Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[Tom]

But again, then the resort monorail change should be temporary (i.e. fix the resort beam, then use your leftover trains to operate just the resort beam through EMH), all information right now states that this is a permanent change...the beams need THAT much work? Truly that sounds more like a complete replacement scenario than "maintanence." If this were purely temporoary, it wouldn't bother me, but the so called "permanent" change is what doesn't pass the smell test for me.

Yes, beam repairs, if any, would be quite temporary. So should major maintenance on the monorails.

If anything on the beams need work, it's the electrical system. From what I've gathered, that's been the reason for many of the monorail failures recently...either that or the trains' ability to connect with the bus bars.

There is also a lot of corrosion and honeycombing of the concrete at the platforms, where oil and grease has dripped onto the concrete for 40 years. Those repairs, if required, would require a few nights of cleaning and a few nights of latex patching.

If they're using train maintenance as an argument, it still doesn't hold any water. They can't work on 11 or 12 trains every night. Leaving 1-2 out for EMH, on a cyclical schedule, isn't going to affect maintenance.

Now, if they want to say that they're cutting down the hours the trains are running, they have an argument, but only for the specific trains on the specific days - not globally. We're talking about cutting 3 hours of service off of 1-2 trains for 2-3 nights a week (MK and EC EMH only). Those hours are a drop in the bucket compared to how long they run for normal operation.

I just can't buy their argument, no matter which way it's spun.

From what has been stated here (and elsewhere) many of the "patches" that have been done throughout the various lines are all in need of repairs which would prevent the running of trains. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that was the impression I got.....:shrug:

Except for at the platforms, as I mentioned above, the beams are in relatively good condition, given their age. They may start cleaning them like they did to the Epcot loop last year, but they could easily do that on the other 5 nights of the week that EMH doesn't happen at MK or EC.

And let me be very clear, I'm not disputing that in the least. My point is more once they've made those repairs (even if that means several months of the monorail closing one hour after regular park close), shouldn't some monorail service be restored? Right now, that's not what TDO is saying, they are saying this is a permanent change, as in even after those beam issues are resolved, that just doesn't make sense.

Right.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

I guess much of that will depend on just how damaged the lines and/or the trains are.....:shrug:

True, but I find it hard to believe the damage is so extensive that they will never be able to operate the resort beam more than 1 hour after park close ever again. If things were that bad on the beams, they would not be operating the 'rails at all currently. The trains need repairs, no doubts there. But, there are 12 trains, and only 10 beams in the roundhouse. So no matter what, two trains have to be left out of the "intensive" maintanence each night. Once the resort beam is completely and fully repaired, those two trains each night could service the monorail resorts, without affecting actual maintanence.

 

[celluloid]

Again, would you rather the monorail continue to break down? Or would you like them to actually work on the monorail and give it the kind of maintenance it requires (and has been ignored for fear of this exact sort of reaction). The ironic thing- I have a feeling if we took a poll of how many people on here actually pay for a monorail resort - we would find not many actually do or will - but their point and opinion is so important. There are MANY other reasons to stay at one of these resort EXCEPT for the monorail during extra magic hours. Anyone who has actually stayed at one would probably agree. If they were cutting off all transportation during EMH, I could see the argument - but Disney is still going to get you where you need to be whether via boat or bus. I am seriously astounded at the outrage over something like this - when there are obviously more pressing issues going on at WDW...

I would rather quit reading the extreme apologists claim others should not be so miffed about not getting service they know they have paid for and that the company used to be known to give. Either way you look at it the resort is in the wrong. They could/probably should have gotten entire replacements for the monorail system by now. The entire system does not just start going obsolete or having such troubles of neglect over night. It all goes back to the same issue WDW has in general. Lack of upkeep and horrible leadership direction in those ideals. It IS the pressing issue.

 

[disneyrcks]

The monorail is a perk, and also a "weenie" in Walt's terms. It's a perk of staying at those 3 resorts...a perk which those guests are paying dearly for. It's also a weenie that encourages guests to stay at those 3 properties instead of one of the other Deluxe Resorts. They are taking away an amenity that is being specifically paid for by the guests of that resort. Yes, they're swapping out one mode of transportation for another, but I am paying extra to ride the monorail. I can ride a bus at one of the other 22 hotels.

I agree but guests will still be able to ride the monorail during their stay. Just not during EMH (night). I would rather them not run the monorail for EMH and provide other options if it will help keep the monorail running efficently for the length of my stay. I just hope it doesn't impact EMH hours and the number of times per week that they offer it because some people feel very strongly about riding a bus or a boat 2-3x a trip to return to their resort. If it is a maintenance issue then they have to do what they think is best for upkeep of the system.

 

[disneyrcks]

I would rather quit reading the extreme apologists claim others should not be so miffed about not getting service they know they have paid for and that the company used to be known to give. Either way you look at it the resort is in the wrong. They could/probably should have gotten entire replacements for the monorail system by now. The entire system does not just start going obsolete or having such troubles of neglect over night. It all goes back to the same issue WDW has in general. Lack of upkeep and horrible leadership direction in those ideals. It IS the pressing issue.

