MONORAIL AT SSR and/or DD in FUTURE?

[dvc-NE]

Has anyone heard besides Margouxh that SSR and/or Downtown Disney may get monorail service ? That would be a great asset!!

 

[Rozzie]

this is one rumor that I never heard. I would think it would not be cost effective at all. I was floored when I learned what the operation costs (on the history channel show the other night) for the current monorail are....

 

[NJBlackBerry]

That would be a hugely expensive to build and operate asset.
Monorail rumors turn up from time to time. There are several on this board...

 

[keishashadow]

Bought DH a "gag" gift for Xmas, a remote control monorail. He hasn't put it down, always said he wanted to pilot one...kids.

A few interesting facts on the box:

*They travel up to 47 miles an hour (WDW is approx. 47 sq. miles, give or take a few).

*Can transport in excess of 200, 000 patrons/day.

A bus driver related on our last trip that the rails are giant lightening rods and are "down" quite frequently...indicated that WDW is the lightening strike capital of FL.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Has anyone heard besides Margouxh that SSR and/or Downtown Disney may get monorail service ? That would be a great asset!!

Somewhere, many years ago, I saw Imagineering artwork showing a monorail beam gracefully curving around what was then Disney Village (now Downtown Disney Marketplace). The monorail was never built, and it's highly unlikely that it ever will be.

All this pre-dates SSR. In fact, it pre-dates The Disney Institute. But the easement is still in place. The paperwork for SSR includes legal language about the monorail easement through SSR. That's undoubtedly the source of the rumor.

There has never been a plan to build a monorail to SSR, and nobody should take the easement as an indication that monorail service is coming to SSR.

The new Las Vegas Monorail cost $654 million for just 4.4 miles. It uses the same Bombardier technology as the WDW Monorail. It wouldn't cost that much to build a monorail extension at WDW, but it would still cost a bundle.

 

[Dean]

Much of Disney have written access from years ago for the monorail and this includes both OKW and SSR. I'm sure this is origin of the rumor, we discussed it here 2-3 years ago. I think you can assume no major changes in the monorail setup.

 

[PHILCT]

I like the idea of an expanded Monorail System at Disney.

Yet surprisingly, The Monorail System is not cost effective.
A lot of large cities have found it to be more expensive than they could afford to implement light rail/Mass Transportation systems.
This even includes Florida's hopes for a Central I-4 light rail system.

Amazingly Disney saves a lot of money running all those buses over the place instead. Those buses amaze me pouring black thick smoke into the rental car window riding directly behind them. I think Walt would have gasped if he saw that black smoke coming out of those Park to Park/Resort bus exhaust systems. I think about those buses when I am visiting the Universe of Energy Exhibit. Where is the hybrid/hydrogen/bus of the future?

If Walt were with us still, he probably would have gone for this Monorail Expansion idea, but it would probably cost too much in the end to operate and maintain.

Now if we could get the Orlando MCO Airport Terminal Shuttle to go directly to Disney DVC Resort stops, Hmmmm.

Maybe I am just blowing smoke on this idea ?





Phil

 

[rugelus]

I will not be happy until the Monorail has a stop at my house!

 

[dvc-NE]

I will not be happy until the Monorail has a stop at my house!

I take it you are a Florida resident?
Don't mention Ohio.

 

[JimC]

Here is a link to the 1977 concept model for Downtown Disney that showed what looks like two monorail lines serving that area of the property.

Disney had announced some years ago a master transportation plan that included light rail as an affordable means to achieve the monorail concept and to drastically reduce the need for bus service. That project is probably on the shelf waiting for funding or other conditions to bring it back to life.

 

[JimC]

...If Walt were with us still, he probably would have gone for this Monorail Expansion idea, but it would probably cost too much in the end to operate and maintain....Phil

Walt was an innovator and a risk-taker. He would have been on the leading edge and pushing the envelope. Alas those attributes left Disney in December of 1966.

His original concepts for his Florida project envisioned a mix of transit innovations including a mass use people mover system like the ride in WDW.

 

[DVCPAT]

this is one rumor that I never heard. I would think it would not be cost effective at all. I was floored when I learned what the operation costs (on the history channel show the other night) for the current monorail are....

I’m curious, what did the history channel say the operational costs are?



I found a few articles that say….

