Why isn't the monorail a single loop with a stop at the transportation center?

[The Jackal]

I've often wondered why Disney doesn't build a resort and station on Epcot line. They'd have to probably add a train or two but I think just the old airport and woods abut the Epcot monorail. People LOVE the monorail resorts.

There are/were recent plans to add a resort at the front of Epcot on the Monorail line. They seemed to have been put on hold, but someone recently posted that some permits were taken out for it.

 

[Titanium]

There are/were recent plans to add a resort at the front of Epcot on the Monorail line. They seemed to have been put on hold, but someone recently posted that some permits were taken out for it.

Wow, I wasn't the only one noticing the unused land I find this more appealing than the Reflections resort. We'd have some interesting theming given the proximity to Epcot.

 

[Chuck S]

Wow, I wasn't the only one noticing the unused land I find this more appealing than the Reflections resort. We'd have some interesting theming given the proximity to Epcot.

There would be a LOT of different theme possiblities, like theming each floor of a high rise to a different World Showcase Country, or a Future World pavilion. But sadly, given Disney recent de-theming and making lobbies pretty generic, I would not be terribly hopeful of a well themed resort.

 

[beldred]

I don't think many people ride the monorail from BLT to MK. That'd take more time than walking.

You would be incorrect. The line at the Contemporary for the monorail is quite long in the mornings. Sure, some of them are going to Epcot but a lot are going to MK.
We actually ride to MK when staying at BLT. My husband says that he walks 10 miles in the park, he's not walking any extra steps to get there. LOL

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I've often wondered why Disney doesn't build a resort and station on Epcot line. They'd have to probably add a train or two but I think just the old airport and woods abut the Epcot monorail. People LOVE the monorail resorts.

People love the monorail resort because the monorail takes them to mk

 

[Sandisw]

I don't think many people ride the monorail from BLT to MK. That'd take more time than walking.

They definitely do. We have many times when people we were with didn’t want to walk,

We also use the monorail to resort hop for food and drinks and that alone requires them to keep the MK resorts loop.

 

[CraigInPA]

I don't think many people ride the monorail from BLT to MK. That'd take more time than walking.

I wish they'd put a walking path in between the Contemporary and the T&TS. Once that was done, you'd be able to walk/jog/run all the way around the 7 seas lagoon. Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would walk to the T&TS to avoid the long monorail line at the Contemporary in the morning!

 

[Chuck S]

I wish they'd put a walking path in between the Contemporary and the T&TS. Once that was done, you'd be able to walk/jog/run all the way around the 7 seas lagoon. Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would walk to the T&TS to avoid the long monorail line at the Contemporary in the morning!

It was planned at one time, using the souvenir brick tiles, referred to as Walk Around the World. Some of the walkway came to fruition, but it was never fully completed. No real explanation, except perhaps it is because during the following years we saw the MK bus area expanded and perhaps the actual walkway route would have involved some expensive engineering. for some sort of bridge over the existing water bridge connecting 7 Seas lagoon to Bay Lake.

 

[Matty B13]

I wish they'd put a walking path in between the Contemporary and the T&TS. Once that was done, you'd be able to walk/jog/run all the way around the 7 seas lagoon. Plus, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would walk to the T&TS to avoid the long monorail line at the Contemporary in the morning!

I wish this as well, with a spur to Wilderness Lodge too. I hope they are researching how many people alternately are taking the VGF walkway instead of the monorail in the mornings and evenings. I know my family uses both ways, and the only time we take the monorail is if it is a slow time for it. We even walk from VGF to the TTC instead of taking the monorail....... but we stop for Dole Whips on the way as well.

 

[CraigInPA]

It was planned at one time, using the souvenir brick tiles, referred to as Walk Around the World. Some of the walkway came to fruition, but it was never fully completed. No real explanation, except perhaps it is because during the following years we saw the MK bus area expanded and perhaps the actual walkway route would have involved some expensive engineering. for some sort of bridge over the existing water bridge connecting 7 Seas lagoon to Bay Lake.

