RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
So it would be themed to my basement?
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Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?
- Thread starter iHeartDisneylandCats
- Start date
MaryJaneP
Well-Known Member
If you added "dance" music, it would be like most Fla clubs
Disone
Well-Known Member
Unfortunate if accurate.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Yes, I know that it would be better, but, you are talking about massive expense to fix something that really isn't broken, only occasionally inconvenient. If they got new Monorail trains with doors that didn't open outward, or at least opened out at adjusted platform height, then maybe, but again, that would mean that the entire fleet has to be changed out at the same time or nothing could be done until it is all changed out. Doesn't seem very likely that Disney would be all that worried about the minor delay that using the ramps causes. It really isn't that big a deal. Is there any reason why the world would come to an end because of the couple of minutes that it takes to put the ramp in place and the only time they really have to do that is for scooters or Wheelchairs. Strollers are really not any hassle at all unless we have gotten so freaking lazy that we can't tip a stroller back and pick up the rear of it. It's as fast as actually just walking on.
Disone
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know have the Seattle Monorail system compares in size, both the trains themselves and the beam width, to that of WDW's. I was surprised that you could walk end to end inside the Seattle Monorail trains.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
Within the past couple years or so (when he still actively posted on this site), WDW1974 stated the monorails were not considered sacred to the people in power at the company. As in the entire monorail system as a form of transportation. He indicated there may be a point in the future when they're all retired for good. I don't know if he had some idea of how much longer they had, or how strong the desire was among the executives to do away with them. And it may no longer be accurate anyways, plans and minds change all the time.
Though I obviously expect ford to excitedly jump at the occasion to claim this as confirmation, to fuel his usual hyperbolic "sky is falling" spin.
Though I obviously expect ford to excitedly jump at the occasion to claim this as confirmation, to fuel his usual hyperbolic "sky is falling" spin.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
The Seattle Monorail is quite a bit bigger than the Mark VI and even the INNOVIA 300.
http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/TPBeams.html
Yes, this is a thread about new trains, I am of course discussing new trains. Saying that replacing every train "frankly that will not happen" is funny when it is literally the point of the discussion, and even if it doesn't happen immediately, it must happen eventually.
The Disney monorails are the only mass transit vehicles I can think of with a door design that precludes level boarding. I can only imagine that a key feature of any new trains will be doors that permit level boarding. This wouldn't be a drastic change to any train design being built from scratch, as the doors are usually components fabricated by a third party supplier.
As I mentioned before, reworking the platforms to be higher for level boarding wouldn't be an impossible task, and could be combined with other improvements like automatic gates at all stations. Work could be phased in a way to permit operations to continue, or shutdowns could be structured to reduce the impact.
A 5 inch step may not be a barrier to you and I, but it is a barrier for many with reduced mobility, mobility aids, or strollers. While these guests are currently accommodated using ramps, this process is slow, labor-intensive, and could possibly be considered discriminatory. When the current trains were designed, the ADA didn't exist, and while Disney may not be bound by law to follow it in this situation, I would expect them to comply with the spirit of the rules for public transportation, as a best practice. Level boarding would speed boarding for all guests, reduce dwell times, reduce labor costs, and improve overall system reliability.
Disone
Well-Known Member
Thank you.
ParksAndPixels
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
1. Well, this thread is about the posIbility of a new fleet. IF they decide to do so, I don’t think they would choose to make things less efficient (that is why the trains have gotten larger since the originals and why they have pushed for automation, even though it hasn’t worked out very well). IF Disney was going to correct this isssue with new trains, it would be as they change out a new fleet. You’re right, they can’t swap all trains at once. However, that does not stop them from bringing trains with the proper tech online slowly and once the transition is complete the issue is no longer an issue. Even if one of three trains on loop doesn’t require ramps, that’s a time savings.
2. Minor delays matter. When dealing with large numbers of people, especially in tight time frames like park opening and closing minutes matter. In fact, seconds make a large difference in hourly capacity (as someone who has worked in the industry, I know this very well).
3. If you’re going to bring new tech online, that is an obvious time to look for ways to improve and measure the cost vs reward.
4. I’m pretty sure I emphasized wheelchairs and ECVs and then stated (a lesser extent strollers). Sure you can pop a stroller on and off, again just not as efficient. It’s not a matter of laziness, it’s just a fact.
You asked the question wanting to know why the issue keeps being presented by various people, and you were given your answer. Pretty sure no one said the world was ending. But any business owner or manager knows when opportunities to improve your systems come along, you at least consider them as opposed to telling your customers “too bad, you’re lazy.”
