No Monorail Service Aug until 2007. I am upset.

[peedeejones]

I am a little mad a WDW now that I found out from Mousesavers that the momorail is shutting down completely from August 31 until sometime in 2007!
One of the main reasons I booked the Polynesian for our October trip is the convenience of the monorail. I am only getting a small discount by using AAA.

Is it wrong for me to be upset that I was not told about this when I booked my room and that at the very least feel that the price of the room should be discounted?

[Stitch1404]

I hadn't heard this yet. I think a lot of people will be more than a little mad.

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I can not see them shutting down the Resort Monorail. To me that makes so sense.

[lovinpoohbear]

although i am not staying at a monarail resort, how will i get to my adr's???? i have them at 1900 park fare, chef mickeys, ohana...... :furious:

[bdklein]

I think you are wrong about monorail closing.

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Can you please post the link to this, because I am checking other Walt Disney World sites & they do not mention this. I think you may have read something wrong here. Walt Disney World may do stupid things, but they are not this stupid to shut down the Monorail at the Monorail Resorts for that length of time.

[tw1nsmom]

The monorail at Disneyland, not Disneyworld is closing.

[Stitch1404]

The monorail at Disneyland, not Disneyworld is closing.

I knew that sounded wrong. Thanks for clearing that up!

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The monorail at Disneyland, not Disneyworld is closing. If it's the Monorail at Disneyland & not Disney World someone should tell the OP this.

[bdklein]

Nice post. Too bad it's wrong.

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Sucks for people going to Disneyland, just happy it's not happening at Walt Disney World.

[emh1129]

phew! Glad I read through all the responses!
We're going early January and we (mostly 4 yr old ds) would be so disappointed if the monorail was out of service!

[peedeejones]

I see now that it is Disneyland. I wish that was in big BOLD LETTERS in the newsletter. I really wasn't even aware that Disneyland had a monorail system and I feel sorry for them. I didn't mean to stir the pot. :stir:

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I see now that it is Disneyland. I wish that was in big BOLD LETTERS in the newsletter. I really wasn't even aware that Disneyland had a monorail system and I feel sorry for them. I didn't mean to stir the pot. :stir: I would just call this a misunderstanding of something you just read. However when we all thought it was WDW that was closing the Monorail, you can see that our reactions were warranted. So I would not say you were stiring the pot. :stir: Next time before posting something like this, just be carefull about what you read before posting.

[raven69david]

Nice post. Too bad it's wrong.

HA HA HA :rotfl2: :lmao:

[Natalya]

Anyone ever play the game "telephone" in elementary school? This is how rumors get started. Thank goodness this one was squashed quickly because my DH was threatening to cancel the trip. :smooth:

[peedeejones]

I am just not going to post here ever again.
In fact, I am just cancelling my reservations because I am not much in a Disney vacation mood anymore and am definately not going to get my news from any unauthorized Disney sites.
Have a nice Disney day!

[famsen]

Everyone relax! I thought the same thing as the OP when I first read my newsletter and I nearly had a heart attack. I've got 10 days booked at the Grand Floridian in November.
I think it needs to more clear in the newsletter because I would guess the majority of people who subscribe to it, are reading it for the Disney World info, not Disneyland :sad2:

[tinkerbellmagic]

I, too, thought it was WDW, until I read the newsletter further. All the info below the monorail news was about DL. The info for WDW was below all the DL news. I had to read it twice to check it out because I didn't think WDW would shut down the monorail without like a years notice..lol. It was not really crystal clear in the newsletter that it was DL, so IMO the OP had a legit concern.

Don't cancel your trip! This is a trivial matter. Go and have fun!

Tink

[Leash]

I see now that it is Disneyland. I wish that was in big BOLD LETTERS in the newsletter. I really wasn't even aware that Disneyland had a monorail system and I feel sorry for them. I didn't mean to stir the pot. :stir:

Um, not to make you even more mad than you already are but it was in big bold letters. :duck: But thank you for trying to warn everyone that was thoughtful. :flower3:

[Disneyrsh]

I am just not going to post here ever again.
In fact, I am just cancelling my reservations because I am not much in a Disney vacation mood anymore and am definately not going to get my news from any unauthorized Disney sites.
Have a nice Disney day!

Now that's just angry #10 for a goof # 4.

Don't get all upset, we all make mistakes. :badpc:

I'd say this is a fairly minor goof on the grand scheme of the Disboards.

I've seen some beauts, some of which I've caused! :wizard:

Ya gotta learn to laugh at your mistakes :joker:

[madge]

to the OP: I'd edit the title of the thread - now that you know it's Disneyland and not WDW :)

[Disneyrsh]

Unless she's joking, it sounds like the OP has now forsaken all things disney and probably won't update the post... :confused3

[mking624]

Misunderstandings happen, glad it's working out in your favor. And while the newletter did have the correct information, don't forget that you're reading an unofficial Disney newsletter. Make sure you always verify with the actual source.

And so far I'm the only one mentioning this...but discount a deluxe resort because there's no monorail service? Why? AKL doesn't have monorail service but they don't discount their rooms for it....

[TDC Nala]

Disneyland's monorail is more of an attraction than a major mode of transportation. It is certainly not needed to get to and from the park.

Walt Disney World is in a different situation. Most likely they wouldn't shut the monorail down for that amount of time.

[YoHo]

The sad thing is that the Disneyland monorail shut down has been known on this rumor board for months.

They're getting all new trainsets.

Also, it's good the OP is foresaking all things Disney. Not knowing about the monorail at DL is punishable by revocation of fandom. you have to turn in your Mickey Ears.



