Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[flavious27]

The other thing to keep in mind in all of this... is Disney Transport has a relatively new top dog. Hopefully the good news out of this is the potential that the new leadership is taking the old problems seriously and possibly getting more control in the larger WDW executive circle.

What would that mean for the average guest experience though? Not having monorail service for the hotels that use the monorails as one of their primary means of transportation is going to suck. Hopefully this is a minor hiccup if disney is doing extensive maintenance on the beams, but not if they are refurbishing the trains.

It would be nice if they updated and expanded the bus fleet using new kinds of technology. There are financial benefits to using hybrids and also changing the fuel over to bio diesel. They could also have solar cells on the roof to power atleast the AC, if not also recharge the batteries for the hybrid propulsion system. Why do we not like the buses, they get cramped and sometimes they smell. Also, nothing inside of them says disney magic. We don't need to be drowning in disney ads but they need to do something.

 

[Kamikaze]

me: @ThemeParkOne any thoughts on wdw monorail situation and reducing their availability? new fleet coming?



ThemeParkOne: @cbconglom There's a proposal for some major infrastructure overhaul on the monorail system including a new fleet. Fingers crossed!


fingers crossed indeed!

Who's this 'ThemeParkOne' and why would he know anything on the subject?

 

[flynnibus]

What would that mean for the average guest experience though?

It's about ensuring Disney Transport isn't bottom of the barrel as it comes to internal politics... or that there isn't necessarily a leadership that simply doesn't care about customer experience or reliability, etc.

I'm not going to judge the motivations of the past leadership - but to have a person in charge that can actually make things happen is a very significant thing.

How it impacts customer experience is about ensuring the projects as they relate to Transportation actually get done instead of perpetually delayed. These things could be everything from paint, to surfaces, to vehicles, to uniforms, to cleaniness, to operating hours, to vehicles, to all kinds of things.

Leadership's power and motivations as essential to get the changes in place that ultimately do influence the customer experience.

 

[flynnibus]

Who's this 'ThemeParkOne' and why would he know anything on the subject?

another identity on the network who posts 'insider' information and like most others... loves to promote just how much they know or how much we need them...

 

[DebDeb]

Having been on the resort Monorail at 3 in the morning a few weeks ago I can tell you that we were the only ones on board. Maybe the hated bean counters were watching and decided that not enough monorail resort guests were taking advantage of the late hours and using the monorail. So how do you get back to the Poly or GF that late? Will they add bus/boat service?
I will tell you that we had some experiences this time using Disney transportation though. Our 3 daughters were on a very crowded Epcot monorail after closing and the car was so crowded that it had to be stopped 3 times in route due to people leaning on the doors.The captain had to make announcments asking people to move away from the doors. Speaking of the doors has anyone else seen how the rubber molding on some of the cars has come off and you can see daylight through them. They are showing their age and usage that is for sure.
We were also part of the resort monorail random shut downs. Which sent a bunch of guests to ride the small boat to MK. Did I mention a storm was coming up? We were the 4th round of boat riders and by then the storm had arrived. We were stuck out in the lagoon in the pouring rain circling for 20 minutes waiting for the boat to leave Poly so we could pick up and let off guests there. It was raining sideways! Cold rain in June in Florida? Really?! And as we sat there freezing and wet we see the resort monorail go by.....oh well we made some Disney memories right?
Will not having access to the late night monorail ride back to our resort stop us from taking advantage of late night hours? Not likely! Walking on rides, and taking amazing photos is worth the extra time it will no doubt take to get back to our resort.

 

[Kamikaze]

another identity on the network who posts 'insider' information and like most others... loves to promote just how much they know or how much we need them...

So no one. Got it.

 

[wserratore1963]

me: @ThemeParkOne any thoughts on wdw monorail situation and reducing their availability? new fleet coming?



ThemeParkOne: @cbconglom There's a proposal for some major infrastructure overhaul on the monorail system including a new fleet. Fingers crossed!


fingers crossed indeed!

That's the best news I've heard in a long time; FINGERS CROSSED INDEED!
:sohappy:

 

[CJR]

This may have been mentioned already, but I thought I'd remention it just in case. Epcot's monorail, unless I'm wrong, operates until the MK is closed (I think 1-2 hours after MK is closed actually). So Epcot won't be effected too much by this change since MK tends to naturally be open late.

As for MK, the monorails will probably still run for the first two hours of the EMH. Only during the last hour would you need a boat if you're staying at a nearby hotel. MK is open so late most of the time that most people are gone by that last hour anyway.

