Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[Hakunamatata]

Wow...talk about overreacting. Why ruin your whole vacation just to prove a point? Especially a point that's dubious at best.

We moan about lack of maintenance, then we moan we they perform maintenance. You can't have your cake and eat it too!

I could care less about monorail during extra magic hours and most of the other stuff that seems to get the goat of the WDW web community. I'm just saying until enough people step up and put their money where their mouth is, all that will happen is that an ample amount of WDWMagic server space will be clogged with useless threats and drivel.

 

[unkadug]

I could care less about monorail during extra magic hours and most of the other stuff that seems to get the goat of the WDW web community. I'm just saying until enough people step up and put their money where their mouth is, all that will happen is that an ample amount of WDWMagic server space will be clogged with useless threats and drivel.

I know that, but I had to quote you in order to keep with this train of thought.

 

[PirateFrank]

But you have to actually do this then. You can't boycott something and then turn around and do what it is you're supposedly against. As much as people will complain on this board I'd be willing to bet no one will be going to that extreme.

Absolutely...I'm not arguing with that logic.

 

[PirateFrank]

Exactly. The only real way to get the attention you say is needed would to be to actually show up, check in, experience a bad monerail moment, go to the front desk and ask to speak to the manager. Then tell the manager you are checking out early, going home, and not coming back until the issue is resolved. It would take you and a couple thousand others to do this to get the issue resolved. Problem is I don't see but maybe a handful of people doing this.

I disagree. You can get your point across by either changing your Poly reservation to a moderate/value resort, or acting on the boycott of merchandise...or changing your vacation to uni.

Whatever it is you do, act on it, document it to disney and hope enough other people do the same.

If all you chose to do is change from a mono-resort to a moderate...state that succinctly in the letter/complaint. That explains to disney that their decision had consequences that can be supported by an action of a customer/guest.
You don't need to check in at the Grand Floridian on an EEMH day, march to guest relations the next day and uproot your vacation....thats silly. Why go through the expenditure of airfare, hotel reservations, tickets...just to prove a point.


This monorail change affects me a lot less than it affects others, as I do not take advantage of EEMH. Also, Since the vast majority of my trips are on DVC points, if I elect to stay at a non-monorail DVC resort...I highly doubt that's going to make much difference to TDO, as my costs are sunk, none-the-less. Whether I chose to utilize my points at BLT or BCV or AKV won't hit TDO in the pocketbook.

However, if this change actually prevents me from getting home to the BLT on October 3, when I have an evening ADR at Ohana...I'm going to make it very clear that my restaurant purchases will be severely reduced moving forward (and we, as a family, tend to take advantage of the restaurants to a significant extent, so that's where I intend to contribute to this cause, should it affect me).

Honesty is important with stating why or how you are reacting as a customer. I'm waiting to see how this affect's me as a customer before I state my complaints. It carries zero weight if I email/call customer relations with a complaint based on what I'm reading on a silly message board.

 

[AgentP65]

Any word yet if the monorails will be running during the MK hard ticket special events (such as MNSSHP 7:00pm to midnight)???

We are staying at Poly in 56 days and I'm certain we won't be the only unhappy guests if we have to take a "magical motor coach" back to our resort. Unfortunately, we can't use the resort boats since they are not wheelchair-accessible.

Since we've always been able to use the monorail in the past, I can't remember if the ferries run to TTC for MNSSHP. Anyone know?

 

[draybook]

Since we've always been able to use the monorail in the past, I can't remember if the ferries run to TTC for MNSSHP. Anyone know?

They did when we went in 08.

 

[unkadug]

Any word yet if the monorails will be running during the MK hard ticket special events (such as MNSSHP 7:00pm to midnight)???

We are staying at Poly in 56 days and I'm certain we won't be the only unhappy guests if we have to take a "magical motor coach" back to our resort. Unfortunately, we can't use the resort boats since they are not wheelchair-accessible.

Since we've always been able to use the monorail in the past, I can't remember if the ferries run to TTC for MNSSHP. Anyone know?

I doubt it ....their rule is the monorail stops one hour after normal park closing.

So unless you leave MK one hour after arriving you will have to find other transportation.

 

[talonstruck]

I will be at DisneyWorld in a week and I am going to enjoy myself with or with out a monorail. That's how we do.

 

[MichWolv]

I could care less about monorail during extra magic hours and most of the other stuff that seems to get the goat of the WDW web community. I'm just saying until enough people step up and put their money where their mouth is, all that will happen is that an ample amount of WDWMagic server space will be clogged with useless threats and drivel.

