Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?

[lazyboy97o]

I wonder if they’d ever do a Mark V/VII style rebuild of the Mark VIs (New bodies on existing chassis - not aesthetically).

The Mark VIIs don't even have entirely new bodies. Only the nose cones were replaced, the rest is reused from the Mark V.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The Mark VIIs don't even have entirely new bodies. Only the nose cones were replaced, the rest is reused from the Mark V.

Really? I thought they sold a number of those trains to Las Vegas for their monorail system on the strip. Did they just sell the front sections to them?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Really? I thought they sold a number of those trains to Las Vegas for their monorail system on the strip. Did they just sell the front sections to them?

Two Mark IVs from Walt Disney World were sold to Las Vegas, not the Mark Vs from Disneyland. One Mark V was sacrificed for reverse engineering.

 

[NoChesterHester]

I can’t decide if I like or hate this thread...

 

[Captain Barbossa]

I can’t decide if I like or hate this thread...

Me too.

 

[mousehockey37]

It could. But the buses are not terribly comfortable, safer, or faster either.

No, but if a bus breaks down, you're not suspended in the air either.

 

[mousehockey37]

I only got to page 10, but it seems that there are people only looking at the monorails as a form of transport. Yes, they only carry so many people. Yes, they're old. BUT... the people that ride the monorail aren't on a bus or boat which other guests can take. When it's storming and the ferries don't launch and the monorail may shutdown for a time (electricity issues) those buses get crammed up. All of these modes of transportation work together. As the spiel says... millions ride the monorails each year... well, that's leaving room for others elsewhere. Take one or more of those services down and the rest of the system has to compensate for it.

 

[Kamikaze]

I only got to page 10, but it seems that there are people only looking at the monorails as a form of transport. Yes, they only carry so many people. Yes, they're old. BUT... the people that ride the monorail aren't on a bus or boat which other guests can take. When it's storming and the ferries don't launch and the monorail may shutdown for a time (electricity issues) those buses get crammed up. All of these modes of transportation work together. As the spiel says... millions ride the monorails each year... well, that's leaving room for others elsewhere. Take one or more of those services down and the rest of the system has to compensate for it.

Thats the problem. Thats what they are - transport. Nothing more. Thats how they should have always been looked at, by everyone - Disney included. Calling it 'magical' or 'special' is silly. Its the same as any other train, just on an elevated track. The 'magic' of the monorail is why its such an issue. Any other type of system and it would have been fixed/replaced/upgraded already. But since its the 'WDW Monorail' it has to basically operate all the time as well as stay very much the same.

Its just a transportation system to get guests from A to B. Make it more than that and you're going to be disappointed in it. Open doors notwithstanding.

 

[celluloid]

Thats the problem. Thats what they are - transport. Nothing more. Thats how they should have always been looked at, by everyone - Disney included. Calling it 'magical' or 'special' is silly. Its the same as any other train, just on an elevated track. The 'magic' of the monorail is why its such an issue. Any other type of system and it would have been fixed/replaced/upgraded already. But since its the 'WDW Monorail' it has to basically operate all the time as well as stay very much the same.

Its just a transportation system to get guests from A to B. Make it more than that and you're going to be disappointed in it. Open doors notwithstanding.

I respect that perspective but I think there is a moderation between the two points but by very nature everything at Disney is designed as an experience, the transportation is no exception. If it were really just about getting to point A to B(and back full circle) there would have been a much different route, particularly for the express line. By design it is a tour to show you all of your options of recreation and hotels. Otherwise, The Express line would not have even go past the resorts as that is inefficient. Man made water ways and a TTC made it an experience. Otherwise, the TTC would just be a parking lot up against the gates.

 

[monothingie]

Really? I thought they sold a number of those trains to Las Vegas for their monorail system on the strip. Did they just sell the front sections to them?

Two Mark IVs from Walt Disney World were sold to Las Vegas, not the Mark Vs from Disneyland. One Mark V was sacrificed for reverse engineering.

They both made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, and yes I know a parsec is a measure of distance and not time. Get off my plane!

