it would be 1. Inconvenient, 2. Confusing, 3. Impractical.

Though I think just running a monorail back and forth between Epcot and MGM would be nice.

 

[cloudboy]

I wouldn't mind having the monorail extended to other parks or DTD, but if the cost would be around a billion dollars (which is what I've heard), then I would concur that the money should be spent on other things. In addition I would not want the admission price to double to pay for this.

See. The same misinformation keeps getting thrown out again and again...

 

[lewisc]

I voted NO, my vote would have been different if Tinkerbell was going to be able to instantly, and for free, build the monorail extension. Actually if Tink got involved I'd look for something closer to a star trek transporter.

1) I don't want to pay for the monorail expansion; either in the form of increased prices or reduced budget for attractions.

2) Buses get us directly to the theme park of our choice. All of the monorail plans posted only call for one stop in a given area such as the All stars or the EPCOT resorts. Many of us would have to take a bus or tram to the monorail station and might even have to change monorails. We'd be going from direct transportation to three different vehicles.

3) Monorails can't easily add capacity at park openings and closing.

4) Buses can recover better from breakdowns. A bus breaks down and the system still runs. A monorail train breaks down and the system comes to a halt.

THE COST ESTIMATES ARE SUSPECT. Any expansion would probably be more like light rail; grade level with some elevated sections. My guess is the total cost wouldn't be as much as we think but the finished product wouldn't look what we'd be expecting.

The old rumor was Disney was considering either moving or building an additional TTC near DTD. Make the offsite guests walk through the marketplace on their way to a parking garage. Some type of light rail/monorail would be built.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I'm in favor, but I don't think it is happening any time soon, if at all....

 

[MagicMan17]

A lot of people are mentioning factors like the cost, logistics, and capacity. I'll agree that those are certainly important things to consider. But, I suspect those things were factors involved in the decision making process the first time around and yet the decision was still made to build the system. The monorails add to the magic that is Walt Disney World. My kids and I can travel on a bus every day of the week if we choose, but traveling on a monorail is different. It's simply more fun, and I hope that factor is also considered if expansion ever does get any serious consideration.

 

[800Miles2Magic]

I am all for more monorails around the parks. The buses work fine but I, personally, find the monorails easier to use. As far as the complexity of the different routes is concerned, it is only as difficult as they make it. If you exclude Downtown Disney, all they have to do is expand the Epcot monorail to pick up MGM and add a dedicated loop to animal kingdom from TTC. So, much like it is now, if you need to get somwhere go to the TTC.

The other option I like would be to expand TTA so that it goes everywhere, including all parks, Downtown Disney, and my house in Virginia.:lol: :lol:

 

[Lucky]

Expand it to where? And paid for how? It's impossible to answer this question sensibly the way it is stated. If Bill Gates is nice enough to just give us a monorail connecting all of the parks, great, I'm for it. But if it would add $5 to the cost of a park ticket, maybe not. Nothing is free, and if you don't specify the tradeoff involved, it's not a meaningful question.

 

[xxbradonxx]

I would like to see it built very much. I think some of you guys are overcomplicating this.

 

[lewisc]

I would like to see it built very much. I think some of you guys are overcomplicating this.

HOW DO YOU PAY FOR IT? Charge a transportation fee? Raise the resort rates? Take it from the budget for park attractions? Raise the theme park admission?

WHERE WILL IT RUN? Will you add a stop for the EPCOT resorts? Just one stop for all of them? If so how will guests get to the one monorail stop? Will you service moderates resorts like CSR? You'll still have to run internal buses.

WHERE WILL YOU GET A CONNECTING MONORAIL? Will guests from the EPCOT resorts have to take a bus to the new resort monorail stop, take a monorail to the TTC and then change to a monorail for the AK? How is that better than just walking to the Boardwalk bus stop and taking a bus directly to the AK?

 

[majortom1981]

I dont need more

I do not think WDW needs more monorail.

I do think they need more buses,There were resorts that got picked up two and three times before saratoga springs got picked up once.


All I think they need is more buses .

 

[garyhoov]

Maybe a more interesting poll question would be: "How much extra would you be willing to pay per trip for a monorail expansion?"

 

[Lucky]

I would like to see it built very much. I think some of you guys are overcomplicating this.

Well, if it's just about making a wish list, sure. I'd like monorails everywhere, lower ticket prices, a free massage every day from Jasmine, etc. etc.

 

[Nut4Disney]

See. The same misinformation keeps getting thrown out again and again...

Sorry, I'll conduct a monorail feasibility study before stating my opinion next time. :fork:

 

[cloudboy]

Sorry, I'll conduct a monorail feasibility study before stating my opinion next time. :fork:

Just read through previous posts first, the cost issue has already been discussed yet people still bring up these absurd figures.



Think about how much you would save in fuel costs, personell (how do you think those busses steer and get maintianed), equipment costs, road maintenance costs, and insurance and asafety costs (busses may be flexible, they also get into a lot more accidents!)

Lastly, think about the environmental costs of those busses, which are terribly polutive, require much more roadway and thus runof into the water system, and needed land, since to increase bus capacity you need a lot more room to handle those extra busses.

 

[S.E.A.]

I voted NO, my vote would have been different if Tinkerbell was going to be able to instantly, and for free, build the monorail extension. Actually if Tink got involved I'd look for something closer to a star trek transporter.

1) I don't want to pay for the monorail expansion; either in the form of increased prices or reduced budget for attractions.

2) Buses get us directly to the theme park of our choice. All of the monorail plans posted only call for one stop in a given area such as the All stars or the EPCOT resorts. Many of us would have to take a bus or tram to the monorail station and might even have to change monorails. We'd be going from direct transportation to three different vehicles.

3) Monorails can't easily add capacity at park openings and closing.

4) Buses can recover better from breakdowns. A bus breaks down and the system still runs. A monorail train breaks down and the system comes to a halt.

THE COST ESTIMATES ARE SUSPECT. Any expansion would probably be more like light rail; grade level with some elevated sections. My guess is the total cost wouldn't be as much as we think but the finished product wouldn't look what we'd be expecting.

The old rumor was Disney was considering either moving or building an additional TTC near DTD. Make the offsite guests walk through the marketplace on their way to a parking garage. Some type of light rail/monorail would be built.

you're acting as if the expansion of the monorail is automatically going to make the buses obsolete. You're making this thread more than it is, which is a simple yes or no question. it's not "are you ok for an expansion if..." it's simply would you like to have the monorail expanded to the other parks. No ridiculous arguments about cost or capacity or what will happen to the buses or buses v.s. monorails.

 

[Lucky]

you're acting as if the expansion of the monorail is automatically going to make the buses obsolete. You're making this thread more than it is, which is a simple yes or no question. it's not "are you ok for an expansion if..." it's simply would you like to have the monorail expanded to the other parks. No ridiculous arguments about cost or capacity or what will happen to the buses or buses v.s. monorails.

OK, let's all stop being ridiculous, and assume that the monorail extension won't cost anybody anything, or have any effects on other transportation options whatsoever. Then we're all in favor of it, just like we'd all be in favor of free money, and you've got the most boring thread possible.

 

[hedbeeninfested]

I honestly wouldnt care either way. Unless the bus system completly falls apart then Im fine with taking the Bus to my hotel and other places...a monorail ride from epcot to MK is enough for me.