Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[KSDisneyDad]

In fairness, there are also those on the other side who can see no fault with anything and imply that those who don't like a change must have something wrong with them. I wouldn't like this if we still stayed at a monorail resort since I loved to visit the other resorts late at night and part of the fun was the monorail but I would deal with it or change my reservations.

Thank you. That's exactly my point.

I really doubt there is anyone that is happy about this change and finds no fault with it. Yes, there are some that may defend the decision and the PR surrounding it (I said earlier in this thread that the PR around it was handled poorly). I also don't defend the change nor do I like it. It's just that I believe in being proactive and believe that those who are angered should write Disney to try to effect a change. If that doesn't work, I'm not going to let it ruin my monorail resort vacation. I also believe that the recent positives outweigh the negative for us. But, if on our next trip, I find that I'm wrong about this, we too will stay elsewhere in the future. Many guests only dream about staying at a MK area resort. I appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to decide to stay there or not.

 

[Sammie]

Thank you. That's exactly my point.

I really doubt there is anyone that is happy about this change and finds no fault with it. Yes, there are some that may defend the decision and the PR surrounding it (I said earlier in this thread that the PR around it was handled poorly). I also don't defend the change nor do I like it. It's just that I believe in being proactive and believe that those who are angered should write Disney to try to effect a change. If that doesn't work, I'm not going to let it ruin my monorail resort vacation. I also believe that the recent positives outweigh the negative for us. But, if on our next trip, I find that I'm wrong about this, we too will stay elsewhere in the future. Many guests only dream about staying at a MK area resort. I appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to decide to stay there or not.

Well said.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

How late does the resort monorail run now if MK closes at 7 or 8?

It's my understanding that it's one hour after closing so in your case 8 or 9, respectively.

The issue is that Epcot always closes at 9, so there will be cases where the Epcot monorail will run and the MK express/resort monorails will be closed. That makes no sense to me. I can't explain why they'd do that but I'm not going to go to extremes about making my point either. Hopefully, they will recognize the error of their ways. If not, those staying or eating at monorail resorts may have to adjust their late evening transportation options.

 

[Lou Holtz]

It's my understanding that it's one hour after closing so in your case 8 or 9, respectively.

So really, this issue already exists. If MK closes at 7PM and people have reservations to eat at monorail resorts late, what do they do?

 

[KSDisneyDad]

So really, this issue already exists. If MK closes at 7PM and people have reservations to eat at monorail resorts late, what do they do?

The changes don't affect MK until August 1st. During the month of August, MK stays open until 10:00 pm or later until the final week of the month. It then closes at 9 or 10 until mid-September.

So we won't know the true effect of this cutback in hours until mid-September.

 

[Lou Holtz]

The changes don't affect MK until August 1st. During the month of August, MK stays open until 10:00 pm or later until the final week of the month. It then closes at 9 or 10 until mid-September.

So we won't know the true effect of this cutback in hours until mid-September.

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

 

[sandym718]

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

I'm interested as well, b/c I didn't realize the resort monorail ever closed that early. If it really always has, I guess the changes aren't as extensive as I thought.

 

[Sammie]

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

You have a point and I guess they dealt with it.

 

[doconeill]

How late does the resort monorail run now if MK closes at 7 or 8?

It's my understanding that it's one hour after closing so in your case 8 or 9, respectively.

The issue is that Epcot always closes at 9, so there will be cases where the Epcot monorail will run and the MK express/resort monorails will be closed. That makes no sense to me. I can't explain why they'd do that but I'm not going to go to extremes about making my point either. Hopefully, they will recognize the error of their ways. If not, those staying or eating at monorail resorts may have to adjust their late evening transportation options.

From what I remember, on non-EMH, non-event nights, it was something like 1.5/2 hours after the later of MK/Epcot closing for the Resort/Epcot lines (I think the Epcot line was 1.5 hours, and Resort 2), and "until clear of guests" on EMH/event nights. The Express was always until MK was clear of guests.