Of course I'm joking, but come on people. Learn yourself a little history.

[famsen]

Um, not to make you even more mad than you already are but it was in big bold letters. :duck: But thank you for trying to warn everyone that was thoughtful. :flower3:

In my copy of the Mousesaver newsletter, the fact that the monorail shutdown is for DisneyLand is *NOT* big and bold.

I do understand the logic of the original poster with wanting a discount for Poly if the monorail was not operational. If I was paying rack rate or even the small AAA discounted rate, and found there would be no monorail during my stay, I would absolutely expect the rate to be discounted. When you book AKL or WL, you know that you are not getting the monorail at your resort and that is the main reason the rates are cheaper there to being with.

But again, there is no monorail shutdown at WDW planned and all is right with The World. :bitelip:

[mking624]

Why woul dyou expect a discount? It's not like the monorail is the ONLY means of transportation that those resorts provide. If they were clsing all means of transportation...then yes, discounts would be expected. But you still have another way of getting to the park, so the monorail not being in service just doesn't seem a legitimate reason to expect a discount considering you'r enot being put out by trying to find yuor own way of getting to the park...they are still providing a way for you. IMO, that's really trying to stretch it.

[BuckNaked]

And so far I'm the only one mentioning this...but discount a deluxe resort because there's no monorail service? Why? AKL doesn't have monorail service but they don't discount their rooms for it....

In a way, AKL rooms are discounted, because they aren't as much as the rooms at the monorail resorts.

[yeartolate]

If I am not mistaken, the good news is that they are making more room for the subs!!!!

[mking624]

In a way, AKL rooms are discounted, because they aren't as much as the rooms at the monorail resorts.
That's true that they aren't as expensive a as a monorail resort, but there are also some monorail resorts that are cheaper than another monorail resort. For example, I went to disneyworld.com and acted as though I was reserving a "standard" room at the Contemporary for the time I'm going in September. The total came to be $1665.84 for 6 nights. A "standard" room at the Grand Floridian for the exact same time is $2481.80. A "standard" room at Poly for the exact same time is $2107.44. These are all monorail resorts...yet the prices vary, with Contemporary being the cheapest. I checked the same dates for AKL...it was $1538.76, a $127.08 difference from the Contemporary (coming out to be about a $21 discount a night). Wilderness Lodge (also not a monorail resort) was $1605.60 for a "standard" room...only a $60.24 difference from the Contemporary (which comes out to be a discount of about only $10 a night). I don't think the monorail is the biggest reason for the price differences with the monorail and non-monorail resorts...otherwise we'd be seeing a closer price range in the monorail resorts and a bigger price gap with the non-monorail resorts. The price difference has a lot to do with what the resort itself has to offer...not specifically the transportation mode. Hence, I find it unnecessary to expect a discount if only *one* of the options of transportation is down...because it's not cutting out on the actual resort amenities since the monorail is simply a convenience, not an amenity of the resort.

[Leash]

In my copy of the Mousesaver newsletter, the fact that the monorail shutdown is for DisneyLand is *NOT* big and bold.

I do understand the logic of the original poster with wanting a discount for Poly if the monorail was not operational. If I was paying rack rate or even the small AAA discounted rate, and found there would be no monorail during my stay, I would absolutely expect the rate to be discounted. When you book AKL or WL, you know that you are not getting the monorail at your resort and that is the main reason the rates are cheaper there to being with.

But again, there is no monorail shutdown at WDW planned and all is right with The World. :bitelip:

I apologize then because in mine this part:
Refurbishment/Closure/Update Schedule at Disneyland in California was in a larger font and was bolded above the section outlining the closures at DL. I thought that would look the sam on all the emails but I must be wrong. :blush: Thanks for pointing that out.

[betterlatethannever]

I apologize then because in mine this part:
Refurbishment/Closure/Update Schedule at Disneyland in California was in a larger font and was bolded above the section outlining the closures at DL. I thought that would look the sam on all the emails but I must be wrong. :blush: Thanks for pointing that out.

You probably get the HTML version of the newsletter.

I get the text version and there is no highlighting, just plain text.

Ed

[Another Voice]

because it's not cutting out on the actual resort amenities since the monorail is simply a convenience, not an amenity of the resort.
Except that one person’s “convenience” may be another person’s “amenity”.

When I go to WDW with children, I always stat at a monorail resort. Quick and easy transportation is essential and is more important than the swimming pools, video arcades or food courts that some others would scream are necessities. Disney’s bus system is horrible – if I wanted to stand on curbs for half an hour sucking in diesel waste products I’d vacation in Detroit.

Every hotel has a list of facilities it offers. Monorail service is a huge selling point for the connected resorts (and yes, Disney does price them higher because of it). If that feature is not offered for a length of time, then Disney needs to make an accommodation for it if they want pepole tp stay there.

[Dznefreek]

Work under way at WDW. . . . . . .

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/wdw4me1/WDW%20Collage%20Pictures/Castle421.jpg

[DisInsider]

After reading 3 pages of this thread, I have to say that I seriously doubt that any of you would actually cancel your reservations or change hotels of you were staying at a monorail resort and the monorail was closed. If you are already planning to stay on property and at one of the expensive resorts, nothing is going to change that. Not a monorail closure or anything for that matter. And discounts? Do you really think Disney would discount the rooms for you just because of this? Think again.

People complain about the bus system at WDW. While it's not perfect, it is an option. I say the monorail isn't perfect either. Sure it's a nice ride if it's not packed, but either way, monorail or bus, you are being hearded like cattle. I've done all the transportation methods, and I prefer to use the old fashioned parking lots. This way I can avoid the crying babies, screaming parents, and all of the other smelly, sweaty disgusting people in all their glory trying to get back to their overpriced hotel rooms.

