rethinking transportation from MK parking to Magic Kingdom

[zengoth]

I agree it's outdated, or at least an old plan. MK is the only of the 4 parks not to have their ticket windows right before their park entrances. I'm still amazed at the lines at the T&T - I thought by now all tickets would be purchased online. I notice the self-service kiosks were a bad idea. Did anyone use those? (Most movie theatres can't get people to use ticket kiosks either).

As far as rituals - we walk the parking lot (mate is a smoker, so he gets his last fix before the park). But we walk to the Poly and like taking one of the resort boats across the lagoon. A little longer, sure. Less hoards of tourists - definitely. Plus I get to sneak in some Tonga Toast!

 

[UKDisney Dave]

A lot of people using the ticket booths (or Windows as you call them over that side of the pond!) will be picking up physical tickets after ordering online. For example if you're in the UK and you order tickets from Disney you normally just get an email with reservation number, and then have to collect physical ticket on your first day at the parks. Same is true if booking with most tour operators and staying off property.

It's a bit of a pain, but cheaper for Disney than posting out tickets around the world. Plus they can give you the hard sell on the magic band.

For the record I always fall for the hard sell!! Got a nice collection of magic bands sitting in my home office! Hoping for a purple one this year! Haha.

 

[Dizney Crew]

Usually we go to the parks in the afternoon or early evening, and we skip the tram mostly to not wanting to fold up the stroller, but seems like we always still beat the tram to the TTC, and we're not even fast walkers! Usually we walk right on the monorail with no wait so all in all takes us 25-30 mins from parking lot to main gate. Security is a pain no matter what time of day seems like, but with all the recent events in the world seems like a small price to pay as security does do a decent bag check on everyone.

Leaving the park is a pain regardless if you stay for fireworks or leave before they start, prefer to take the monorail back but if the ferry is loading we'll jump on. Also always go to the resort monorail boarding area, much faster to get back to the TTC. It usually takes about 45-50 mins to get back to the parking lot when leaving, but traffic is never an issue either when leaving the parking lot.

 

[Obobru]

Fill the lake in. Make it a parking lot for the MK and resorts. Take the existing parking lot and make it a 5th gate! Everybody wins.

You'd even get a number of years of the Monorail circling the magnificent parking lot.

Fill it while the boats are mid lake and you have two parking lot dining options.

Once it's filled the parking problem is solved, no more gators near those water front hotel as they now overlook a nice expanse of cars, savings as the parking trams/boats/monorail staff can all be fired, no water pageant as that's an unneeded expense, charge more for parking as everyone's closer to the park, plus the boats now stuck in the middle of the car park are no longer and expense but a premium dining experience with princess's.

It's a win win situation I can't understand how Disney's accountants and legal haven't thought of this to solve so many problems.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Not sure. Always stay on property and take the buses. But when you get to the TTC you can take a boat or the monorail to the MK gates

 

[Goofyernmost]

This one comes under the heading of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." It is the way it is for a specific reason. The amount of work to create the lagoon is not tiny and it provides a very cool entrance to MK. It is class personified, yet, we are currently surrounded with people that feel the overwhelming need to do everything yesterday and cannot stop and smell the roses along the way. Well, that's to bad, but, I can and I want to be able to continue to do so while you "type A's" run from place to place missing a lot of good stuff in the process. Just leave it there for me, those that cannot handle it can stay at the resort hotels and take the bus.

 

[bpadair32]

This one comes under the heading of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." It is the way it is for a specific reason. The amount of work to create the lagoon is not tiny and it provides a very cool entrance to MK. It is class personified, yet, we are currently surrounded with people that feel the overwhelming need to do everything yesterday and cannot stop and smell the roses along the way. Well, that's to bad, but, I can and I want to be able to continue to do so while you "type A's" run from place to place missing a lot of good stuff in the process. Just leave it there for me, those that cannot handle it can stay at the resort hotels and take the bus.

I agree. I know that there are people that just want to get in as quickly as possible and race from one ride to the next and then get out. Thats fine. To each there own, but if that was all I was interested in I would save a lot of money and just go to Six Flags. To me, WDW is about the experience, the total experience, not just the rides.

 

[Timon]

Suggestions for better Transportation to MK Parking.
1. Replace the Trams with big airport-like Automated People-movers (See Orlando International) One station at the TTC for East Parking and one for West Parking. They would work with elevator-like buttons for each parking zone like a giant PRTs. So you get out of your car walk to the PeopleMover station hit the Call button and People mover takes you to TTC. Going home you go to either the East or West Parking station at TTC and push the Call Button. Inside the PeopleMover you press your Lot Name. Nice, comfortable, A/C, dry, flat floors just roll on strollers or wheelchairs. No drivers, only goes where selected.

