Monorail automation process to begin--huh?

[disneynutz]

SWEET GRAVEY THAT SOUNDS HORRIFIYING!!!! I don't ever want to have to do this. roof hatch would be ok if it got you to the ground by means of an inflatable slide. repel down the windshield and then walk along the beam - sheesh! I (or one of my kids) would be the one person to slip and kill myself.

And don't touch the 600 volt exposed busbar that is on the side of the beam.

Bill

 

[Andrew015]

And don't touch the 600 volt exposed busbar that is on the side of the beam.

Bill

That would make for a fireworks show that could rival Wishes ...

 

[Ulysses]

They should reprise the old robot butler from EPCOT, make a bunch more of them and let them "pilot" the monorails from now on.

 

[Andrew015]

They should reprise the old robot butler from EPCOT, make a bunch more of them and let them "pilot" the monorails from now on.

Love it!!!

 

[JoWiJo]

SWEET GRAVEY THAT SOUNDS HORRIFIYING!!!! I don't ever want to have to do this. roof hatch would be ok if it got you to the ground by means of an inflatable slide. repel down the windshield and then walk along the beam - sheesh! I (or one of my kids) would be the one person to slip and kill myself.

This would be a last resort, of course, and likely to only be used in extreme situations. But if you find that unnerving, then imagine you are in a wheelchair or otherwise physically limited and there is no way you could do this even if you wanted to do so.

 

[hedberg1661]

They should reprise the old robot butler from EPCOT, make a bunch more of them and let them "pilot" the monorails from now on.

That would be great!

 

[minie_meese]

There are a number of automated train systems around the world. The L train in NYC is automated as are a number of the Metro lines in Paris. I've ridden the L and one of the automated lines in Paris. A number of other countires have them as well.

 

[N365PA]

RATS! One of my retirement dreams was to get a job driving the WDW monorails. Oh well, here I come WDW boats! Everyone put on your life jackets!

Well scratch off the Monorail. I'll be right there with ya, 17 years and counting!

 

[Magic Fanatic]

I agree the monorails should last more than 20 years when you take care of them and update them but disney hasn't done that when they really need to. The interiors of these trains need help and unfortunately the updating we all hope for isn't happening anytime soon. When you have trains that are used every day by thousands and thousands of people they need to be cleaned and fixed up every once in a while.

I have to ask, do you have any first hand knowledge of Disney maintenance schedule of the monorails or is this simply a blanket statement based on your view of the interiors? Making a statement that insinuates that the trains are not taken care of or updated is misleading at best. I am confident that Disney's monorail system is well maintained mechanically. It sounds like your frustration is around how the trains appear to you "visually". Now, if you have first hand knowledge of Disney's maintenance schedule, then I stand corrected.

 

[rteetz]

I have to ask, do you have any first hand knowledge of Disney maintenance schedule of the monorails or is this simply a blanket statement based on your view of the interiors? Making a statement that insinuates that the trains are not taken care of or updated is misleading at best. I am confident that Disney's monorail system is well maintained mechanically. It sounds like your frustration is around how the trains appear to you "visually". Now, if you have first hand knowledge of Disney's maintenance schedule, then I stand corrected.

They are maintained but they haven't been refurbished like painted and new seats etc. its all the same. I saw a post a while back of someone who provided picture evidence of the insides of the monorails. mold, peeling paint, water damage etc. I am saying they should fix this it wouldn't take long. The monorail ride systems are taken care of well. thats what the trains are still here. In the past two years at least I have not heard or seen and trains go down for a refurb. I do not know the specific schedule nor do i need too refurbishment schedules are not like a monthly thing. I am talking about something going down for a month to get fixed up. For example the Astro orbiter is down right now it has not been refurbed in a long time they are taking a part the entire thing and fixing, painted, rebuilding parts to it. Also with the monorails its hard to take them down because they run every day of the year almost all day long.