[mking624]

Except that one person’s “convenience” may be another person’s “amenity”.

When I go to WDW with children, I always stat at a monorail resort. Quick and easy transportation is essential and is more important than the swimming pools, video arcades or food courts that some others would scream are necessities. Disney’s bus system is horrible – if I wanted to stand on curbs for half an hour sucking in diesel waste products I’d vacation in Detroit.

Every hotel has a list of facilities it offers. Monorail service is a huge selling point for the connected resorts (and yes, Disney does price them higher because of it). If that feature is not offered for a length of time, then Disney needs to make an accommodation for it if they want pepole tp stay there.
They DO offer an accomodation...other transportation. The monorail is not listed as part of the resorts' amenities. Now what OTHER people consider to be an amenity is one thing...but what other people consider it to be isn't necessarily what Disney considers it to be. They have no reason to discount their prices if other means of transportation are readily available (except that people would rather complain instead of realizing that there IS another way to get to the park that they refuse to acknowledge). The prices are largely due to what the resort has to offer...NOT the monorail itself. If that was the primary reason, then there would be a much larger gap between WL and Contemporary and a much closer price range between Contemporary and Grand Floridian. But there's not. Why? Because Grand Floridian offers a heck of a lot more than the Contemporary whereas Contempory's amenities are pretty similar to WL. Sorry, but I'm not buying that the monorail is the sole reason why Contemporary is only $10 more expensive a night for a standard room as compared to WL, but almost $140 less expensive a night than the GF for a standard room. Just those comparisons alone tell you there's A LOT more to it than a monorail...especially considering that the monorail only travels to half the parks.

[belle1627]

Work under way at WDW. . . . . . .

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/wdw4me1/WDW%20Collage%20Pictures/Castle421.jpg


What a great pic!!!!!!!!!

Dznefreek, I can't say enough about you photos they are a work of art, I spent a long time looking at each photo, they are spectacular. Thank you so much for sharing.

Gina

[TDC Nala]

Because Grand Floridian offers a heck of a lot more than the Contemporary

It does? Like what? It's nicer looking and the pool has a waterfall. That's the best I can come up with. I don't count the restaurants, it's easy to get to the GF from the Contemporary to eat.

[mking624]

It does? Like what? It's nicer looking and the pool has a waterfall. That's the best I can come up with. I don't count the restaurants, it's easy to get to the GF from the Contemporary to eat.
The very fact that GF is considered a resort AND spa is one thing right there (being that the spa facilities are unlike anything offered at the other resorts). There's also the fact that it has the only AAA 5 diamond restaurant in central Florida (V&A obviously). You said you don't count the restaurants and in general I wouldn't either...but a fine dining place like that is a pretty good standout. The wedding pavilion is considered part of GF as is the pirate cruise for kids. So yes, there is a lot more offered at GF than the Contemporary. You may not be utilizing it, but it's there.

[Dznefreek]

There's also the fact that it has the only AAA 5 diamond restaurant in central Florida (V&A obviously). Maybe it is me but I do not think a restaurant makes the entire resort. . . .

[mking624]

Maybe it is me but I do not think a restaurant makes the entire resort. . . .
I didn't say it made the entire resort. That was one of the various things I listed. That said, the type of dining a place offers can give a big clue into what type of place it is. You're not going to find a KFC in a Ritz Carlton, for example.

[YoHo]

The Grand Floridian was designed to be a 4 star (minimum) resort for rich folks. It was built with the intention of being better then the other resorts on the loop and it has always maintained a price premium because of that.

Equating the GF to the Contemporary shows a gross ignorance of the history of the place.



The flip side being that the entire point of the Grand Floridian is insulting to everything Walt stood for, but that's a discussion we've been having for the better part of 7 years.

[mking624]

The Grand Floridian was designed to be a 4 star (minimum) resort for rich folks. It was built with the intention of being better then the other resorts on the loop and it has always maintained a price premium because of that.

Equating the GF to the Contemporary shows a gross ignorance of the history of the place.

ITA!! :thumbsup2 This was my point when trying to show that it's not specifically the monorail that makes the price what it is.

[Another Voice]

They have no reason to discount their prices if other means of transportation are readily available (except that people would rather complain instead of realizing that there IS another way to get to the park that they refuse to acknowledge).

Busses are not “resort transportation”. Real transportation is efficient, clean, and as much fun to use as everything else I am doing on vacation. I’m supposed to be at a “resort” – a place that’s different and better than my dull, dreary, everyday life. That’s why I am chucking out five thousands dollars to Disney rather than spending my salary wisely.

Like the “wand” over Spaceship Earth, DVC sales booths in the parks and princess dresses being sold in the Tomorrowland shops – busses are a sign that WDW’s management hates us and thinks we’re stupid.

Fortunately there are still some places at WDW that have managed to remain unsoiled. That includes the resorts located on the monorail system. People are willing to pay a premium for that, and Disney is certainly eager to add that premium on. For a lot of people (I’d say most people), the monorail is as important as the pool and restaurants. Are you going to say that Disney doesn’t charge more for the Yacht and Beach Club because of Stormalong Bay? And do you think that if the Animal Kingdom Lodge was serviced by the system that the rooms would be as cheap (and as empty) as they are today?

Of course not. So should Disney take out a central and important feature of a resort, its monorail, the hotel’s become less attractive to guests. When a product becomes less attractive consumers, its price generally falls. So guests have ever right to expect reduced room rates. Otherwise we’ll go somewhere else.