There's an existing tunnel under the waterway for World Drive. It even has a sidewalk. The sidewalk ends around where the monorail crosses. Once there, there are no roads to cross to get to the T&TC. Google maps says they'd need about 1000' (2/10 of a mile) of sidewalk to complete the path.

But, getting to the side of the road that has the sidewalk is a bit of a challenge. The shortest path would require an additional traffic light or pedestrian bridge on World Drive in order to have the shortest paving (200'). Because the ground is sloped down to form the underpass, Disney could build up the land on either side with a gentle incline and thus have a "ground level" cross over World Drive near the water bridge (noting that this would require extensive bank grading and reinforcement). The cheapest path without a light or bridge would be to bring a path off the back of the bus area, since that requires only paving 800' of sidewalk to connect to the existing sidewalk. Unfortunately, for those at the Contemporary, it would add about 1/2 a mile of walking over the shortest alternative.

The total distance on the short path is about 3/4 of a mile, and a bit over a mile for the long (cheap) path.

To complete a trip to Wilderness Lodge, you'd need a traffic light or bridge on World Drive and a 300' section of sidewalk to connect to the end of the sidewalk going to the cabins.

Of course, in addition to the sidewalks, traffic lights and/or pedestrian bridge, the sidewalk will need lighting.

It's all doable, but Disney needs to see a reason to do it. I wonder how they internally justified the VGF path to MK?

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

There's an existing tunnel under the waterway for World Drive. It even has a sidewalk. The sidewalk ends around where the monorail crosses. Once there, there are no roads to cross to get to the T&TC. Google maps says they'd need about 1000' (2/10 of a mile) of sidewalk to complete the path.

But, getting to the side of the road that has the sidewalk is a bit of a challenge. The shortest path would require an additional traffic light or pedestrian bridge on World Drive in order to have the shortest paving (200'). Because the ground is sloped down to form the underpass, Disney could build up the land on either side with a gentle incline and thus have a "ground level" cross over World Drive near the water bridge (noting that this would require extensive bank grading and reinforcement). The cheapest path without a light or bridge would be to bring a path off the back of the bus area, since that requires only paving 800' of sidewalk to connect to the existing sidewalk. Unfortunately, for those at the Contemporary, it would add about 1/2 a mile of walking over the shortest alternative.

The total distance on the short path is about 3/4 of a mile, and a bit over a mile for the long (cheap) path.

To complete a trip to Wilderness Lodge, you'd need a traffic light or bridge on World Drive and a 300' section of sidewalk to connect to the end of the sidewalk going to the cabins.

Of course, in addition to the sidewalks, traffic lights and/or pedestrian bridge, the sidewalk will need lighting.

It's all doable, but Disney needs to see a reason to do it. I wonder how they internally justified the VGF path to MK?

The traffic in that area from the Contemporary/MK bus zone to the TTC is pretty heavy for a 2-lane road. They've added so many bus-only resorts over the years that they expanded the MK bus station, but the road itself is the same.

The left turn lane to go over to the Polynesian from World Drive quite often backs up into the through traffic lanes. Also, the left turn when leaving Wilderness Lodge is not protected with a green arrow. Another problem spot is where buses enter and exit the TTC onto World Drive (Topiary Lane per Google Maps); there isn't a stop light, and it gets pretty thorny at certain times of day.

In general, that area is one that I could see Disney upgrading for enhanced traffic flow in the future, although it wouldn't be cheap, in large part due to going under the water near the Contemporary. I suspect if/when they overhaul that entire section is when they would add pedestrian access. Otherwise, it would be an expensive retrofit that would have high costs to make it safe enough for Disney's standards while probably having relatively low usage by guests.

 

[elenex]

This is exactly why i love and bought at PVB. Both monorail lines are a roughly equal walk away from my room. Couldn't imagine the ride back to GF if you had to go all the way to epcot on the way.

