Rumor New Monorails Coming Soon?

[Jonathan Wang]

Disney has already used transparent screens in Na'vi River Journey. Multiple transparent layers stacked a decent distance apart to give a deeper parallax effect

planet hollywood also uses it!

 

[Lensman]

Back to throughput of the express monorail system (which seems to be the only one that needs more capacity):
Would it be possible to double the length of the trains on the express track?

 

[s8film40]

Back to throughput of the express monorail system (which seems to be the only one that needs more capacity):
Would it be possible to double the length of the trains on the express track?

The stations would need to be extended. There are some curves and inclines right outside the stations that would make that a little less ideal, but anything’s possible. Doubling is a little extreme, but perhaps they could go with the Vegas style 4 car trains that can couple together to form an 8 car train. This could create a lot of flexibility, single units could be used on resort and Epcot where frequency is better than capacity and express they could double up. Would give them a combination of 4 car and 8 car trains that are all interchangeable.

 

[Lensman]

The stations would need to be extended. There are some curves and inclines right outside the stations that would make that a little less ideal, but anything’s possible. Doubling is a little extreme, but perhaps they could go with the Vegas style 4 car trains that can couple together to form an 8 car train. This could create a lot of flexibility, single units could be used on resort and Epcot where frequency is better than capacity and express they could double up. Would give them a combination of 4 car and 8 car trains that are all interchangeable.

Maybe I'm taking all the doom and gloom too seriously about how the transportation between the TTC and the MK is completely inadequate given current and future increased attendance. Is the situation in fact getting any worse? Because I've also read that the number of guests parking at the TTC is actually lower now than at its peak due to an increased number of guests staying onsite and taking the buses directly to the MK.

Someone was even talking about installing a third transportation leg like the gondola system to supplement the monorail and the ferries to handle the crush of people at park closing. Given capacities this seems like it would be equivalent to doubling the peak throughput of the express monorail.

And thus my idea of the "max" expansion of the express monorail. So take your idea of the two coupled trains and super-size it to two coupled 6 car trains.

I’ll break it down for you. Express monorail should cycle 4 trains every 9 minutes and resort monorail should cycle 4 trains every 12 minutes.

So express let’s just say they’re having a slow day and say 10 minutes for easier math. That’s 4 trains 6 times each hour 24 trains an hour so 8,640 passengers.

Then resorts let’s again make a more rounded and conservative number and say they’re going slow with 15 minute cycles. So that’s 4 trains 4 times per hour, 16 total trains per hour for 5,760 passenger.

Adding both of those together gives us a total capacity of 14,400 per hour at the MK.

So my super-sized express is 12 cars long, bumping throughput up to and incredible 17,280 passengers per hour. This is more than you'd get from installing a whole gondola line. And it could just use a few monorail trains off of the Epcot line if the timing of the two closings works out.

Again, this is a max solution to address the transportation apocalypse that people are saying is coming. I'm actually more interested in whether this apocalypse is indeed coming or if the number of people heading to the TTC is declining from its peak. And yes, I'd be happy for them to size the standard length to whatever was appropriate.

Another question: Is it written in stone that the monorails have to have two cabs? I know they kind of have to now since they have "drivers" and the various lines travel in different directions, but they could either implement full driverless automation or change the directions of the various lines so they only need a cab on one side.

 

[imarc]

Another question: Is it written in stone that the monorails have to have two cabs? I know they kind of have to now since they have "drivers" and the various lines travel in different directions, but they could either implement full driverless automation or change the directions of the various lines so they only need a cab on one side.

Isn't the Epcot line the only one that goes in two directions?

The Express and Resort lines always go the one direction.

 

[Jonathan Wang]

The stations would need to be extended. There are some curves and inclines right outside the stations that would make that a little less ideal, but anything’s possible. Doubling is a little extreme, but perhaps they could go with the Vegas style 4 car trains that can couple together to form an 8 car train. This could create a lot of flexibility, single units could be used on resort and Epcot where frequency is better than capacity and express they could double up. Would give them a combination of 4 car and 8 car trains that are all interchangeable.

The inclines were only on the magic kingdom side exiting right? I thought it was straight right between the ticket booth and the station?

If they were to expand the station I could see them coming slightly closer to the ticket booth

 

[msg7]

The inclines were only on the magic kingdom side exiting right? I thought it was straight right between the ticket booth and the station?

If they were to expand the station I could see them coming slightly closer to the ticket booth

There’s and slight incline on the section of track between the Poly and GF, Coming out of the GF you curve, ascend, and then descend into the MK station, and the only other one besides the one you mentioned is coming out of the contemporary onto the straight track between the CR and the TTC.

 

[s8film40]

The inclines were only on the magic kingdom side exiting right? I thought it was straight right between the ticket booth and the station?

If they were to expand the station I could see them coming slightly closer to the ticket booth

I know there's inclines at TTC, MK I believe has some curves.

