Why are we as a community accepting of no tram service?

[scoobdoo]

It’s over a mile walk from Mickey and friends. In the heat, no place to rest, along a roadway was never intended for foot traffic. It’s a horrible walk at the end of the day and it speaks to the current regime putting mindless coat-cutting above customer satisfaction. But above all that is us, the community, for being so accepting of it. Why aren’t we putting pressure on DIS every single day, to demand change, to return the service that previously ran every day, all day?

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

We got stuck on Grizzly River Run for a little while with an awesome family who drove in that day (we stayed onsite) and told us the walk from their car to the gate took them 20 minutes. That's insane. What excuse could there possibly be at this point?

 

[Karin1984]

Probably because for the majority of people it is a nuisance but not important enough to send a message to Disney about.

And because of that, it doesn't change.

What contributes to it, most people do not visit often. If your next visit is next year, or three years from now, you know your visit can be different from this year.

Why isn't it back? They probably have to save money for a couple of years to make up for the losses of a full year being closed.

 

[mel2014]

We were staying on Harbor so no parking lot experience but my observation was that the Toy Story shuttle experience, which is the alternative, seems pretty awful too. The lines near the end of the night were so long, almost back to the security tents.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

It’s over a mile walk from Mickey and friends. In the heat, no place to rest, along a roadway was never intended for foot traffic. It’s a horrible walk at the end of the day and it speaks to the current regime putting mindless coat-cutting above customer satisfaction. But above all that is us, the community, for being so accepting of it. Why aren’t we putting pressure on DIS every single day, to demand change, to return the service that previously ran every day, all day?

If you follow the path from Mickey and Friends as shown below, it's a little over a half mile. There are no trams. I found the same thing to be true at WDW when I was there last week. I had to walk to the parks from where I parked my car, and it was a walk.

What kind of pressure do you think will make a difference right now? I've been parking at the Toy Story lot, and though it's not my first choice, it is an option. I do leave before most of the crowds so haven't had to deal with a large wait.

And I will admit that when I parked at Mickey & Friends the first time I had to sit down on Main Street and talk myself into getting up and walking back. Once I got started, though, as tired as I was, I just dealt with it and it wasn't as bad as I had built up in my mind. The walk is lined with trees and there are benches to rest (of course, I walked early in the morning and late at night, so no sun to bother me). The people I really felt for were the ones in wheelchairs (not ECVs) and the lady walking with a walker. I hope that Disney does offer some type of vehicle service for the disabled, and that she just didn't know about it.

I guess, as a community we can just not go, but I don't think that there are enough people that are willing to give up going to Disneyland that would make any kind of monetary impact. The other thing would be to write and make a statement/complaint at City Hall.

 

[sjmac42]

I think no trams is the smallest issue atm. To me things like no Fantasmic, World of Color and reduced entertainment and streetmosphere generally, no EMH/MM, no room deliveries or room chargeback, long waits for mobile order, no FastPass as we know it and from all reports a general decline in service levels are more concerning.
But people can either vote with their feet or not.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

To be honest, as much as I prefer the parking structure, I didn't think it was the end of the world to park at Toy Story and use the bus. And if I didn't have people with me who needed that for their disabilities, I would have been okay walking. First choice? No. But it's not a deal breaker. I guess if it's something you want to protest, the best idea might be to stop spending money there for a while.

I had read that they're still understaffed. If that's still true, they probably had to choose which services to staff first and the trams obviously weren't as important as rides, shops, and food.

 

[StormyCA]

It is a real concern for those of us with 'slight' mobility impairments, not bad enough for an ECV but bad enough to 'make every step count'. I have also wondered what, if any, accommodation they make for people like me. I suppose they'd tell me to rent an ECV, but then that would take one out of service for someone who really needs it. Plus, rental fees are income, albeit a small one, and running the trams is an expense, probably a very large one.