 

[mustinjourney]

I must be, because I have this sticky recollection that the long ride is from the time attributed to having to transfer and wait for another train. Maybe I'm assuming it'd feel much faster than it really would.

my recollection is that the ride from epcot to TTC is approximately 10-15 minutes of actual travel time. Although I could be misremembering.

Roundtrip on resort line is approximately 20 minutes. Going from MK to GF is about 15 minutes. So the epcot line (which does not stop) is about the same time as going from MK to GF (or 4 stops). The express monorail at TTC is significantly faster than the resort monorail, which is why I prefer taking it to/from PVB and MK.

 

[sethschroeder]

From my view they could make both monorail tracks then go to Epcot.

Want to go to the TTC or Epcot? Ride either train.
Want to go to CONT? Ride the one going that direction
Want to go to GF/POLY? Ride the one going that direction

They could all go the same way to Epcot but when going around the MK area could go reverse of each other.

Never will happen I will add and is part of the reason why I don't like VGF that much from a wanting to own perspective.

 

[Sandisw]

From my view they could make both monorail tracks then go to Epcot.

Want to go to the TTC or Epcot? Ride either train.
Want to go to CONT? Ride the one going that direction
Want to go to GF/POLY? Ride the one going that direction

They could all go the same way to Epcot but when going around the MK area could go reverse of each other.

Never will happen I will add and is part of the reason why I don't like VGF that much from a wanting to own perspective.

Thar would then require them to build platforms on both side of the tracks at the resorts to handle stops on both lines. Currently, the express line can’t stop at the resorts since there is no where to stop.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thar would then require them to build platforms on both side of the tracks at the resorts to handle stops on both lines. Currently, the express line can’t stop at the resorts since there is no where to stop.

Until the recent rebuild of the Poly monorail station, there were platforms on each side, as there were at CR too. When my sister and I visited WDW in 1976, staying at Poly, you had to choose which direction to go (straight to MK or to CR then MK) and then climb stairs from ground level to the appropriate platform. I’ve never noticed whether GF has both platforms or not, and I don’t know when the Resort vs. Express routes were implemented.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Until the recent rebuild of the Poly monorail station, there were platforms on each side, as there were at CR too. When my sister and I visited WDW in 1976, staying at Poly, you had to choose which direction to go (straight to MK or to CR then MK) and then climb stairs from ground level to the appropriate platform. I’ve never noticed whether GF has both platforms or not, and I don’t know when the Resort vs. Express routes were implemented.

GF also has both. I don't recall how the monorails operated at the time it 1st opened but if nothing else it would be for safety evacuation from either monorail.
I didn't notice when we were there a month ago but did they remove the one side at Poly?

 

[CarolynFH]

GF also has both. I don't recall how the monorails operated at the time it 1st opened but if nothing else it would be for safety evacuation from either monorail.
I didn't notice when we were there a month ago but did they remove the one side at Poly?

Yes, I think they completely tore down the entire platform and built a new one, and I don’t think the far side is any wider than they’d need for maintenance or emergency uses now. I haven’t ridden through there or loaded there very much since the rebuild, though.

 

[Sandisw]

Until the recent rebuild of the Poly monorail station, there were platforms on each side, as there were at CR too. When my sister and I visited WDW in 1976, staying at Poly, you had to choose which direction to go (straight to MK or to CR then MK) and then climb stairs from ground level to the appropriate platform. I’ve never noticed whether GF has both platforms or not, and I don’t know when the Resort vs. Express routes were implemented.

I have never noticed that they were wide enough to be one. I guess scratch that as a reason why they couldn’t do it!! Lol

 

[CarolynFH]

I have never noticed that they were wide enough to be one. I guess scratch that as a reason why they couldn’t do it!! Lol

My next trip to WDW wasn’t until 1994, and I remember noting that the wooden stairs to that side (actually, to both sides) were still there. I don’t know when, but they disappeared or were blocked off at some point before the recent tear down and rebuilding.