Maybe WDW should look at this for future transportation.

[Batstang2000]

This looks pretty neat and could easily be adapted at WDW instead of building cost prohibitive new monorail tracks. http://tracks.lionel.com/smts-vision-of-the-future/

 

[OKW Lover]

Love the technology! It would be fun.

Too bad they really can't be substituted for the WDW monorails though since the design has them hanging under the rail rather than riding on top. Because of pylon design at WDW that would require a complete new system.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

This looks pretty neat and could easily be adapted at WDW instead of building cost prohibitive new monorail tracks. http://tracks.lionel.com/smts-vision-of-the-future/

The animated video for SMT Rail makes persuasive points that some genuinely innovative thinking has gone into SMT Rail's technology. I love such ideas an elevated system with ground-level stations and getting power from solar panels on top of the rails.

So far, it's all just conceptual.

SMT Rail Corporation was established in 2010. Its website (http://www.smtrail.com/) is copyright 2011. It's now 2014. It appears they're still looking for investors. They don't have a working prototype and, although the website makes claims about being able to provide "customized system designs based on each client's unique needs and special requirements," they seem to be a long way from being able to build transit systems for customers.

That being said, if the claims in the video and website are true, this could be a great technology for cities -- and a great technology for Walt Disney World.

SMT Rail Corporation is a Silicon Valley startup. Some Silicon Valley startup have become hugely successful and their founders have become billionaires. Some ran through their venture capital and went bankrupt. And some never got beyond the stage of PowerPoint presentations and YouTube videos.

It would be great if SMT Rail has what it takes to become one of the success stories. Time will tell.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Love the technology! It would be fun.

Too bad they really can't be substituted for the WDW monorails though since the design has them hanging under the rail rather than riding on top. Because of pylon design at WDW that would require a complete new system.

The existing Monorail system only serves a fraction of WDW guests. With its long, high-capacity trains, the Monorail system may continue to be the best option for high-volume routes such at the express TTC-MK route.

A technology such as what SMT Rail Corporation is proposing could replace a lot of buses with faster point-to-point service -- along with "transportation fun" that WDW guests want but buses don't really provide.

None of this will happen at WDW unless the capital costs and operating costs are really compelling to Disney executives, compared to just buying and operating more buses.

 

[PACVII]

Disney can expand the original monorail system for far less capital investment then outlined for this. They can also improve the technology and include point to point service with downsized vehicles. You can also group passengers by destination to decrease load time and improve overall system efficiency. As always it comes down to cost benefit. It would be an investment with the savings coming over time. It would take years to see a return. Overall the cost would not be as high as some estimates I have seen to expand but still much more then just adding a few dozen articulated buses. Everyone always agrees that anything would be more magical then a bus ride and I feel one day they may look to expand in some kind of people mover. Sadly I do not believe it will be anytime soon. Not even within the next ten years or twenty. It will have to be only after demand increases to a point they will need to move even larger crowds. I know that can be hard to think of, higher crowds but even now expansion of the downtown area is being done so it is happening. You can see the bottlenecks in the walkways. They are working to widen paths and walkways. Also access bridges to improve traffic and link in resorts. The size and scope of recent projects clearly acknowledge disney looking at the scale needed to accommodate larger attendance. Larger buses. Increasing fantasy land. Building up of disney springs. Avatar land. Cars land? Star Wars land? Overall they have the space. The question will be, work to improve 40 to 50 year old technology or when the time comes it maybe 75 year old technology or 100 years old and time to build out a totally new process. I don't think they can afford to wait that long. Thus a decision and commitment will need to be made over the next few decades for what they will need to have in place for the coming generations of dis fans. Just in time for my great grand children to enjoy and look back on the old pictures of my family and wonder how did they deal with that old monorail system..

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

This looks pretty neat and could easily be adapted at WDW instead of building cost prohibitive new monorail tracks. http://tracks.lionel.com/smts-vision-of-the-future/[/COLOR][/B]

It's a novel idea, but Disney won't even maintain the current WDW monorail properly. Disney prefers to take the monorail offline for 8 hours during the day than address the real issues. Meanwhile, they continue to throw up DVC at the MK resorts like clockwork. It's really a shame.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

This is a great idea, but not really new. The pod systems that are out travel aloft as well as on the ground. They also have trains/pods of varying size, form as small as 2 or 4 to as large as 30 or more.

It would be a great addition.

AKK

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

It's a novel idea, but Disney won't even maintain the current WDW monorail properly. Disney prefers to take the monorail offline for 8 hours during the day than address the real issues. Meanwhile, they continue to throw up DVC at the MK resorts like clockwork. It's really a shame.

