Monorail expansion

[disneyfreak53]

:drevil: Wow, didn't mean to cause such a stir. I knew this idea has been covered before but just wanted to get others' opinion on the matter, that's all.
I think $10m would be a pretty good ballpark estimate. :shrug:

And thanks for posting the diagram Martin

 

[_Scar]

:drevil: Wow, didn't mean to cause such a stir. I knew this idea has been covered before but just wanted to get others' opinion on the matter, that's all.
I think $10m would be a pretty good ballpark estimate. :shrug:

And thanks for posting the diagram Martin

:dazzle:

Not even close

:dazzle:



Raven, so did the plans for the new monorail get past blue sky and then get scrapped? Or was it always blue sky?

 

[raven]

Raven, so did the plans for the new monorail get past blue sky and then get scrapped? Or was it always blue sky?

I think that's as far as it's got. Haven't heard a word on anything further.

 

[beanyman]

I would imagine we are more likely to see electric powered buses before any monorail expansion is undertaken and even then we prob wont see electric buses for years. which is a shame. Not that id like to see more buses but it would be better if they were non polluting.lol

 

[scottnj1966]

Hey I was browsing the web and thought of a great idea; expand the monorail so it connects all 4 parks, DTD and other resorts. So I googled it to see if anything came up and according to monorails.org, WDW is planning on making a new addition to the track. A new switch and spur line will be added in the area by the TTC. This will allow a maintenance vehicle to be kept in a central location, as well as an additional train that could be put into service if another train needs maintenance or if guest traffic increases.

So my question is what does everybody think of this? Do you think this will make the monorail system more organized and run smoothly? What about expanding the system so it connects the entire WDW?
:shrug:

This has been talked about for many years.
You didnt think you were the first to think that all the parks should be connected?
Cost has been the issue. It will be a long time before any monorail expansion will happen, if it ever does.

Now of course I am 100% for the expansion. I love those things!!!!

http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/monorail.htm

 

[parkgoer]

1971- Walt Disney World Resort Monorail opens with 4 stations. TTC, Poly, MK, and Contemporary

1982- Epcot opens and the Monorail system is expanded by 7.5 miles and 2 new stations are built. 1 at TTC, 1 at epcot.

1988- Grand Floridian opens and adds a 5th stop to the Monorail resort line

2010- A new spurline is being built, and a new train is expected to be put into service this year.

Just a brief summary of the history of the monorail. Don't say a expansion will NEVER happen. Do your research first.

 

[Master Yoda]

1971- Walt Disney World Resort Monorail opens with 4 stations. TTC, Poly, MK, and Contemporary

1982- Epcot opens and the Monorail system is expanded by 7.5 miles and 2 new stations are built. 1 at TTC, 1 at epcot.

1988- Grand Floridian opens and adds a 5th stop to the Monorail resort line

2010- A new spurline is being built, and a new train is expected to be put into service this year.

Just a brief summary of the history of the monorail. Don't say a expansion will NEVER happen. Do your research first.

Let be honest hear. The last real expansion to the monorail was 28 years ago when the Epcot line was added. The GF was the addition of a stop to an existing line and the new spur is for a service tug if I am not mistaken.

 

[SeaCastle]

I think that's as far as it's got. Haven't heard a word on anything further.

Could it be possible that it would be a long term plan? I'd assume a stop at the WWOS would be to accommodate a new park, in the long term if the fifth park was built on that site.

 

[stuart]

Disney are not going to spend phenomenal sums of money expanding a transportation system when there is going to be no benefits in doing so - except for delight among monorail fans - and long suffering members on these and other boards when the expansion rumours would finally stop (for a while at least).

The monorail is fine for transporting a relatively small number of guests over relatively short distances as it does just now. It would not be practical to expand it further really. If you think about it as well you would have to invest in bigger trains potentially to carry more people over a route - such as TTC to MGM via Epcot - if the buses for such a route were removed. And it's not just the trains - it would be the additional depot for these, ground work to secure the new pillars...the list goes on. The costs would just be huge.

The bus, for the moment, is the most practical way of moving people around - especially at peak times. The buses disney now order are configured with less seats to allow more standing room and a slightly higher capacity. It is a flexible system and doesnt need to be stopped depending on the weather, or firework displays as the monorail is. Disney can also charter in buses as and when required to cope at times such as - easter, july 4th, thanksgiving, christmas / new year. I think you'll find the investment in the transportation system over the coming years will be in electric or more eco-friendly buses.

