Contemporary and Polynesian Monorail Station Questions

[sotoalf]

I asked this on the Transporatation thread and no one seemed to know. This sounds like a silly question, but why are the turnstiles at the Contemporary and Polynesian monorail stations so long - especially for the former? The Grand Floridian's station isn't nearly as big. I've stayed at the Contemporary and Polynesian several times but I don't remember their monorail stations getting so crowded in the morning that they need all that space.

I heard a rumor once that up until the late '80s the monorail attendants would separate those resort guests going to Epcot from those visiting other resorts.

 

[skiwee1]

I have seen the turnstyles at the Poly filled with people all the way to the GCH. Last October the line stretched into the GCH! This wasn't even a crowded time of year. It was just the perfect tiime before park opening.

 

[Kimberle]

humm, I never thought the CR monorail station was that big. It does get very busy with so many people eating at Chef Mickeys, especially around parade/fireworks time.

 

[BCV23]

They don't actually seem longer to me??? Doesn't the monorail pretty much fit in the whole landing area at all three resorts? The CR does have that extra space where there is no loading area. Hmm...I'm going to have to look next time.

I also don't remember boarding according to destination. I'm going to ask my husband and son both of whom have better memories about that type of thing. It does make sense to me though because in the old style monorails, there wasn't as much floor room and it was harder to exit "over" people if that is clear.

One difference that I do remember is that the CMs use to direct you to a particular car just as happens on rides.

 

[sotoalf]

They don't actually seem longer to me??? Doesn't the monorail pretty much fit in the whole landing area at all three resorts? The CR does have that extra space where there is no loading area. Hmm...I'm going to have to look next time.

I also don't remember boarding according to destination. I'm going to ask my husband and son both of whom have better memories about that type of thing. It does make sense to me though because in the old style monorails, there wasn't as much floor room and it was harder to exit "over" people if that is clear.

One difference that I do remember is that the CMs use to direct you to a particular car just as happens on rides.

Oh, the Contemporary has a LOT of extra space, which is never used but it looks like it might have been, many years ago, when there were less hotels and the monorail was more of a novelty, perhaps.

I do remember boarding the monorails at the two hotels, at the TTC, and the MK up until 1988 and beign asked where we were going. If you were visiting resorts, you stood in a separate queue; obviously more people were heading to the MK than the two resorts.

 

[MickeyisanNDfan]

The old monorails had bench seating, no standing. When you were about to board a monorail you were asked how many in your party and sent to a particular door. It was not the GA seating that it is today. This perhaps could have led to longer lines at certain places such as the Contemporary. Also at the contemporary I would think they would want the additional space so that if there was some issue a line would not back up to the escalator which could cause a real problem

 

[sotoalf]

That is true. And the Contemporary didn't have an elevator to the monorail station yet.

 

[rtjcbrown]

The monorail station in the Contemporary needs to be redesigned. The set-up is terrible. Taking two elevators is a pain in the neck. The second elevator dumps you in front of the people waiting in line, who give you dirty looks for cutting in front of them. There should be a ramp or a moving sidewalk/ramp, like the entrance to TTA. One elevator from the lobby.

 

[DisneyFans4]

During my visits I have never seen the monorail lines that long but I think it's long because they get very busy at night because of the restaurants and some in the morning because of character breakfasts.