Disney Ends Evening EMH Monorail Service

[E&K's Dad]

wdwmagic is reporting that WDW is ending Evening EMH monorail service to the resorts from Epcot and MK in the next 30 days. As an owner at BLT, I am pretty concerned about losing this convenience. I cannot imagine those paying for rooms at GF, Poly and CR are going to be happy either.



Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours
Jul 09, 2011

Beginning on July 11 2011, the Epcot monorail service will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing, and from August 1 2011, the Magic Kingdom monorail will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing. This means that in both cases, the monorail will not be able to return guests back to their resorts after evening Extra Magic Hours. Guests will instead be transported by bus and boats where available. Morning Extra Magic Hour service has not been affected. All indications are that this is a permanent change.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Transportation/Monorail/News/09Jul2011-Monorails-to-no-longer-operate-during-Evening-Extra-Magic-Hours.htm

 

[DVCconvert]

I cannot imagine those paying for rooms at GF, Poly and CR are going to be happy either.

The walk from the MK to the CR/BLT isn't bad, but I sure agree on the others!!

 

[keishashadow]

Interesting, thanks for posting. When staying CR or BLT we usually walk over but @ the end of the day it's nice to know that the monorail was there if we were tuckered out! Have you called DVC to register your concerns?

Not clear as to whether the monorail to TTC will be involved?

Wonder if intent might be to check resort IDs preboarding bus to verify valid parking privledges @ the monorail resorts?

 

[RachaelA]

Well that sucks.

 

[E&K's Dad]

We won't use the monorail to MK unless DS's really want the monorail ride but taking a monorail with two strollers from EP is a whole lot easier than taking the bus. With the ages of our children this wouldn't be an issue if we traveled in the summer because we wouldn't use EMH's but since we travel in the fall those Evening EMH are helpful with the early park closings.

 

[disney_bob]

Well that sucks.

 

[E&K's Dad]

Interesting, thanks for posting. When staying CR or BLT we usually walk over but @ the end of the day it's nice to know that the monorail was there if we were tuckered out! Have you called DVC to register your concerns?

Not clear as to whether the monorail to TTC will be involved?

Wonder if intent might be to check resort IDs preboarding bus to verify valid parking privledges @ the monorail resorts?

I sent an email this morning to DVC Member Services asking what Jim Lewis is doing to represent DVC owners on this issue. I can imagine I will get a "Disney Parks are a different operation" response but hopefully enough people with concerns will share them.

 

[bicker]

I also see this as a non-issue for our BLT visits, and really, I don't see this as a significant concern regarding any future GFV visits we'll make. The busses will be running, and EMH is a benefit because fewer guests are in the park - it sense that that fantastic benefit will have a small down-side in terms of transportation options.

I surely do not want my fees to reflect this added cost, and I don't expect anyone else to pick up the tab for transportation to/from my timeshare.

 

[disneynutz]

Interesting, thanks for posting. When staying CR or BLT we usually walk over but @ the end of the day it's nice to know that the monorail was there if we were tuckered out! Have you called DVC to register your concerns?

Not clear as to whether the monorail to TTC will be involved?

Wonder if intent might be to check resort IDs preboarding bus to verify valid parking privledges @ the monorail resorts?

Looks like another Disney profit increaser to me. Plus late night is when the last bad accident happened.

Bill

 

[wildernessDad]

I wonder if that means that the local monorail will still operate? I guess not.

 

[supersuperwendy]

The monorail holds so many more people than boats and buses. This doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

[Elise79]

Don't care about MK EMH so much but not pleased about Epcot as we like to take the monorail back as it is easier with a stroller.

Also wonder - are they going run a bus to/from the contemporary/MK then? Or expect people to walk?

 

[JWG]

So, does this mean they will ADD bus service to/from the CR/BLT and other monorail resorts to Epcot? And, if so, only for EMH or all day?

I guess the MK things doesn't bother me too much (though it would if I stayed at Poly or GF) as the walk is faster at times. But I really do care about Epcot and getting back to the monorail loop resorts.