Hi Dr., we usually agree, but I believe what you see now is the result of Iger / Meg Croden (spl?)and their bean counters cutting the last 8 years.

The system was old when they came in and they tried to avoid proper maintenance. Now it caught up to them and people are complaining because riding the Disney monorail is a big part of most guest visits.

The last 2 years there have been many short shut downs to repair and improve the track and trains. From what I have seen things are better, but the work is continuing.

However the trains need replacement, that has to happen sooner, like the next 2 or 3 years and not later.

AKK

 

[JoWiJo]

An interesting idea. I would love to go from a Disney hotel straight to any of the parks in a matter of minutes like that. No waiting for busses! And I like that it's actually ADA compliant. Not only can a disabled person comfortably fit inside a vehicle, but it actually stops for them to board and disembark.

Still, it has the same fundamental flaw that the monorail has. You are still putting weight-bearing pylons into the vulnerable Florida ground. It would also be a logistical nightmare when it comes to emergency evacuations. Or even if a car would simply break down en route.

 

[PACVII]

Expansion of the current line could be done in stages.

Add a cloverleaf on the resort line from contemporary resort to the wilderness lodge circle it back around back to the TTC.
Add to the EPCOT line connecting in the resorts around the back of the park. Swan, dolphin, boardwalk, yacht and beach along with Hollywood studios
Then from the EPCOT station a new line that would run to down town disney, disney springs, out to animal kingdom and water parks. Can also include any resort along the way.

This would cover most areas.

 

[PACVII]

Would also be nice to open some bike path and walkways to connect some areas. A walk from EPCOT to Port Orleans could be done or even a walkway from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom with a very simple draw bridge could be easily completed.

 

[rteetz]

Expansion of the current line could be done in stages.

Add a cloverleaf on the resort line from contemporary resort to the wilderness lodge circle it back around back to the TTC.
Add to the EPCOT line connecting in the resorts around the back of the park. Swan, dolphin, boardwalk, yacht and beach along with Hollywood studios
Then from the EPCOT station a new line that would run to down town disney, disney springs, out to animal kingdom and water parks. Can also include any resort along the way.

This would cover most areas.

It would be nice for all that expansion but you will never see that. To add all that track in florida would cost more than two new theme parks. If they haven't expanded by now that aren't going to. The only thing I see happening in the future is new train cars.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

How much cheaper over the long run would this be over the buses?

Looks like a cool idea.

They could install one from DTD to BW with stations at each hotel along the way .

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It's a novel idea, but Disney won't even maintain the current WDW monorail properly. Disney prefers to take the monorail offline for 8 hours during the day than address the real issues. Meanwhile, they continue to throw up DVC at the MK resorts like clockwork. It's really a shame.

that pretty much says it

 

[doconeill]

How much cheaper over the long run would this be over the buses?

It probably won't be cheaper at all. Not likely even close to it. It is very difficult to make a unique design cheaper than a commodity system. And then it still has to deal with all the drawbacks of its design.

Buses are EXTREMELY flexible. Need more capacity? Add an extra bus. Not enough room at the stop? Designate another area - it doesn't need to be a perfect loading platform. Traffic? Re-route. Breakdown? Pull another one up and transfer everyone - no need to wait for the tow truck.

Are they the most efficient? No. But cost vs. flexibility you probably can't really beat it.

The only drawback is they aren't "unique", which is what people want.

 

[rteetz]

It probably won't be cheaper at all. Not likely even close to it. It is very difficult to make a unique design cheaper than a commodity system. And then it still has to deal with all the drawbacks of its design. Buses are EXTREMELY flexible. Need more capacity? Add an extra bus. Not enough room at the stop? Designate another area - it doesn't need to be a perfect loading platform. Traffic? Re-route. Breakdown? Pull another one up and transfer everyone - no need to wait for the tow truck. Are they the most efficient? No. But cost vs. flexibility you probably can't really beat it. The only drawback is they aren't "unique", which is what people want.

Exactly. Why do you think disney hasn't added to the monorail or updated it at all. Buses are much cheaper and more flexible, monorails or similar things cost a lot of money and aren't as flexible especially if they break down.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

There's only one problem: riding the monorail is a right of passage for Disney visitors

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Honestly...if the debate from Disney's prospective is what's "cheapest"...

Then that demonstrates a fundemental lack of "disneyosity"

 

[doconeill]

Honestly...if the debate from Disney's prospective is what's "cheapest"...

Then that demonstrates a fundemental lack of "disneyosity"

Then Disney, for the most part, has demonstrated a fundamental lack of "disneyosity" for years...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Then Disney, for the most part, has demonstrated a fundamental lack of "disneyosity" for years...

Not breaking news...of course