[YoHo]

View of the Castle and Fireworks isn't listed as an Amenity for the MK resorts either. That doesn't mean it isn't factored into the price.

[mking624]

Busses are not “resort transportation”. Real transportation is efficient, clean, and as much fun to use as everything else I am doing on vacation. I’m supposed to be at a “resort” – a place that’s different and better than my dull, dreary, everyday life. That’s why I am chucking out five thousands dollars to Disney rather than spending my salary wisely.
Hate to break the bubble, but EVERY hotel on Disney property is referred to as a Resort, whether you're paying $5000 or $500. Regardless of what you expect transportation to be with it's effeciency and cleanliness (which I'm sorry, but until you've ridden public transportation in a large city, you have no idea what inefficient and dirty is on a bus), it doesn't make the bus any less of a resort transportation. Just because it doesn't measure up to your standards and expectations doesn't mean they're not providing (for free) a way to get to a park and/or resort. Not to be mean, but you're really fishing for any excuse here.

Like the “wand” over Spaceship Earth, DVC sales booths in the parks and princess dresses being sold in the Tomorrowland shops – busses are a sign that WDW’s management hates us and thinks we’re stupid.
Give me a break. That's such a weak argument. :rolleyes:

Fortunately there are still some places at WDW that have managed to remain unsoiled. That includes the resorts located on the monorail system. People are willing to pay a premium for that, and Disney is certainly eager to add that premium on. For a lot of people (I’d say most people), the monorail is as important as the pool and restaurants. Are you going to say that Disney doesn’t charge more for the Yacht and Beach Club because of Stormalong Bay? And do you think that if the Animal Kingdom Lodge was serviced by the system that the rooms would be as cheap (and as empty) as they are today?
Stormalong Bay is a pool...pools are considered an amenity of the resort you're staying at. The monorail is convenient, but not an amenity. Is it an amenity for *you*? Obviously it is. Is it an official amenity of the resort? No.

So should Disney take out a central and important feature of a resort, its monorail, the hotel’s become less attractive to guests. When a product becomes less attractive consumers, its price generally falls. So guests have ever right to expect reduced room rates. Otherwise we’ll go somewhere else.
The monorail is not the number one reason why people stay at the specific resorts. Go to the Resorts forum and you'll see why people love the resorts they're staying at. Yes they may like the monorail, but that's not the number one reason why they chose to stay there (I mean really, what if you hated all the monorail resorts...are you still going to stay there because of the monorail? Something tells me no). If the monorail was all it required to make a resort more expensive, do you really think they'd put all those other things in place knowing that people would drop all that money because of the transportation? I don't think so. When Disney is still providing everything they promised for that particular resort (and the monorail is not a promised amenity of the resort), then no, the right to a discount doesn't exist. Especially when you can't even take the monorail to more than a couple of parks and a couple other resorts (so exactly what other means of transportation are you taking that is so exciting as your vacation to get to places like MGM, AK, and DTD? Does Disney offer you a free limo or something or do you exclusively go to Epcot and MK to avoid taking such "dull and dreary" means of transportation).

Sorry, but your arguments are just not convincing. When there are so many varying factors (including such a wide range of price gaps even between actual monorail resorts), there's absolutely no way that the only reason or even the primary reason why a resort cost is so high is because of the monorail alone. I mean going by your logic, should I then expect a discount admission at Epcot if the monorail is down and I can't take it from the MK? I mean after all, the monorail does stop there and the MK and Epcot are both monorail parks....

[mking624]

View of the Castle and Fireworks isn't listed as an Amenity for the MK resorts either. That doesn't mean it isn't factored into the price.
They are known as preferred rooms...and you know upfront that the cost of a preferred room is higher. That said, if hypothetically the preferred room wasn't available, would you then demand a discount on a room that was available? Disney isn't likely to give a discount just because the room you originally wanted wasn't available.

ETA: I'm bowing out because apparently even actual price and amenity differences with a resort isn't enough to prove that there's more to a resort than its means of transportation. It honestly amuses me that people have such a mentality of entitlement because of the transportation that is ridden for free by ANY resort guest...not just the guest of a specific resort. :rolleyes:

[Another Voice]

Is it an official amenity of the resort? No.[/qupte]
I forgot – which section of the Constitution lists what is an official amenity?
Sorry, but there’s a basic rule of the free market that when the money is in my pocket that I get to decide what’s important to me and what isn’t. It’s a fact that Disney – and sadly most of the fanbase – have forgotten. The whole idea of charging more and offering less might work on the people who are dazzled by snowglobes and like to dress up their cats in princess costumes, but the normal public actually expects to get what they paid for (something Disney has a real hard time offering lately).

When a normal person gets there vacation video and sees twenty-eight shots of a gleaming monorail whisking the advertisingly correct “family” about – that’s kinda of what Joe Sixpack expects. If he shows up and is told to stand in the back of a vomit-smelling bus without air conditioning while Jason Yuppielarva cries his head off because Aunt Twoton just sat and crushed his Winnie the Pooh plush ($49.95) – they have every right to be upset.

I think it’s just a sign of how far the “fans” have grown away from the average guest that some are demanding we accept whatever Disney gives us without question. One only has to look at the attendance at California Adventure to how well that attitude works.