There really just is no point in expanding the monorail. The money would be far better spend in terms of new attractions and upgrades to existing attractions and hotels. Monorail expansion is not going to bring additional guests to the parks - however investment in new and existing attractions will - and that is where Disney will spend the money - on something where they will see a return over the many years to come. With the monorail expansion this will just not happen.

 

[UncleScrooge]

Disney are not going to spend phenomenal sums of money expanding a transportation system when there is going to be no benefits in doing so - except for delight among monorail fans - and long suffering members on these and other boards when the expansion rumours would finally stop (for a while at least).

The monorail is fine for transporting a relatively small number of guests over relatively short distances as it does just now. It would not be practical to expand it further really. If you think about it as well you would have to invest in bigger trains potentially to carry more people over a route - such as TTC to MGM via Epcot - if the buses for such a route were removed. And it's not just the trains - it would be the additional depot for these, ground work to secure the new pillars...the list goes on. The costs would just be huge.

The bus, for the moment, is the most practical way of moving people around - especially at peak times. The buses disney now order are configured with less seats to allow more standing room and a slightly higher capacity. It is a flexible system and doesnt need to be stopped depending on the weather, or firework displays as the monorail is. Disney can also charter in buses as and when required to cope at times such as - easter, july 4th, thanksgiving, christmas / new year. I think you'll find the investment in the transportation system over the coming years will be in electric or more eco-friendly buses.

There really just is no point in expanding the monorail. The money would be far better spend in terms of new attractions and upgrades to existing attractions and hotels. Monorail expansion is not going to bring additional guests to the parks - however investment in new and existing attractions will - and that is where Disney will spend the money - on something where they will see a return over the many years to come. With the monorail expansion this will just not happen.

Just curious. I have never heard of this a happening. When does this occur?

 

[stuart]

Not often, but when there is perimeter fireworks at MK the monorail service is stopped, and if the track or train is struck by lightening then the service can be halted for a short while.

 

[devoy1701]

Disney are not going to spend phenomenal sums of money expanding a transportation system when there is going to be no benefits in doing so - except for delight among monorail fans - and long suffering members on these and other boards when the expansion rumours would finally stop (for a while at least).

The monorail is fine for transporting a relatively small number of guests over relatively short distances as it does just now. It would not be practical to expand it further really. If you think about it as well you would have to invest in bigger trains potentially to carry more people over a route - such as TTC to MGM via Epcot - if the buses for such a route were removed. And it's not just the trains - it would be the additional depot for these, ground work to secure the new pillars...the list goes on. The costs would just be huge.

The bus, for the moment, is the most practical way of moving people around - especially at peak times. The buses disney now order are configured with less seats to allow more standing room and a slightly higher capacity. It is a flexible system and doesnt need to be stopped depending on the weather, or firework displays as the monorail is. Disney can also charter in buses as and when required to cope at times such as - easter, july 4th, thanksgiving, christmas / new year. I think you'll find the investment in the transportation system over the coming years will be in electric or more eco-friendly buses.

There really just is no point in expanding the monorail. The money would be far better spend in terms of new attractions and upgrades to existing attractions and hotels. Monorail expansion is not going to bring additional guests to the parks - however investment in new and existing attractions will - and that is where Disney will spend the money - on something where they will see a return over the many years to come. With the monorail expansion this will just not happen.

The monorail is a fine system for transporting a large number of people at one time. They operate just like a train. The system can be moved to be automated with set arrival and departure times much like a commuter line or subway and increase the amount of trains on the system to increase efficiencies. For instance, if the system was automated and timed, the MK Resort loop should be able to accomodate 5 trains at one time.

Buses also have their flaws too. They too can be struck by lightning, they can break down, they can get a flat tire, they can also get into accidents more frequently. No system is without it's flaws. It most likely comes down to cost moreso than efficiency.

 

[stuart]

The monorail is a fine system for transporting a large number of people at one time. They operate just like a train. The system can be moved to be automated with set arrival and departure times much like a commuter line or subway and increase the amount of trains on the system to increase efficiencies. For instance, if the system was automated and timed, the MK Resort loop should be able to accomodate 5 trains at one time.

