Monorail rumor...not much new....

[Lesley]

We just returned from WDW where we had the opportunity to ride with the monorail driver from Epcot to the TTC. During our ride I casually asked the driver if he knew of any plans to expand the monorail lines.

The response I got was very similar to rumors reported here before....with a few variations. He stated that before 9/11 they had been ready to begin expansion to the other 2 major parks.....but that was held up by the drop off in tourism. (Personally I feel this was at least a bit of stretching of the truth....) He stated that the master plan is to connect all the 4 main parks and the Wide World of Sports (? I questioned this as it seems to be an odd place to expand.....the driver didn't seem to know much beyond that he had heard that they were considering this...) He also mentioned that they probably wouldn't be using monorails in situations like they have along the seven seas lagoon with very short trips and lots of stops because that seems to be much harder on the trains than the longer trips like they have between Epcot and the TTC or on the express MK monorail. He said that they were looking to use systems similar to the Peoplemover (Tomorrowland Transit Authority) for the shorter trips, like to hotels or at Downtown Disney. He did mention the concerns about traffic congestion and pollution from the busses as the major factors in considering monorail expansion.

I know cm rumors are often much of "tell the folks what they want to hear" but I figured I'd throw this out there for consideration. So, what do you all think?

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I think what he said about using monorails for longer trips makes sense. Having monorails connecting DTD, WWOS, and the parks to a central location like the TTC sounds good to me.

I'm not sure about the peoplemover thing, though. As long as it doesn't distract from the theming at the hotels, sounds fine to me. I don't see WDW doing that all over. Maybe something like a peoplemover going from MGM to CSR or to the Swan and Dolphin, from DTD to Port Orleans and OKW, or AKL to AK.

I don't think they'll completely eliminate buses, though, but they may reduce the number of them.

 

[manning]

I believe there was something on the Discovery Channel the other day about a mag-lev system being developed. I think the people mover may be a something on that order. Although it would have a big up cost in construction, there are very few moving parts and would be very cheap to operate. The company(s) developing this have plans to build a twenty some mile line from Port Canaveral to the space center. One thing to note we (america) invented it and the Japanese are developing it.

Wouldn't it be nice if Disney would build something like this to move people between WDW and the cruise ships. Just think, during the reduced travel time all the boarding paper work could be done and the train pulls up next to the ship and all you have to do is board it. It's too much to wish for.

 

[seashoreCM]

A peoplemover makes sense within Downtown Disney.

They can still run buses to the resorts, although the buses will each then have to stop at only one place, Westside for most of them, Marketplace for a few.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

A people mover running around Downtown Disney would be great!!!!! So many times I've been dropped off at the marketplace and never made it to the West Side because it's too much of a walk for my parents. And it would get rid of so many busses!

Also, if Disney could theme a victorian style monorail station at the Grand Floridian, they could theme a peoplemover ANYWHERE!! (PS...Remember when it was called the "WED way peoplemover"? For Walt E. Disney of course!)

 

[SKJandBG]

That sounds like a plan to me. I know while riding the monorail back & forth between the Kindom and the Polynesian, I had to wonder why the line had not been extended when the Wilderness Lodge was being built -- it's just too darn close for it to be left out of the loop. And after staying there on the monorail, I can't see staying anywhere else.

As for the People Movers being utilized, I can't see them being used for long distances, but they would be great within parks or for short rides between property sites.

I also have to say, my wife & I talked with a driver while we were there; she said that the trains used to travel at 90MPH... but a number of guests complained that they couldn't see anything (like the swamp & forest between TTC & Epcot), so they had to slow down to 45MPH.