Stuck on monorail for a long time!!!

[metzgardesign]

No fears....the infrastructure may be getting long in the tooth and relatively unreliable.....but there are many new DVC places going in. Yeah, baby!

 

[tinkerbella16]

As much as I love the monorail, I wouldn't be able to stand being stuck that long either. I do get claustrophobic, not as bad as others but still gets me... and we were just on the monorail Monday afternoon at the TTC going to MK and we just sat there for a good 20 minutes and I was fine at first until the entire thing just shut down and the AC wasn't kicking anymore. I started to get ansy but luckily it didn't last more than 20 minutes and we were on our way. I don't know how I'd do with 3 hours!!!

 

[Tiggerluvr75]

This happened on our 2009 trip. We were 'almost" at the Poly for our ADR at Ohana when the monorail stopped. We were stuck for 45 minutes. My kids were fine, DH took s snooze . I kept busy on my phone. What could we do?

Love the people that were getting upset though, about possibly missing their ADR's. I actually called dining, put it on speaker, and was assured that they would accomodate us. That shut up the angry people quickly

 

[Postal68]

I know it gets stuck due to malfunction, but I think waaaaay too many people confuse being "Stuck" and "holding" for a train to clear the station.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I know it gets stuck due to malfunction, but I think waaaaay too many people confuse being "Stuck" and "holding" for a train to clear the station.

The automated message that came on when we were just on it the other day said they were "holding for traffic clearance" but the whole train was shut off so I was confused, I don't think it was for traffic reasons lol.

 

[numberonenole]

It seems to me that there seem to be a lot of reports of more than 30 minute waits. We have always ridden the monorail just for fun. It has been one of my son's favorite thing to do. It killed me to get to Epcot, go through security, then head for the monorail instead of going into the park, but I finally accepted that the monorail was a major part of the magic for him. I told him about the people getting stuck, and now he doesn't want to ride it! I'm afraid we will regret if we don't ride at some point.

So...which part would be the least likely to get stuck on? Express? Resort? I think MK to Epcot is out.

 

[isobar]

We have been almost every weekend since July 1st and not once has there been a problem with the monorail. As a matter of fact it is one of our favorite rides and one day soon I plan to be a pilot. I do agree some of them are getting pretty old and I would love to see new ones, but until then I feel very comfortable riding the highway in the sky!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Lsdolphin]

The automated message that came on when we were just on it the other day said they were "holding for traffic clearance" but the whole train was shut off so I was confused, I don't think it was for traffic reasons lol.

We had dinner on Thursday nite at Ohanas and after dinner went to take monorail to MK to catch bus back to our resort. I thought the CM at the door to go out to monorail said something about someone being injured but then someone in front of me said monorail was broken down. At any rate there was huge crowd waiting for special buses to MK which were all arriving already full! We finally walked over to ticket and transportation center and took ferry boat over. The boat was practically empty!

 

[fla4fun]

Traffic clearance can mean a lot of things. It can mean a monorail in front of your is being taken on/off the track (which can take about 20 minutes or so - I enjoy watching that process from CR). It can mean they are doing maintenance checks (I tend to run into this on the resort line more than the express). It could mean there's been a medical emergency at the next station that has to be dealt with before that train can move on.

The only time I've been on property and seen something that could have resulted in a three hour wait was once when there was a lightning strike, and another time when a monorail panel got caught on the "doorway" leading out of CR and ripped a whole panel off the monorail (we were on the fourth floor when that happened, and the monorail was there for quite a while - although they did let the people off that train into CR, so they weren't stuck - just the other trains couldn't move through).

I am not claustrophobic, and so long as it wasn't summer and unbearably hot, I wouldn't care if I got stuck for a while. I usually make a habit of hitting the restroom on my way out of the park, because you never know how long the transportation will take, regardless of whether it's monorail, bus or boat. But I can understand that some people would feel anxious or panicked if it happened to them.

 

[AmyB2006]

I'm not saying they don't break down, but we go 3 times a year and travel the monorail every time, several times a trip. I've never been stuck for 3 hours. Maybe a few minute wait only while you're waiting on the train in front of you, but never stuck because it broke down.

I think all the breakdowns are over-exaggerated, personally. Yes it happens, but I don't think with that much frequency. Anything mechanical can break down. Bus, boat, monorail, car... it happens.

 

[rock_doctor]

but there are many new DVC places going in. Yeah, baby!

Apples and Oranges...but i do agree with the concept of your post.

In reality, Disney pays to build the building and then makes back what they spent a couple times over, in most cases, with in a year. DVC is an absolute cash cow!!!

 

[NinaBella]

I have been stuck on the Interstate in the same spot for 3 hours when the road is closed down to an accident. Darn, didn't realize I should have demanded an apology with tangible proof! In Tampa, there are lots of accidents nearly everyday, some with only 30 minute delay for minor accidents but yes, up to three hours if it was a major crash.

 

[TXStormtrooper]

We love the monorail and have never had any problems with either crowds or getting stuck.

We have had several other "stuck" issues, however.

When I was in 6th grade, my family took a vacation to Disneyland. Pre-Fastpass, we waited for almost 2 hours to ride Space Mountain and literally when we were finally at the very front, about 2 parties to go, the ride shut down for the day. It majorly sucked (our only day at the park), but it was also kind of cool because they turned the lights on and we were able to go in and see the ride in the light.

A few years later I went to Disney World with my adult step sister and a friend of hers, and I was in the elevator coming back up from breakfast. I was alone in the elevator and it stopped between floors. I was majorly freaked out. It was about 3 hours before they finally got me out, and my "lovely" step sister had gone to the park without me. This was way before cell phones, and she had left a note for me on the hotel room door. I was stuck by myself at our resort all day. Not my happiest Disney memory.