2. Now that there are 4 Ferry boat docks they need to build two more ferryboats. This way 4 would be in service while the 5th one is being serviced, cleaned or on standby. It would be nice to have the same size but maybe a inspired by a different style.

Love the rocking beam engine look and side paddles (Could be fake with modern diesel-electric engines)

Some nice promenade decks, like the life boat.

Enclosed decks with AC

3. Add 1 more monorail car to 5 existing trains for the Express Track only which would add 60 passengers to the existing train capacity. TTC and MK stations would have to be extended. (I'm not getting into the Replacing-Upgrading argument - sorry)

7 Car Bombardier Monorail (just an example)

 

[Goofyernmost]

Suggestions for better Transportation to MK Parking.
1. Replace the Trams with big airport-like Automated People-movers (See Orlando International) One station at the TTC for East Parking and one for West Parking. They would work with elevator-like buttons for each parking zone like a giant PRTs. So you get out of your car walk to the PeopleMover station hit the Call button and People mover takes you to TTC. Going home you go to either the East or West Parking station at TTC and push the Call Button. Inside the PeopleMover you press your Lot Name. Nice, comfortable, A/C, dry, flat floors just roll on strollers or wheelchairs. No drivers, only goes where selected.

2. Now that there are 4 Ferry boat docks they need to build two more ferryboats. This way 4 would be in service while the 5th one is being serviced, cleaned or on standby. It would be nice to have the same size but maybe a inspired by a different style.

Love the rocking beam engine look and side paddles (Could be fake with modern diesel-electric engines)

Some nice promenade decks, like the life boat.

Enclosed decks with AC

3. Add 1 more monorail car to 5 existing trains for the Express Track only which would add 60 passengers to the existing train capacity. TTC and MK stations would have to be extended. (I'm not getting into the Replacing-Upgrading argument - sorry)

7 Car Bombardier Monorail (just an example)

All good thoughts, however, reality has to enter into this scenario at sometime or the other and the fact is that the TTC is only busy a couple times a day. Opening and closing. All the rest of the day is just spotty. No one should expect that the millions of dollars that would be needed to beef up the fleet for those, probable, three hour, if that much, intervals would surely be sending WDW down the road of financial ruin. There is an extent of how much should logically be spent and what is achieved by it. Also timing is crucial in all transportation situation. To many things will could slow it down or even bring it to a stop. It is not a simplistic answer. To me, the answer is for the people to just calm down, quit whining and enjoy the world around them. Life will go past quickly enough. I, personally, have enjoyed the TTC experience since my first visit in 1983. It never loses it's uniqueness to me and it's ability to just make me chill out in an excited manner. I wouldn't change a single thing.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Also, adding another monorail train to the loops would actually slow things down (figured out in the first year or two of operation).

 

[BiffyClyro]

As much as a pain as it can be to get back, it makes it more magical in my opinion. They have become way more efficient nowadays anyway so it's not that much of a pain to get back.

 

[Timon]

All good thoughts, however, reality has to enter into this scenario at sometime or the other and the fact is that the TTC is only busy a couple times a day. Opening and closing. All the rest of the day is just spotty. No one should expect that the millions of dollars that would be needed to beef up the fleet for those, probable, three hour, if that much, intervals would surely be sending WDW down the road of financial ruin. There is an extent of how much should logically be spent and what is achieved by it. Also timing is crucial in all transportation situation. To many things will could slow it down or even bring it to a stop. It is not a simplistic answer. To me, the answer is for the people to just calm down, quit whining and enjoy the world around them. Life will go past quickly enough. I, personally, have enjoyed the TTC experience since my first visit in 1983. It never loses it's uniqueness to me and it's ability to just make me chill out in an excited manner. I wouldn't change a single thing.

You make a valid point but keep in mind Disney hasn't added more transportation capacity to/from the Parking lot for decades while the attendance has increased every year. Today those loads are reaching gridlock portions or very unhappy guests. The easiest way to handle more guests is to add more boats or make the monorails hold more passengers. During off peak time you park or dock the extra capacity.

 

[Timon]

Also, adding another monorail train to the loops would actually slow things down (figured out in the first year or two of operation).

I didn't say add a train, I said add a new car. So a 6 car train becomes 7, which is 60 more people per train. Extra cars would only be added to the Express Line trains which might be 4 or 5 trains. Yes, TTC and MK stations would have to be expanded.

 

[21stamps]

Alligators

There are already jogging trails there, and they are extremely nice.