There are also good points in this post. Why do they need to do the maintenance during those times, especially if it is only 2-3x per week? :shrug: I am just glad we are staying at BLT in February and hope we don't hit any rain on the walk back.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

I agree but guests will still be able to ride the monorail during their stay. Just not during EMH (night). I would rather them not run the monorail for EMH and provide other options if it will help keep the monorail running efficently for the length of my stay. I just hope it doesn't impact EMH hours and the number of times per week that they offer it because some people feel very strongly about riding a bus or a boat 2-3x a trip to return to their resort. If it is a maintenance issue then they have to do what they think is best for upkeep of the system.

But remember, it's not just for EMH, the monorail stops 1hr after the park closes to the public. So what about hard-ticket nights when Magic Kingdom closes at 7pm, or a private party event when MK closes at 6? Monorails will shut down at 8 and 7 respectively. So say you're staying at the contemporary on a hard ticket night, and you have a reservation at 'Ohana for 9pm...you would have to walk/boat to MK, then transfer to another launch to Poly...which becomes about a 30 minute ordeal instead of a 7-minute monorail ride...and that's assuming fair weather.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I would rather quit reading the extreme apologists claim others should not be so miffed about not getting service they know they have paid for and that the company used to be known to give. Either way you look at it the resort is in the wrong. They could/probably should have gotten entire replacements for the monorail system by now. The entire system does not just start going obsolete or having such troubles of neglect over night. It all goes back to the same issue WDW has in general. Lack of upkeep and horrible leadership direction in those ideals. It IS the pressing issue.

Menamechris is hardly an "extreme apologist." He has never been afraid to call out Disney when he thinks it's warranted. In this case, he just believes there are much more pressing issues at the resort than how late the monorails are going to run.

 

[disneyrcks]

But remember, it's not just for EMH, the monorail stops 1hr after the park closes to the public. So what about hard-ticket nights when Magic Kingdom closes at 7pm, or a private party event when MK closes at 6? Monorails will shut down at 8 and 7 respectively. So say you're staying at the contemporary on a hard ticket night, and you have a reservation at 'Ohana for 9pm...you would have to walk/boat to MK, then transfer to another launch to Poly...which becomes about a 30 minute ordeal instead of a 7-minute monorail ride...and that's assuming fair weather.

Ah, thanks! I can definitely see now why it is going to become increasingly a PITA. That is very inconvenient especially if it is raining/cold.

 

[flavious27]

If it was up to them to do it over again, they would do it that way. The 'opening sequence' was something Walt wanted. They haven't built a park since in that way.



FTFY

Well they also could have placed MK in a different location. They do use a lake or water feature in every one of the parks: ponds in FW and showcase lagoon, south lake in front of dhs, and discovery river at dak. Also MK is the flagship gate, they need someone extra for it.

 

[RSoxNo1]

This cut is encouraging people to rent cars and by doing that Disney is encouraging people to go off property. If this truly is a cut and not a maintenance issue, they deserve any loss in profits that result from this.

 

[Tom]

I agree but guests will still be able to ride the monorail during their stay. Just not during EMH (night). I would rather them not run the monorail for EMH and provide other options if it will help keep the monorail running efficently for the length of my stay. I just hope it doesn't impact EMH hours and the number of times per week that they offer it because some people feel very strongly about riding a bus or a boat 2-3x a trip to return to their resort. If it is a maintenance issue then they have to do what they think is best for upkeep of the system.

EMH is also a perk of staying at a WDW resort hotel. Thus, in my room rate at the Poly this August, I'm paying for the privilege of using EMH, but also the privilege of riding the monorail to and from the park those nights. Monorails are comfortable and empty (compared to buses) at that time of night, and I paid a premium to not have my nose in someone's armpit from Epcot to the Poly. But yet, they've taken away that privilege and replaced it with a lesser product, while offering no compensation.

I just think it's a knee-jerk reaction and a lame excuse.

But remember, it's not just for EMH, the monorail stops 1hr after the park closes to the public. So what about hard-ticket nights when Magic Kingdom closes at 7pm, or a private party event when MK closes at 6? Monorails will shut down at 8 and 7 respectively. So say you're staying at the contemporary on a hard ticket night, and you have a reservation at 'Ohana for 9pm...you would have to walk/boat to MK, then transfer to another launch to Poly...which becomes about a 30 minute ordeal instead of a 7-minute monorail ride...and that's assuming fair weather.

Yes, this affects more than just Deluxe Resort guests, and I'm sure there's a monorail tax built into the fees they charge for renting the theme park. Perhaps not so much for party tickets.

 

[Jeffxz]

Has there been a confirmation that they will not run for hard ticket events?

Does anyone know if the Epcot line continues to run to the TTC even if the express and resort lines are down for the night?


I'll be down for the weekend of the 40th and have been debating on staying at either the Poly or the Dolphin. But if the monorails aren't running two of the 4 nights that I'm planning on going to Epcot for F&W, it makes it an easy decision to go for the Dolphin.

