KAT4DISNEY
Glad to be a test subject
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2008
i agree 1,000,000%
i agree 1,000,000%
I think part of the problem also is that Disney has gotten used to doing so much marketing spin on their announcements that many (including myself) often don't believe reasons they give.
This one has a problem passing the sniff test b/c it's a permanent change that will not vary based on the time of the year. If it was summer only because EMH's go so late and they can't do daily maintenance in an hour then sure, but the fact that it will occur year round when that sometimes means 10 or more hours of down time then it becomes less believable. It's also doubtful that they work on every single monorail at one time when it is off the tracks and one would think they ought to be able to keep at least the resort line going on the same schedule that it has for many years.
And that leads to belief that much of this is for Disney's convenience or savings rather than anything else needed. Or that they've been required to for other reasons but that also doesn't make much sense with the varied hours throughout the year.
Not what I'm saying at all. What I'm saying is that Disney has maintained the monorails without discontinuing service for 30+ years. They just don't want to pay the icnreased cost of that maintenance now as their monorail fleet gets older. They can fix the monorails whenever they want, but they should not fix them when guests want to use them for transportation to "Monorail Resorts." This is hardly a major request.
Finally, I'll note that people complain on these boards about the most inane things conceivable. I have seen numerous people pitch a fit about rusty shower curtain rings or a ding on a piece of furniture at BLT. Yet, when monorail service that is the heart and soul of BLT (i.e., the monorail hotel) is diminished in a meaningful way, some people don't seem to care. I think those people are either short sighted on this issue or they are wearing some seriously rose-colored glasses.
Now if they said you are going to have take buses forever at BLT, then yes I would be upset too. But if you have to take a bus a couple of times, I don't think it will kill you, I mean some of us do it all the time.
If I find out this is indeed a permanent change I will be the first to let you know.
if you can find out if is permanent - which has been reported - that would help.
if this is only temporary and yea temporary can be a year - then I am okay with it.
but if it is really permanent - that is a big change.
Has Disney released an "official" statement saying this is a permanent change, if so I missed it.
The responses from one or two CM's and from DVC have indicated it is permanent. Disney has not done their usual calendar of an attraction closing for a certain amount of time due to refurb. At this point there have been more sources reporting it is permanent and no reports that it isn't unless that is what you are now stating.
And if this is due to required maintenance on the beams it almost makes even less sense that closing down an extra few hours each night will allow repair of the structures. I don't have inside info on what the issues are with the beams but I've seen enough highway maintenance (and concrete repairs) in my life to know that structures similar to the "highway in the sky" would need a full shut down for a period of time for any major work. Anything else would really seem to be delaying the inevitable and just protracting the pain during that time.
Thank you for contacting DISNEY VACATION CLUB®.
We appreciate your interest in the Monorail Service. I do apologize for
any inconvenience. WALT DISNEY WORLD has decided to make some changes
to the Monorail System so that we can adjustments to our operations to
accommodate for planned transportation maintenance. Effective July 11,
2011, the EPCOT Monorail System will be closing 1 hour after EPCOT
regular operating hours. Effective August 1, 2011, the Magic Kingdom
Monorail System will be closing 1 hour after Magic Kingdom regular
operating hours. Buses and watercraft (where applicable) will be
transporting guests back to the resorts during the Evening Extra Magic
Hours.
Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Remember, they plan on keeping the system running during regular hours, and no one has been hurt. Let's keep it that way.
DVC Member Satisfaction called me after I wrote to complain. They confirmed two things:
1. At present, unless there is an uprising, the change is PERMANENT.
2. If MK closes before Epcot, the monorail will close 1 hour after MK closing regardless of whether Epcot is still open for its regular hours. Therefore, in the low season (i.e., DVC season), when MK closes at 7 or 8, you will not be able to get back to the monorail resorts from Epcot after Illuminations, even when there is no EMH. You can ride the monorail to the TTC, but the Resort monorail will be closed.
As I said to the DVC representative, that strikes me as CRAZY. The response I got was crickets. I think DVC is not happy about this, and they are hoping that enough people will complain to get this to change eventually. But Disney is stuborn.
If you go in the low season, you can basically write-off riding the monorail to Epcot from BLT, POL, or GF, whether you are going for EMH or not.
If MK closes at 7pm on a Halloween party night, and we go to Epcot for dinner and fireworks, how do I get back to BLT?
If I ride the Epcot monorail to the TTC, are there going to be buses there to take me to BLT or do I have to get a bus at Epcot to get to BLT?
Taking a bus will annoy me since we have 2 small kids and a double stroller. This is part of the reason we bought BLT and like staying there. I don't like to take the bus unless I have to.
If MK closes at 7pm on a Halloween party night, and we go to Epcot for dinner and fireworks, how do I get back to BLT?
If I ride the Epcot monorail to the TTC, are there going to be buses there to take me to BLT or do I have to get a bus at Epcot to get to BLT?
Taking a bus will annoy me since we have 2 small kids and a double stroller. This is part of the reason we bought BLT and like staying there. I don't like to take the bus unless I have to.