Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[WereMagicLives]

No. Not even close.

When Disneyland replaced its monorail fleet with the new Mark VII's back in 2008-09, it had been rumored and reported on for a couple years in advance. The final year before the trains arrived Al Lutz was reporting on the status of the design and construction almost constantly, and Miceage photographers were dispatched up to British Columbia and the factory where they were being fabricated to take pictures of the Disneyland trains through the fences around the plant. Seriously.

There's no secret plan to replace the WDW monorails with a Black Ops fleet of pre-built trains. There appears to be no real plan for WDW monorails that doesn't look more than 4 to 6 months down the road, let alone funding and fabricating an entire new fleet of monorails for WDW.

that sounds completely unlike them to not have a plan for the 22 year old monorail system that has been having problems since 3 years ago. i highly doubt they dont have some kind of idea in store. maybe its not as extravagant as replacing the whole fleet but maybe they didnt wana say anytthing because of reactions people had to their last bright idea(pixie hallow):brick:

 

[Admiral01]

The Innovias just DO NOT hold the CLASSIC WDW Lear-Jet style! Like many said, the 'Mark VII' would not fit in too well at WDW, just doesn't look right. It would fit for TomorrowLand, but not everywhere else... The Mark VIs fit in EVERYWHERE, not in just one place...

I'm also hoping to see Monorail #12 on the beam by this fall!! It sure would be nice.

I think you are confusing the chassis with the body "shells" that are attached to them, which gives the monorail the look desired. The current Monorails offered by Bombardier do have a different look than the current WDW Mark VI Monorails. But, if WDW were to purchase new Monorails from Bombardier, they would simply design a similar body or re-use the current Mark VI cab design. You could intall any monorail body design on the current Bombardier chassis.

The Mark VII Monorails at DLR right now are simply re-used chassis from the the Mark V Monorails with new body "shells." They ripped the Mark V bodies off the chassis and installed the Mark VII bodies...so the look is very different, but the underlying chassis are the same.

I agree that the DLR Monorail style doesn't work at WDW. The lear jet look of the Mark VI fits with the transportation system that WDW has...and I hope will continue to have. I am heading back to WDW in October, and am looking forward to seeing #12.

 

[Kamikaze]

that sounds completely unlike them to not have a plan for the 22 year old monorail system that has been having problems since 3 years ago. i highly doubt they dont have some kind of idea in store. maybe its not as extravagant as replacing the whole fleet but maybe they didnt wana say anytthing because of reactions people had to their last bright idea(pixie hallow):brick:

Newsflash: They haven't been very forward looking in many areas, lately.

Keep in mind that the last time WDW changed trains, it took three years for them all to be switched over.

 

[WereMagicLives]

Newsflash: They haven't been very forward looking in many areas, lately.

Keep in mind that the last time WDW changed trains, it took three years for them all to be switched over.

well im gunna cross my fingers and hope for the best here if they didnt look this over yet then the one in charge has to be taken out

 

[JimboJones123]

this may sound stupid but i am a fire fighter and today i was discussing with a older member how a fire truck has a "life" and when a department purchase a truck they make a lease with the town so when the amount of years are up they get money for a new one to replace it. is it possible Disney may have done the same with the monorails and in this time frame they plan to replace them with ones that may have already been constructed?

Depreciation is how normal companies work. For some reason Disney has neglected this aspect of their business. Don't know why. It's Y2K all over again.

 

[nace888]

I think you are confusing the chassis with the body "shells" that are attached to them, which gives the monorail the look desired. The current Monorails offered by Bombardier do have a different look than the current WDW Mark VI Monorails. But, if WDW were to purchase new Monorails from Bombardier, they would simply design a similar body or re-use the current Mark VI cab design. You could intall any monorail body design on the current Bombardier chassis.

The Mark VII Monorails at DLR right now are simply re-used chassis from the the Mark V Monorails with new body "shells." They ripped the Mark V bodies off the chassis and installed the Mark VII bodies...so the look is very different, but the underlying chassis are the same.