Lensman
Well-Known Member
Where do we think the monorails fit in non-sunk cost-effectiveness for:
1. Monorail resort <-> Magic Kingdom - vs the launches
2. TTC <-> Magic Kingdom - vs the boats
3. TTC <-> Epcot - is there an alternative, either for MK <-> Epcot or Monorail Resort <-> Epcot?
Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Despite our natural instinct to spend capital to increase the capacity of the monorails, it might be more cost effective to replace the monorail fleet with something merely comparable but perhaps with lower maintenance and operating costs. You'd use any extra money you had to invest in other more cost-effective transportation for the above three routes.
2. This would speak to buying off-the-shelf as much as possible and not spending an enormous amount of money customizing the 200. And you'd certainly not even think about massively customizing the 300 to fit on the WDW beams.
3. How close to capacity is the TTC <-> Epcot monorail?
Note: I think the monorail is key transportation for the monorail resorts. Everything else is lower priority in my mind. Given that, I was wondering what people saw as the additional problems it would be nice to address with the new monorails besides simply getting a newer, more reliable fleet?
Also, what are the most attractive ways of increasing capacity on the above routes? For instance, are the boats actually cheaper? Can they run more of them? Would doing that be cheaper than spending money to increase monorail capacity/throughput?
1. Monorail resort <-> Magic Kingdom - vs the launches
2. TTC <-> Magic Kingdom - vs the boats
3. TTC <-> Epcot - is there an alternative, either for MK <-> Epcot or Monorail Resort <-> Epcot?
Here's what I'm thinking:
1. Despite our natural instinct to spend capital to increase the capacity of the monorails, it might be more cost effective to replace the monorail fleet with something merely comparable but perhaps with lower maintenance and operating costs. You'd use any extra money you had to invest in other more cost-effective transportation for the above three routes.
2. This would speak to buying off-the-shelf as much as possible and not spending an enormous amount of money customizing the 200. And you'd certainly not even think about massively customizing the 300 to fit on the WDW beams.
3. How close to capacity is the TTC <-> Epcot monorail?
Note: I think the monorail is key transportation for the monorail resorts. Everything else is lower priority in my mind. Given that, I was wondering what people saw as the additional problems it would be nice to address with the new monorails besides simply getting a newer, more reliable fleet?
Also, what are the most attractive ways of increasing capacity on the above routes? For instance, are the boats actually cheaper? Can they run more of them? Would doing that be cheaper than spending money to increase monorail capacity/throughput?
If your rule 2 were correct, please explain all the construction going on at both WDW and DL.
jakeman
Well-Known Member
I believe the plan is for Iger to burn it all down for insurance money shortly after completion.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I never said it was impossible, just totally unnecessary and costly and talk about adding time, close off a track and raise the platforms and see how much time is used up to do that.
Slow is a subjective term. It really takes no time at all and does not hold up anything with the exception of Type A personalities. Even if ADA had existed it would still have passed muster. All it has to do is provide access. Any gap they had in that was taken care of quite recently with the addition of elevators in spite of having ramps since day one. No labor costs would be reduced (And why, why, why would we want it too. Is it pleasurable to put someone out of work to save 30 seconds?) The spirit of the law has been more then complied with and all it does negatively is annoy a few people because they think they will gain something by a level platform. Discriminatory, Disney didn't make anybody be or become a person with reduced mobility or deny them access because of it! What a crock and invention of a problem that doesn't exist. It's like saying that the world should be leveled because someone with mobility problems cannot climb Everest.
When I mention that all the trains would not happen, it was referring to the discussion meaning that they will not replace the entire fleet all at one time. It would be stretched out over an expanded period of time. Doing it all at once would put them out of use even before they arrived because they would have to modify the platforms or the new trains would have to be 5 or more inches lower then the old ones to level off with the platform. If we are lucky they won't just trash the whole system, but, with more and more demands from the "adoring public" that may become a real possibility. So my advice, enjoy what is there while it is there, hope for some newer equipment and stop worrying about a few seconds lost in time when all you are going to is a theme park. Your timely arrival does not constitute saving the world from destruction.
Squishy
Well-Known Member
So we are getting used ones from somewhere or nothing at all?
zakattack99
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I think what he is trying to say without saying is that no they have not been ordered but they are not just spitballing the idea around with no objective anymore. It seems to me they have come to the realization that this has to happen, we know they have talked to monorail companies and they probably have a figure they want to spend. Now they are waiting for said company(ies) to come back to Disney with piliminary/final designs for them to move on or back out.
montyz81
Well-Known Member
Hey if used is good enough for AirForceOne then it is good enough for WDW and it's monorails. I hear there are a few used ones in a junk yard in Las Vagas somewhere.
There may be even more somewhere in Central Florida.