Monorail Operating Costs and Reliability

[Tonka's Skipper]

Pods may not be able to replace the full volume of the monorail. However if you did a north parking lot for day traffic. One could use the pods as a deluxe resort exclusive. One would think they could handle that portion of the traffic. You pay extra for the deluxe you get the fancy new transportation gismo.

Sounds like the perfect use of the pods. I know there is no one type of transportation that would handle all of WDW. The best overall system is a mix of different modes, each with their own strengths. WDW transportation system should be a example of a mixed transportation system of the future, relying on little use of cars and buses.

AKK

 

[DDLand]

This in red! Eisner's one real mistake!

I'm thinking of:
Euro Disney
Fox Family
Katzenburg Issues
Disney's America
The Micheal O problems

That's off the top of my head.

 

[DDLand]

Pods may not be able to replace the full volume of the monorail. However if you did a north parking lot for day traffic. One could use the pods as a deluxe resort exclusive. One would think they could handle that portion of the traffic. You pay extra for the deluxe you get the fancy new transportation gismo.

Their flexibility makes them the most compelling. A single loop around Seven Seas Lagoon would be a waste of their potential. As @lockedoutlogic has said, a single light rail train would make the most sense if you're doing that. The fact that they can be sent wherever the user wants, can easily be deployed/deactivated, and that more cars can be added during peak times makes these Pods especially attractive.

I've said this several times, and I could be wrong about this but I'll take my chances, there's not going to be a north parking lot. It would basically mean bringing in a 4 lane highway up next to the Grand Floridian, and destroying the more secluded feel of the Seven Seas Resorts. Not an attractive prospect.

I could always be wrong though...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

A north lot isn't about the layout or feel of wdw...

It's about bringing people directly off the Florida turnpike and capturing them before they get to downtown Orlando. It also could be to "open up" the potential for a new artery and development on the west side of the property...

And don't forget...the airlines have doubled their prices too in 10 years...maybe there's a hidden problem Disney has identified that we haven't caught on to yet there concerning ease of travel.
More cars allow more flexibility...something Disney doesn't want.

The "north lot"... Is probably not what we think...

If I had to bet - it's a redesign of the existing lot to allow for major DVC construction at the poly...maybe a reroute of the road around the grand to allow more there too...

Perhaps...a new plan around the TTC forms...and they tip their hand to how/if the monorail fits in going forward?

That's what I smell when I'm stepping in this one.

 

[DDLand]

A north lot isn't about the layout or feel of wdw...

It's about bringing people directly off the Florida turnpike and capturing them before they get to downtown Orlando. It also could be to "open up" the potential for a new artery and development on the west side of the property...

And don't forget...the airlines have doubled their prices too in 10 years...maybe there's a hidden problem Disney has identified that we haven't caught on to yet there concerning ease of travel.
More cars allow more flexibility...something Disney doesn't want.

The "north lot"... Is probably not what we think...

If I had to bet - it's a redesign of the existing lot to allow for major DVC construction at the poly...maybe a reroute of the road around the grand to allow more there too...

Perhaps...a new plan around the TTC forms...and they tip their hand to how/if the minor la fits in going forward?

That's what I smell when I'm stepping in this one.

I'm with you on this. It's believable that they add in a north entrance. I'm less keen on the idea of a true north lot though. Tikiman has said more is coming to Poly. I believe it.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm with you on this. It's believable that they add in a north entrance. I'm less keen on the idea of a true north lot though. Tikiman has said more is coming to Poly. I believe it.

I have no doubt at this point. Everything they've built so far is inline with the master plan layout leaked a couple of years ago...what's missing?
The "new" DVC heavy hitter building...tiki tower... We'll call it.

The trader sams (happy opening) tells me alot too...
As that is a new offering.

They're only converted existing and adding 20 exclusive high end units...which fit about 160 people comfortably...

So...what's that tell me?

Alot more coming...they are not adding bars/restaurants, doing major service building renovations, redoing 2 pools for "no net gain" lodging retrofits.

One pool/bar = 300 DVC units net gain...if you look at history.

They aren't in the business of adding new services or amenities to existing rooms.

 

[DDLand]

I have no doubt at this point. Everything they've built so far is inline with the master plan layout leaked a couple of years ago...what's missing?
The "new" DVC heavy hitter building...tiki tower... We'll call it.

The trader sams (happy opening) tells me alot too...
As that is a new offering.

They're only converted existing and adding 20 exclusive high end units...which fit about 160 people comfortably...

So...what's that tell me?

Alot more coming...they are not adding bars/restaurants, doing major service building renovations, redoing 2 pools for "no net gain" lodging retrofits.

One pool/bar = 300 DVC units net gain...if you look at history.

They aren't in the business of adding new services or amenities to existing rooms.

Especially when many of those rooms are already locked in for the next couple decades. Gotta love that DVC.

 

[sachilles]

Their flexibility makes them the most compelling. A single loop around Seven Seas Lagoon would be a waste of their potential. As @lockedoutlogic has said, a single light rail train would make the most sense if you're doing that. The fact that they can be sent wherever the user wants, can easily be deployed/deactivated, and that more cars can be added during peak times makes these Pods especially attractive.

