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News Monorail Red in motion with guests on board and doors open
- Thread starter ptaylor
- Start date
Cameron1529
Active Member
I am sure Disney will attempt to make the monorails handle larger capacites, through certain design changes. In relation to the picture I think the walkway is too skinny to fit strollers, wheelchairs etc. It needs to be more accessible.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The 300s are too large for Walt Disney World. Not just the beamway but also the vertical clearances through the Contemporary.
msg7
Well-Known Member
Personally, I think Disney should and will keep the iconic lear jet nose design if they try to keep the same retro-future theme. (My complete opinion about the aesthetics of the new monorails is posted a few pages back.) That being said, if they go with a more Disneyland-Esque design, they might do away with it.
If I'm correct, I believe a set of wheels (oversized rubber tires) is located between each car which is why this would be a problem.
Well this is great news to ponder next time I’m chugging along over to EPCOT up in the air. Can you elaborate?
Rteetz
Well-Known Member
If I recall correctly the Epcot line was built onsite whereas the original MK lines were built offsite (I think in Seattle) and trucked onto property. The big difference is being built in different climates. Florida isn't exactly the same as Seattle. The Epcot line is in worse shape than the MK line yet MK is the original.
Stripes
Premium Member
If this point hasn't already been made: with Epcot receiving a futuristic overhaul to "Future World", perhaps now really is when Disney is preparing for a new monorail fleet. Although I don't mind look of the Mark VI, it's a retro design that would be out of place traveling through the refreshed Future World on the Epcot loop. Food for thought.
mikejs78
Premium Member
I don't think we know that the Epcot overhaul will be futuristic. There's been rumors of a name change to Future World and the PR mantra these days includes phrases like 'more timeless'.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
It was the material used. They used localized material in Florida which amounted to lime which will erode away with water. You can see more patchwork on the Epcot line, if you're riding up front which you can no longer do, and possibly feel it compared with the Express and Resort lines.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
My guess is that it's something limited to, "FIX THOSE DOORS! DON'T LET IT EVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!!"
...and that's where it stops.
montyz81
Well-Known Member
They adjusted those doorways before when they went from the IV to the VI, I am sure they could do it again. Remember, most things like this are fixable, it's just a matter of how much money they want to put into it.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
They did adjust the doorways then. But any further enlarging would require large scale structural changes to the contemporary and likely the removal of an entire floor of rooms. Also there are other obstacles besides just the station clearances.
https://goo.gl/images/BxRsM3
montyz81
Well-Known Member
Fair enough... I forgot about that. That said, they could still achieve more capacity without stretching the trains. I bet new ones could be built to do away with the need for such high bogies between the trains. That in and of itself would increase capacity by at least 30%. The fact is, I now agree with you, they would have to custom build trains to map to the current track. With new trains, comes more efficiencies, more reliability, probably much more cost savings. I bet if they changed the trains 10 years ago with some of the improvements I stated above, they would have made up the cost by now.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
I bet that they see "cost savings" differently than you.
I have a nearly 10yo Honda Civic. You could make the argument that I could trade it in for a more efficient car and I'd have "cost savings". The problem is that my current Civic is "free" and has been for some time and that more efficient car is $25K to drive off the lot. How many years will it take for me to make up that $25K in the new efficiencies? That's the question.
Add to it that I've kept my Civic in good repair so it still looks good and drives well. When something broke, I fixed it. This is a different tactic than WDW has taken toward the trains. They fix things when they absolutely have to. It's a different cost savings technique. If the train absolutely won't run they'll put someone on it. If it still rolls downhill then it's probably good for the day.
Still, from their point of view, the trains that they have now are "free" and low maintenance because they only do what is absolutely necessary. New trains are very expensive in comparison and don't look good on the spreadsheet (no cost-cutting bonuses).
The reality is this: If WDW wanted to keep the trains clean and in good working order then they would have done so. If they wanted to replace the trains then they would have done so. That costs more money than what they're doing now. It's all about the spreadsheet. They'll ride these things until they have to push them down the beams and only then will they consider replacements or, what I think is more likely, just shutting the system down or, if we're lucky, scaling it back - which also looks good on that spreadsheet.
I have a nearly 10yo Honda Civic. You could make the argument that I could trade it in for a more efficient car and I'd have "cost savings". The problem is that my current Civic is "free" and has been for some time and that more efficient car is $25K to drive off the lot. How many years will it take for me to make up that $25K in the new efficiencies? That's the question.
Add to it that I've kept my Civic in good repair so it still looks good and drives well. When something broke, I fixed it. This is a different tactic than WDW has taken toward the trains. They fix things when they absolutely have to. It's a different cost savings technique. If the train absolutely won't run they'll put someone on it. If it still rolls downhill then it's probably good for the day.
Still, from their point of view, the trains that they have now are "free" and low maintenance because they only do what is absolutely necessary. New trains are very expensive in comparison and don't look good on the spreadsheet (no cost-cutting bonuses).
The reality is this: If WDW wanted to keep the trains clean and in good working order then they would have done so. If they wanted to replace the trains then they would have done so. That costs more money than what they're doing now. It's all about the spreadsheet. They'll ride these things until they have to push them down the beams and only then will they consider replacements or, what I think is more likely, just shutting the system down or, if we're lucky, scaling it back - which also looks good on that spreadsheet.
No, no, "cost-cutting" is such an ancient term, and has negative PR associated with it, because TWDC, and P&R in particular, is making money hand over fist. "Cost containment" is the new mantra. All the cool managers and executives at Disney are using it these days. Get with the times, man!
Can't argue with anything in your post. Why buy new, when 30 years old will do?
They were working on the beam after hours last week for a few nights in a row. Where it goes through the small CM parking area just to the right of the Poly entrance.
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
Whatever they go with, it'd be nice for the monorail and platform to be level with each other. Yes, they would have to modify the platforms though (probably widen them slightly?).
the.dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Yes! How much time is collectively wasted each day when a CM has to walk over to one or more groups where a guest is in an ECV or wheelchair with the metal ramp.
Same goes for the busses and the super inefficient “kneeling” process.
LukeS7
Well-Known Member
It'll never happen, but I wish WDW would partner with Tesla to overhaul its transportation system. Automated/overhauled monorail, possibly even automated buses that would have sensors that enable them to stop at the same point at the stations (which would make level loading platforms for wheelchairs/ECV's possible), possibly even automated "Minnie Vans". Ahhhh, the Disney in my imagination is so much better sometimes 
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
Well, they don't need Tesla for automated monorails. There's several systems around the world that have automated train systems. Automated road vehicles would be nice once the tech is matured in ~20 years.It'll never happen, but I wish WDW would partner with Tesla to overhaul it's transportation system. Automated monorail, possibly even automated buses that would have sensors that enable them to stop at the same point at the stations (which would make level loading platforms for wheelchairs/ECV's possible), an overhauled monorail, possibly even automated "Minnie Vans". Ahhhh, the Disney in my imagination is so much better sometimes
Sadly the only way to get rid of that is build BRT type stations like several foreign countries have. I can't think of the name but there's one that stands out above the rest.