Does Disney offer you a free limo or something…
I’ve had cast members at the front desk of four different resorts tell me to take cabs instead waiting for the bus. If WDW itself thinks their busses are bad, maybe you ought to rethink “amenity”. And actually, when I took a “class” at the Disney Institute, they paid for the cab from the Yacht Club.

or do you exclusively go to Epcot and MK to avoid taking such "dull and dreary" means of transportation
Looking at the attendance figures there seem to be millions and millions and millions of other people that don’t ride the bus to Animal Kingdom either.

because of the transportation that is ridden for free by ANY resort guest
Pray tell, what charity runs the monorails? I had always assumed that part of the five hundred a night that I cough up for the hotel room helped pay for the monorail. Or even a piece of the seventy bucks a day to get into the parks. All these years I thought Disney was a business...

Maybe they should be put those coin collecting charity boxes on the busses.

[DancingBear]

I'm not a huge anti-bus guy, but I wnat to point out that if you go to the page on the official site for Grand Floridian (or any other monorail resort), although "monorail" is not listed in the "amenities" list, there is a separate heading for "Transportation" that says this resort is served by the monorail (and buses and boats). So it certainly is a selling point (witness the early posters to this thread that consider the existence of the monorail to be important to their resort choice).

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/resortLanding?id=GrandFloridianResortLandingPage

[Allan]

Just because it doesn't measure up to your standards and expectations doesn't mean they're not providing (for free) a way to get to a park and/or resort.

He has those standards and expectations because it is advertised as such. If monorail service were added to Pop Century, do you believe room price and demand would remain the same? If guests arrived subsuquently expecting that service only to find it wasn't operating during their stay should they be expected to pay the full price?


The whole idea of charging more and offering less might work on the people who are dazzled by snowglobes and like to dress up their cats in princess costumes, but the normal public actually expects to get what they paid for (something Disney has a real hard time offering lately).

And there appears to be a steady increase in the number of royal kitties these days! If you expect less from a large corporation they will do everything in their power to deliver.

[YoHo]

They are known as preferred rooms...and you know upfront that the cost of a preferred room is higher. That said, if hypothetically the preferred room wasn't available, would you then demand a discount on a room that was available? Disney isn't likely to give a discount just because the room you originally wanted wasn't available.




I wouldn't demand a Discount, because they wouldn't be charging me the same price, they'd charge me the price for a Garden view instead. If they tried to make me pay for the room with a view and then give me a room without a view, then you're damn right I would complain....loudly.....to a manager.

[mjstaceyuofm]

Sorry, but there’s a basic rule of the free market that when the money is in my pocket that I get to decide what’s important to me and what isn’t. It’s a fact that Disney – and sadly most of the fanbase – have forgotten. The whole idea of charging more and offering less might work on the people who are dazzled by snowglobes and like to dress up their cats in princess costumes, but the normal public actually expects to get what they paid for (something Disney has a real hard time offering lately).

When a normal person gets there vacation video and sees twenty-eight shots of a gleaming monorail whisking the advertisingly correct “family” about – that’s kinda of what Joe Sixpack expects. If he shows up and is told to stand in the back of a vomit-smelling bus without air conditioning while Jason Yuppielarva cries his head off because Aunt Twoton just sat and crushed his Winnie the Pooh plush ($49.95) – they have every right to be upset.

I think it’s just a sign of how far the “fans” have grown away from the average guest that some are demanding we accept whatever Disney gives us without question. One only has to look at the attendance at California Adventure to how well that attitude works.


I’ve had cast members at the front desk of four different resorts tell me to take cabs instead waiting for the bus. If WDW itself thinks their busses are bad, maybe you ought to rethink “amenity”. And actually, when I took a “class” at the Disney Institute, they paid for the cab from the Yacht Club.


Looking at the attendance figures there seem to be millions and millions and millions of other people that don’t ride the bus to Animal Kingdom either.


Pray tell, what charity runs the monorails? I had always assumed that part of the five hundred a night that I cough up for the hotel room helped pay for the monorail. Or even a piece of the seventy bucks a day to get into the parks. All these years I thought Disney was a business...

Maybe they should be put those coin collecting charity boxes on the busses.Boy AV... Could you once make your point without insulting Joe Sixpack? (Or the rest of us average Disney fans for that matter?) Not everyone has to know the inner workings and history of Disney to an exacting degree to enjoy a vacation there. Nor do you have to exclusively like monorails over the buses to be considered a *true* fan. I don't mind the buses - maybe it is because am from DETROIT. I've never had an issue with the AC not working or the bus smelling like vomit.... In fact, in my own personal experiences, I've often thought the monorail had more of a funky smell to them than the buses. More often than not any *smells* aboard a bus or monorail have more to do with the cleanliness of "Joe Sixpack" than the actual machinery itself... You have such good points to make and are knowledgeable about many things Disney, but you stumble in your delivery of the argument by hurling insults. It ruins your credibility.

I've never had a CM tell me to take a cab vs. taking the bus.... Maybe it's because I've never complained to a CM about the bus service before. :rolleyes1

[DancingBear]

For the record, although A-V and I have disagreed on many things over the years, I hope that his posts do not become less colorful. Don't take it personally, just enjoy the read.

[YoHo]

Joe Six pack smells funny.

[manning]

You have to forgive Anothervoice. He suffers from .. you got what you paid for ..that was experienced back in the beginning.

Anything to that rumor about the cutbacks at the resorts....they are taking a bed out of each room so they can hire less maids. :duck::duck:

[raidermatt]

mking, all you're really doing is highlighting the fact that different aspects of the resorts mean different things to different people.

V&A adds absolutely nothing to the value of the GF for me (A) because I doubt I will ever care to eat there, and (B) I can still eat there if I stay somewhere else. The spa does nothing for me as well, for the same reasons. The monorail, on the other hand, would absolutely be a factor if I booked at a monorail resort. To a lesser extent, the boats are a factor in what I think the BW area resorts are worth.