 

[DebbieB]

So, does this mean they will ADD bus service to/from the CR/BLT and other monorail resorts to Epcot? And, if so, only for EMH or all day?

I guess the MK things doesn't bother me too much (though it would if I stayed at Poly or GF) as the walk is faster at times. But I really do care about Epcot and getting back to the monorail loop resorts.

This would only be for evening EMH.

 

[JWG]

This would only be for evening EMH.

Which begs the question, is there any real cost savings here? Now you have to add bus service to 3 hotel properties from two theme parks that you didnt' perviously have. I get it will be a "loop" service that circles the hotels and not dedicated service to each hotel, but the number of people and number of buses needed doesnt' change, just the wait time for the guests.

How many drivers and buses is that and how much fuel versus a couple of monorail pilots?

 

[gkrykewy]

This is a strange and discouraging decision, with dubious cost saving potential (as others have stated).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

There goes part of the sales pitch for DVC GF.

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense though - the monorails can move people much more efficiently than busses.

Not everyone will want to walk from MK to CR/BLT. I guess they could restart the boat service to MK but with adding busses and boats it becomes a real PITA. I'd think losing that service would also detract from the premium price that Disney charges to stay at the monorail loop resorts.

 

[mommacat56]

Well that sucks.

Totally agree!

I have a question for those visitors who stay late in the MK to enjoy dinner, finishing after the EMH hours. How do you get back to any of the other resorts, not just the ones on the MK monorail? Sometimes there ISN'T a bus that takes you from one place to another...NOR boat, since it's past their operating hours as well.

I ran into this with my stay at BWV in January. We ate at one of the Studio restaurants and finished well after the park closed, but within the operating hours of the buses. I missed the last boat back to BWV (only by minutes despite rushing...they could see me walking briskly, but pulled away anyway)! So I went to the bus stops and was told there were NO buses to BWV since it was walking distance back.

I don't know about you, but after a long day at the parks, I don't always have the energy to walk that path back. At the time, I was just getting over a bout of plantar fascititis, and was NOT looking forward to the walk back! Thank goodness for one of the bus drivers...he saw mw hobbling a bit and took me back to BWV in a bus that I had all to myself (he was going out of service and was going in that direction anyway ). I do not know what I would have done without his kindness...as it was, I could not even walk the next day until the swelling went down.

I fear that will end up happening to all the MK people staying on the loop, tired and trying to get back with kids and packages and strollers (or even people with wheelchairs)....they will find NO monorail, NO boats, and NO bus either!

Sorry about the long windedness... just wanted to say it can and did happen! I guess I'll have to stop making late reservations at the sit-down restaurants at the parks or stick closer to the resort I'm at for late dinners...that doesn't seem right and would think that Disney wants to encourage, not discourage, patronage of their restaurants . If people can't get TO or FROM their restaurant reservations easily, they will stop, just like me. Just my 2 cents (and then some )!

 

[dizfan]

There goes part of the sales pitch for DVC GF.

I was thinking the same thing.

I guess it adds to the sales pitch for all non-monorail resorts. Guides can say that you don't have to go to different transportation methods depending on the time of day.

Truly sad that this policy goes into effect less than 100 days before MK celebrates 40 years of being open.

 

[bicker]

The monorail holds so many more people than boats and buses. This doesn't make sense to me at all.

Actually, given that during EMH the parks have many fewer guests, because only Disney resort guests are allowed on the attractions, it makes a lot of sense. Given that there are fewer guests around, they don't need to operate the higher-volume/high-cost transportation.

Also wonder - are they going run a bus to/from the contemporary/MK then? Or expect people to walk?

I'll put my money on them running a bus.

So, does this mean they will ADD bus service to/from the CR/BLT and other monorail resorts to Epcot? And, if so, only for EMH or all day?

Just going by how things work today when the monorail is down, they'll surely add buses to Epcot. That's really the best guess for what they'll do: What do they do when the monorail is down for maintenance? That'll give us a good idea of how this will all work, and confirms that it does work, since it has worked when the monorail is down.