News Round Up 2019

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Just recently back from a trip and just caught up!

Apologies for being late to this party, but I got to experience DL SWGE both with the 4hr reservation window and then with the virtual queue.

FWIW I preferred the virtual queue (along with Oga’s and Savi reservations) for multiple reasons — much less hectic to get in mostly.

I’d be surprised if WDW version sees as low crowds, mostly because of the demographic difference wrt balance of locals vs non-locals.

I will be very interested to see how WDW handles it and will be there on opening day.

 

[firefly_ris]

Don’t expect any new monorails by/for the 50th. Disney is now refurbing the existing trains. Monorail silver debuted today.

Here's my surprised face...

 

[scrappinginontario]

Not my photos but a look at the updated monorail silver

View attachment 412729View attachment 412730

looks great!! Let’s hope they smell better too!!

I think Disney is aware that the monorails need to be updated and/or replaced. Since the replacement isn’t something that is cheap or something that can be done quickly this is their fix for now.

Unfortunately the company they’ve hired to make the replacement monorails is known for missing many, many deadlines. Who knows if/when they will be able to fill Disney’s order?!

 

[OKW Lover]

I waited very long at CR yesterday because a monorail had to be taken off the Resort Line.

The switching delays will remain even with new trains. The issue is simply the amount of time needed to physically move the switch beams, not the actual movement of the train.

 

[shoreward]

Wow - what a time to be looking for someone new to head up PR (posted on right side of linked page)!
https://www.indeed.com/q-Disney-Travel-jobs.html?vjk=e665a1ea471ef055

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

Not my photos but a look at the updated monorail silver

View attachment 412729View attachment 412730

Any guesses as to when the entire fleet will be refurbed by? Assuming they are doing them one or two at a time. They look 10x better!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Wow - what a time to be looking for someone new to head up PR (posted on right side of linked page)!
https://www.indeed.com/q-Disney-Travel-jobs.html?vjk=e665a1ea471ef055

Why "what a time'...?

 

[jlundeen]

Any guesses as to when the entire fleet will be refurbed by? Assuming they are doing them one or two at a time. They look 10x better!

Let's hope they smell better!

 

[jade1]

Let's hope they smell better!

 

[shoreward]

Why "what a time'...?

With the big roll-out of SWGE + dwindling numbers.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

With the big roll-out of SWGE + dwindling numbers.

If I'm in PR, that would be an exciting time to join.

"Dwindling numbers"... the internet loves to get ahead of itself.

 

[PolyRob]

The switching delays will remain even with new trains. The issue is simply the amount of time needed to physically move the switch beams, not the actual movement of the train.

Ahh ok. I assumed they were switching because the monorail had to be taken out of service for a mechanical issue. Maybe it was just normal switching and I assumed it was a broken monorail

 

[The Pho]

News

Box Office
Toy Story 4 won with $57.9 million
Aladdin in 5th with $9.3 million

Endgame’s rerelease at $5.5 million (with an additional $2.3 million international). It’s now only $26 million shy of Avatar’s record, it’s going to be very close either way.

https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-box-office-toy-story-annabelle-yesterday-avengers/

 

[OKW Lover]

Ahh ok. I assumed they were switching because the monorail had to be taken out of service for a mechanical issue. Maybe it was just normal switching and I assumed it was a broken monorail

You might be correct. Hard to really say. It helps if you understand the geography of the tracks.

There is one spur coming from the monorail round house to the three actual operational tracks.

1. The way the loops are set up, the inner MK loop is the one that stops at all the resorts. It runs Contemporary>TTC>Poly>GF>MK>switch>Contemporary. Clockwise
2. The outer MK loop is the one that goes express from the TTC to the MK. It normally runs TTC>MK counter clockwise. The switch beam is between the Contemporary and the MK.
3. The Epcot loop runs from TTC to Epcot and back. The switch beam for that one is just outside the MK on the Express loop.

In order to get a train from the round house to the Epcot loop it first has to travel down the spur to the express loop, then travel counter clockwise to the TTC. Outside the TTC it then can take the switch beam to the Epcot loop.