I agree that the DLR Monorail style doesn't work at WDW. The lear jet look of the Mark VI fits with the transportation system that WDW has...and I hope will continue to have. I am heading back to WDW in October, and am looking forward to seeing #12.

Has #12's color OFFICIALY been announced?? I am hoping it is MAROON instead of PEACH.

Peach isn't quite entirely a color I would prefer to see....

 

[nace888]

Oops, double post.

 

[TP2000]

if they didnt look this over yet then the one in charge has to be taken out

Actually, she just got a promotion.

 

[unkadug]

Depreciation is how normal companies work. For some reason Disney has neglected this aspect of their business. Don't know why. It's Y2K all over again.

Except with Y2K there was a plan of attack.

 

[flavious27]

this may sound stupid but i am a fire fighter and today i was discussing with a older member how a fire truck has a "life" and when a department purchase a truck they make a lease with the town so when the amount of years are up they get money for a new one to replace it. is it possible Disney may have done the same with the monorails and in this time frame they plan to replace them with ones that may have already been constructed?

The same is done with school buses and taxis, they have so many miles and or years they can be used before they are replaced. The buses in the park have been getting replaced.

that sounds completely unlike them to not have a plan for the 22 year old monorail system that has been having problems since 3 years ago. i highly doubt they dont have some kind of idea in store. maybe its not as extravagant as replacing the whole fleet but maybe they didnt wana say anytthing because of reactions people had to their last bright idea(pixie hallow):brick:

The park has been running some parts without a real plan for awhile now. And really the monorail system is 40 years old, some of the trains are 22 years old.

Replacing the whole fleet would be easier and a way for tdo to look towards the future. To replace the whole fleet is going to cost atleast $100 million, with some added costs if they need to reconstruct any of the stations to accommodate any difference in dimensions.

I think you are confusing the chassis with the body "shells" that are attached to them, which gives the monorail the look desired. The current Monorails offered by Bombardier do have a different look than the current WDW Mark VI Monorails. But, if WDW were to purchase new Monorails from Bombardier, they would simply design a similar body or re-use the current Mark VI cab design. You could intall any monorail body design on the current Bombardier chassis.

The Mark VII Monorails at DLR right now are simply re-used chassis from the the Mark V Monorails with new body "shells." They ripped the Mark V bodies off the chassis and installed the Mark VII bodies...so the look is very different, but the underlying chassis are the same.

I agree that the DLR Monorail style doesn't work at WDW. The lear jet look of the Mark VI fits with the transportation system that WDW has...and I hope will continue to have. I am heading back to WDW in October, and am looking forward to seeing #12.

I don't see tdo reusing the current chassis with a new design, it would take too long to refurb each train individually and it would cause too much of an interruption if they atempted to refurb many at the same time.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Depreciation is how normal companies work. For some reason Disney has neglected this aspect of their business. Don't know why. It's Y2K all over again.

Depreciation is mostly a financial tool to defray tax burden. Most equipment will well outlive it's life on a depreciation schedule.

 

[zulemara]

Has #12's color OFFICIALY been announced?? I am hoping it is MAROON instead of PEACH.

Peach isn't quite entirely a color I would prefer to see....

to the press? no? internally on paper? Yes

I was told it's because they can only use colors that are in use at other Disney resorts worldwide. They had to use peach paint from Tokyo I believe. I'm not sure if that info is accurate or not, but I do know peach is the color it's going to be.

 

[s8film40]

to the press? no? internally on paper? Yes

I was told it's because they can only use colors that are in use at other Disney resorts worldwide. They had to use peach paint from Tokyo I believe. I'm not sure if that info is accurate or not, but I do know peach is the color it's going to be.

Yeah that excuse doesn't work. Teal is the first monorail to use that color. I think they can choose to paint them whatever they want.

 

[Monorail Lime]

to the press? no? internally on paper? Yes

I was told it's because they can only use colors that are in use at other Disney resorts worldwide. They had to use peach paint from Tokyo I believe. I'm not sure if that info is accurate or not, but I do know peach is the color it's going to be.

