Monorail system to operate on new timetable to accommodate automation work

[Figment2005]

No - but nice selective memory. You opened the topic to Monorails not being available or up to standard and the above is true. Monorails don't get dirty due to the beamwork needed. Work takes longer the less qualified staff you have. etc

I remember this heated discussion starting with making a sarcastic jab at those causing a fuss.

Also, to add, my first post in this discussion asked for a little tolerance for those cast members working during the inconvenience. They will have a harder time because they are the ones who will be taking the heat.

 

[aw14]

Staying at contemporary at the end of July and am concerned a little about the impact of this. It doesnt effect Epcot for us, as there are no AM EMH at Epcot when we are there. As far as MK goes, we can walk if needed

 

[2000ashton]

I found this thread by searching for info on the monorail summer hours and just have to chime in. We are staying at the CR in August. We have previously stayed twice at the Poly. One of THE MAIN reasons that we chose to stay there as opposed to staying offsite is because of the convenience of the monorail. This is not a cheap vacation by our standards. If I wanted to rely on the buses for transportation, I would have saved some money and stayed at the Hilton on property and used Hilton points. That's what we did on our first trip. However, after staying at the Poly once, we fell in love with the ease of going to MK and Epcot via the monorail. For this trip, I have already booked ADRs and our fastpasses relying on monorail transportation for 3 early ADRs (8 at MK, 8:05 Epcot & & 7:45 at the Poly) and planned for rope drop for several days. This changes things! I understand the walk to MK from the CR is easy so that takes care of at least one day. For the others... can we take the bus? Yes. Can we drive our on car? Yes. The point is that I booked our stay and made park plans according to one monorail operating schedule and am getting another. Not happy about it, but we will adjust. Unless it's your vacation that it is affecting, don't be so quick to assume it's no big deal.

 

[cw1982]

The mornings, at least that early, are not as busy as many of you are making them out to be. From the TTC standpoint, between the hours of 7 and 8:30, we may see a couple hundred people. That isn't even a full train. The backup of people will not exist for breakfast reservations. Now, the express from TTC to Magic Kingdom will cause a backlog of people to boats, but that happens regardless many times.

The backups will happen on the hotel bus end, especially when people don't have access to the monorails. The monorails arrive more frequently because their routes don't take as much time, so of course they don't get as full as the buses do on a normal morning.

I hope you're not trying to imply that the people who stay at monorail resorts and get early morning ADR's and/or expect to be in the parks for EMH or RD don't matter because there are too few of them to count, because those people spend more than a pretty penny to be able to do just that, and there is nothing you can say to me that will make me think this is okay. I'm not even going to Disney during this time, much less staying at a monorail resort, but if I was, I would be pretty ticked.

 

[Figment2005]

I found this thread by searching for info on the monorail summer hours and just have to chime in. We are staying at the CR in August. We have previously stayed twice at the Poly. One of THE MAIN reasons that we chose to stay there as opposed to staying offsite is because of the convenience of the monorail. This is not a cheap vacation by our standards. If I wanted to rely on the buses for transportation, I would have saved some money and stayed at the Hilton on property and used Hilton points. That's what we did on our first trip. However, after staying at the Poly once, we fell in love with the ease of going to MK and Epcot via the monorail. For this trip, I have already booked ADRs and our fastpasses relying on monorail transportation for 3 early ADRs (8 at MK, 8:05 Epcot & & 7:45 at the Poly) and planned for rope drop for several days. This changes things! I understand the walk to MK from the CR is easy so that takes care of at least one day. For the others... can we take the bus? Yes. Can we drive our on car? Yes. The point is that I booked our stay and made park plans according to one monorail operating schedule and am getting another. Not happy about it, but we will adjust. Unless it's your vacation that it is affecting, don't be so quick to assume it's no big deal.

95% of the day the monorails will be available. Unlike the 6 hours they were down during the day earlier this year. I understand the incovienience, but it needed to be done.

 

[Figment2005]

The backups will happen on the hotel bus end, especially when people don't have access to the monorails. The monorails arrive more frequently because their routes don't take as much time, so of course they don't get as full as the buses do on a normal morning.

I hope you're not trying to imply that the people who stay at monorail resorts and get early morning ADR's and/or expect to be in the parks for EMH or RD don't matter because there are too few of them to count, because those people spend more than a pretty penny to be able to do just that, and there is nothing you can say to me that will make me think this is okay. I'm not even going to Disney during this time, much less staying at a monorail resort, but if I was, I would be pretty ticked.