Some interesting statistics on the Mark VI (unless noted otherwise),
currently operating at the Walt Disney World Resort:


Monorails regularly operate at an amazing 99.9% reliability. No other form of transit can touch that number. The rubber tires get little wear running on smooth guideways. Typically, each load tire gets over 100,000 miles of travel before being replaced. Walt Disney World has a total of 12 trains and during peak seasons at least 10 are on the beamway serving passengers 17 hours a day. There are even times when all 12 trains are operating, sometimes carrying over 200,000 passengers a day.

Monorail Cost (Approximately):
Train $7 Million Dollars Each
Beam way $1 Million Dollars Per Mile (1982)

Operating Costs: (Oct 1, 1980-Sept 30, 1981,Mark IV)
$3,347,000,
$7.00 per train mile,
$.08 per passenger mile

 

[Caskbill]

I don't think you'll see a monorail going to DD simply for one reason. It would allow direct, easy access to Epcot and MK from DD, making the 'free' parking area at DD very attractive for people to use and save the $$ parking fee at the theme parks.

It's for that very same reason that they don't run busses directly between the theme parks and DD. On a number of occassions we've seen people who have parked at DD and then taken busses to one of the resorts and from there catch a bus to one of the parks, all just to save paying that parking fee. In fact, SSR was (and maybe still is, don't know) a problem with people from DD and the hotels in that area walking to SSR and catching DVC busses to the parks.

Imagine what it would be like if people could catch a monorail at DD. You could forget about ever finding a place to park there anymore. They'd have to start charging parking, or put time limits on it, or something. Trying to get parking for Cirque, or a movie, or just plain shopping, could become a nightmare.

Just IMHO.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think the cost of a monorail system will preclude it from ever being built as a means of mass transportation any great distance around the "World", other than where you see it now.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Has anyone heard besides Margouxh that SSR and/or Downtown Disney may get monorail service ? That would be a great asset!!

It is Janaury 1st upcoming, not April 1st.

 

[spiceycat]

If WDW decides to expand the monrail it will first do it parks. Studios and AK - before anything else.

since it is so expensive - don't expect the monrail any place else....

we were at Epcot when the monrail broke down. It took them hours and I mean hours to fix it.

then they didn't have a backup plan. Now they do - a bus will come and get you.

 

[DisFlan]

We've been hearing the rumor about the "monorail to Disney Village" (waaay before it was DTD and DI) since we first started staying in the Disney Village in 1984.

Don't hold your breath.


DisFlan

 

[DVCPAT]

I don't think you'll see a monorail going to DD simply for one reason. It would allow direct, easy access to Epcot and MK from DD, making the 'free' parking area at DD very attractive for people to use and save the $$ parking fee at the theme parks.

It's for that very same reason that they don't run busses directly between the theme parks and DD. On a number of occassions we've seen people who have parked at DD and then taken busses to one of the resorts and from there catch a bus to one of the parks, all just to save paying that parking fee. In fact, SSR was (and maybe still is, don't know) a problem with people from DD and the hotels in that area walking to SSR and catching DVC busses to the parks.

Imagine what it would be like if people could catch a monorail at DD. You could forget about ever finding a place to park there anymore. They'd have to start charging parking, or put time limits on it, or something. Trying to get parking for Cirque, or a movie, or just plain shopping, could become a nightmare.

Just IMHO.

I agree. The only monorail expansion that would make any financial sense is to have an attraction that charge admission (theme parks) at the opposite end. If monorails were inefficient people movers, Disney never would have constructed them back when fossil fuels were dirt-cheap. Today, bus fuel is much more expensive and electric drive trains are much more efficient.

I would guess Disney would need a catalyst other than efficiency for expanding the monorail line. It would probably have to be added as an attraction to a new flagship deluxe resort or fifth theme park. The expansion could then connect MGM and AK

 

[G8RFAN]

Not that I even remotely think they would build a monorail extension, but they could easily gate the parking areas at DTD and charge an hourly rate. This way if you park for shopping or food, you don't have to spend the full rate. If you spend a more than say 6 hours you pay for the full day which can be $10 which is more than you would pay at the parks. No benefit for cheaters and problem solved. La Nouba , movie goers and restaurant guests could get a discount stamp on their ticket. DQ patrons could get the entire parking fee waived. Bars at PI could also provide stamps. In any event, DL has a very similar arrangement with parking and no rebates for the hourly parking for DTD guests.

 

[characterbrkfst]

Last time we were there a cast member mentioned that there was a plan for a monoral system for all of the Disney locations. But is was a multi-billion dollar effort and who knows when tha would happen.