There were no trams when we were at WDW, either, but we got there for rope drop so got 'close enough' to the turnstile. That's not an option at M&F. As far as TS, as someone who goes solo these days, after dark I just feel safer at M&F as opposed to the spread out TS lot.

Bluntly, Disney doesn't care. They really don't. Someone looked at the cost vs the bad PR, then looked at their park-going public and said "Meh, let 'em walk or rent something to get around in. They'll put up with it and not raise too much of a stink". And unfortunately, they're right. We aren't raising a huge stink. We're quietly seething, emailing GS, posting threads on boards, maybe a few are 'boycotting' but that's about it.

I do think they'll be back at some point in the dim and distant future, but it would take a HUGE boycott or, more likely, several highly publicized incidents involving guests like medical emergencies, personal crimes, or injury lawsuits to get them to step up bringing the trams back any time soon.

 

[Wedgeout]

Until trams return, another option is park in Pixar Pals instead. (It’s the newer parking structure attached on south side of Mickey & Friends with the entrance on Magic Way). Level two has the street cross over bridge. Route takes you to the Disneyland Hotel and enter the west end Downtown Disney security. More to see and do as you walk to the parks. It is a great route for days with long lines through security to get on a tram.

 

[cruisehopeful]

It is a real concern for those of us with 'slight' mobility impairments, not bad enough for an ECV but bad enough to 'make every step count'. I have also wondered what, if any, accommodation they make for people like me. I suppose they'd tell me to rent an ECV, but then that would take one out of service for someone who really needs it. Plus, rental fees are income, albeit a small one, and running the trams is an expense, probably a very large one.

You bring up my concern, too. My husband and I are going for a few hours today. He cannot walk a full mile. I mean he can, but then he won't be able to do anything else. While he doesn't feel he needs an ECV and probably wouldn't be able to control it if he did rent one, he also needs to minimize his steps and take breaks. I think if he walked from Mickey and Friends, he'd probably make it to the end of Main Street and that's about it. It would take a mighty long time to get back to the car after that.

We're planning on parking in Toy Story today. He has a parking placard, so hopefully there will be some handicapped spots left when we arrive this afternoon which will minimize the walking to the bus area. I am going to email customer service and suggest that they bring the trams back to Mickey and Friends. Even if it was a paid service, it would make things easier for us.

 

[Evita_W]

Honestly, I don't foresee the trams returning.....all other so cal theme parks that used to have them gave gotten rid of them years ago. Some with even longer walks, so I just can't see them returning.

 

[StormyCA]

We're planning on parking in Toy Story today. He has a parking placard, so hopefully there will be some handicapped spots left when we arrive this afternoon which will minimize the walking to the bus area. I am going to email customer service and suggest that they bring the trams back to Mickey and Friends. Even if it was a paid service, it would make things easier for us.

You know, I'd cough up a few bucks each way for a van or golf cart ride to the turnstiles. I guess the problem is that anything they used would be a 'traffic hazard' on the tram (now pedestrian) route. A golf cart might be 'doable' but van would really have to use something other than the tram road & how close could they get a van to the turnstiles anyway? I guess a golf cart would be the only possibility. Although I suppose you'd end up with lots of 'pretenders' using them.

 

[Steven G]

Another option is that the monorail should hopefully be back sooner than the trams (they are testing the monorail). So, once that happens, you could park at Pixar Pals, walk over to downtown disney, get on the monorail into disneyland. This doesn't help with DCA though, and you enter/leave disneyland in tomorrowland.

 

[Kit Jackson]

You know, I'd cough up a few bucks each way for a van or golf cart ride to the turnstiles. I guess the problem is that anything they used would be a 'traffic hazard' on the tram (now pedestrian) route. A golf cart might be 'doable' but van would really have to use something other than the tram road & how close could they get a van to the turnstiles anyway? I guess a golf cart would be the only possibility. Although I suppose you'd end up with lots of 'pretenders' using them.