Tokyo Disney Resort Line's monorail Peach is practically the same color as our Monorail Coral. WDW's Peach would have to be a different paint color, possibly a fleshy pale orange.

 

[KevinYee]

To be clear: The Epcot line started this on July 11th, the MK lines start on Aug 1.

This past Saturday night, the MK closed at 1am. By 1:22, I was out the gate, and the Express monorail was closed. An A-frame sign pointed to the Resort monorail.

I asked a nearby Monorail CM if the Express Line closes when the park does, and he said yes.

Has it always been thus? I have small kids and don't often stay til closing lately.

 

[thehowiet]

Has it always been thus? I have small kids and don't often stay til closing lately.

That has definitely NOT been my experience. I used to sit on my balcony at the Contemporary very late at night and watch the monorails. I'd stay up until the whole system was totally shut down, watching the monorails come off the system. Then I'd walk out my room to see if they parked a train inside the Contemporary. The Resort beam was always the last to shut down, but even the Express beam would run for at least an hour after park closing, usually longer.

 

[nace888]

Yeah that excuse doesn't work. Teal is the first monorail to use that color. I think they can choose to paint them whatever they want.

I agree with this!! Teal is an all new color to Disney's lines, is it not?? Not only that, but they should use the MAROON as the new color as the tribute to Austin. Not only that, but Peach is TOO MUCH like Coral. We need a new color... Something of the red variation. It would add very well...

And IMO, WDW should not have to go with Peach just because it is in Tokyo. Tokyo only has 5 lines/trains, DL only has 3... We should have the option to choose whatever we want. I use the term WE loosely, and I apologize for that, haha.

 

[wolf359]

This past Saturday night, the MK closed at 1am. By 1:22, I was out the gate, and the Express monorail was closed. An A-frame sign pointed to the Resort monorail.

I asked a nearby Monorail CM if the Express Line closes when the park does, and he said yes.

Has it always been thus? I have small kids and don't often stay til closing lately.

On my last few visits the Express was always closed earlier than the Local line. Definitely this year and last year, perhaps my 2008 trip too, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[peachykeen]

This past Saturday night, the MK closed at 1am. By 1:22, I was out the gate, and the Express monorail was closed. An A-frame sign pointed to the Resort monorail.

I asked a nearby Monorail CM if the Express Line closes when the park does, and he said yes.

Has it always been thus? I have small kids and don't often stay til closing lately.

Based on Guest flow and how many of the Express trains need to get back to shop for Maintenance, sometimes the coordinator will begin to shut down the Express beam a bit earlier than "usual." On a 1am close especially, if there was 9pm ELP, 10pm Wishes, and 11pm ELP (spreads out the exit a lot more than a 10pm Wishes and hard close.)

If its a power-close with fireworks and park closing being the same time, Express is usually open 1-1.5 hours afterwards, but if its a 1am close with lot of entertainment earlier in the day, and the crowds are thin, it will most likely be shut down early if Resort's can handle the traffic.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I'm active on MouseOwners.com, a DVC-focused board. The word our members is getting from follow-ups to complaints to guest services is that the MK loops close one hour after the MK closes, regardless of whether Epcot is still open.

That means that if the MK closes at 8 in September (which it does for 9 nights, and en epic 18 nights in January), that Epcot guests will not be able to return to their monorail resorts via monorail when Epcot closes. Even on nights that the MK closes at 9, the monorails go down at 10, which still makes it a tight connection to make the switch at TTC if you linger after Illuminations and shop.

According to responses from guest services (DVC), Epcot will run two bus lines - one to TTC and Contemporary, and the other to Polynesian and Grand Floridian.

DVC reps in Disney speak have been urging guests to voice their complaints, so it sounds like DVC is very unhappy with change. It's not just an issue of a few guests using EMH one night a week, but most monorail guests who want to close Epcot during the slower seasons when the MK is constantly closing early.

We're also hearing its intended to be a permanent change.

Kinda takes the oomph out of the BLT and Grand Floridian Villas promotions.

Dirk