Monorail or Bus?

Monorail or Bus?

  • I think there should be a monorail expansion

    Votes: 71 83.5%
  • I think there should be more buses

    Votes: 6 7.1%
  • I don't care I travel by car

    Votes: 8 9.4%

  • Total voters
    85
  • Poll closed .

Big C 73

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
From Imagineering Disney.Com -

The Lake Buena Vista area, know today for its Downtown Disney, once sought out to become more than a district of Disney merchandise, second-rate rainforest animal dining environments, and third party gift shops. From its inception, Lake Buena Vista (chartered 1967) was to be a kind of “new town”. The town was to accommodate “transient residents” and welcome millions of visitors to its wide array of recreational facilities. Oh and to get around... Peoplemovers and monorails.


A Peoplemover system was clearly never installed but we take a look at how such an idea almost became a reality.



A Prototype of a Prototype

“In a sense, it is a prototype of the prototype community that is being built at Walt Disney World.” So it was explained in publications of the mid-70s. And the similarities are striking.

Though LBV was not the radial city of tomorrow that EPCOT was to be, it was to put into place some of the same environmental practices, transportation systems, and other concepts of urban design.



As listed in the 1976 publication “Lake Buena Vista Peoplemover”:


The basic development concepts and policies that have evolved from this planning process are:

To build an activity-oriented “transient” home community.
To develop commercial , industrial and institutional areas that will serve both local and regional demands.
To develop unifying transportation elements that tie the community together.
To build with distinctive, innovative designs to the extent possible within the limitations imposed by land development economics, financing, and marketing.
To maintain a high degree of flexibility to respond to unforeseen opportunities inherent in these unique conditions.


A “Water Park”?

The LBV city was described as a “water park of woods, waterways, trails, fields, and active recreation.” No water slides or splash pads. I’m not clear on why this term was used however water-based recreational activities were a part of the plan as were abundant views of water ways from homes and hotel rooms.



Themed Recreational-Residential Communities



“Themes” were to include golf, tennis, equestrian, and boating. Each community would have a sort of central club-house to accommodate its theme. Enjoy tennis? Well the tennis community would be perfect for you. Have a boat? Why not live in the boating community? The boating community would be nestled between Lake Mabel and South Lake just East of Bay Lake. “Water related sports activities will center around the aquatic club on Lake Mabel.” Fun. And logically the equestrian community, with its rustic Old West style, was to partner with the Tri-Circle-D Ranch (Fort Wilderness) and offer horse trails and such.

Side note: You can live on Lake Mabel today, as my wife did when we were dating. Ahh the memories. And there are a few houses along South Lake right off of CR-535 (you know, the back way to Magic Kingdom/Disney University/Central Shops/West Clock via Reams Road).



Walt’s Cabin

Side note II: Our pal Hoot Gibson told me once about an old cabin between Lake Mabel and Bay Lake that Walt himself wanted to stay in when visiting Disney World. I’ve only met one person who has ever seen this fabled cabin which has since crumbled to the ground. Bay Lake mysterious cabin experts, please send details.



Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Areas



Early phases of commercial LBV that still exist today in one form or another are “major hotels” along what is now Hotel Plaza Blvd and “a 100,000 square foot shopping village” later known as the Village and today as Downtown Disney. A 20-bed emergency hospital was built. In what form it exists today, I don’t know. It was “linked to a major hospital in Orlando by radio telemetry and voice communication which enables Orlando’s doctors to diagnose from a remote location.” Fancy.

And now the real reason I brought us all together today... Transportation.



Transportation

Three basic modes of transportation were implemented to reduce the need for internal travel by car: Pathways for bicycles, horses and electric vehicles; a water network; and a network of trails for hiking. Additionally roads for vehicles were built.

As part of the master plan, but never built, were Peoplemover and Monorail routes.



The Multi-Modal Terminal



“Intra-urban, inter-urban, and inter-state facilities” were to make up the central transportation hub of LBV. Much like the Walt Disney World’s current Ticket and Transportation Center (but far cooler) this center would offer choices for short or long distance travel. Travel choices would include everything from Monorails to Peoplemovers to taxi cabs and busses.



Not only would this transportation system have offered transport to and from LBV and Walt Disney World, but five other “satellite” terminal sites would have been built around the Orlando area.



Peoplemover Vehicles



The Peoplemovers in such a setting were described as “horizontal elevators”. But unlike regular elevators the Peoplemovers would take you directly to your stop without intervening stops. Much like regular elevators you would call the vehicle to stop where you are waiting. Once inside you would select your destination on a control panel. If no close-by vehicle is available a reserve supply of units would fill the empty position resulting in minimal waiting. If a station were to be full of empty units, they would be sent to the “spur track” to make room for vehicle arriving from other stations.

As far as I can tell, these Peoplemovers would differ from those of the city of EPCOT because of their start/stop load/unload system. EPCOT’s system was to have Peoplemovers that “never stop”.

4-6 seated passengers and an additional 4-6 standing passengers would fit in each vehicle (much larger than Disneyland's or Magic Kingdom's vehicles). Individual vehicles could leave the stations independent of other vehicles however multiple units could “form a train” to accommodate larger crowds.

Cars would be fully enclosed to defend against the elements. Rocket Rods were to appear at random for those lucky guest who desired to pop-a-wheelie and travel slightly faster. Just messin’.