More complex is to get a train from the round house to the MK local loop witch requires it to first travel along the spur to the Express loop, then reverse to almost the MK station so the switch can move and then proceed to the inner (local) loop.

 

[rteetz]

Any guesses as to when the entire fleet will be refurbed by? Assuming they are doing them one or two at a time. They look 10x better!

I believe it is just one at a time so it may be a while

 

[rteetz]

If I'm in PR, that would be an exciting time to join.

"Dwindling numbers"... the internet loves to get ahead of itself.

Well Disneyland is seeing it’s lowest summer crowds in some time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You might be correct. Hard to really say. It helps if you understand the geography of the tracks.

There is one spur coming from the monorail round house to the three actual operational tracks.

1. The way the loops are set up, the inner MK loop is the one that stops at all the resorts. It runs Contemporary>TTC>Poly>GF>MK>switch>Contemporary. Clockwise
2. The outer MK loop is the one that goes express from the TTC to the MK. It normally runs TTC>MK counter clockwise. The switch beam is between the Contemporary and the MK.
3. The Epcot loop runs from TTC to Epcot and back. The switch beam for that one is just outside the MK on the Express loop.

In order to get a train from the round house to the Epcot loop it first has to travel down the spur to the express loop, then travel counter clockwise to the TTC. Outside the TTC it then can take the switch beam to the Epcot loop.

More complex is to get a train from the round house to the MK local loop witch requires it to first travel along the spur to the Express loop, then reverse to almost the MK station so the switch can move and then proceed to the inner (local) loop.

Somehow I hadn't thought about it in that in-depth detail-thanks for typing it all out like that

The whole thing reminds me of just normal trains. Sometimes they gotta sit on the tracks for a while as the spur/track is switched up ahead or while another train is given the priority.

 

[intertile]

looks great!! Let’s hope they smell better too!!
Unfortunately the company they’ve hired to make the replacement monorails is known for missing many, many deadlines. Who knows if/when they will be able to fill Disney’s order?!

That's partly the problem. What I was told this past week, there seems to be a multiple issues with the order. This is inter-office hearsay so take it with a grain of salt but here is what I heard:
1) the issue with the beams being a different design than the vehicles they make now is creating a situation in which if they order the older style chassis they cannot get a date of delivery within the next 5 years
2) to order the new style trains and change the beams is extremely expensive and would also require adjustments and changes to all the stations.
So ultimately it was cheaper to spend the money on a retrofit, gain 5-8 years and figure out a long term solution.

One option is redoing the mk lines and stations and removing the epcot line entirely replacing it with another form of transportation(i.e. buses, skyliner expansion (this part is my guess not a rumor)) or another option is placing the order for the trains with the old chassis and waiting until they receive them in 5 years or so. There is no clear answer yet.

 

[jknezek]

That's partly the problem. What I was told this past week, there seems to be a multiple issues with the order. This is inter-office hearsay so take it with a grain of salt but here is what I heard:
1) the issue with the beams being a different design than the vehicles they make now is creating a situation in which if they order the older style chassis they cannot get a date of delivery within the next 5 years
2) to order the new style trains and change the beams is extremely expensive and would also require adjustments and changes to all the stations.
So ultimately it was cheaper to spend the money on a retrofit, gain 5-8 years and figure out a long term solution.

One option is redoing the mk lines and stations and removing the epcot line entirely replacing it with another form of transportation(i.e. buses, skyliner expansion (this part is my guess not a rumor)) or another option is placing the order for the trains with the old chassis and waiting until they receive them in 5 years or so. There is no clear answer yet.

If Bombardier is saying 5 years it will be 8-10 until you get anything resembling a working product. I'm guessing Disney has no choice but to order and get another 20-30 years from the monorails, but they need the refurb to stretch the current, well past replacement fleet, through the next 8-10 years. They waited too long and are stuck now double paying to keep an aging fleet going and to buy new but obsolete tech to run on the old beams.

 

[rteetz]

Annual Passholders can begin booking Candlelight Processional dining packages on July 2nd.