SSR Monorail easement?

[pkgman]

Sorry, if I missed a thread on this. I searched for SSR/Monorail and Saratoga Springs/Monorail.

I was signing papers for our recent purchase at SSR. When I came across this on the Product Understanding Checklist (Page 2)

18. This resort is located near stores, restaurants, entertainment areas, and other public establishments with nighttime hoursof operation which may result in higher noise and light levels, including but not limited to fireworks and music. [my emphasis] In addition, easement rights for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and supporting the Monorail transportation services (which also may result in higher noise and light levels and views of the Monorail system) as part of the larger Walt Disney World transportation system (which may or may not service the Resort) have been reserved. Ther are no current plans to expand the Monorail system.

A few questions/thoughts...
1. Is this just an easement from old plans?
2. Anybody seen a plan where the easement is located?
3. If monorail extensions are unfeasible. Why spend money on engineering plans to locate places for easements. Why not economically build future areas (resorts, parks and shopping areas) on property if monorails are not feasible.

I was a longtime lurking before posting/buying SSR, I do not want to start a whole thread on monorail expansion in general. But I thought it was curious bit of information that DVC thought was relevant to disclose.

 

[Beca]

My guide told me that plans were "originally" to have the monorail expanded to SSR, but that when Disney looked into the cost to have it done, it was just too expensive.

It could be that the easements were designed BEFORE the actual costs came in. Or, maybe Disney is just leaving themselves a "what if".

It WOULD be nice, though!!!



Beca

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Hi, pkgman. This subject seems to come up from time to time, but the general consensus is always the same- The easement is there "just in case", but there are no foreseen plans at this time to put a mono loop at SSR.

Enjoy SSR, and WELCOME HOME!

MG

 

[pkgman]

I figured that a monorail expansion throgh SSR would be to serve DTD. If there was a stop at SSR, it would be icing on top of the cake.

I would assume that the cost factor of monorail expansion would have been known during SSR conception. I cannot believe that they would state cost after getting an easement through SSR. You can only surmise that expansion could happen because the cost factor has been known for a long time. How could Disney say that they only found out in the last three years that was not feasible.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

1. Is this just an easement from old plans?

Yes. From very old plans.

Somewhere, many years ago, I saw Imagineering artwork showing a monorail beam gracefully curving around what was then Disney Village (now Downtown Disney Marketplace). The monorail was never built, and it's highly unlikely that it ever will be.

All this pre-dates SSR. In fact, it pre-dates The Disney Institute. But the easements are still in place.

 

[Beca]

Yes. From very old plans.

Somewhere, many years ago, I saw Imagineering artwork showing a monorail beam gracefully curving around what was then Disney Village (now Downtown Disney Marketplace). The monorail was never built, and it's highly unlikely that it ever will be.

All this pre-dates SSR. In fact, it pre-dates The Disney Institute. But the easements are still in place.

Ahh!!! So, there's the "mysterious" answer. The easements were ALREADY in place long before SSR was planned, and they just have to "notify" owners in a "public report" kind of way that the easements exist.

But, it does sound nicer for DVC guides to say, "Well, DVC tried...but, it was just too expensive."



Beca

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Yes. From very old plans.

Somewhere, many years ago, I saw Imagineering artwork showing a monorail beam gracefully curving around what was then Disney Village (now Downtown Disney Marketplace). The monorail was never built, and it's highly unlikely that it ever will be.

All this pre-dates SSR. In fact, it pre-dates The Disney Institute. But the easements are still in place.

Horace, who the heck are you? You always have top notch, extremely reliable, accurate, well thought out, very articulate answers to almost any subject that comes up on the boards.

Are you the "ask Dave" guy?

Seriously though, thanx for all the great insight. The boards benefit from your knowledge.

MG

 

[pkgman]

Yes. From very old plans.

Somewhere, many years ago, I saw Imagineering artwork showing a monorail beam gracefully curving around what was then Disney Village (now Downtown Disney Marketplace). The monorail was never built, and it's highly unlikely that it ever will be.

All this pre-dates SSR. In fact, it pre-dates The Disney Institute. But the easements are still in place.

