Monorail - Why no expansion?

[Colleen DePuy]

This question has been going through my mind lately... Why hasn't Disney expanded the Monorail to go to other locations in the park? I always thought this was the plan to have quick energy efficient transportation throughout the park.

 

[BrownHP800]

$$$

 

[W.E.D.]

Quick, energy efficient transportation = LOTS of money.

That's the main reason. You'll notice they have issues maintaining the system they currently have in place.

 

[ols386]

If it's a matter of money, haven't they been making huge profits over the last many years?

If so, use some of that $.

Having said that, I'd probably prefer they use the money for new projects in the parks, and keeping the resorts updated.

 

[gap2368]

it all goes back to money

and right now there are a lot of cuts going on too

 

[Jennasis]

The monorail is/was a novelty and a money pit to maintain.

 

[JimmyV]

$$$

Or to be more precise....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Mitzicat]

Or to be more precise....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Actually to be even more precise....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[vinotinto]

Because there's no ROI. They won't be able to make any profit off a monorail expansion.

 

[JimmyV]

Because there's no ROI. They won't be able to make any profit off a monorail expansion.

Awww. Sure they could. Use your imagination!

 

[Alesia]

If it's a matter of money, haven't they been making huge profits over the last many years?

If so, use some of that $.

Having said that, I'd probably prefer they use the money for new projects in the parks, and keeping the resorts updated.

The estimated cost of a monorail expansion is $6 to $10 million per mile, plus exorbitant maintenance costs every year. Just take a minute to do the math on that.

 

[Jestocost]

The estimated cost of a monorail expansion is $6 to $10 million per mile, plus exorbitant maintenance costs every year. Just take a minute to do the math on that.

Those estimates are extraordinarily low. A very conservative estimate of the capital cost of construction would be 4-5 times that amount per mile.

In addition to the extremely high costs, the monorail has very little ability to increase capacity during peak times--you can fairly easily add a few dozen more buses to the system; not so with monorail trains or cars--and you're also in trouble if the monorail breaks down (not uncommon). SO it winds up being a very unflexible form of transportation.

 

[PSUGuy]

If it's a matter of money, haven't they been making huge profits over the last many years?
If so, use some of that $.
Having said that, I'd probably prefer they use the money for new projects in the parks, and keeping the resorts updated.

I agree with you but in spite of the reality of profits I've noticed nothing but cut, cut, cut since the closing of PI.

Bill From PA

 

[WDWFantasmicFan]

This question has been going through my mind lately... Why hasn't Disney expanded the Monorail to go to other locations in the park? I always thought this was the plan to have quick energy efficient transportation throughout the park.

Not sure if you're aware, but when WDW was first built, it was planned that all parks and guest areas would be linked by PeopleMover's (the vehicles used at the TTA PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom). I wonder whether that would be a more feasible option for linking the parks?

But yes, the reason for no monorail expansion is $$$$$$!!

 

[monorailrabbit]

Agree with everyone on the $$$$$$$$$$$ as much as I would love an expansion. It is NOT gonna happen.

 

[SeeDisney]

yeah, me too, would love t see an expansion for the monorail. it's soooo Disney.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'd increase all estimates on cost-per-mile based on weight support within swamplands.

 

[bnhonest]

Hell, I wish they would bring back the sky buckets that took you from tomorrow land to frontier land. Could you imagine how much time that would shave off your park touring?

 

[Skywise]

$ obviously - but the main reason is that the people in charge aren't geeks nor creative nor visionary.

It NEVER made business sense to build the monorail in WDW or DL. Walt did it because it was fun and thought this was a good future for public transportation (As well as the people mover ride).
Heck, during construction of the Contemporary they wanted to pull the monorail track out of the hotel because it was too much of a hassle and Roy forced them to toe the line and figure it out.

The current problems with the monorail is that the trains are... old. Very old. Secondly they're trying to switch to an automated system which they're having issues with.

From a larger viewpoint the monorail cars are at capacity - They need larger cars which will require wider tracks (which also impacts the Contemporary structure) - but more importantly the transportation patterns at WDW are all screwed up now. It used to be that you went to the TTC and that was the nexus for everything. But with the addition of Epcot, DHS, Animal Kingdom, the Epcot resorts, the water parks, etc; and all spread out - They never kept the transportation system up (besides buses) to accommodate. (Ever try getting back from Epcot at close time to the monorail resorts via the monorail? Ick!)

Walt would've had monorail tracks from park to park. Heck, after seeing the Harry Potter train ride, Walt would already have started work on connecting all the parks with interactive train rides like that and upping the sales of park hoppers (Who cares what the scenery looks like when you can just have video displays windows showing what it would look like - just throw down some tracks through the backlots or even utility roads and let the riders experience simulated trips to Pandora, Endor, an animal safari, vintage European towns from the early 1900s, Japanese bullet train. Not only do you up your park hopper sales, you balance out crowd levels at the parks as people find it easier and FUN to hop!

No no... Buses. But it's ok... they're environmental or something...

 

[hollypoast]

I went to a Disney Institute program 7ish years ago and someone asked that question. The group leader (lifelong Disney employee) said it cost approx. $1 million per mile to add on.