It's A Not-So-Small World

[Magicbus]

Isn't that what the person in the white van is doing? I've watched the bus pull up to it, and they seem to get instructions on where to go next. Isn't that the point of their new and improved system?

Your post said that they change routes on the fly. I'm taking that to mean that a bus may be going somewhere and then is told to cancel that run and do another. If that's what you meant, it doesn't happen.

The people in the white vans at various locations are mobile dispatchers, or Rovers. They assign routes to a handful of buses asssigned to them. But the route is not changed once assigned. Except for HS, Rovers are there just for the AM rush. It's just one of the many behind the scenes things that is done to reduce the lines during the rush.

I thought they just flipped a coin when where to send the extra bus out?

I realize your kidding, but if you only knew what went on behind the scenes at opening and closing, you'd be amazed.

 

[Lewisc]

Except that Disney often change the bus routes on the fly. So you could be staring at a sign that says "Next bus in 5 minutes" only to see it change to "Next bus in 10 minutes". It would be almost worthless as a dependable count down.

Doesn't sound like buses change on the fly, the way you thought. However a bus could hit traffic. A bus could reach capacity at an earlier stop. In other words the waiting time could go from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. Still useful information. I'm going to the MK. Bus wait time is 25 minutes and a bus to EPCOT pulls up. I probably won't save much (any) time but taking a bus to EPCOT then two monorails would be more enjoyable then waiting for a bus at POP. The wait time says 20 minutes to DTD. I'll rethink my shopping trip or my lunch visit.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Hi Magic!

Of course I am joking..........and I am just as sure its a madhouse trying to move thousands of people from 4 major parks ,DTD, resorts, etc...... from where they are, to where they want to be all in the matter of a 1 or 2 hours.

I don't think any city in the country could do it near as well. I have great respect for the control team, drivers and the buses themselves!

When I read some guest wining about some minor issue on the boards it gets my blood going......

My discussion here is not to kick the buses, but to point out the need to have state of the art transportion systems all working together to amaze the guests and support all the parts of WDW. Do I think management will do in any big way???Only if they begin to beleive that WDW is losing ground to universal and the other parks around the country.

AKK

PS I know this is off topic but I hope the driver who was attacked by that crazey guest is ok and back to work?

 

[Magicbus]

PS I know this is off topic but I hope the driver who was attacked by that crazey guest is ok and back to work?

There was no wrong doing on his part, so it was back to work after a three day paid vacation. Everything turned out fine.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Montreal has been running a tire in track tram syatem for 30 years cheaped then buses and that on old and renewed tech.

Respectfully, not a good argument. Anything thirty years ago had an entirely different construction cost and return on investment than something starting in the future.

And you still lose the 100% flexibility you have with buses. To make a tire-in-track system 'flexible', you need to build more - at more cost. As for monorails, well, one simply needs to look to the uber-expensive, privately-funded, money-losing Las Vegas monorail...

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I disagree the fact is running a old system, with old tech. show the system is effect and cost effective. With a new system there is all the advantages of the lastest designs and tech. The *cost and return* rises with the years as well.

As for Las Vegas, you have to remember that monorail is a casino toy. The design and route was only for bring gamblers from one casino to the next. The reason it was shut down was the casinos are losing money out there......its not a urban transit system which WDW is, (ok a smaller urben system).

there are a number of systems running and doing fine in the USA and Europe!

True it does not have the ability to run extra buses where needed, but will get you there faster and in my opinion cheaper in the long term. Remember the WDW transit systems best strength is in diversification. Right now there is to much weight put on the bus system.

Not to mention the fun of a state of the art system.

It does seem most of the folks here are happy riding a bus system.

AKK

 

[Magicbus]

there are a number of systems running and doing fine in the USA and Europe!

My research shows that all of them are short distance, attraction type, speciality monorails. And that there are no urban mass transit single rail monorails being used in the US or Europe. You have to wonder why.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

lol Magic.........they are covering urban routes........part of the problem is the new system need limites people......the trians are computer controlled and no unions, so the unions put a political block in the way.

Now the light rials are run all over the USA, and doing fine..........

 

[goofy4tink]

Magic its not just cost part of it is presentation.......show quality......


I do wonder what does the average WDW bus cost, plus maintence and how long does it last?

It' not a question of 'show quality' out on the roadways, or in the 'roadway in the sky'. It's transportation, plain and simple. Disney dolls it up a bit so it looks better than the Lynx buses or school buses.
The transportation system works as it is now. The resort rates would skyrocket if the system were to be changed to an all inclusive system. That's one of the things that sets the deluxe resorts apart..they have transportation options that other resorts don't have...so the guest is charged a room rate that pays for that 'perk'.

The vast majority of people have no problem with the buses as they are now. Yes, most would love the buses to come more frequently and to be less crowded at the busy times of day. But other thant that, most are fine with it the way it is. Otherwise, you would see more cars in the parking lots. People tend to 'vote' with their wallets. I know that now, when I head to WDW for a stay of less than 5 days, I'm renting a car. I don't want to waste time waiting for buses to come and go. So, a rental car will figure into my budget.

 

[StitchFan73]

Probably should stay on the porch and not try and hang with the Big Dogs-but the only thing I would like is a little more info in regards to when the next bus is coming. Other than that, I honestly thing that as far as free services go-the WDW bus system isn't that bad.

Sure I've boneheaded things a few times and found myself waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the next bus to come at places like Typhoon Lagoon or Saratoga. But had I known that the next bus going to the Contemporary would be 25 minutes, I would have taken the one going to the Poly and hopped a monorail over to the Contemporary and made my ressie. Or If I had known that the next bus to the Springs at Saratoga was gonna be 30 minutes-I would have walked over to Downtown-or another bus stop for that matter-and caught one there.