Buses also have their flaws too. They too can be struck by lightning, they can break down, they can get a flat tire, they can also get into accidents more frequently. No system is without it's flaws. It most likely comes down to cost moreso than efficiency.

....which is why the bus wins at the moment.

Granted the bus has its issues. And when i talk about capacity on the monorail. If you are looking at cross WDW expansion and linking hotels with more than one park, thats when you come to the problem of trains perhaps having to wait to switch lines, and current trains would need to be lengthed to accommodate the extra guests.

 

[redkoala245]

This was rumored for a very long time… But it was never set in stone because of the economy.
A monorail expansion would be cool though…

 

[devoy1701]

....which is why the bus wins at the moment.

Granted the bus has its issues. And when i talk about capacity on the monorail. If you are looking at cross WDW expansion and linking hotels with more than one park, thats when you come to the problem of trains perhaps having to wait to switch lines, and current trains would need to be lengthed to accommodate the extra guests.

You were knocking down the Monorail issue from a capacity standpoint, not just a cost standpoint, that is why I responded to your post. You mentioned that there would be no benefit to spending that huge sum of money and I think that you are severely mistaken on that point.

Again, the current trains wouldn't need to be extended, They can hold 300-350 guests at full capacity currently. If the system was automated and/or you could gaurantee that a train spends "x" amount of time in a station and the next train will arrive in exactly "x" minutes, I think the resort would easily be able to transition to a MOSTLY monorail model. Subways don't run everywhere you need them to go. You catch a spur line to get where you need to go. It's no big deal as long as the logistics could be worked out on placement and access to the stations.

But if you're thinking that I think buses could be completely ruled out you've mistaken. I think we should have an expanded EPCOT station along with a station at both DTD and the AK area with buses running from the hotels that aren't on a monorail loop to the closest station (AK, EPCOT or TTC). Either that or follow more closely with the Blue Sky model and add in a resort wide WEDway. And of course you would still have the waterways as an alternative form of transportation.

Anyway, point is, money is the issue, not the logistics, the system could be revamped if necessary to move the necessary amount of people to operate as the primary mode of transportation for the resort.

Anyway...this topic has turned into another General Discussion thread.

 

[JungleTrekFan]

Im just wonder why a peoplemover system, similar to the TTA, isn't being used for trasporting people anywhere on property. Are peoplemovers really that expensive too? Also does anyone know if there any peoplemovers off property that have a similar design/system as the TTA?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Im just wonder why a peoplemover system, similar to the TTA, isn't being used for trasporting people anywhere on property. Are peoplemovers really that expensive too? Also does anyone know if there any peoplemovers off property that have a similar design/system as the TTA?

The system at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is a Disney built WEDway PeopleMover, but it lacks the continuous movement. After that Disney sold the WEDway division and its technology to Bombardier. There must be something that is widely considered wrong with the continuous movement system, as demonstrations and prototypes actually date back to the late 19th/early 20th century, well over half a century before the PeopleMover opened at Disneyland.

 

[SeaCastle]

Im just wonder why a peoplemover system, similar to the TTA, isn't being used for trasporting people anywhere on property. Are peoplemovers really that expensive too? Also does anyone know if there any peoplemovers off property that have a similar design/system as the TTA?

I know there are a few others, but the system at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the only one I can remember.

 

[NoChesterHester]

There is an automated People Mover at London Heathrow.

http://www.prtconsulting.com/blog/index.php/tag/automated-people-mover/

(Scroll down 3/4 of the way for the pictures.)

Here is an interesting exerpt considering everyone wants to talk about cost.


Table 1. Probable Construction Costs

At-Grade/mile: $1.33M

Elevated/mile:$4.4M

 

[JungleTrekFan]

There is an automated People Mover at London Heathrow.

http://www.prtconsulting.com/blog/index.php/tag/automated-people-mover/

(Scroll down 3/4 of the way for the pictures.)

Here is an interesting exerpt considering everyone wants to talk about cost.


Table 1. Probable Construction Costs

At-Grade/mile: $1.33M

Elevated/mile:$4.4M

I think the future of PRT systems is very bright, but i would worry about a vehicle hitting another vehicle if it was a much larger and more complex system.
Thats why I would not advise its use at wdw unless it was just to supplement the wed-way peoplemover in Martin's diagram