In 2005 at Disneyland, I was on Thunder Mountain one night with my 4 year old DD when it shut down. The ride stopped while we were on the incline going through the mountain at the earthquake. The lights came on and we sat for awhile before a CM came and got us off the ride. My daughter was so excited to be able to walk through part of the ride and see the behind the scenes parts.

In 2007 we were riding Dinosaur for the first time and it shut down at one point in the dark. The car stopped, but we didn't realize it wasn't just part of the ride because the sound didn't cut off and the lights didn't come on. We had been sitting there for several minutes before we realized something was wrong and we weren't supposed to be stopped. For a long time, we just kept expecting the carnotaurus to show up and start chasing us, as it was shortly after we passed him. DD was 7 at the time and was FREAKED out! After about 10 minutes of sitting in the dark with the ride sounds going, we started back up again. It was weird that there wasn't an announcement and that the lights and audio of the ride continued.

None of those situations were what we would have planned and none of them were ideal. I would hate being stuck on the monorail for 3 hours. That being said, it certainly wouldn't keep me from riding it.

 

[DPCummerbund]

After reading through this thread, I had the same question that many of you had - what about using the bathroom? So, I did some research. AFAIK, the "three hours" is not common at all - it was one incident back in 2009.

It began at 1:00 am, and didn't end until 4:00 am. I'm fairly certain that nobody missed an ADR! What they did miss, though, was a good night's sleep!!

Here's the news story:

Disney Monorail 911

While I feel better after reading the article (it sounds like several bad decisions were compounded by really bad luck), it still doesn't answer the restroom problem. I'm certain that it wasn't pretty.

 

[rock_doctor]

I have been stuck on the Interstate in the same spot for 3 hours when the road is closed down to an accident...didn't realize I should have demanded an apology with tangible proof!

Sorry it is not a collinear comparison. Say you were in an airplane stuck on the runway with no functioning bathroom plus you had a connecting flight at the next airport. Would you not be a little unhappy about sitting there for hours?

 

[Iowajes]

Sorry it is not a collinear comparison. Say you were in an airplane stuck on the runway with no functioning bathroom plus you had a connecting flight at the next airport. Would you not be a little unhappy about sitting there for hours?

I sat on a stuck airplane for 2 1/2 hours and because we had backed away from the gate, people were not allowed to leave their seats to go to the bathroom. Most people were fairly calm, the plane was mostly quiet, occasional baby crying. In fact, from my family members who were stuck in the airport (basically, they boarded half the plane, then were required to back away for another plane's emergency, that was supposed to take 20 minutes) they said it was way worse- with people yelling and screaming at the gate attendants. And those people had access to restrooms and food. We got bottles of water at the hour mark, but since we couldn't use the restroom, very few people drank them. And yes, we did miss our connecting flights.

I assume if there was an emergency situation, they may have made an exception; either in allowing people to use the restroom or exit the plane. Just like I think a "rescue mission" would be launched for a monorail stuck that long if there was a medical emergency on it. But often those rescues/evacuations are more dangerous than waiting it out.

But hey- I'd rather be stuck 3 hours on a monorail, even if it was crowded than that long on It's a Small World if they haven't shut the music off.

 

[NinaBella]

Sorry it is not a collinear comparison. Say you were in an airplane stuck on the runway with no functioning bathroom plus you had a connecting flight at the next airport. Would you not be a little unhappy about sitting there for hours?

Sure it is. Depending on where you are stuck (overpass, barriers, etc.) there is still no where to use the restroom. And yes, I have been stuck on a plane where we had to remain in our seats before. But I fly more than the average person and most of my flights are 14+ hours in air alone, so it really sucks when you land and then due to mechanical errors they can't get the door open for two+ hours (just one example I experienced).

In addition in 9/11 we were called to work. I was pregnant and our normal 15 minute drive to work took 7 hours where I was stuck in a car, in a foreign country, with no bathroom as we had passed the "town area" and were in the traffic between to the bricked wall area between the North and South side of the base (which ran the perimeter, thus no bathrooms. Most people had ditched their cars and walked but I was unable to walk that distance with my pregnancy. To tell you how bad it was, DH got out the car, walked to get us lunch and brought it back to me in the car.

Really, people need to realize that there are always situations worse than the one you are in than being inconvenience.

 

[luvthemouse71]

I'm easygoing on my trips. But, three hours is a long time to be stuck.

 

[Planogirl]

All of these "I had a worse situation" stories are interesting but the simple fact remains that the WDW monorail trains are getting older and more prone to breakdown. I have a car with a lot of miles on it which is fine for tooling around town but I wouldn't rely on it in a difficult area or out in the middle of nowhere.

I question using the monorail to get all the way to Epcot from the TT&C but we'll probably go ahead and use it because we enjoy it so much. I'll be sure to use the bathroom first...just in case.

 

[jenjersnap]

We had a similar experience this October on Splash Mtn. We went with it and treated it as a new experience. The evac out of the cars was handled well by the managers on hand and we even got to see things you'd only see on a behind the scenes tour.

That being said 3 hours stuck on anything would test a saints patience.

We were evacuated from Splash on October 27. It was super cool, actually, LOL, and a relief for my middle son who was getting anxious about the big drop (we were stopped at the base of the big hill.) Loved seeing what it was like with the lights on and the MSEP hangar. The CMs handled it beautifully.

I know it depends on the luck of the draw but we had several monorail breakdowns while we were on it or waiting for it during our trip in 12/10 but not a single issue during our trip three weeks ago.