I've said this several times, and I could be wrong about this but I'll take my chances, there's not going to be a north parking lot. It would basically mean bringing in a 4 lane highway up next to the Grand Floridian, and destroying the more secluded feel of the Seven Seas Resorts. Not an attractive prospect.

I could always be wrong though...

In my opinion, pods would likely serve gf, poly, cr and wilderness to mk and Epcot, using a parallel path to the monorail. Maybe if done right serve the international gateway and on to dhs.

 

[ParkHoppers]

Almost fell over laughing when I heard those in this thread say they could see Disney get rid of the monorail because well.....it is not profitable. Next to the Castle in MK the monorail is the second biggest icon at DW. With all this logical thinking,number crunching and super long posts to not have the common sense to understand what the monorail really means to DW is mind blowing to me.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I'm thinking of:
Euro Disney
Fox Family
Katzenburg Issues
Disney's America
The Micheal O problems

That's off the top of my head.

OK.OK I agree, I never meant it was a only mistake, just the biggest. I never heard of any CEO that did not make some mistakes!

AKK

 

[truck1]

Almost fell over laughing when I heard those in this thread say they could see Disney get rid of the monorail because well.....it is not profitable. Next to the Castle in MK the monorail is the second biggest icon at DW. With all this logical thinking,number crunching and super long posts to not have the common sense to understand what the monorail really means to DW is mind blowing to me.

This was several years ago but it the monorails cost 650 per train per station to operate. Ill let someone else do the math.

 

[truck1]

So what are they planing to do when they take the racing track out? They are just saying they are using the area for transportation improvements. Some speculate a new magic kingdom entrence? Not sure how that will work. Just going to be a glorified bus staging area? They already have that at the old airport runway near the comtempary. They need to bring vision and imagination back to the world.

Originally there was additional grass parking where the racetrack is now. Not sure whos brite idea it was to put the track there, but it is what it is. It would have been better off up on Osceola Parkway near where the ESPN/WWS is now. This way it would have had the least amount of impact on the MK and Epcot. When a race came in, for the short time they were there, they would start putting up the bleachers around the beginning of Nov. And take them down after the first of the year. The MK would lose, 4 of their parking lots for the duration, and during the actual race times, if you drove to the MK, you had to park at EPCOT and either take a bus or Monorail. And you could hear the cars in most of the park. During the Holidays, it wasn't uncommon for the remaining MK lots to be full by 10 am. With no where to put the overflow except EPCOT. Disney then took all of the inbound (northbound)lanes of World drive, except for 1 lane and made it southbound. While letting cars out of the aux entrances onto World Dr by Stolport, and on to Floridian Way to get everyone out, after a race.


If I had to guess, they may be adding additional parking back to the area. Even after they stopped racing, the MK lots still lost a pretty good amount of parking spots. They started off with a little over 12000 parking spots,(12156 if I remember correctly) and best guess is that they are down to around 10,000

 

[George4]

This was several years ago but it the monorails cost 650 per train per station to operate. Ill let someone else do the math.

Is that $650K per train per station? That gives some perspective on the cost, but I would be curious to know where the number came from. I have never seen the cost broken down that much anywhere.

 

[truck1]

Is that $650K per train per station? That gives some perspective on the cost, but I would be curious to know where the number came from. I have never seen the cost broken down that much anywhere.

Sorry I didn't have enough caffeine when I posted. No its what the resorts at the time were paying per hour per train. I forget where the number came from but it was when I was in Transportation from management, since we were sharing management at the time.

 

[wallrock]

I have no doubt at this point. Everything they've built so far is inline with the master plan layout leaked a couple of years ago...what's missing?
The "new" DVC heavy hitter building...tiki tower... We'll call it.

The trader sams (happy opening) tells me alot too...
As that is a new offering.

They're only converted existing and adding 20 exclusive high end units...which fit about 160 people comfortably...

So...what's that tell me?

Alot more coming...they are not adding bars/restaurants, doing major service building renovations, redoing 2 pools for "no net gain" lodging retrofits.

One pool/bar = 300 DVC units net gain...if you look at history.

They aren't in the business of adding new services or amenities to existing rooms.

This makes sense, and I think it would be safe to assume that 'tiki tower' would need a view of The Precious. Not much room with the bungalows in place so maybe around the ferry dock? That, or Tuvalu and Fiji get replaced by said tower and new Tuvalu and Fiji go into the redesigned lot.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

10+ stories...like the tower of mordor

And before anybody has a fit...the poly was designed as a tower and went 60/70's groovy low key instead

 

[manning]

This is the best description I have found on personal rapid transit (PRT)


http://www.personalrapidtransit.com/

 

[IndyRnRfan]

$650 per hour. I think that is very cheap if that is all they pay for the monorail.

 

[rteetz]

The monorail had been down for 24 hours no word if it's back up yet.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Rode it Sunday...that's weird