Monorail News Update

[AUBandPilot]

I hope this is not old repetitious news, but.....

During my trip last week(11/15) I was able to ride up front(with only the pilot) on the EPCOT monorail. I asked about some of the crazy rumors and he said that there is only one monorail update/upgrade currently planned. Starting in January they will be installing automatic gates at the monorail stops, except for maybe the resort stops. So instead of CMs having to walk up and down sliding the gates they will soon be fully automatic.

 

[Tim G]

I hope this is not old repetitious news, but.....

During my trip last week(11/15) I was able to ride up front(with only the pilot) on the EPCOT monorail. I asked about some of the crazy rumors and he said that there is only one monorail update/upgrade currently planned. Starting in January they will be installing automatic gates at the monorail stops, except for maybe the resort stops. So instead of CMs having to walk up and down sliding the gates they will soon be fully automatic.

If that would be true (doubt it) would mean... more CM lay-offs???

It's a rumor... I guess, I hope... I can't imagine...

 

[Nemmy]

That's cool. Could save a lot of time. I remember, in the Contemporary, they have this countdown timer until the monorail is launched, and the monorail train never goes on time. 99% of the time, there's about 45 seconds left, and all the CMs have to do is close the gates, and it takes about a minute and a half or more.

 

[Lynx04]

If that would be true (doubt it) would mean... more CM lay-offs???

It's a rumor... I guess, I hope... I can't imagine...

I don't think they would lay off the CMs, they would probably put them to use else where. I could be wrong though.

 

[Tim G]

I don't think they would lay off the CMs, they would probably put them to use else where. I could be wrong though.

But if the rest of the parks and resorts are staffed... it would mean less jobs, thus Lay-Offs... Right?? (or was it left)

 

[zone15int]

If that would be true (doubt it) would mean... more CM lay-offs???

It's a rumor... I guess, I hope... I can't imagine...

I couldn't see it meaning more layoffs. How many people do they have at the station, opening the gates ? one person I believe. They would need someone to stand at the station gates console. In the parks, they didnt eliminate a person at splash mt. when they installed gates. They are there to watch the load area. The gates would most likely have automatic and manual modes. I don't think disney would leave guests to load themselves onto the monorail. Thats a safety lawsuit wating to happen. For example: at Universal, the dude fell in front of the Mummy coaster and died.Didn't this happen when a ride operator was present? Disney would be silly to leave a dangerous area unmanned.

 

[Tim G]

I couldn't see it meaning more layoffs. How many people do they have at the station, opening the gates ? one person I believe. They would need someone to stand at the station gates console. In the parks, they didnt eliminate a person at splash mt. when they installed gates. They are there to watch the load area. The gates would most likely have automatic and manual modes. I don't think disney would leave guests to load themselves onto the monorail. Thats a safety lawsuit wating to happen.

OK 1 person Lay-Off LOL

 

[zone15int]

OK 1 person Lay-Off LOL

didn't cha read my whole post. pre-edit??

 

[Tim G]

didn't cha read my whole post. pre-edit??

Half -a-Person Lay-Off??? :lol:

 

[CTXRover]

Good idea if you ask me. The current system is sort of "primitive". If they can and are willing, I'm all for automatic gates that would open all at once when the monorail is fully parked. Now, often times the CM's start opening the gates as the monorail is still pulling into the station and I'm sure there's somebody out there who could find a way to get hurt if they approached the moving monorail.

Lay-offs aren't that big of a deal, I imagine. There is what, two people at the "park" stations that handle the gates? If they do change the gates, it would be on par with the monorail update that went from doors that had to be closed by hand (ahh..the day where CM's would go down the trains and you would hear...slam!...slam!...slam!....as the doors were shut... :lol: ). to ones that open and close automatically.


I'm surprised that for safety they haven't installed fully enclosed cases around the track, like that for the Orlando Airport trams, so that nobody can jumps over the gates and fall down onto the track (or worse...to the ground below).

 

[jimmybop]

That's cool. Could save a lot of time. I remember, in the Contemporary, they have this countdown timer until the monorail is launched, and the monorail train never goes on time. 99% of the time, there's about 45 seconds left, and all the CMs have to do is close the gates, and it takes about a minute and a half or more.

If I remember correctly, the clock actualy starts a zero and counts its way up to let them know how long they have been in the station.

 

[colliera]

Done everyday.

. . . The gates would most likely have automatic and manual modes. I don't think disney would leave guests to load themselves onto the monorail. Thats a safety lawsuit wating to happen. For example: at Universal, the dude fell in front of the Mummy coaster and died.Didn't this happen when a ride operator was present? Disney would be silly to leave a dangerous area unmanned.

It's done every day at Orlando International Airport. However, the space between the monorail floor and the loading station deck is more open than at the airport, and the gate for the airport monorail totally encloses it, (no jumping the fence). Properly re-engineered it would be as safe. See MCO monorail.

 

[OliveMcFly]

One time at the Comtemporary Monorail station this nice CM at the gates was talking to us and making these 2 kids laugh. He kept us busy while waiting. It would be a shame to lose that kind of interaction.

 

[DarkMeasures]

I don't understand why people are so against this. Can someone explain why adding automatic gates would be so bad.

 

[speck76]

The monorails have a new holiday speil as of 11/23

 

[bhg469]

I don't understand why people are so against this. Can someone explain why adding automatic gates would be so bad.

I dont think it will work because theres always people that are going to stand in the path of he gate, you would need at least 2 cm's to keep everyone back from the gate anyway.

 

[disneydummy125]

Depending on how they set it up, I think that it would be a good idea to have the gates. But I still think that there would need to be at least 1 cm there in case of breakdowns with the gates,etc.

 

[ISTCrew20]

The monorails have a new holiday speil as of 11/23

Which I can't stand. In the new speil, it's like the guy is yelling and the volume is turned up so loud, you have to really shout over it. This speil is harder to ignore, like everybody did with the old one:lol:

This one is way more informative however. With MVMCP information and a SGE ad.

 

[Invero]

I can confirm the rumor about the gates. They've been wanting to do it for years, in fact, the stations were all built with it in mind. The controls have been there for a decade, at least.

The gates will be for TTC and MK on the Express side, and potentially MK on the Resort side. TTC/Epcot could also see them. Resorts will not.

 

[Shaman]

All I can say is that its about time...I wonder why they've taken soo long to do this?

I hope the CMs don't get laid off though....just transfered to a different area...