How much is it to expand the monorail to mgm, AK, and the rest of the deluxes????

[AllanJ]

A bus that loads up at one stop (a park) and discharges at just a few stops (All Star Sports, Music, Movies) is an extremely efficient mode of transportation, limited only by the size of the bus and the cost of the driver.

Reducing the number of buses leaving MK would need a direct monorail line from MK (not TTC) to South Disney (BB or MGM or a new separate TTC II) that did not stop at TTC. Otherwise mixed non-resort guests getting on/off at TTC and resort guests to/from South Disney would slow things down.

Did I hear a rumor somewhere that during the most crowded times when parks turned away people, that people were disappointed to find out that only Animal Kingdom and perhaps MGM were available? Perhaps when busing some resorts (All Star, CS) only to AK to catch the monorail, more guests will say "what the heck" and spend the day at AK rather than take the monorail to Epcot or MK and risk being turned away.

 

[YoHo]

Toefungus, Thanks for posting the map, That is the map I used when Designing my route.


Just a few scattered comments, since its a monday and I haven't had enough coffee to be truely coherent.

Yes, the four-way traffic light at the entrance to MGM is problematic, but the trick is to reduce day visitor traffic to that parkinglot. Which is also why you keep TTC2 in the Epcot lot.

If you look at the map, you'll notice that they only parking area that rivals Epcot's for size is the DTD parking area. Epcot is the biggest lot and there is potential to expand even further (again, I don't have a mental picture of what is really around there besides trees, but if Disney wanted to Bulldoze it, they could.

Your goal in this whole plan is to funnel say 80% of all non-resort traffic to either TTC or TTC2(Epcot) You might even expand the TTC parking area to cover this. The reason for this? You want to encourage use of the monorail by all guests. (which is also why you don't put stops to resorts on it.) If done right, guest traffic into the studios lot will drop dramatically. Now obviously, this is mainly an advantage to guests who plan to park hop. Then of course you have to do something at the intersection, but that could simply be a matter of creating a special bus lane as they do by the TTC.By putting in the mono-line and possibly light rail extensions to certain resorts, you'd actually reduce bus traffic into the Studios and AK lots since you would no longer have a bus running to the TTC or the other Parks. Lets see, from AK, thats TTC,MK,Studios,Epcot 4 busses, 4 major busses completely removed. plus reduced numbers on the others.

As to comments about the current track already meeting its useful life, correct me if I'm wrong, but aside from the changes to accomidate DCA and DTD, the DisneyLAND monorail still runs on its original track. Further, the Epcot line is significantly newer then the MK tracks. Granted Florida is rougher on the concrete then California.
As for power needs, I suspect they would need to add another plant, on the other hand, that may be within the plan for other reasons anyway. AND the costs of purchasing new monorails is lower since Disney is not the only customer anymore.



Further, the system could easily provide its own revenue. I'll go out on a limb and say that current park hopper and LOS passes include an actual charge for transportation, even if they do, raise the price by $10, TELL YOUR GUESTS WHY (to fund the improved transportation) Give them the option not to if it is a sore point. And charge $0.50 to Day pass holders every time they try to get on (ie put ticket readers in).

 

[AllanJ]

Most of the non-resort traffic already funnels to TTC and Epcot, and Epcot is indeed the overflow lot for MK (TTC).

A TTC2 at Epcot won't snare the people coming up from 192 going to MGM since MGM comes first. So we won't reduce evening exiting traffic hitting the 4 way light on Buena Vista.

The TTC2 needs to be well south of Epcot and serve as a bus hub as well, so the bus mileage going to south end resorts will be meaningfully reduced.

Note that if TTC2 is put at Epcot, then all the MK folks going to the wouth end resorts e.g. ALl Star, will be coming off the monorail there and the bus station there has to handle both MK and Epcot guests. Same for a TTC2 directly at MGM.

 

[beattyfamily]

FYI...

While I was at WDW this past December I overheard a WDW suit talking to a family that was walking in front of me.

I was walking with my 2 DD's to MK from the Contemporary early in the morning and they were asking him what he does and he said he's in charge of the Monorail and buses and making sure it all goes smoothly. He also said he'd been doing this job for several year.

Anyway, I heard him say that they will expand the monorail but it would take several years. He also said that EPCOT would be the central location, meaning from EPCOT you could get to MGM and AK, so for example, if you are at MK, you'd have to go to EPCOT to get to MGM or AK.

Basically, he was saying that the monorail was expanding and EPCOT would be the central location.

I thought this was very interesting and I know it's just a rumor but here's where you post rumors right?

 

[YoHo]

AllenJ, yes Guests headed for south side resorts would be making either a train change, or possibly a change to the bus at Epcot, And that would equal Long bus mileage. Bus mileage isn't my concern. Traffic congestion and funneling people most efficently is. IT would be inconvienent to make a monorail change at epcot and a change to lightrail/Bus at the studios, but would it be faster?

I suppose this would validate making it one contiguous line as some have suggested. thus only one train/bus change no matter where you are going.

The 192 traffic could be alieviated by making an overpass at the intersection and allowing Day Pass only to enter the parkinglot forcing all hopper pass holders to either TTC or TTC2. This has some added advantages in that you can reduce your lot size which gives you more room for the Train Station and even, Dare I say it, Park expansion.



the trick is to reduce traffic into AK and the Studios lots, reduce the lot sizes and make bus route easy and direct. Thus south side resorts feed into the studios Parking area.

This could easily become massive urban transportation planning The key is the amount of unused Space Disney has and deciding where to funnel people. The only problem I have with moving TTC further south is that it forces you to either buy up high priced land, or do massive development. By using Epcot as your parking ub, you have a large preexisting and centralized parking area. which can quickly feed everywhere.