Maybe a real time system like they use to tell wait times for rides in the parks. Bus drivers call in info like ETA, capacity, etc and dispatch send the info out to the stops along their route. For instance-I'm trying to get to Chef Mickeys for my 9:30 breakfast ressie from Pop. I stand on the MK line and see that there's about a busload of people ahead of me, I look at the board (hypothetical one of course) and it says 1 bus is coming in 20 minutes. It's almost 9am-I can then make a decision to take a cab and not miss my ADR. Or the board says 2 buses are coming in 10 minutes-I can then wait for the bus and make my ADR in time. Cutting it close-but I can still make it on time if I haul toosh a bit.

I don't know-just a thought.

 

[Magicbus]

I would like is a little more info in regards to when the next bus is coming.

It would absolutely be a nice feature. Doesn't sound like it would be all that expensive. My guess is that there is so much going on that it just hasn't made it to the must do list.
At certain resorts in the AM there is a transportation person at the bus stops. If there is one, you can ask them and they are able to find out when the next bus is due. ETA are available for all buses.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

*http://www.shonner.com/aerotrain/index.htm*

Here is just one.....USA company with varied systems, high speed into city rial light rail and monorails,(including ground level) and buses all blending together to make a diverse transportation system. just one example of what I am talking about.



*Low capital cost — SPM guideways can be built, mile for mile, for about the same cost as one lane of freeway with twenty times the carrying capacity.*

The above system by Appled elevation notes the low cost of ground tracks....so much for high untrastructural costs!





*The mission of Tubular Rail, Inc. ("TRI" or the "Company") is to revolutionize transportation in and between urban areas with a solution that substantially reduces building costs and infrastructure disruption while providing green technology to a marketplace that can no longer bear the sky-rocketing costs, infrastructure problems, and environmental degradation associated with existing technologies.*

Tubular Rail Inc.(above) has a really wild system using tube support structures and not track.


These may or may not be great for WDW...........but by exploring these new desigens it will bring big new interest to visiting WDW.......more attendance.....more $$$$.


I dont claim to have all the answers but this is the future!


AKK

 

[Lewisc]

Disney needs free dining and deeply discounted room rates to fill their resorts most of the year. Doesn't sound guests would be willing to pay higher room rates for different transportation.

Fixed rail doesn't make sense. Reasons given in this thread, and other thread in the past.

Years ago there was a rumor Disney was going to build a second TTC near DTD. Garages like Universal. Move the guest from the garages, through the stores,restaurants, clubs to a light rail station for transportation to/from the parks.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

well the ecomony is the big problem right now..............the new systems are 5 to 10 years out.

The light rail in the notes of my last post show the earlier statements regarding costs etc are not correct. The designs have come a long way.

There are always rumours regarding Disney projects......it one way they keep the interest...Well see what the future brings.

AKK

 

[Magicbus]

There are always rumours regarding Disney projects......it one way they keep the interest...Well see what the future brings.

I can tell you with a high degree of confidence that any type of rail sytem is not going to happen anytime soon. I don't think having transportation with a wow factor comes into play when a family is deciding on whether or not they will visit WDW. It's WDW, enough said. Other parks have more and better rides, but if you look at the attendence numbers, they're not a threat to Disney. I think Disney wants them to do well. It gets people into the area. They may go to the other parks but they'll probably still spend some money at Disney. How many families say, we're going to the Orlando area because of US or SW, not many. It's all about WDW first and all the others second.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I agree.totally..........Disney is KING!

for now!

Many folks are talking about alot of the little things arte being cut.........or they are nickel and diming folks.......those thing are a big part of the magic.

I am disagree.alot of the magic was the future and specail modes of transport.


I was educated in the beleive that t is so much easier to keep a customer then it is ti lose them and figth to get them back.


AKK

 

[goofy4tink]

I agree.totally..........Disney is KING!

for now!

Many folks are talking about alot of the little things arte being cut.........or they are nickel and diming folks.......those thing are a big part of the magic.

I am disagree.alot of the magic was the future and specail modes of transport.


I was educated in the beleive that t is so much easier to keep a customer then it is ti lose them and figth to get them back.


AKK

Believe me, after 30+ trips under my belt, in just over 10 years, I know exactly what Disney has taken away. But, as of this moment, I have three trips in the next 12 months planned....one in just over a month, one in late April and then again in Oct. Disney provides that extra 'magic' (for lack of a better word) that the other theme parks down there don't provide. I keep going back, even when they continually take stuff away or raise prices. I am not going to be more inclined to go back because of the transportation options..unless they are changing to make it easier to get to other, offsite spots. Now, that would make me want to go back again...if I already didn't.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

You make some good points!

But if you think back to the begining..........I am sure you all wanted to ride the Monorail......it was a great new exprience!.....you all wanted to ride the side wheeler Southern Seas and the luanchs to FW becuse they looked like a clipper or maybe a little like a pirate ship...... ride the steam train and the Mark Twain (then the Admiral Fowler,hmmmm.I think) becuase they were all different . The new systems and transit of the future will have the same effect.

It all one package (all of WDW)......a magical one...and in your own words(kinda *G*) if the new systens get you where you want to be faster and more comfortabely and safer...it will make you want to come back for more.....


But I see your point alot of people dont think of transportation as all that important.........until it goes wrong or gets mondane!!!



Just a ole ex deep water sailor and transportation engineers opinion

AKK

 

[kaytieeldr]

The reason it was shut down

Uh, has anybody told the city that the monorail was shut down? And someone should definitely notify the Nevada Attorney General and the Consumer Affairs Office - since the website is still operating and still selling tickets...