I like your idea of a golf cart service. This could benefit families with young kids and people with mobility issues. Make the golf cart service available to everyone. Then you don't have to worry about "pretenders." If people want to use it, they can. If people want to walk, they can.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I like your idea of a golf cart service. This could benefit families with young kids and people with mobility issues. Make the golf cart service available to everyone. Then you don't have to worry about "pretenders." If people want to use it, they can. If people want to walk, they can.

I don't think this is a viable option. For one, I don't see how you could logistically have golf carts running alongside all the people walking. Also, I imagine the purchase/staffing of golf carts would negate the cost savings of not running the trams. Golf carts would be wildly less efficient than trams.

If people have mobility issues, I'd definitely recommend the Toy Story lot, which has the busses running. Unfortunately, the wait for busses can be long, but I can't imagine it's any longer than the wait for golf carts would be... and you can potentially have someone stay in the car/sit on a bench by ticket booths and join you in line if the standing portion would be a hardship.

For us, we don't really care about walking, so this is not a priority issue for us. I imagine a lot of people feel similarly. I absolutely do feel for people who this creates a hardship for, so I'm not brushing it off, I'm just saying that for me personally, this wouldn't trip my wire of something to "put pressure on" Disney to change.

I also don't think Disney had an issue with running out of ECVs, so I don't think the concern about renting one "taking it out of circulation" is necessary. It may be worth it for some people to rent it just to get to/from the gates, and then park it somewhere inside during the day...

 

[dieumeye]

Honestly, I don't foresee the trams returning.....all other so cal theme parks that used to have them gave gotten rid of them years ago. Some with even longer walks, so I just can't see them returning.

Both Six Flags Magic Mountain and Universal have trams/busses.

 

[Sunnyore]

My understanding with this is staff shortage as WDW don’t have trams running from parking lots since they opened last July. Also less park goers overall. My prefer lot is Mickey&Friends but I don’t park there now after making that trek for the Legacy passholder event over the summer. I find Toy Story an adequate substitute and maybe I’ve been lucky but the walk to the buses and haven’t been bad at all. I don’t stay until closing though. These days, I feel like I see tons of training staff all around the parks so I’m willing to give them some time. Maybe work on keeping the rides from breaking down so many times a day first.

 

[VandVsmama]

It’s over a mile walk from Mickey and friends. In the heat, no place to rest, along a roadway was never intended for foot traffic. It’s a horrible walk at the end of the day and it speaks to the current regime putting mindless coat-cutting above customer satisfaction. But above all that is us, the community, for being so accepting of it. Why aren’t we putting pressure on DIS every single day, to demand change, to return the service that previously ran every day, all day?

Because I don't live close enough to DL to go all that often
Because when we DO go, if we have to park in a DL lot, I always pick the Toy Story lot over either of the parking garages

 

[Malcon10t]

It’s over a mile walk from Mickey and friends. In the heat, no place to rest, along a roadway was never intended for foot traffic. It’s a horrible walk at the end of the day and it speaks to the current regime putting mindless coat-cutting above customer satisfaction. But above all that is us, the community, for being so accepting of it. Why aren’t we putting pressure on DIS every single day, to demand change, to return the service that previously ran every day, all day?

I doubt if you will be able to demand anything. But you can send your message to to Disney. Just be sure you use accurate information. That said, with as short staffed as Disney is, I would not expect trams back anytime soon. In addition to staffing, those returning will have to be recertified to use the equipment and the equipment will have to be recertified. As for staffing, Disney had relied on the College Program for a decent amount of their staff, and those in the program left and aren't available to return. They are slowly restaffing areas, but it all takes time.

 

[KPeterso]

I do prefer parking in the garage. But since I come with my Mom and her wheelchair, we have been parking at Toy Story. We have a handicap placard and get there early enough typically to park very close to the buses. It is a bit of a pain getting the wheelchair onto the bus, but it is far better than the walk right now. And we clear security at the Toy Story lot which is nice too so we can head straight in once off the bus. Now that the option to use the bus from Toy Story is available, that is a perfect alternative as far as I am concerned.