 

[peter11435]

Has there been a confirmation that they will not run for hard ticket events?

No. There has been no confirmation of that.

 

[Tom]

Has there been a confirmation that they will not run for hard ticket events?

Does anyone know if the Epcot line continues to run to the TTC even if the express and resort lines are down for the night?


I'll be down for the weekend of the 40th and have been debating on staying at either the Poly or the Dolphin. But if the monorails aren't running two of the 4 nights that I'm planning on going to Epcot for F&W, it makes it an easy decision to go for the Dolphin.

I don't think I ever saw an official press release on this, just all the word-of-mouth "news", but from what I understand, they're just going to stop monorail service an hour after park closing.

So, if you're in Epcot, you can get back to the TTC until 10:00pm via the monorail. On EMH nights, you'd have to take a bus from Epcot to the TTC from 10-midnight.

 

[Communicore]

Has there been a confirmation that they will not run for hard ticket events?

Does anyone know if the Epcot line continues to run to the TTC even if the express and resort lines are down for the night?


I'll be down for the weekend of the 40th and have been debating on staying at either the Poly or the Dolphin. But if the monorails aren't running two of the 4 nights that I'm planning on going to Epcot for F&W, it makes it an easy decision to go for the Dolphin.

Epcot line closes 1 hour after they close, regardless of what time MK closes.

 

[menamechris]

And let me be very clear, I'm not disputing that in the least. My point is more once they've made those repairs (even if that means several months of the monorail closing one hour after regular park close), shouldn't some monorail service be restored? Right now, that's not what TDO is saying, they are saying this is a permanent change, as in even after those beam issues are resolved, that just doesn't make sense.

My assumption would be that the monorails are overrun. They are in the current state that they are in BECAUSE they have been run practically continuously. Maybe TDO has actually realized that if they want them to last another even few years - they need to not stress out the monorails the way that they have. I think a term like "running the candle at both ends" comes to mind... Again, many people are arguing that they don't believe maintenance will actually done. Regardless of that excuse, the resort is paying maintenance to work the graveyard shift and work on it. I would assume the managers would be on top of making sure they are actually doing it now that they have the additional time.

 

[menamechris]

EMH is also a perk of staying at a WDW resort hotel. Thus, in my room rate at the Poly this August, I'm paying for the privilege of using EMH, but also the privilege of riding the monorail to and from the park those nights. Monorails are comfortable and empty (compared to buses) at that time of night, and I paid a premium to not have my nose in someone's armpit from Epcot to the Poly. But yet, they've taken away that privilege and replaced it with a lesser product, while offering no compensation.

I think the key word there is "privilege". Situations like this are precisely why WDW isn't throwing additional "privileges" at us as of late. Because once they do something for awhile, the guest just assumes that it is their "right" or they are "paying for it". Unfortunately, you aren't on most things. It was a perk that Disney thought that they could offer guests - and it sounds like now they have assessed that it is not a responsible move on their part. Energy costs are sky high right now on top of everything. As you said - the monorails are empty after the regular park closing. This move is not only responsible when taking into account the long-term planning and care of the monorail trains - but is also extremely responsible from an energy and conservation standpoint....

 

[menamechris]

I would rather quit reading the extreme apologists claim others should not be so miffed about not getting service they know they have paid for and that the company used to be known to give. Either way you look at it the resort is in the wrong. They could/probably should have gotten entire replacements for the monorail system by now. The entire system does not just start going obsolete or having such troubles of neglect over night. It all goes back to the same issue WDW has in general. Lack of upkeep and horrible leadership direction in those ideals. It IS the pressing issue.

First of all - I know you are new - but have you read anything I have posted on here...ever? I am HARDLY an apologist. With that said, no one can expect the resort to spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars every 10-20 years to replace the monorail fleet. That is just not realistic....sorry

 

[Tom]

I think the key word there is "privilege". Situations like this are precisely why WDW isn't throwing additional "privileges" at us as of late. Because once they do something for awhile, the guest just assumes that it is their "right" or they are "paying for it". Unfortunately, you aren't on most things. It was a perk that Disney thought that they could offer guests - and it sounds like now they have assessed that it is not a responsible move on their part. Energy costs are sky high right now on top of everything. As you said - the monorails are empty after the regular park closing. This move is not only responsible when taking into account the long-term planning and care of the monorail trains - but is also extremely responsible from an energy and conservation standpoint....

You make a valid point, and I used the word privilege intentionally too. It's a privilege guest at those resorts are paying for. It's not a "right" because Disney is a private entity and can change the rules at any time.

However, if they're going to take away a privilege that I've become accustomed to, and strongly believe that I'm paying for, the right thing to do would be to compensate me somehow. The best way to do this is to reduce the rack rate of the rooms at these three resorts a bit.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

Has there been a confirmation that they will not run for hard ticket events?

Through my sources, I saw the actual notice that went out about this, it was stated the MK monorail would cease operation at one hour after park close. I am taking that as meaning one hour after the park closes to the public, which would not include hard ticket events.