 

[21stamps]

Suggestions for better Transportation to MK Parking.
1. Replace the Trams with big airport-like Automated People-movers (See Orlando International) One station at the TTC for East Parking and one for West Parking. They would work with elevator-like buttons for each parking zone like a giant PRTs. So you get out of your car walk to the PeopleMover station hit the Call button and People mover takes you to TTC. Going home you go to either the East or West Parking station at TTC and push the Call Button. Inside the PeopleMover you press your Lot Name. Nice, comfortable, A/C, dry, flat floors just roll on strollers or wheelchairs. No drivers, only goes where selected.

2. Now that there are 4 Ferry boat docks they need to build two more ferryboats. This way 4 would be in service while the 5th one is being serviced, cleaned or on standby. It would be nice to have the same size but maybe a inspired by a different style.

Love the rocking beam engine look and side paddles (Could be fake with modern diesel-electric engines)

Some nice promenade decks, like the life boat.

Enclosed decks with AC

3. Add 1 more monorail car to 5 existing trains for the Express Track only which would add 60 passengers to the existing train capacity. TTC and MK stations would have to be extended. (I'm not getting into the Replacing-Upgrading argument - sorry)

7 Car Bombardier Monorail (just an example)

You make a valid point but keep in mind Disney hasn't added more transportation capacity to/from the Parking lot for decades while the attendance has increased every year. Today those loads are reaching gridlock portions or very unhappy guests. The easiest way to handle more guests is to add more boats or make the monorails hold more passengers. During off peak time you park or dock the extra capacity.

Have we become so spoiled that we need ac on a ferry boat from the TTC to MK? (Insert shocked emoji here).
I'm with you @Goofyernmost !!!

And-- The "pave the lake" talk? Madness!! I don't think they'll ruin 3 resorts for a little more "convenience". It's not broken, just a tad annoying. There's a difference
Plus-- taking the monorail or ferry was one of my favorite memories as a kid. Even now taking a boat back from the MK at night is "magical".

 

[Variable]

There are already jogging trails there, and they are extremely nice.

I've been on them, right up to the canal. Alligators.

its a security nightmare to have people wandering around over there at night.
its lit and all of that, but considering what's just happened.

 

[Variable]

Have we become so spoiled that we need ac on a ferry boat from the TTC to MK? (Insert shocked emoji here).
I'm with you @Goofyernmost !!!

And-- The "pave the lake" talk? Madness!! I don't think they'll ruin 3 resorts for a little more "convenience". It's not broken, just a tad annoying. There's a difference
Plus-- taking the monorail or ferry was one of my favorite memories as a kid. Even now taking a boat back from the MK at night is "magical".

I sure don't. Its nice to feel the breeze. All AC would do is slow the whole thing down.

 

[MaryJaneP]

MK and WDW sincerely NEED the TTC to buffer the massive hordes of guests at open/close. In particular, it is INCONCEIVABLE to imagine overcrowding the MK entrance with guests buying admission along with all those who currently have valid admission media. There simply is not sufficient space and capacity to handle the demand that would be generated by either closing TTC and/or filling in SSL for a "closer" parking lot.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You make a valid point but keep in mind Disney hasn't added more transportation capacity to/from the Parking lot for decades while the attendance has increased every year. Today those loads are reaching gridlock portions or very unhappy guests. The easiest way to handle more guests is to add more boats or make the monorails hold more passengers. During off peak time you park or dock the extra capacity.

Attendance has increased, but, the use of the parking lot has decreased enormously. Everyone had to go to TTC in the beginning, that entire lot was always full. Now with more people staying onsite the parking lot became big enough to put a race track in it. (Then take it back out again, because no one was going there either.) So, I don't think that they really need more of anything there. It worked fine, every time I have been there in recent times, it has worked fine with the only real difference is the month long safety spiel in 57 different languages. That takes a little longer, but, in the scope of things, not all that much.

It's not the idea that they can't park them off-peak, and that is exactly what they do. They don't run three ferries all day long, for example. It's just that you don't spend all that money on equipment only to have it sit in the sun 8 to 10 hours a day. The Monorails can be a long wait sometimes at closing, but, there are just so many trains that would be safe to have on the rails at any given time. The buses are the buses, other then a few more articulated buses there isn't a whole lot that can be done about that either. More buses will not make the trip quicker. If one bus gets held up it is usually for a reason that will hold them all up. The ferries, however, are the shortest wait time an the most comfortable trip back of any of the regular transportation. It only looks like it will take a long time... it doesn't!

 

[21stamps]

There are 5 resorts, one of which is in walking distance, that you can stay at and avoid the TTC and/or a bus. Staying at one of those is probably easier than contacting Disney and pitching a new plan