Why No Monorail Stop at the World Showcase?

[rob0519]

I've searched the Forum and the Internet and I cannot find an answer to this question. The monorail loops the entire park, but doesn't stop at the World Showcase, why not? While it's unlikely the monorail will ever be extended, is there any chance, even remote a station might be built back there?

Also, what is the distance from the entrance to the park to the World Showcase? Honestly, none of this used to matter, but as we all get older and arthritis sets in and knees and hips start to need replacing, that is quite a walk from the front of the park.

I thought if any group knew more about this subject than the entire internet, it was this one.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Monorail never circled entire park. Only Epcot Center and only most but not all of it. World Showcase was never included in Monorail beamway. Monorail station is located outside admission gates for both Epcot and MK. This idea would entail either a new entrance gate for WS to handle these monorail guests or extending the line to be beyond the International Gateway entrance already at the back of WS. In as much as it would be either too expensive to add a new entrance, or that a beamway that dropped off riders outside the International Gateway could show too much backstage, neither seems likely.

 

[Zweiland]

To answer your question about distance from the entrance to the World Showcase, as the crow flies it's about 1,667 feet. Adding in distance for walking around things it's closer to 1,750.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Transportation around World Showcase would provide more respite than transportation to WorldShowcase.

 

[DManRightHere]

My first thought as a reason not to is it would be no where near cost effective.

 

[rob0519]

My first thought as a reason not to is it would be no where near cost effective.

Well, now that's true for sure. If they built the station when the line first went it it wouldn't have been as expensive. I don't know the physical evolution of the park which is why I asked.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Well, now that's true for sure. If they built the station when the line first went it it wouldn't have been as expensive. I don't know the physical evolution of the park which is why I asked.

The monorail line was opened shortly before the park.

 

[morningstar]

An additional stop is probably not a good idea, as it would add time to the monorail circuit

Well, now that's true for sure. If they built the station when the line first went it it wouldn't have been as expensive. I don't know the physical evolution of the park which is why I asked.

Could have maybe been done EXCEPT, you'd need two ticket gates, because the parking lot is at the north end of Future World. Not everyone arrives by monorail, although they could have had it that way I guess, and have everybody park at the TTC.

Also I think completing the full loop around Future World before you enter the park has a theatrical purpose. The half loop wouldn't be quite complete.

 

[marni1971]

It was designed as a park to park link, not in park transport.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

The Monorail loop inside was also to preview what Epcot was looking like during the time of Construction of park.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I have always maintained that a WEDway People Mover would be awesome all around EPCOT that could meander into and out of pavilions in Futureworld and then into WS with one station around SSE , one around the old Odyssey and another around France in WS. Budgetary concerns easily place this out of the realm of possibility but a guy can dream can't he???

 

[marni1971]

I'm sure many people would like a transport option from the front gate to back of the World showcase.

Well, the Friendships were designed to do part of that. They assumed someone could walk from the gate to the lagoon. They also assumed guests would mainly meander through Futureworld and then take in each country's attractions, not have to head direct to Italy or Morocco for that 180 day ADR.

The Showcase busses also catered for transport until the promenade was trashed.

 

[AllydoesDisney]

Why doesn't the monorail go to Animal Kingdom or DHS is what I want to know?

 

[ParkMan73]

If they ever did a monorail expansion, I could envision a station just outside the international gateway. It almost seems like it was built with that in mind.

 

[Texas84]

My 'blue sky' thought was to have some kind of people mover from Mexico to Canada and back with stations themed to each pavilion that has a stop. Yeah, belongs in the 'Stuff that will never happen' forum.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The Monorail loop inside was also to preview what Epcot was looking like during the time of Construction of park.

It served that purpose well, but it was more of a way to reverse the direction of the monorail train and head it back to the TTC. It really was a clever way to do that little chore without having to add switch's to the line. They might have planned to have that part finished long before construction was done because it was probably the thing that could be completed more quickly then the rest. That was back when they had good ideas.

 

[montyz81]

The loop inside Epcot was always meant to be what it is. It is a preview of the park before and after construction. From outside the park you get to see what is in the park, from inside the park you get to see the future glide smoothly by you. There would never be a station near World showcase because it would either be too close to the main station, or it would block the view of AA. However, the main station for Epcot was meant to have another Monorail run through it perpendicular to the one that is there now. That is why it takes so long to walk off the platform when you get off the monorail (big platform that is there for no particular reason). I believe that monorail would have served Downtown Disney. (This is all from my own research, please anyone correct me if I am wrong).

 

[marni1971]

That is why it takes so long to walk off the platform when you get off the monorail (big platform that is there for no particular reason). I believe that monorail would have served Downtown Disney. (This is all from my own research, please anyone correct me if I am wrong).

Big platform is there to disperse crowd flow.

When it was designed it was assumed most if not all guests would disembark and head to the ticket windows. They didn't want a tidal wave of guests hitting the windows all at once so decided to spread them out by making them walk further and naturally manage themselves.

 

[marni1971]

If they ever did a monorail expansion, I could envision a station just outside the international gateway. It almost seems like it was built with that in mind.

You're probably referring to the old tram station loop?

The nearest station would be between the Swan and the Boardwalk.

 

[loveofamouse]

if any expansion is done to the monorails, I think it would be to HS or AK