Monorail problems, July 5 & 6

[ducklite]

There were some problems with the resort monorail on July 5&6. Apparantly during a very severe thunderstorm on July 5th, a section of the monorail between the TTC and the Polynesian was hit by lightning.

My son was at the MK, and stayed for E-Night. He had to take a bus from the MK to the TTC, and then walk from there--which I wasn't pleased about. (Although my son is 18, he has the capacity of a younger teen due to various disabilities--imagine a "young" fourteen year old being left alone at the TTC at 2:15 am, you get the picture.)

The next morning, my husand and I wanted to run over to the MK at opening, ride Splash Mountain and Buzz, and leave. We got to the monorail station and waited over 15 minutes for a train. We boarded and crept along to the GF. Once there they turned off the power and had us sit in a dead train for about five minutes. Then they told us the monorail wasn't going anywhere, and to get off and take a boat.

So we walked down to the dock, and got there behind about fifteen other people. Another 50 or so people arrived after us. About fifteen minutes later a boat comes and people who had arrived later started pushing their way to the front. We didn't get on that boat (it was already half full when it arrived.) Ten minutes later another boat comes. As it's pulling in it's obvious that not everyone will get on it. At this point we've been waiting almost half an hour on the dock, and again with the pushing and shoving. We almost didn't get on, except that there were two seats left and I spoke up and said we were a party of two and we got the last two seats.

Rode from there to the Polynesian, then to the MK. Now we've been trying to get to the MK for well over an hour. Walk in, have time to ride Splash Mountain, and left. Went to the monorail, and waited over fifteen minutes. See two launches pull in, finally DH walks over and finds out that both are being taken out of service. Another will be along in 15 minutes or so.

Finally a monorail comes, and we get on. Take it to the CR, get off, and take a cab to the polynesian. At this point it's been over an hour since we left the gates of the MK. As the cab is pulling out of the CR, we see a bus labelled GF/Polynesian/CR. I'm steamed. NO ONE told us they were running busses.

Now I'm not upset about the monorail being broken. What can you do. But I am upset about the total lack of communication by the transportation cast , as well as how they dropped the ball on the boats.

They knew the night before that they had a serious problem with the monorail that was not likely to be fixed by the morning rush. They had twelve plus hours to add additional boats. They also didn't have any signage, or any CM's telling people that they had the option of taking a bus--which the two I saw while in teh cab were running practically empty.

All in all we spent over two hours in transit and $6 in cab fare to ride one ride. This shouldn't have happened, it didn't have to happen, if WDW had properly communicated the problem and made alternate arrangements to add additional boat transportation or at least comminicate that busses were available.

Anne

 

[CamColt]

Yikes! What a nightmare! Sorry you had to deal with that. I hope they got it fixed soon after that for you.

 

[Poohbear123]

Sorry to hear about your problem, but, remember, its not Disney's fault, the weather is REALLY bad this time of year.

 

[ducklite]

Maybe you need to reread my post. Pay special attention to this paragraph:

Now I'm not upset about the monorail being broken. What can you do. But I am upset about the total lack of communication by the transportation cast , as well as how they dropped the ball on the boats.

Anne

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by ducklite
Finally a monorail comes, and we get on. Take it to the CR, get off, and take a cab to the polynesian. At this point it's been over an hour since we left the gates of the MK. As the cab is pulling out of the CR, we see a bus labelled GF/Polynesian/CR. I'm steamed. NO ONE told us they were running busses.

In regards to the buses -- Once the decision is made to run "Mouse House" an all-call goes out to the Monorail stations. However, before the call goes out, the Station CMs won't know if they will be running these buses. It really depends on the situation, and Maintenance's call. Another thing, this decision could have happened after you had left the CR station, to go downstairs. It doesn't take long for the buses to be dispatched out, thanks to the Flex Dispatch currently in place at the MK. It can happen in as little as 60 seconds...

Originally posted by ducklite
They knew the night before that they had a serious problem with the monorail that was not likely to be fixed by the morning rush. They had twelve plus hours to add additional boats. They also didn't have any signage, or any CM's telling people that they had the option of taking a bus--which the two I saw while in teh cab were running practically empty.

The Monorail problems you experienced were all completely separate incidents. As for boats, adding a boat to the mix takes time. *IF* staffing is available, they have to drive them over to drydock, have them get the boat ready, and then the boat has to drive over to that area. (Drydock is located on the far far far end of Bay Lake.) Often times, by the time they get extra boats running, the Monorail problem is repaired, and service is back to normal.

 

[ducklite]

Tyler, my point is that they knew they had a problem the night before. The problem started before 10:00pm. They should have anticipated this problem would last and taken steps before guests got very upset. As we were on the launch headed to the MK, we heard a call for management to go to the dock at the GF due to "a riot taking place and many very angry guests".

And to have two launches pull in and park at the MK while many guests were lined up on the dock and the monorail station waiting to get back to the three monorail resorts, well, that's just inexcusable. All three should have been running. Heck they should have put the pontoon boats into service to move the guests around. Waiting on a dock for 40 minutes to reach the MK is pitiful.

This shouldn't have happened. Period. Guests paying that kind of cash to stay at one of Disney's three finest hotels should expect that if the monorail is broken, they would be clearly directed to another form of transportation which wouldn't have taken them a ridiculous amont of time to wait for. Even if it mean the night before they called in extra CM's for the next day and OVERSTAFFED for a few hours. That's what Walt would have done.