For the majority of monorail guests, there will be no noticeable difference at all. It's just to prevent more empty monorails from wasting energy so late at night.

 

[Jakester]

However, standard operating hours at the Magic Kingdom and the Studios used to be substantially longer throughout the year. So, they offer the "extra magic hours," but a lot of it isn't so extra when they've reduced their hours from years past. I lived in Orlando from 99-05 and standard hours are quite lower from then. I remember the countless MK closings at midnight and 1 am for non-hotel guests let alone the Studios closing at the minimum of 10:30 pm.

I usually only have seen MK get usually 11pm closing mostly the last couple years (With 1 of those EMH) and like 2 midnight - 1am closings.

Studios Operating hours conclude at 10:00pm during summer, but they will have a good number of guest leaving at 11pm (Just after the 10:30pm Fantasmic).

Ive seen operating hours from the past and some where 9am - 11pm most days with 9am - 12:00am 2days a week.

Currently they are open until 11:00pm Sunday, Thrusday, Saturday
12:00am Wednesday, Friday
1am Monday, Tuesday
with EMH until 2am Sunday and 3am Fridays

 

[flynnibus]

current schedule includes TWO EMHs per night at MK... and does so even late into the season.

 

[COProgressFan]

We were also part of the resort monorail random shut downs. Which sent a bunch of guests to ride the small boat to MK. Did I mention a storm was coming up? We were the 4th round of boat riders and by then the storm had arrived. We were stuck out in the lagoon in the pouring rain circling for 20 minutes waiting for the boat to leave Poly so we could pick up and let off guests there. It was raining sideways! Cold rain in June in Florida? Really?! And as we sat there freezing and wet we see the resort monorail go by.....oh well we made some Disney memories right?

Wow, that doesn't sound fun at all! Your experience is a perfect example of why substituting the resort launches isn't sufficient. There simply isn't enough capacity on them, and their operation is affected by weather conditions.

 

[flavious27]

Having been on the resort Monorail at 3 in the morning a few weeks ago I can tell you that we were the only ones on board. Maybe the hated bean counters were watching and decided that not enough monorail resort guests were taking advantage of the late hours and using the monorail. So how do you get back to the Poly or GF that late? Will they add bus/boat service?
I will tell you that we had some experiences this time using Disney transportation though. Our 3 daughters were on a very crowded Epcot monorail after closing and the car was so crowded that it had to be stopped 3 times in route due to people leaning on the doors.The captain had to make announcments asking people to move away from the doors. Speaking of the doors has anyone else seen how the rubber molding on some of the cars has come off and you can see daylight through them. They are showing their age and usage that is for sure.
We were also part of the resort monorail random shut downs. Which sent a bunch of guests to ride the small boat to MK. Did I mention a storm was coming up? We were the 4th round of boat riders and by then the storm had arrived. We were stuck out in the lagoon in the pouring rain circling for 20 minutes waiting for the boat to leave Poly so we could pick up and let off guests there. It was raining sideways! Cold rain in June in Florida? Really?! And as we sat there freezing and wet we see the resort monorail go by.....oh well we made some Disney memories right?
Will not having access to the late night monorail ride back to our resort stop us from taking advantage of late night hours? Not likely! Walking on rides, and taking amazing photos is worth the extra time it will no doubt take to get back to our resort.

This is why I like the boats they have for FW, they are enclosed.

 

[Communicore]

This may have been mentioned already, but I thought I'd remention it just in case. Epcot's monorail, unless I'm wrong, operates until the MK is closed (I think 1-2 hours after MK is closed actually). So Epcot won't be effected too much by this change since MK tends to naturally be open late.

Epcot confirmed that their monorail is only open for 1 hour after they close. Buses it is if you leave your car there, unfortunately. I like to park my car at Epcot, then go to MK but now I can't do it unless I bus back, and it's not a direct bus, too!

 

[puntagordabob]

For the majority of monorail guests, there will be no noticeable difference at all. It's just to prevent more empty monorails from wasting energy so late at night.

lol wait until the hard ticket parties or Private (nonpublic) events start happening in the fall/winter/spring...... you WILL Notice when the monorail s down at 8pm cuz MK closes at 7.... and Epcot normally closes after Illuminations which is close to 9:20 before you even start mobbing your way out of the park... You WILL notice when there are no monorails.....and a zillion people at the bus depot wanting to board (they have to run em to the three resorts) the busses all at once...and if you think each resort will get its own bus I think youll be disappointed!

You WILL notice....

Epcot confirmed that their monorail is only open for 1 hour after they close. Buses it is if you leave your car there, unfortunately. I like to park my car at Epcot, then go to MK but now I can't do it unless I bus back, and it's not a direct bus, too!