I do not imply that. I have first hand experience with the mornings. I'm saying that getting to and from your early morning ADR's or rope drops will not be as big of a headache as might be expected.

 

[cw1982]

I do not imply that. I have first hand experience with the mornings. I'm saying that getting to and from your early morning ADR's or rope drops will not be as big of a headache as might be expected.

Ok... just making sure we're clear I wasn't trying to accuse you, but I could also see how the argument could clearly start down that slippery slope if we weren't careful.

 

[Figment2005]

Ok... just making sure we're clear I wasn't trying to accuse you, but I could also see how the argument could clearly start down that slippery slope if we weren't careful.

Correct I'm not trying to start a fight, just my experience with the department leads me to believe that this is going to be a better alternative to doing more mid day shutdowns.

 

[hokielutz]

Here is another scenario.... Let's say you roll out of bed at one of the three monorail resorts... and you have your early FP+ attractions booked and your itinerary planned for the entire day. Your first stop is the monorail to travel to MK/EP. Yet as you get to the monorail lobby.... you find out the monorail resort line is not operating that morning due to X or Y reasons. What do you do??? You are now late because the time it will take choose and use other modes of transport will be longer than the speedy monorail.


Which is worse..... finding your monorail service is out of order on the morning you head to the parks, or finding out the monorail is going to have some outage periods.

The latter you can at least plan your day around the morning inconvenience.

 

[rob0519]

I do not imply that. I have first hand experience with the mornings. I'm saying that getting to and from your early morning ADR's or rope drops will not be as big of a headache as might be expect

[/QUOTE]


The headache is only a part of the issue. If I book a room at a value resort, I know up front that I will be using buses to get to rope drop. If, however, Disney markets to me the ease and convenience of using the monorail for that same transportation time frame and charges me four, five or six times as much per night for that service, then without advance notice or financial compensation takes that service away, the guests have a right to angry. How they let it affect their vacation is up to them. Thousands of people will be showing up not knowing of this change. Disney gets some points for trying to improve the service, but they deserve all the heat they are going to get on the scheduling piece.

 

[Admiral01]

95% of the day the monorails will be available. Unlike the 6 hours they were down during the day earlier this year. I understand the incovienience, but it needed to be done.

I do agree that this needed to be done. The system has been ridden hard and not maintained properly. Gotta make it up somehow so it doesn't totally fail sometime in the future.

 

[cw1982]

Here is another scenario.... Let's say you roll out of bed at one of the three monorail resorts... and you have your early FP+ attractions booked and your itinerary planned for the entire day. Your first stop is the monorail to travel to MK/EP. Yet as you get to the monorail lobby.... you find out the monorail resort line is not operating that morning due to X or Y reasons. What do you do??? You are now late because the time it will take choose and use other modes of transport will be longer than the speedy monorail.


Which is worse..... finding your monorail service is out of order on the morning you head to the parks, or finding out the monorail is going to have some outage periods.

The latter you can at least plan your day around the morning inconvenience.

True, as long as people know in enough time to plan. The thing is, it doesn't sound like people who don't follow sites like this one will know before they get to WDW, so they may have a harder time adjusting their plans on the fly.

95% of the day the monorails will be available. Unlike the 6 hours they were down during the day earlier this year. I understand the incovienience, but it needed to be done.

Even if the monorails will be available 95% of the time (maybe; I haven't done the math on that one), there will be NO monorails available at one of the times that they will be most desired by the people who are paying premiums to be able to use them.

 

[Stine]

I am staying at the CR shortly and booked this hotel for the ease of transport to the MK and Epcot via the monorail. I paid a premium for this service and today I received an email from Disney telling me about the hotel and the first amenity listed was the monorail.

Well, this past Friday I first heard about this change in service on this site and called guest relations to find out what Disney was thinking and what the plans were for those booked. After 45 minute wait for a rep, I explained the reason for my call. She then put me on hold for another 19 minutes while she called transportation, because that was the FIRST she heard if it. So, if you think those booked are going to be notified, you will probably be wrong. And, to take the monorails out if service during peak season at peak times, is a travesty, and those if us staying at a monorail hotel have every right to be upset.

 

[Stine]

Yes, it should start at least half an hour before whatever time the parks open. As for the buses, I want more details, like what time they'll start running. I'm hoping there will be enough complaints from people staying at monorail hotels that Disney adjusts the schedules to something a bit more reasonable.