You can't tell me I'm wrong, because its a personal preference. Just like I can't tell someone else they are wrong if they view V&A or the spa as reason to pay more for the GF.

Whether they are listed as amenities, features, or simply modes of transportation is merely semantics. The guest or potential guest determines what they they are willing to pay and why.

So regardless of what each of us would do, there are most certainly a number of guests who would either not want to book during that time, or who would not be willing to pay as much, no matter what the monorail is listed as. Just as some would react the same way if V&A's or the spa were closed.

You have such good points to make and are knowledgeable about many things Disney, but you stumble in your delivery of the argument by hurling insults. It ruins your credibility.

Whether one views his takes as credible is actually their choice. Just as you point out not every guest minds the busses, not every reader focuses on the hyperbole instead of the point.

I've never had a CM tell me to take a cab vs. taking the bus.... Maybe it's because I've never complained to a CM about the bus service before.
He didn't say every guest had been told this. Just that he had. Nor did he say it was while complaining about the bus service.

For example, both my wife and I have been told the very same thing as AV mentioned, and on neither occasion were we complaining. I was asking about the best way to get to Hoop Dee Doo, and my wife on the best way to get to the Saratoga Springs Spa. In both cases we were told with no uncertainty that a cab was the way to go.

True, there are no direct routes to those places from the BW resorts (where we were staying on both occasions), but that is part of the problem.

And while I don't have the same aversion to the busses as Joe Six Pack, I can definitely say they are not my favorite form of transportation. No, they aren't as bad as the urban transit busses I have been on, but that's hardly the standard I'm looking for at WDW.

[Another Voice]

…but you stumble in your delivery of the argument by hurling insults.
I prefer to think of it as painting an evocative mental image.

The scene on the bus is something that happened to me about five years ago. I could go on and talk about the time the driver skipped the stop at Typhoon Lagoon “to keep on schedule”, or the time the driver left a bus load of people at Downtown Disney at midnight so he could go on his break (he did come back twenty minutes later), or the time we got lost on the way to the Wilderness Lodge.

I have every respect for Joe Sixpack. He and his family are why I hang around here. I believe that Disney and the “true Disney fan” have forgotten what it’s like for the vast majority of guests at WDW. Disney has spent so many years chasing the easy money of the frequent visitor that they have lost touch with the wants and desires of the average visitor; the “true fan” is so wrapped up in their own fantasy bubble that they assume WDW is a private club just for their “right kind of people”.

Disney didn’t get where it did by offering what everyone else offered or by focusing on the needs of a small collection of fanatics. What made WDW is successful, what made WDW a place that millions and millions of people wanted to visit was that it was so unique. It was a place that you rode monorails while everywhere else had you riding in busses. It was a place that had attractions so beyond what anyone had that thought possible that they truly seemed like magic. It was the other places called themselves “Dino-rama” and offered dressed-up carnival rides.

Yea, the fan will scream about “feeling the magic the moment I drive onto the property” – but that’s not a normal person’s reaction. Most normal people don’t get their self-esteem from a brand’s embrace; they don’t get warm and fuzzy seeing a guy in a rubber mouse costume. The “fan” doesn’t get upset when ‘The Wonders of Life’ is closed because they’ve ridden ‘Body Wars’ 300 times. But Joe Sixpack walks around the park and wonders why so many buildings are empty when he plunked down $300 bucks for his tickets.

Most fans don’t care about Joe Sixpack. But that’s a problem. There are a lot more Joe’s out there than there are DVC owners. Without them, Disney ain’t nothing. The fans loved shopping at The Disney Store, but Joe said it offered nothing but cheap princess dresses. The Disney Stores were given away. Fans thought Atlantis was a wonderful movie, Joe thought it was a boring mess. Now there’s no Disney Feature Animation. The fans said California Adventure was a swell place for an entire day; Joe thought it was a cheap, empty amusement park. Now all of Disney’s parks have their capital budgets slashed to pay for that sink hole in Anaheim.

So in the end it’s important that “fans” stop making excuses (“it’s not an official amenity”) and start holding Disney up to standards. There is nothing that mandates Disney will always be successful. It’s up the public to make that call.


I've never had a CM tell me to take a cab vs. taking the bus.
The first time I asked the front desk at the Contemporary they had a direct bus from the TTC to the Coronado Springs resort (I figured I could take the monorail and catch the bus). They told me to take a cab. The second time I was waiting for the bus at the Wilderness Lodge. A cast member walked by and I asked what time it was (I refuse to wear a watch on vacation). They asked where I was going to, I said Pleasure Island. She said take a cab because it will be quicker. Another time I was trying to leave the Disney Institute. The people there said take a cab. The last time was actually at Epcot. I was traveling with several people, two of whom were in wheelchairs. The bus driver said she’d only take one at a time – I said we didn’t want to be split up. She said we should take a cab then.

[mjstaceyuofm]

Well said AV. I said I don't mind the buses, not that I like them. The last few times we've gone we've rented a car. We'll use the bus/resort transportation at peak times to get to/from parks when the bus system typically does run smooth and at decent intervals. I think Disney does a decent job with that (at least that's been my experience at OKW since 1999). Resort to resort or to/from the waterparks or places like DTD or mini-golf, we typically use the rental car. You could waste hours hitching a ride to DTD and then to a resort or to venture to out of the way places such as Fort Wilderness (HDD Revue). Not magical at all.