You have to go to another resort and then back to the monorail resort? Wow if that is the case I would say Guest Relations is going to get an earfull from a lot of folks who parkhop.

 

[CJR]

lol wait until the hard ticket parties or Private (nonpublic) events start happening in the fall/winter/spring...... you WILL Notice when the monorail s down at 8pm cuz MK closes at 7....

I'm pretty sure Disney will make an exception for these situations. That would just be both ridiculous and pathetic.

 

[righttrack]

I experienced this first hand on my trip this past week. I stayed at a monorail resort too. To me, it took some of the value out of staying at the monorail resort. Certainly, the monorail is great during the day, but at night, when you are dog tired, it just puts you right smack dab in the middle of your resort and you've only a short walk to your room. The bus, while infinitely scalable, just doesn't cut it.

 

[brisem]

Here's the latest response:

Dear Brian,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Thank you for contacting us regarding the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Your continued enthusiasm and passion for the Disney brand is very
important to us. We value your feedback and are sorry to learn of your
disappointment with the recent decision to revise the operating hours of
the monorail system.

From time to time, we make adjustments to our operations to accommodate
for ongoing, planned transportation maintenance. Effective July 11,
2011, the Epcot Monorail System began closing 1 hour after Epcot regular
operating hours. Effective August 1, 2011, the Magic Kingdom Monorail
System will be closing 1 hour after Magic Kingdom regular operating
hours. We recognize the value our guests place on transportation while
staying on property at our Walt Disney World® Resort. Therefore we will
offer buses and watercraft (where applicable) to transport guests back
to their resort when attending our Evening Extra Magic Hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and
appreciate you sharing your feedback with us.


If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Ann Polson
WDW Online Communications

PLEASE NOTE: All information is subject to change without notice and
should be confirmed just prior to your visit.

 

[kangaand2roos]

Here's the latest response:

Dear Brian,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Thank you for contacting us regarding the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Your continued enthusiasm and passion for the Disney brand is very
important to us. We value your feedback and are sorry to learn of your
disappointment with the recent decision to revise the operating hours of
the monorail system.

From time to time, we make adjustments to our operations to accommodate
for ongoing, planned transportation maintenance. Effective July 11,
2011, the Epcot Monorail System began closing 1 hour after Epcot regular
operating hours. Effective August 1, 2011, the Magic Kingdom Monorail
System will be closing 1 hour after Magic Kingdom regular operating
hours. We recognize the value our guests place on transportation while
staying on property at our Walt Disney World® Resort. Therefore we will
offer buses and watercraft (where applicable) to transport guests back
to their resort when attending our Evening Extra Magic Hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and
appreciate you sharing your feedback with us.


If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Ann Polson
WDW Online Communications

PLEASE NOTE: All information is subject to change without notice and
should be confirmed just prior to your visit.

I got the same exact letter (except for my name in the name spot) word for word. Glad to know they really care what the guests are saying about this new disney decison. Complaints about monorail schedule, form letter XYZ

 

[flavious27]

Here's the latest response:

Dear Brian,

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Thank you for contacting us regarding the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Your continued enthusiasm and passion for the Disney brand is very
important to us. We value your feedback and are sorry to learn of your
disappointment with the recent decision to revise the operating hours of
the monorail system.

From time to time, we make adjustments to our operations to accommodate
for ongoing, planned transportation maintenance. Effective July 11,
2011, the Epcot Monorail System began closing 1 hour after Epcot regular
operating hours. Effective August 1, 2011, the Magic Kingdom Monorail
System will be closing 1 hour after Magic Kingdom regular operating
hours. We recognize the value our guests place on transportation while
staying on property at our Walt Disney World® Resort. Therefore we will
offer buses and watercraft (where applicable) to transport guests back
to their resort when attending our Evening Extra Magic Hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and
appreciate you sharing your feedback with us.


If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact
us.

Please include your full name, E-Mail address, and reservation number if
applicable on all correspondence.

Sincerely,

Ann Polson
WDW Online Communications

PLEASE NOTE: All information is subject to change without notice and
should be confirmed just prior to your visit.

It would be nice if they explained more about what maintenance they were performing, so that we would support this decision. If they say it was part of their timeline cycle to renovate or refurb the tracks, we would swallow this pill just a little bit more. If it something with the trains themselves, that pill isn't going anywhere.

 

[nace888]

Not only that, but the end of 2011 is creeping up slowly... Has anyone heard the news on Monorail Maroon?? It was supposed to be out last year, then this year...