 

[Jonathan Wang]

There’s and slight incline on the section of track between the Poly and GF, Coming out of the GF you curve, ascend, and then descend into the MK station, and the only other one besides the one you mentioned is coming out of the contemporary onto the straight track between the CR and the TTC.

I know there's inclines at TTC, MK I believe has some curves.

Thanks, couldn’t remember. However I feel like GF and Poly are easy to modify the stations but no so much the contemporary

 

[s8film40]

Thanks, couldn’t remember. However I feel like GF and Poly are easy to modify the stations but no so much the contemporary

Contemporary is already 12 cars long.

 

[marni1971]

The stations would need to be extended..

That’s a possibility down the line (no pun intended)

 

[Jonathan Wang]

Contemporary is already 12 cars long.

Well I mean if the trains got any taller or wider also. In terms of accommodating any way possible the contemporary would be a major pain

 

[s8film40]

Well I mean if the trains got any taller or wider also. In terms of accommodating any way possible the contemporary would be a major pain

Yeah I don't think there's any chance of trains getting taller or wider.

 

[marni1971]

Yeah I don't think there's any chance of trains getting taller or wider.

Not without rebuilding the hurricane doors. Again.

 

[maxairmike]

Yeah I don't think there's any chance of trains getting taller or wider.

I think they have enough wiggle room at the Contemporary to add a few inches in height to accommodate a 300-series bogey if they can find a way to squeeze it in. I don't believe that has to have any effect on the train width, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't. Obviously they can't accommodate a full height 300 series car, but maybe 1-3" should be doable.

Oh, yeah, @marni1971 is right, I wasn't thinking about the hurricane doors, just the ceiling above the platform.

 

[s8film40]

Not without rebuilding the hurricane doors. Again.

Yeah I also don’t know if the track could take too much more. They used the justification when going from Mark IV to VI that the trains were made from composites to reduce weight to compensate for the extra weight from added passenger capacity. So I don’t know specifics or anything but these trains have already been expanded beyond what the beam was designed for so I suspect that might be an issue.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Yeah I also don’t know if the track could take too much more. They used the justification when going from Mark IV to VI that the trains were made from composites to reduce weight to compensate for the extra weight from added passenger capacity. So I don’t know specifics or anything but these trains have already been expanded beyond what the beam was designed for so I suspect that might be an issue.

I was also wondering about this. The current fiberglass bodies on steel frames are already pretty light. In theory, they could probably go to a completely composite construction (combinations of carbon fiber, aluminium, plastic, etc. for the frame and body) to get a stronger structure with even more weight savings that might allow higher passenger loads. But I'd be surprised if those beams could support weights much beyond the current Mark VIs. Maybe with enough material savings and/or new bogie design (that better distributes weight) you could push 8-cars per train?

I will say "8-car Mark VIII" has a nice ring to it...

 

[msg7]

Thanks, couldn’t remember. However I feel like GF and Poly are easy to modify the stations but no so much the contemporary

Well, the Contemporary's platform is so long so I imagine if they moved the queue fencing a bit and it would probably be even easier than the GF and Poly.... The only problem is the escalators...

 

[Jonathan Wang]

Yeah I also don’t know if the track could take too much more. They used the justification when going from Mark IV to VI that the trains were made from composites to reduce weight to compensate for the extra weight from added passenger capacity. So I don’t know specifics or anything but these trains have already been expanded beyond what the beam was designed for so I suspect that might be an issue.

Its VERY unlikely but disney could decide to just swap the beams out with upgraded electricals that are prebuilt vs just upgrading current beams. SUPER unlikely but anything is possible.

I was also wondering about this. The current fiberglass bodies on steel frames are already pretty light. In theory, they could probably go to a completely composite construction (combinations of carbon fiber, aluminium, plastic, etc. for the frame and body) to get a stronger structure with even more weight savings that might allow higher passenger loads. But I'd be surprised if those beams could support weights much beyond the current Mark VIs. Maybe with enough material savings and/or new bogie design (that better distributes weight) you could push 8-cars per train?

I will say "8-car Mark VIII" has a nice ring to it...

dude if they went CF on the monorails that would surprise the crap out of me. CF isnt cheap to begin with and once its damaged you dont repair it you replace the whole piece. so if they had any "filming" accidents again the whole car would pretty much be replaced. However it would be awesome if they did use CF, its super light and very strong.

Well, the Contemporary's platform is so long so I imagine if they moved the queue fencing a bit and it would probably be even easier than the GF and Poly.... The only problem is the escalators...

i think next time im at MK ill take some pics of the lines and see what we think is best as expansions.

 

[Rteetz]

So I don’t know specifics or anything but these trains have already been expanded beyond what the beam was designed for so I suspect that might be an issue.

Very true.

I have talked to a monorail driver that said when looking back on the Epcot line you can see the train bounce along the track. Of course the Epcot beams were built onsite and not as sound as the MK line built off.