Sorry about the credibility quip - the whole don't insult your opponent/audience goes back to HS and college debate classes. You want people to focus on your substance and delivery, not an insult. People will drone out the message if they focus on the insult.

[freediverdude]

Oh my gosh, AV's posts have me laughing so hard :rotfl2: I know this thread is starting to get like WAY off topic, but I just wanted to add, the Contemporary has some plusses that the GF doesn't have too. Try walking out in the rain the equivalent of 2 blocks to get to the GF fitness center some afternoon instead of just taking the elevator to the 3rd floor of the Contemporary. Try walking out in the rain or any harsh weather from all of the rooms at the GF except the main building, to get to the main building and monorail, versus walking inside the building (or under a short covered walkway) to the air-conditioned/heated monorail station at the Contemporary. Does the GF have a Racquet Club? Does the GF have the Sammy Duval water sports, including parasailing and waterskiing? Does the GF have a boat over to the Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness right from it's dock? If you take out the standard view rooms in the wing buildings from the picture, which are priced lower because they are directly on a parking lot, the rest of the rooms are a lot more comparably priced with the other monorail resorts.
But anyway, yes, I agree that Disney should have developed a better transportation system at the same time that they were building all these resorts. Buses are not magical, and now it's going to take a lot more money to implement a new transportation system if they do implement one (which I think they should).

[nuts]

Yes, but you folks are missing the big point! Toilets!!! It's all about toilets! Which resort has the best? We pay premium for those with the largest and cushiest!! Nothin worse than a clogged toilet at a resort! Now, I realize that they don't mention toilet sizes, but everyone knows this is a premium service!!

Folks, opinions are like noses...everyone has one.

[Eeyore Excitement]

That is really worrying, but since it's actually the monorail at Disneyland, I'm not worried. ^^

[DLcastmbr]

yea its the monorail at disneyland itll be down from aug 31 to hopefully the week before christmas with a new monorail. :) Disneys christmas present to us :)

[exDS vet]

yea its the monorail at disneyland itll be down from aug 31 to hopefully the week before christmas with a new monorail. :) Disneys christmas present to us :)

Disney's Christmas present to who? I'm not exactly sure what the big deal is about new monorail trains at Disneyland. What they need to do is expand the monorail system to include the other resorts. I know they aren't as far away as the WDW hotels, but it's a very long walk to PP from the main entrance after a full day at the park.

I think Disney should have made the Monorail go throuch DCA and stop at the GC also. Not doing so was another way Disney tried to save money with the DCA project.

[YoHo]

It does go through DCA and GC though it doesn't stop.

The problem in Anaheim is that the monorail is 90% ride and 10% transportation system. Which is the opposite of WDW.

If they're going to rebuild it to stop at all the resorts, then that's really the same as just installing a new line, because very little of it could be kept. Plus, the beam size is non-standard, so there's an incremental cost there.








Now, my inner Walt says Yeah, if they want to promote DL as a resort, they aught to do this. The cost is going to be a fraction of WDW's and the routing will be easy.

But it's still more expensive then leaving it a ride and making people walk.

[exDS vet]

My point was that the monorail should pass over more of DCA than just that Golden Gate Bridge replica. And as far as the GC is concerned, doesn't it just pass a courtyard and then go through a tunnel. Something more like the way WDW's passes through the CR would have been more impressive.

It's funny how the new DTD station seems so much further away from the DLH, considering that it was once part of the DLH. I think that if the track was extended to the parking structure, and then went continued around to PP and cut through DCA on the way back to Tomorrowland, it would have been a great thing. But hey we can all dream, right?

It seems typical of Disney to make everyone walk through DTD to get to the hotels. But it is a long walk, isn't it?

[YoHo]

It is a long walk, but the Monorail has been a problem since they opened the DLH station. It was never built to be a transportation system at all, it was built to be an attraction. It's always struggled to be a link to the Hotels.


And that makes it hard to change in a more fundimental way then "they're morons."

They would essentially need to rip the attraction out of tomorrowland, remove all those loops and make it function as transportation. It's not a simple fix.

As for the DTD stop. That's what you get when you remove large sections of resort including a pool and add dead space in there.
Though I've got no problems with ESPN zone and Rainforest.

[betterlatethannever]

...As for the DTD stop. That's what you get when you remove large sections of resort including a pool and add dead space in there...

So that's what happened. I thought they moved the monorail track.

When we were staying at the DLH in 1996or7, there was both monorail AND tram service to DL from DLH. Now that the hotel is farther away, your only choice is to walk.

Ed

[Tiffer]

Ok, I'm a DL AP, the monrail is not closed, it simply runs on a limited basis. One ways only and I have also heard sometime shtat for resort guests only.

But for all of those that have never been to DL. The monorail, amongst other things aren't like WDW. The monrail is much smaller and not used for transportation purposes to the extent that it is in WDW. It simply runs from inside the park, near the Madderhorn and wher the old 20 leagues under the sea was and the new finding Nemo will be, to Downtown Disney. There aren't really resorts or parking lots "on" the monrail. Alhthough certainly helpful to resort guests.

So even if they did close it temporarily for refurbishment/to build Nemo, it would not affect park or resort operations like it would in WDW.

[Tiffer]

OMG! Is this the debate club or DISboards?
I do agree that the busses are a bit lacking in being a part of my "magical day" but it beats walking!

I have always found the busses to be clean and reliable. Every once in a while I even get a fun driver who tells jokes and sings songs.

They can't all be on the monrail.

Also, of course being on the monorail, or with a spa, or a view is all taken into account and factored in to the over infalted prices we pay to visit WDW. Nothing is free. Any reason why any of us could think of for why one resort is better or what is appealing....the great minds at Disney have beat us to the punch!