Except that they haven't notified guest yet. I heard about it here and when I called, the rep didn't know. I also received 2 confirmations this weekend and there was no mention of it. Only when guest arrive will they find out and then they will scramble to make alternate plans to wake up earlier and wait on buses to make adrs and FP appointments, which Disney insists we all make now.

 

[Michael Trauffer]

So... Step 2 is expansion?

I've been hoping for expansion for a long time, don't see it happening for a while, if at all.

 

[kbmum]

The backups will happen on the hotel bus end, especially when people don't have access to the monorails. The monorails arrive more frequently because their routes don't take as much time, so of course they don't get as full as the buses do on a normal morning.

I worry about this, especially since my trip starts about a week after the scheduling change is going to occur. I think there will be some chaos at the hotel bus stops. The value resorts have queues with ropes or chains to reduce cutting in line. The monorail resorts don't have this. It's going to be a free-for-all at the bus stop with people trying to take buses to all of the parks.

My parents are VERY upset. They're in their mid to late 70s and decided to spend the money to stay at the Contemporary because it's physically easier for them to take the monorail instead of the bus and they tend to spend more time at MK than any other park. Now, they'll have to deal with the bus every single morning of our trip.

 

[cw1982]

I worry about this, especially since my trip starts about a week after the scheduling change is going to occur. I think there will be some chaos at the hotel bus stops. The value resorts have queues with ropes or chains to reduce cutting in line. The monorail resorts don't have this. It's going to be a free-for-all at the bus stop with people trying to take buses to all of the parks.

My parents are VERY upset. They're in their mid to late 70s and decided to spend the money to stay at the Contemporary because it's physically easier for them to take the monorail instead of the bus and they tend to spend more time at MK than any other park. Now, they'll have to deal with the bus every single morning of our trip.

I think I would call Guest Services and complain. Not sure what good it will do, but Disney needs to be hearing these things.

Here's hoping that, since you're arriving a week after this starts, maybe they will have queues set up by then to reduce drama at the buses. I know that only goes so far, but I'm hoping you still have a great trip!

 

[Admiral01]

I worry about this, especially since my trip starts about a week after the scheduling change is going to occur. I think there will be some chaos at the hotel bus stops. The value resorts have queues with ropes or chains to reduce cutting in line. The monorail resorts don't have this. It's going to be a free-for-all at the bus stop with people trying to take buses to all of the parks.

My parents are VERY upset. They're in their mid to late 70s and decided to spend the money to stay at the Contemporary because it's physically easier for them to take the monorail instead of the bus and they tend to spend more time at MK than any other park. Now, they'll have to deal with the bus every single morning of our trip.

The correct complaint here isn't that they have reduced the Monorail operating hours temporarily. That is necessary to complete upgrades and updates to the system - updates and upgrades that will help us all and will help the system operating for the future.

The complaint IS that Walt Disney World hasn't done a good job informing guests of the change. THAT is the big issue here. Disney needs to get the information out in a timely manner so those that really did plan and want the Monorail have the opportunity to alter plans before it is too late and too expensive.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I'm so sorry that your vacation is ruined because you are unable to take the "filthy" and "unmaintained" monorail service to your early reservation in the morning to Epcot. You will have to ride a bus for an entire 10 minutes of your day, How Dare Disney inconvenience you like that...
/endsarcasm

Ok, so what about people who have early breakfast ADR's at one of the monorail hotels? The early morning buses only take you to the magic kingdom so how are they supposed to get from MK to the Poly, GF, or Contemporary? Ohana I know starts seating at 7:30am and that is a full hour before monorail service starts.

 

[jensenrick]

I found this thread by searching for info on the monorail summer hours and just have to chime in. We are staying at the CR in August. We have previously stayed twice at the Poly. One of THE MAIN reasons that we chose to stay there as opposed to staying offsite is because of the convenience of the monorail. This is not a cheap vacation by our standards. If I wanted to rely on the buses for transportation, I would have saved some money and stayed at the Hilton on property and used Hilton points.

I know this is off topic (sorry), but I just had to chime in with a note about Bus transportation from the Bonnet Creek Hilton- it is actually really wonderful! Hilton buses are quick, relaxing, never late, and nicer than Disney buses by a factor of about a Bazillion! Comfortable seats, with movies- not all squished like sardines on Disney buses.