So, how often would MK close at 7pm if there WASN'T an event that went on later? I'm thinking it is somewhere close to "never".

 

[Traveliz]

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

Previously when the parks have closed early - the Resort line (not the Express) has stayed running for quite some time. I can't tell you exactly but its late enough that I don't remember there ever being an issue.

Liz

 

[KSDisneyDad]

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

Good question. I'm not sure what happened last winter/fall/late spring when the MK closed at 7. I thought the monorails used to run for 1 1/2 hours after park closing. So in theory, the monorails would have stopped at 8:30 pm unless there was an evening EMH. Not sure if this happened as we don't travel in the off-season. But if it did, I guess this only changes things by a 1/2 hour from the old way except on the two nights there were EMH.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not asking about the changes. I'm asking about what happens NOW to those people when MK closes at 7 or 8 in off peak times. The restaurants don't close any earlier just because the park does. Do they close the resort monorail down at 8 or leave it running longer when there is an early close?

The MK has not closed at 7 or 8 yet with the new schedule in effect.

Last year when the parks closed early for parties, the monorail stayed fully functioning until after the party was over. I'm not sure at what point the ended operation for the night. But it was always late enough at least to get all the guests from the MK to their monorail resorts or the TTC. And to my knowledge, it was always late enough to cover return transportation from an ADR at a monorail resort.

 

[TisBit]

I know you're kidding, but I think a lot, or some people, think this. And it's not true, at least not for all of us that stay at the monorail resorts. How I see it is this - we pay a premium price for a deluxe resort. Doesn't make us better or worse than anyone else. We're not rich by any means, but we splurge for our Disney trips, to stay Deluxe. DISNEY Deluxe, which I think almost everyone agrees does not equal Deluxe in the "real world", in terms of luxury accomodations, amenities, etc. But there are definite deluxe perks - great pools with waterslides, larger rooms, etc. But the biggest one of these, for those 3 (4 with BLT) Deluxes on the monorail, is that convenient mode of transportation. That's a big part of what we're paying for. So to see any cuts to that at all (and I do see it as a cutback)...well, we definitely see it as a negative. It's decreasing the value of what we pay for. Doesn't mean we think we're too "special" to ride a bus. Just means that for some of us, the monorail transportation is a BIG part of why we're willing to pay more for the Deluxe Monorail resorts.

Don't get me wrong, as I and many other say, this sucks....but is it the end of the world, no. They cut monorail service back on what, maybe two nights a week. 95% stays the exact same, no change. Same as when the Epcot resorts had some pier work done recently, sure it is inconvenient, but again, not the end of the world. Even if they had to close the International Gateway entrance and bus people around....you just have to deal with it, that is the unfortunate part. AKL had serious work done to the savannahs and there were times that animals were not there....but people survived. Were there complaints, sure.....but in the end many many people still had great vacations.

If this change bugs someone so much, they should change their resorts to an Epcot resort or AKL. It will send a message that "if" this is permanent, attendance will drop at the monorail resorts. If this is temporary, well it won't make a bit of difference.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The MK has not closed at 7 or 8 yet with the new schedule in effect.

The new schedule - at least for the MK - isn't in effect.
Most nights for the next eight weeks, the magic Kingdom doesn't close before 10. Epcot closes at 9, so what issues could there be except the two Nights of Joy - and that CM has told two people (that we're aware) that a final decision hasn't been made.
There are eight Event nights in September, sixteen in October, and ten each in November and December - and, yes, an EMH at each monorail park each week. There's even one night in, I think, November where the MK closes at 6:30 with no corresponding party!
Is not running the monorail on demand ideal? Nope. But Walt Disney World isn't leaving anyone stranded. They haven't in the last forty years, and there's no reason to start now. Don't like the alternative transportation? Okay? But the Epcot monorail runs all the hours that park is open, plus at least an hour each day before it opens and (now) an hour after it closes - at least 98 hours. By the way, I'm not doing math in my head any more. I thought that was 112 hours!
The Magic Kingdom Monorail starts running at 7 every morning (yes, I'm sure; for tours & characters meals). August had seventeen 11 PM closings, nine 10 PM closings and three 9 PM closings.
On the shortest of those regular hours days, the monorail would be running fifteen. Yes, I know it's fun. Yes, I know it's magical. Yes, I know August isn't October. But for guests for whom the monorail is so important an 'attraction' that this thread is over 100 pages, why not enjoy and appreciate it while it's operating and utilize the alternatives for the occasional transport when it's not?