Yeah. At least in the PML threads we don't bother with the useless threats.

But we're really good at the drivel.

 

[rpmcobra]

Nope - no monorail to get back from MNSS.I did write Disney - had a guest services specialist call me. Nothing new- she told me that they don't know much more than we do. She felt that it was permanant because she has heard nothing about a timeframe to expand the monorail service. Of course she hoped we would keep our reservations and thanked me for the feedback. Thought about it for a few days and wrote back telling them that I had decided to cancel my Poly reservations.Got another call from Disney Travel but she only offered to book me into another resort.- that's all. I love Disney but was a bit disapointed with them. When you make a reservation based on the services that come along with that resort, regardless of what resort it is, and then they cut those services--------.

 

[puntagordabob]

I will be at DisneyWorld in a week and I am going to enjoy myself with or with out a monorail. That's how we do.

And since your tagline says you are staying at POR in August 2011 you can easily do this since after EMH you are likely boarding a bus anyhow... doh!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

And since your tagline says you are staying at POR in August 2011 you can easily do this since after EMH you are likely boarding a bus anyhow... doh!

I thought the same thing. Anyone using Disney transport to reach a non-monorail resort won't experience any change, so of course it's easy to say they're fine without it. The only non-monorail resort guests who might be affected are those who have a late ADR at a monorail resort when MK closes really early, or those who make the counterproductive decision to drive to MK EMH (and they still have the high-capacity 7-minute ferry to the TTC).

 

[AgentP65]

With this situation all I can say is I'm really glad we didn't book at GF again this year. At least at the Poly we can avoid the bus and board the ferry to TTC.

But I'm really not okay with the fact that we have paid nearly $200 for MNSSHP tickets and we will be unable to ride the monorail back to our resort. IMO the monorail should be running on special event nights.

Not to mention that on another evening of our 8-day stay we have a 7:30 ADR at Cali Grill on an MNSSHP night. If the monorail shuts down at 8:00, it would appear I'm looking at a bus to get back to the Poly. Gee, I wonder how long that trip is going to take...especially when compared to the usual 5-minute trip via monorail!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

the problem is that even if most guests agree with the issue they're probably already there before they know there's even been a change. most people aren't going to tell their kids we're going home early because disney is being greedy and lazy so those resorts aren't likely to exactly sit empty. plus if disney sees a drop in reservations in the monorail resorts they'll give a discount and bibbidi bobbidi boo they're full fat and happy. i think the best we can hope for is people complaining on site as well as by letter/email and cross fingers. i already have a trip staying at the poly paid for starting next week but my late fall trip won't be at a monorail resort.

 

[AgentP65]

Wanted to add that on this l-o-n-g thread there has been a painfully obvious schism between those who normally stay value or moderate and those who stay deluxe. And there have also been quite a few assumptions made about the MK deluxe resort fans...that we are all elitist snobs, fabulously wealthy, self-centered and so on. But this is simply not true.

Most folks we know save up for a year (or more) for their family's WDW vacations. In our case, the only way we can afford to stay at GF or Poly is with a 40% PIN code discount. We have been very fortunate the past two years and have been able to take advantage of these resort room discount offers. If we hadn't received a PIN, we would be staying at one of the moderates.

I'm just saying that it's a shame this thread has so many argumentative posts. Let's focus on the fact that the reduction in monorail service will affect more guests than just those using EMH. It will affect guests - including day guests - who have ADRs at the 3 monorail resorts (can we even call them that any
longer?!)

This really seems a logistical nightmare. No longer is it convenient or efficient to return to one's resort or car after dinner. I think the MK resort restaurants are going to see a significant decline in ADRs for dinner - and these are some of the most popular finer dining options on property.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

because disney is being greedy and lazy so those resorts aren't likely to exactly sit empty.

Greedy and lazy? I'm sorry, I must have missed the memo that every armchair imagineer and fair-weather guest on this board was suddenly an expert on WDW's monorail infrastructure and state of repair.

Did it ever occur to ANY of you that for once maybe Disney is actually attempting to be transparent about something? All these people sitting here boo-hooing about how it won't be running during EMH or MNSSHP (again, only affecting you if you're staying at 3 of 20 resorts) are the same people that do nothing but sit there and complain about the state of repair that it's in.

The monorails need a better maintenance schedule. The cost to just keep it running versus the amount of guests that actually use it during those late hours was likely incredibly prohibitive. Those of you saying Disney is a multi-billion dollar company, well P&R is just ONE facet of that company, and those billions of dollars have to be split up between many different facets accordingly.

