Monorail - Why no expansion?

[ChloesDaddy]

Fine, the Monorail while cool is largely impractical on a larger scale. OK. So let's blue sky. How would you revolutionize moving a daily hoard of people between parks, hotels and other sites?

I like the idea of thousands of self driving cars. Hop in, tap your destination on a touch screen and off you go. It would be the perfect proof of concept for the idea, a limited controlled environment, very much in keeping with the EPCOT ideals and way cool.

To play off that a little, how about slowly, over a period of 10-20 years, replacing the existing transportation system with a series of solar powered cannons and receiving nets at each park and resort. You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!!!

Sorry. I'm kind of punchy after a long day at work. I actually like the idea of self-driving cars. It uses existing infrastructure, is much more flexible, and is consistent with the vision of technological experimentation and innovation that inspired the original concept for EPCOT. It's also something that could be rolled in incrementally over time as opposed to a huge up-front capital investment. Maybe it's a special service with a charge initially until it gains critical mass and can be incorporated as a standard service that's included in resort and/or ticket prices.

 

[Robo]

To play off that a little, how about slowly, over a period of 10-20 years, replacing the existing transportation system with a series of solar powered cannons and receiving nets at each park and resort. You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!!!

Sorry. I'm kind of punchy after a long day at work. I actually like the idea of self-driving cars. It uses existing infrastructure, is much more flexible, and is consistent with the vision of technological experimentation and innovation that inspired the original concept for EPCOT. It's also something that could be rolled in incrementally over time as opposed to a huge up-front capital investment. Maybe it's a special service with a charge initially until it gains critical mass and can be incorporated as a standard service that's included in resort and/or ticket prices.

Just last month, one of the Google self-driving cars collided with a BUS.
Just perfect for WDW road conditions!

 

[Robo]

I actually like the idea of self-driving cars.

If we're talking "efficiency…"

If 12 families of 4 at Pop Century want to go to MK, that would be 12 cars (or so,)
or one bus.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

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!

Sparks an idea for an attraction -- a simulated monorail or peoplemover ride through the original EPCOT concept. I'd stand in line for that.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

If we're talking "efficiency…"

If 15 families of 4 at Pop Century want to go to MK, that would be 15 cars (or so,)
or one bus.

Self-driving buses?

 

[Robo]

Self-driving buses?

Great!

(As long as there are no Google cars on the road.)

 

[SgtTibbs]

Just last month, one of the Google self-driving cars collided with a BUS.
Just perfect for WDW road conditions!

OK, I don't mean to come off condescending, but really? Did you read what actually happened or just the headline? Do you know how many miles Google cars have driven on public roads and how much safer they are already than the humans that drive your bus? Do you think there has never been a bus accident on Disney property? The standard to hold new technology is not perfection, it's improvement. In a controlled measured environment like the grounds of WDW they are already better than human.

 

[SgtTibbs]

If we're talking "efficiency…"

If 12 families of 4 at Pop Century want to go to MK, that would be 12 cars (or so,)
or one bus.

True, but the cars would go directly to MK where as the bus needs to meander around, it drives more miles and takes longer. Also, by the time this has a shot of actually being implemented traffic control would be included. No more red lights, no more waiting to make a turn the cars would space themselves appropriately to allow many many more vehicles to operate safely.

 

[Shanti]

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?

Probably none, as you'd have to wait in a long line for the sky bucket.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Probably none, as you'd have to wait in a long line for the sky bucket.

But it's time well spent. I miss the buckets as well.

 

[JimmyV]

Fine, the Monorail while cool is largely impractical on a larger scale. OK. So let's blue sky. How would you revolutionize moving a daily hoard of people between parks, hotels and other sites?

There's a bit of a "chicken and egg" issue here. If you were starting from scratch and building housing and transportation at the same time (as Disney did in 1971), you would come up with an entirely different solution than if you were trying to solve the transportation needs once the resorts have already been sited. Given that the resorts already exist, and given where they were placed in relation to the parks, the sad truth is that we currently have the best and most efficient solution...point to point buses, (and boats and monorails). It may not be exciting or sexy to think that buses are the be all and end all in a blue sky environment. But since Disney spaced it's resorts out the way it did, there isn't a better option until teleportation is perfected.

 

[ChloesDaddy]

OK, I don't mean to come off condescending, but really? Did you read what actually happened or just the headline? Do you know how many miles Google cars have driven on public roads and how much safer they are already than the humans that drive your bus? Do you think there has never been a bus accident on Disney property? The standard to hold new technology is not perfection, it's improvement. In a controlled measured environment like the grounds of WDW they are already better than human.

I took the comment to be more light-hearted.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I took the comment to be more light-hearted.

Humm possible, if that's the case then I amend my response to read:

That's why we get rid of all the buses.

 

[hakepb]

Since every monorail expansion speculation thread should have this:
The old WDW model (from park brochures back when MK was the only park) showing the proposed monorail extending beyond Disney Springs

 

[HopperFan]

As has been said:
- High cost of construction
- High cost of maintenance
- Does not generate income
- Not needed

Personally - I would be furious if they spent that kind of money on something unnecessary when it could be spent in the parks.

 

[chelynnah]

Now come on. Everyone knows that the monorail was always supposed to go from the airport to the resort. And that the Hogwarts Express goes from Harry Potter Land to Fantasyland

 

[Bluegrrl]

Don't tease me! Diagon alley and Hogsmeade TOTALLY connect!

 

[Nancyg56]

Awww. Sure they could. Use your imagination!

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 $$$$$$!!

LOL! I have to admit I would probably pay! I love the monorail!

 

[rwdavis2]

You might want to do a little research on where that "free $$" was coming from. Not exactly "free".

Exactly. The fed money was for initial construction. Who was going to pay for the operations? maintenance? Light rail is not some magical way to move people. It would have been underused in this application.

 

[rwdavis2]

As has been said:
- High cost of construction
- High cost of maintenance
- Does not generate income
- Not needed

Personally - I would be furious if they spent that kind of money on something unnecessary when it could be spent in the parks.

You mean something like FP+ ?