 

[doconeill]

Pursuant to my earlier post in this thread on evacuating the monorail...the just did it this evening after an apparent lightning strike (looks like Monorail Black on the Epcot line). Separate reports are that they used the roof hatches...we should get some first-hand reports on how well that went soon...

http://www.wesh.com/news/disney-wor...ghtning-strike/26937720?absolute=true#!bep2FL

 

[JoWiJo]

Pursuant to my earlier post in this thread on evacuating the monorail...the just did it this evening after an apparent lightning strike (looks like Monorail Black on the Epcot line). Separate reports are that they used the roof hatches...we should get some first-hand reports on how well that went soon...

http://www.wesh.com/news/disney-wor...ghtning-strike/26937720?absolute=true#!bep2FL

I've read a few articles since you made this post. They all quote the girl who said she was afraid she was going to die. And people responded in the comment sections with mockery of her tweet. At first, I myself rolled my eyes at the comment, but at least one article stated that Disney said that there was severe weather in the area when this took place. Under those circumstances, I could see someone freaking out inside a stuck monorail.

Then again, maybe she was just using hyperbole. If so, the fact the media is using her tweet is funny.

 

[monorailguy0037]

They are maintained but they haven't been refurbished like painted and new seats etc. its all the same. I saw a post a while back of someone who provided picture evidence of the insides of the monorails. mold, peeling paint, water damage etc. I am saying they should fix this it wouldn't take long. The monorail ride systems are taken care of well. thats what the trains are still here. In the past two years at least I have not heard or seen and trains go down for a refurb. I do not know the specific schedule nor do i need too refurbishment schedules are not like a monthly thing. I am talking about something going down for a month to get fixed up. For example the Astro orbiter is down right now it has not been refurbed in a long time they are taking a part the entire thing and fixing, painted, rebuilding parts to it. Also with the monorails its hard to take them down because they run every day of the year almost all day long.

Former monorail pilot from 1997-2001 then from 2012-2014.....I can honestly say they do take 1 out of 12 trains down for several months to repaint rewiring as well as other(to numerous to mention) rehab, but as others have noted the trains are over 20 years old and what others my have not noted is that Disney and bombarde where involved in a lawsuit after bombarde did not build the trains to Disney's specs also allot of the parts aren't manufactured anymore because of these to reasons Disney's Monorail maintenance department has to rebuild allot of the parts.....as far as the new trains I was told Disney wants to try and get around 10 more years out of them, so they can get the automation running and all the kinks worked out

 

[Reddog1134]

as far as the new trains I was told Disney wants to try and get around 10 more years out of them, so they can get the automation running and all the kinks worked out

It makes sense. Get the new system running with the old cars before putting new ones on the rail.

10 years seems like a long time to get the kinks out, though.

 

[gmboy95]

OK, I read the link on here about the monorail automation process, but what exactly does that mean? Will there be no more drivers, and will it operate much like the monorail at OIA does?

ahhhhhh...yeah.....no.....the last thing i want is a driverless monorail

 

[doconeill]

ahhhhhh...yeah.....no.....the last thing i want is a driverless monorail

There are driverless systems that work very, very well...but I'm not sure that the monorail could handle any sort of minor breakdown that other systems have at least some flexibility in dealing with.

 

[rteetz]

ahhhhhh...yeah.....no.....the last thing i want is a driverless monorail

A driver will still be in there just not actually driving.

 

[Planogirl]

Considering how many breakdowns we see nowadays (and that includes the monorails) I think that I'll just stick to the ferries.

 

[IronFozzie]

Considering how many breakdowns we see nowadays (and that includes the monorails) I think that I'll just stick to the ferries.

The spider invested floating tin can? I'd rather be stuck on the monorail.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

I feel like the better solution would be for Disney to just replace the ~22 year old trains with some new, already-automated ones, rather than spend a full decade messing around with the old ones. It seems like a much safer, and technically less costly, solution that would also dramatically improve the guest experience (that is, guests wouldn't have to sit in decaying vehicles which, though they are supposedly "futuristic", are older than many of the vehicles on display at the Henry Ford Museum).