 

[Robo]

Logic vs Feelings.


Film at eleven.

 

[Cafeen]

Thank you. That's exactly my point.

I really doubt there is anyone that is happy about this change and finds no fault with it. Yes, there are some that may defend the decision and the PR surrounding it (I said earlier in this thread that the PR around it was handled poorly). I also don't defend the change nor do I like it. It's just that I believe in being proactive and believe that those who are angered should write Disney to try to effect a change. If that doesn't work, I'm not going to let it ruin my monorail resort vacation. I also believe that the recent positives outweigh the negative for us. But, if on our next trip, I find that I'm wrong about this, we too will stay elsewhere in the future. Many guests only dream about staying at a MK area resort. I appreciate how fortunate I am to be able to decide to stay there or not.

You know. This got me thinking.

The initial information, pre-release to the Orlando paper... was that based off of an internal memo? I know our further info (until that article) was for sure.

If that initial leak was internal, than their PR is simply that announcement via the paper and the other info was not meant for our eyes.

So, the initial PR, if we had never heard the memos, would have been "fine". Now, I'm sure still frustrating, but if that official release was all we heard, it wouldn't be as big of a deal, right?

Now I do agree they dropped the ball since the other info was released and I'm sure with even a small-ish uptick in questions and concerns posted has them scrambling. But it makes me think they were wholly unprepared for this scenario (the questioning of true intentions based on those memos).

Of course, that's neither here nor there and has nothing real to do with the discussion, just something that dawned on me and I found interesting. (As well as a possible reason why this seems to have been handled so poorly).

Logic vs Feelings.


Film at eleven.

Wait, I thought this was the monorail thread, not the "late" fastpass one? Am I lost?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Logic vs Feelings.


Film at eleven.

It's 10:55 here...

 

[mickeygirl14]

Wow - what a thread. Who knew the monorail could evoke such passion?

As I stated in my earlier posts, my concern with Disney cutting the monorail hours is that they did it with such little notice. At this point, there are no moderate rooms available the week we are going, other than the FW cabins, which DH vetoed. (I loved them when we stayed there in '07!) so if I decided that this change affected me enough that I wanted to change and not pay that much for our first deluxe stay at CR, I'd have to go with a value (and only 1 of those had availability) or change our dates (which isn't an option due to DH's work schedule). And we already bought MNSSHP tix, and of course, our ADRs were made at 180+10 days and a lot of that was dependent on the monorail as transportation. Is it going to ruin my vacation, no. But it sure does take a lot of the magic out of our 1st deluxe stay.

 

[jade1]

They cut monorail service back on what, maybe two nights a week. 95% stays the exact same, no change.

Could be way more if the MK resort line closes at 7PM on party nights. The EPCOT return would have to stop as well so anyone coming back from EPCOT will need to (I mean get to) take a bus back to the monorail resort-over 1/2 the nights in OCT. Still unknown.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, first, don't rush to change your dates. There's not a definitive answer - or, apparently, decision - on whether the MK monorail will run during event nights. The posters with direct contact to a CM will keep the thread updated.

If you do opt to change, don't give up. Plans change constantly. There could be one sold out night blocking you from being able to change resorts. People could have reservations on hold and not submit the deposit. Others could cancel or change resorts or dates. Also, calling could get you different results than looking online.