With that said...keep it up..I love the FREE entertainment!

[exDS vet]

Ok, I'm a DL AP, the monrail is not closed, it simply runs on a limited basis. One ways only and I have also heard sometime shtat for resort guests only.

But for all of those that have never been to DL. The monorail, amongst other things aren't like WDW. The monrail is much smaller and not used for transportation purposes to the extent that it is in WDW. It simply runs from inside the park, near the Madderhorn and wher the old 20 leagues under the sea was and the new finding Nemo will be, to Downtown Disney. There aren't really resorts or parking lots "on" the monrail. Alhthough certainly helpful to resort guests.

So even if they did close it temporarily for refurbishment/to build Nemo, it would not affect park or resort operations like it would in WDW.

You are only partially correct where DL is concerned. Since the monorail opened in 1959, it paved the way for what would eventually become a major transportation choice at WDW. While it's true that the monorail now stops at Downtown Disney, that same stop used to be the Disneyland Hotel. The old buildings, swimming pool and even the street were either torn down, relocated or re-routed so that DCA and DTD could be built.

[YoHo]

Further, the Monorail is scheduled to be shut down in september for a refurb.



And yes, this is a debate board of sorts and has been since the Dis was founded.

[Chuck S]

I would hope they add stations for the resorts AND leave the scenic loops in Tomorrowland. When there was JUST the DL Hotel, it did work fairly well as transportation, along with "Hotel Trams" that routinely crossed the street. But, now with the added hotels, DtD and DCA they need to revamp it into a decent transportation system.

[jlima]

The monorail at DLR is notoriously unreliable anyway. You can be there at 8am and they don't start running it until 8:20, or you have to wait and wait because they only have 1 train. I liked it much better before they built CA, when they still had a tram to the Disneyland hotel. I don't like staying at the Disneyland hotel because of all the extra walking you do because the monorail is so unreliable.

Closing the gate into CA for the Paradise Pier guests also sucks. "Just cross the street to the GCH and use their gate into the park" is an extra 15 min walk. Bring back the tram!

[kabauer]

Thank gosh... That monorail makes a huge difference in travel time

[dementia412]

I was just wondering why nobody brought up that WL and AKL are also cheaper because their standard rooms are smaller and are only good for four people, while the other Deluxe resorts have five person standard rooms. (my WDW pet peeve of the week)

[intrep93]

Well, speaking for what is apparently "the great unwashed masses", I would like to say that we love the WDW bus system. We always ask for rooms close to the stops, have never had to wait more than a few minutes, they have been neat and clean and the drivers are always fun and friendly. We also enjoy getting to know other guests during our rides. We are planning on riding the monorail during our Sept. trip just for fun and so the kids can experience it for the 1st time, but would certainly never pay extra for a hotel room just because it's on the monorail loop. And we are never in our room long enough to worry about hotel amenities, either. Although I will say that I like having a sauna for the 1 day/night of our vacation that we may be back early enough to something besides just fall into bed. Really - we hit the parks 1st thing in the am and close them down at night...who needs amenities?? :) Oh - and DisFreak (Is that right?) Love the photo!! :rotfl2:
Now you need to doctor one up to show a roller coaster being installed in the castle like the rumor mills are always talking about - that'd really freak 'em out!! And has anyone heard from the OP? Wonder if they really cancelled their trip over this discussion??

[gary403]

"KL Monorail and the Malay Mail jointly launched the second KL Monorail-Malay Mail Raily Fun Hunt today at the Bukit Bintang monorail station.

Representing KL Monorail are Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee and En Al-Jeffery Ibrahim, directors of KL Monorail System Sdn Bhd, En Ahiruddin Atan, Executive Director of Malay Mail & Sunday Mail, En Badrulhisham Mahzan, General Manager of Advertisement, NST Group and Mr Johnson Fernandez, Editor of Special Projects, Malay Mail & Sunday Mail.

A treasure hunt with a difference, the Rail-ly Fun Hunt is a treasure hunt along the monorail corridor, using the monorail to move around in search of treasures and answers based on knowledge of the public transit system, information provided in the Malay Mail, signages in the trains or stations and on the buildings along the route. In addition, each team may be required to complete several obstacle challenges or tasks.

In the hunt, each team consists of two members. Last year, the hunt was limited to only 200 participants. This year however, the organizers have made the hunt more flexible to allow more participants by opening the hunt to include participation from various age groups. There will be three categories namely, adults above 21 years old, students between 14 and 21 years old and family including a parent and a children of age between 12 and 18. Registration is RM20 per person and can be submitted by 6 December at 4 monorail stations with original form published on the Malay Mail.

Last year, 75 teams out of the 200 teams received prizes including computers, cash vouchers, concert tickets, hotel accommodation, meal vouchers, gym memberships, leather goods etc. This year response from the sponsors has been very encouraging. Some of the sponsors who have already pledged their support include Genting Highlands, Real Rewards, Maju Junction, Acer Computer, Sungei Wang Plaza, Berjaya Times Square, Nescafe, Focus Point, The Westin KL, Asia Fitness and Hong Leong Insurance.

To get a taste of what to expect, a surprise mini treasure hunt was organized in the Bukit Bintang Monorail Station for the guests who were present. Two winners receive a watch each."

[WBHoenig]

I am glad they are shutting down the DL monorail for a while; it was becoming more of a silly and highly congested ride, not a transport system... I know they are putting on the beautiful new Mark VII monorails on and making it go off of shuttle mode.