Peoplemover and Monorail Routes

As published in 1967:



1967 routes over today's view of Lake Buena Vista:




It would have been “reliable... polution-free, smooth, efficient, quiet (and) required minimum routine maintenance and has low operating costs.”



“I feel your pain, Disneyland” said Lake Buena Vista City to a depressed little Tomorrowland, “I feel your pain.”


Visit their website for pictures and other information, I will post some pics on here too. They have lots of interesting articles


R
 

rsoxguy

Well-Known Member
Monorail would be cool, buses would help to avoid an enormous price hike due to construction and implementation. Still, monorail would be preferable in an ideal, no further compensation necessary world.
 

Big C 73

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
With Disney raising ticket prices,and lacking new additions And making BILLIONS a day I think they could come out of their corporate shell and think truly about the guest for once in 15 years and build the monorial expansion. They got the money, and I know it will take a while to make up the money lost, but hey who comes first?
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
With Disney raising ticket prices,and lacking new additions And making BILLIONS a day I think they could come out of their corporate shell and think truly about the guest for once in 15 years and build the monorial expansion. They got the money, and I know it will take a while to make up the money lost, but hey who comes first?

The shareholders. That reason alone is why you will not see monorail expansion until Disney has no other choice. That day is far in the future if it comes at all.
 

dylan0511

Active Member
I voted I don't care. I HATE the busing in Disney. Probably the only thing I hate. It's the only reason I pay for a rental car.
 

sublimesting

Well-Known Member
monorail expansion
bus fleet expansion
So, this weekend I was talking to a Disney novice who is going in October. She said "My family doesn't do buses. Won't happen. We are staying at the Polynesian so that we have full access to Disney by monorail..... we splurge like that."
I said "You guys aren't doing Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom?"
"Well yeah we are."
"Monorail only goes to MK and Epcot."
"No, my agent said the monorail is full service to all of Disney and she's an expert."

Someone walked over and said "Ya know Disney is kind of what sublimesting does, he plans trips fr fun."

"Oh, well I have an agent."
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
So, this weekend I was talking to a Disney novice who is going in October. She said "My family doesn't do buses. Won't happen. We are staying at the Polynesian so that we have full access to Disney by monorail..... we splurge like that."
I said "You guys aren't doing Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom?"
"Well yeah we are."
"Monorail only goes to MK and Epcot."
"No, my agent said the monorail is full service to all of Disney and she's an expert."

Someone walked over and said "Ya know Disney is kind of what sublimesting does, he plans trips fr fun."

"Oh, well I have an agent."

What I would not give to be a fly on the wall during their trip.
 

sublimesting

Well-Known Member
What I would not give to be a fly on the wall during their trip.

Ya know I guess they could walk between Epcot and HS, I certainly do but I doubt they'll figure that out. I didn';t talk any further with them cause I don't like to sound like a know it all and go into one of my Disney monologues where only my wife and I are fascinated and everyone else's eyes glaze over.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Ya know I guess they could walk between Epcot and HS, I certainly do but I doubt they'll figure that out. I didn';t talk any further with them cause I don't like to sound like a know it all and go into one of my Disney monologues where only my wife and I are fascinated and everyone else's eyes glaze over.

I can not blame you one bit. I do not waste my time on those that are bound and determined to be willfully ignorant.
 

rob0519

Well-Known Member
monorail expansion
bus fleet expansion

While a monorail expansion would be great, we all know it is cost prohibitive. Heck, basic maintenance on the monorails looks like it's considered cost prohibitive by management.

Looking at the huge lines of people at the bus stops however certainly dicatates an expansion of the bus lines are in order. If WDW is going to tout free transportation as a benefit, then it should at least be more efficient than it is at this point in time. Perhaps several smaller buses that run during prime hours and only pickup guests using ECVs, keeping them off the other buses and freeing up room. These smaller buses could make multiple stops instead of going directly from Point A to Point B so there would not need to be as many. Just a though.
 

disneyfan1995

Well-Known Member
As much as I'd love to see a monorail expansion, I just don't think they'd be able to do that with the current size of their property today.
 

jw24

Well-Known Member
If costs were not a problem, I'd do the monorail expansion. In fact, I'm not even sure if it's possible to do with the space they've got. So as a consolation prize, I think we're stuck with the bus expansion for now.
 

Zweiland

Well-Known Member
A monorail expansion would be great. The monorails were meant as an easy, quick, environmentally friendly mode of transportation, but now that Disney has built 2 more parks, countless more resorts, and water parks, they have lost their purpose. An expansion would make the monorails more relevant.

That said, it's not going to happen, at least for the next 20 years or so.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
The monorail question came up in another thread and this is my opinion on why you will never see an expansion of the monorail system.

Recently, there have either been more equipment problems with the trains or just that it has been reported more but, there is one huge built in problem with a monorail. And that is it. It has one rail, if one train breaks down no trains can run until the problem is towed back to the shop. Can you imagine the nightmare that would cause if more and more people relied on it for their Disney transportation? Stuck on a monorail train that is held up because another train is broken. No way to fix it on the rail, all they can do is clear the tracks somehow to get the tow vehicle to the site.

I never really thought it had anything to do with cost even though it would be quite high. They have to buy, maintain and rescue people from buses but it is a simple procedure. Pull a different bus up behind the broken one and transfer the passengers and pull around it and be on their way.
 

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