Additionally the whole issue of leving my son at the TTC at 2:15 am bothers me. He doesn't look 18. In fact he can't get into an R Rated movie without having his ID on him. That bothers me more than anything.

Anne

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by ducklite
Tyler, my point is that they knew they had a problem the night before. The problem started before 10:00pm.

I understand that, and I understand your frustrations and points. All of them are completely valid. But -- those incidents were all completely separate incidents that had no relation to each other. One was a beam/power issue that was resolved overnight, and the other one was a train issue. Hence the turn off/turn in an attempt to reset the system. So there was really no way for them to predict that the train would take a dump.

Originally posted by ducklite
Even if it mean the night before they called in extra CM's for the next day and OVERSTAFFED for a few hours. That's what Walt would have done.

They actually do overstaff on a daily basis, the problem is, people call sick...

 

[lucysdad]

That is terrible! Of course they should have Plan B in action ready to go for the mornng customers.
Lucy's Mom

 

[Masonpips]

Originally posted by ducklite
Additionally the whole issue of leving my son at the TTC at 2:15 am bothers me. He doesn't look 18. In fact he can't get into an R Rated movie without having his ID on him. That bothers me more than anything.

Anne

Can I gently (and not meaning to cause any issues/flames) ask what he was doing alone at that time of night if you're so concernced?

Yes, I would be upset by the issue the next day. But the night before when there was NO advance notice and really nothing Disney should have done differently, what did you expect?

Again, I am not trying to be ugly or cause you grief. As a mom (and probably super/over-protective if you ask my friends) I do understand your issue with your son being out and in this situation. But I'm really not sure what Disney could have done that night to appease you given the circumstances.

 

[manning]

Sounds like the son handled himself very well.

 

[ducklite]

Under "normal" circumstances he would have hopped on the monorail and gotten off at the Polynesian. In this case he was left at the TTC and it was suggested that he could walk back to the Polynesian. He's never done this, it was dark, and he lost his bearings a couple times. Just an inappropriate thing to do--leaving a kid alone at the TTC in the middle of the night like that.

As far as what I expected is that they would bus him from the MK to his resort, dropping him off at the resort bus stop. For a WDW resort guest to have to make a transfer at the TTC from the MK, especially in the middle of the night, that's unacceptable IMHO.

Manning, he did handle it well, although he was a bit shaken when he finally got back to the room, as he had "gotten lost" a couple of times. We've only stayed at the Polynesian once before, and he's not terribly familiar with it. To get from the GCH to our building isn't a problem. But coming in from a different direction really confused him.

Anne

 

[TDC Nala]

I remember seeing guards turning people away from the monorail on the 6th... thought it was just some sort of momentary breakdown and not an all-day thing (after all, things do break). I was at the Wilderness Lodge that day and was glad to be on their boat rather than the ferries.

 

[ThreeCircles]

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Originally posted by ducklite
He had to take a bus from the MK to the TTC, and then walk from there--which I wasn't pleased about.

I'm a little confused...he had to take a BUS to the ticket and transportation center?? From where? The park? I thought only boats and monorails went to the TTC from the park...

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Stepharoonie!
I'm a little confused...he had to take a BUS to the ticket and transportation center?? From where? The park? I thought only boats and monorails went to the TTC from the park...

In that particular situation, lightning had caused an electrical problem, and the monorail was not in service. During these times, buses will run to the MK Resorts, as well as another bus for the TTC. For some reason, I'm assuming someone misdirected her son to the TTC bus.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Also not trying to be rude or flame you, but if you're concerned that your son has a "14 year old mind" and didn't want him to walk from the TTC to the Poly, why did you let him go to E-Night by himself? It seems to me that a "14 year old" could get into a lot more trouble there than walking a couple of hundred yards to a hotel.

Again, not trying to be rude...but wondering...

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Originally posted by Chip 'n Dale Express
In that particular situation, lightning had caused an electrical problem, and the monorail was not in service. During these times, buses will run to the MK Resorts, as well as another bus for the TTC. For some reason, I'm assuming someone misdirected her son to the TTC bus.

She originally wrote that he took a bus from the park to the TTC. I've never seen a bus run from Main Street to the TTC before.

However, if he really did get directed to take a bus back to the Poly, they would have known there was bus service to the Poly the following day if the monorail was out of order.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Stepharoonie!
She originally wrote that he took a bus from the park to the TTC. I've never seen a bus run from Main Street to the TTC before.

However, if he really did get directed to take a bus back to the Poly, they would have known there was bus service to the Poly the following day if the monorail was out of order.

The special "Mouse House" bus doesn't always run... it's only in extreme situations when the Monorail will be out of service for an extended period of time... and not for when a train just breaks down and is taken out of service. So it's not really something you can rely on having available - it's actually a rare event.

 

[ducklite]

Because going from the MK to the Polynesian via monorail isn't a problem. Walking at night in the dark from the TTC to the Polynesian is disorienting. I once got messed up trying to get from the TTC to the Polynesian in the daytime!

I would expect that if the monorail can't run for some reason, guests staying at the Polynesian would be put on a bus at the MK and dropped off at the Polynesian bus stop. Not at the TTC. I think that's a fair, reasonable, and logical assumption to make. But that's not what happened. Had he been bussed from the MK to the Polynesian, I would have been absolutely fine with it.

Anne

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by ducklite
Had he been bussed from the MK to the Polynesian, I would have been absolutely fine with it.

And indeed, that's what should have happened.