Heads-up Disneyland Hotel Guests

[tjkraz]

Seems like a lot of members have shown interest in the DL resorts lately, so I thought I'd pass along this tid-bit courtesy of www.miceage.com:

"...part of that project will be a replacement of the Disneyland Monorail fleet shortly after the new submarine ride opens in May of '07. The plan now is to shut down the Monorail system entirely this upcoming winter, so folks planning on staying at the Disneyland Hotel any time in 2006 and into early 2007 shouldn't count on monorail service as part of their amenities package.

The most optimistic scenario has the first of the new trains arriving in the late spring of 2007, with the last of the new trains arriving for Thanksgiving, 2007. There is also a business model that spreads out the capital spending on this monorail project so that the new trains wouldn't all be online until the summer of 2008.

 

[bnlbebes]

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of we DVC members considering a trip to Cali next year...

Which hotel would this effect most? Disneyland or Paradise Pier?

 

[thedisneyman]

It would effect both The Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel since the monorail stop is in Downtown Disney. It's not a bad walk to the parks, but coming back to the hotels after a day of walking can be a bit tiring.

 

[wdwstar]

please tell us it isnt true..... first trip to DL and no monorail....that stinks....no wonder we are getting a discount on points

 

[Shawn]

"...part of that project will be a replacement of the Disneyland Monorail fleet shortly after the new submarine ride opens in May of '07. The plan now is to shut down the Monorail system entirely this upcoming winter, so folks planning on staying at the Disneyland Hotel any time in 2006 and into early 2007 shouldn't count on monorail service as part of their amenities package.

Thanks for the heads up. Looks like we're buying into DVC just in time. We're heading to Disneyland this December (early) and shooting for our first trip to WDW next December (2006).

Taking the monorail offline while the 50th Celebration is going on, and the crowds are a plenty, seems a bit questionable to me.

The monorail is one of the best features of staying at the DL Hotel. It allows you to enter the park from the back first thing in the morning, while all the crowds filter in from the front. It's a much nicer way to get there, and for 30 minutes or so, allows you to simply walk onto many of the fantasyland and tomorrowland rides without the crowds.

Also, although it's not a far walk from the DL hotel to the main gates in the crisp, clean morning, it sure seems a lot longer in the afternoon and evening when you are tired.

Since my wife literally gets headaches from the crowds our modus operandi at DL is for her to catch the Monorail back to the hotel when she starts getting her headaches, leaving me and the kids to enjoy the park more, Then we go back later in the day, enjoy the pool, and catch the monorail back in the evening as a family. Sometimes, if one of the kids wants me to run them home to the pool, and the other wants to stay at the park, it's a quick trip back via the monorail to drop off one, and then I go back to the park with the other.

For those who don't know, if you are staying at a DL resort, they have a special line for the resort guests -- you just show them you're room key and you get right on the monorail, rather than waiting at the end of the line for all the folks who are staying off site. Sometimes the line can be long, so this service allows DL resort guests to truly use the monorail as efficient transportation.

The point is that we take the monorail to/from the park and the DL Hotel at least twice a day, and sometimes three times a day. Making that long walk where you have to get to the front gates and then walk to the DL Hotel, would definitely detract from a stay and make it less enjoyable -- since we would feel more 'trapped' in DL due to the long walk.

So back to my first paragraph, we're heading to WDW next year, and may stay away from DL after our December trip this year until they bring the monorail back online. Hopefully the monorail is still up in early December.

-Shawn

 

[SoCalKDG]

Take MICEAGE with a grain of salt. They get things right 1/4 of the time, and even then, sometimes its only partially correct. Its very likely that they will take one monorail down at a time, refurb or replace, never shutting it down at all. Then again it may get shut down for a month here or there to work on the track. Its all speculation.

Additionally the walk from DTD monorail station to the entrance of Disneyland is only 5-7 minutes. You will wait that at the monorail, sometimes longer as the people don't have to get off outside the park. Its not really a time saver.

 

[CarolA]

My one stay there I found the Monorail to be pretty useless and walked everywhere. I was there during the week in October and the LINES for the monorail were longer then ANY of the lines for the rides....Plus I can walk faster then it runs!

 

[lenshanem]

I thought the DLH didn't have monorail access anymore anyway? I thought you had to walk over to DTD to get on it and from there it took you over to Tommorowland???

Regardless, it does stink a little we won't be able to ride it next June...