Do you remember roughly where the easement was located? Looking at the SSR map, there seems to be only a few possibilities for the easement.
Running along Beuna Vista Dr, between Conngress Park and Springs/Paddock areas or in front of the Carriage House.

Or does Orange County have a way of looking online at developmental plats?

Thanks everyone for the fast replies!

 

[wtpclc]

I thought it was on my map in my contract package. I want to say it ran along the eastern portion of the site near the road.

 

[ricapito]

The monorail to SSR/DTD would change everything, SSR would become so much easier to get to from the parks and I suspect make it much more poular than it already is, and getting tot DTD would be a flash. It's nice to dream.

 

[OKWKirt]

My guess is there will never be a monorail to DTD. They did away with the bus service from the parks because people would park free all day and take the bus to the parks.

 

[DrTomorrow]

The monorail to SSR/DTD would change everything, SSR would become so much easier to get to from the parks and I suspect make it much more poular than it already is, and getting tot DTD would be a flash. [...]

Why do you think some of us are so pro-SSR? Almost seems like a few people might know a little something more that the rest.....

 

[K9pal]

My folks live in FL and several months ago, there was an article in the paper about how Disney has no plans to ever add on to the monorail system , due to the extremely high cost. The article gave the cost per foot and I forget what it was, other than I was shocked at how much it was!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The monorail to SSR/DTD would change everything, SSR would become so much easier to get to from the parks and I suspect make it much more poular than it already is, and getting tot DTD would be a flash. It's nice to dream.

Yes, it's nice to dream -- but it's almost certainly only a dream. Again, the monorail easement comes from ancient plans for a route that included what was then called Disney Village; that route passed by what is now SSR. So the easement shows up in legal documents for SSR. There have never been plans to build a monorail to SSR, and nobody should take the easement as an indication that monorail service is coming to SSR.

The article gave the cost per foot and I forget what it was, other than I was shocked at how much it was!

The new Las Vegas Monorail cost $654 million for just 4.4 miles. It uses the same Bombardier technology as the WDW Monorail.

 

[DrTomorrow]

[...] The new Las Vegas Monorail cost $654 million for just 4.4 miles. It uses the same Bombardier technology as the WDW Monorail.

And they had some serious design / operational flaws, too. It was shut down for a long time to resolve them....

 

[spiceycat]

since the speed train isn't happening....maybe one day - not the monrail but maybe something else.

when I first brought at OKW then DVC we had the same thing.

got explained to me in detail that the monrail was not going to happen in the forseeable fortune - but MIGHT one day.

probably in 2054....

WDW will do something to attach AK first - to either Studios or Epcot - MK is too far away. Unless of course they built another theme park between AK and Studios.....

 

[ErinC]

The new Las Vegas Monorail cost $654 million for just 4.4 miles. It uses the same Bombardier technology as the WDW Monorail.

Okay, I know that I am an engineering idiot, but why is it so expensive to build. On the surface(to me anyway) it looks like lots of concrete and some wiring! Please explain what else I'm missing in the construction of these. I'm sure in Vegas, possibly, right of ways had to be purchased, but with Disney that would not be the case. I've wondered about this several times before, but never been brave enough to ask my stupid question.

 

[Beca]

Okay, I know that I am an engineering idiot, but why is it so expensive to build. On the surface(to me anyway) it looks like lots of concrete and some wiring! Please explain what else I'm missing in the construction of these. I'm sure in Vegas, possibly, right of ways had to be purchased, but with Disney that would not be the case. I've wondered about this several times before, but never been brave enough to ask my stupid question.

I heard that the company that originally made the monorail has long been out of business, and that all replacement parts must be made custom. I have heard getting pieces to "match" the old ones has proven to be very costly.



Beca

 

[wtpclc]

Swampland is not easy to build in. The foundations would have to be WAY deep. Plus, I do not know how much of a permitting nightmare it would be for Disney regarding building in wetlands. If they had to mitigate, just another expense. I'm also guessing that being the small number of monorails in the country, the niche market cost factor comes into play. JMHO.

 

[ErinC]

Duplicate post, sorry!