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

NYC R32 trains were built back in 1964

Those trains ain’t trying to sell $10,000 weeks to kids though

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I respect that perspective but I think there is a moderation between the two points but by very nature everything at Disney is designed as an experience, the transportation is no exception. If it were really just about getting to point A to B(and back full circle) there would have been a much different route, particularly for the express line. By design it is a tour to show you all of your options of recreation and hotels. Otherwise, The Express line would not have even go past the resorts as that is inefficient. Man made water ways and a TTC made it an experience. Otherwise, the TTC would just be a parking lot up against the gates.

Originally...yes.

But now all “transport” will be analyzed for maximum cost efficiency/minimal expense...and will be all about least pennies spent possible. Stock price.

 

[Kamikaze]

I respect that perspective but I think there is a moderation between the two points but by very nature everything at Disney is designed as an experience, the transportation is no exception. If it were really just about getting to point A to B(and back full circle) there would have been a much different route, particularly for the express line. By design it is a tour to show you all of your options of recreation and hotels. Otherwise, The Express line would not have even go past the resorts as that is inefficient. Man made water ways and a TTC made it an experience. Otherwise, the TTC would just be a parking lot up against the gates.

The 'approach' to MK was definitely intentional. It was meant to set the opening scene for the day. That is true enough. Thats why the TTC is a lake away from MK.

It was obviously much cheaper to build two sets of pylons right next to each other than two separate tracks. Thats why the express and resort loops are next to each other. Also, building the tracks across the lagoon would obviously kill a ton of sight lines. Since they were going to build the resort line, I doubt they ever considered putting the express anywhere except right next to the resort line.

 

[Kamikaze]

Originally...yes.

But now all “transport” will be analyzed for maximum cost efficiency/minimal expense...and will be all about least pennies spent possible. Stock price.

I don't think that the stock price (cost) is the actual biggest factor concerning transportation, but reliability and efficiency are. The monorail simply isn't as efficient or scalable as other forms of possible transport.

The Skyliner actually proves this. With the amount they are spending for that system, they could have definitely gone cheaper. But the efficiency and reliability is pretty much unmatched.

 

[mikejs78]

Originally...yes.

But now all “transport” will be analyzed for maximum cost efficiency/minimal expense...and will be all about least pennies spent possible. Stock price.

Here we go again....

 

[mikejs78]

The 'approach' to MK was definitely intentional. It was meant to set the opening scene for the day. That is true enough. Thats why the TTC is a lake away from MK.

It was obviously much cheaper to build two sets of pylons right next to each other than two separate tracks. Thats why the express and resort loops are next to each other. Also, building the tracks across the lagoon would obviously kill a ton of sight lines. Since they were going to build the resort line, I doubt they ever considered putting the express anywhere except right next to the resort line.

If I remember right, there wasn't always an express line. I seem to remember from my stay at the Poly back in 1988 that both sides made all stops, just going in different directions. Am I misremembering or can any of our historians confirm?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Those trains ain’t trying to sell $10,000 weeks to kids though

Tell that to the real estate and rentals market for any building near a subway stop.

 

[Brad Bishop]

If I remember right, there wasn't always an express line. I seem to remember from my stay at the Poly back in 1988 that both sides made all stops, just going in different directions. Am I misremembering or can any of our historians confirm?

Growing up in Florida and being a guy who's been going since 1975 (5yo then) I remember there always being a resort line and an express line though they've switched directions and sides over time.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Tell that to the real estate and rentals market for any building near a subway stop.

It’s the city that sells those...not the trains. The point is: the monorails are held in an esteem it doesn’t deserve...it’s an airport tram that was neat in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s

 

[donsullivan]

If I remember right, there wasn't always an express line. I seem to remember from my stay at the Poly back in 1988 that both sides made all stops, just going in different directions. Am I misremembering or can any of our historians confirm?

It was never possible for them to take on passengers on the express beam at either the Polynesian or Grand Floridian. If you think of the mechanics of it- since the express beam is the outer loop, you'd need to go down to the ground level and then walk under the two beams and up the stairs on the other side of the platform to board there. Those platforms were only intended for emergency evacuations when needed. At the Contemporary however it was possible to ocassionally stop the express train and board passengers there when there was a large backup on that platform trying to board the train. I'm not aware of them ever stopping to drop passengers off (except emergency) but I have seen them board there during extremely backups of passengers.