I can honestly say it was getting to the point where during normal operating hours the monorails might as well not have been running at all given the amount of downtime they had on a daily basis. It was a complete disgrace to WDW the state they were in. This change was necessary, and while it may affect you few die-hards on here to the point where you'll cancel your vacation (which, by the way is an incredibly pathetic reason to do so), the majority of guests will not be canceling because they learn to go with the flow and deal with it.

Be up in arms about the constant monorail downtime with it running during EMH or be up in arms about it having reduced operating hours. FFS nothing ever pleases you people.

 

[rob0519]

Let's focus on the fact that the reduction in monorail service will affect more guests than just those using EMH. It will affect guests - including day guests - who have ADRs at the 3 monorail resorts (can we even call them that any
longer?!)

This really seems a logistical nightmare. No longer is it convenient or efficient to return to one's resort or car after dinner. I think the MK resort restaurants are going to see a significant decline in ADRs for dinner - and these are some of the most popular finer dining options on property.[/QUOTE]

Evening EMH at the Magic Kingdom are once a week for September, October and November. So what everyone is getting all upset about is a definite inconvenience, but to call it a "logistical nightmare" is a bit extreme.

We too scrimp and save to stay at the CR or Poly and still need the AP discount to afford the rooms. Our son is in a wheelchair, so the monorail is a convenient way to get him to the MK every day. If we have to take a bus back one night, big deal. In the scope of life that is hardly a nightmare.

Let's see, if you leave the the CR, Poly, GF or MK at any other time other than during evening EMH the monorail will get you to any one of those destinations. So, yes, we can and should still call them monorail resorts.

The reason for the service cutback really doesn't matter. It's out of our control. If you feel taking a bus one night is worth staying at a moderate resort and taking the bus everywhere all the time, then you should do that and let Disney management know. However, based on the occupancy rates, I'm willing to guess there will be someone to take your or my place at a monorail resort. The way rates and tickets are going up, we may be priced out when its time for our next trip. That is the only thing that will keep us from the CR or Poly.

I just got back from 6 nights at the CR. WDW is a wonderful, magical place, despite the faults we all seem to complain about here. Don't let something this insignificant ruin your vacation.

 

[SeaCastle]

Greedy and lazy? I'm sorry, I must have missed the memo that every armchair imagineer and fair-weather guest on this board was suddenly an expert on WDW's monorail infrastructure and state of repair.

Did it ever occur to ANY of you that for once maybe Disney is actually attempting to be transparent about something? All these people sitting here boo-hooing about how it won't be running during EMH or MNSSHP (again, only affecting you if you're staying at 3 of 20 resorts) are the same people that do nothing but sit there and complain about the state of repair that it's in.

The monorails need a better maintenance schedule. The cost to just keep it running versus the amount of guests that actually use it during those late hours was likely incredibly prohibitive. Those of you saying Disney is a multi-billion dollar company, well P&R is just ONE facet of that company, and those billions of dollars have to be split up between many different facets accordingly.

I can honestly say it was getting to the point where during normal operating hours the monorails might as well not have been running at all given the amount of downtime they had on a daily basis. It was a complete disgrace to WDW the state they were in. This change was necessary, and while it may affect you few die-hards on here to the point where you'll cancel your vacation (which, by the way is an incredibly pathetic reason to do so), the majority of guests will not be canceling because they learn to go with the flow and deal with it.

Be up in arms about the constant monorail downtime with it running during EMH or be up in arms about it having reduced operating hours. FFS nothing ever pleases you people.

As a guest who has spent (and will spend!) five out of his past seven WDW vacations at monorail resorts (and as someone who was initially appalled at the change) I'll have to bow to this logic. Anyone who spends enough time on the rails can account for the terrible shape the monorails are in, and I can't say with a straight face that I disapprove of additional maintenance to the monorails.

However, I do think a point is fast approaching where Disney is going to have to bite the bullet and majorly re-invest in transportation infrastructure at WDW. Without this, I fear the monorails will go down even longer for maintenance for the coming years.

 

[puntagordabob]

Evening EMH at the Magic Kingdom are once a week for September, October and November. So what everyone is getting all upset about is a definite inconvenience, but to call it a "logistical nightmare" is a bit extreme.
.

If the rumor that this will be the policy during the parties and the private events then this will be a lot more than the EMH nights....

 

[Hakunamatata]

If the rumor that this will be the policy during the parties and the private events then this will be a lot more than the EMH nights....

What % of yearly MK attendance is parties and private events? My guess nowhere near "a lot more" numbers.