Monorail rumor

[Q-man]

I definitely think capacity wise it would work but would it be that much cheaper? You have to build new stations and then retro fit the resorts since they are built around the monorail. You’d have to redesign the TTC, inside of the contemporary and demolish stations at the poly and grand.

As far as I’m aware the beams are still suitable for now so Disney really only needs new trains.

I think it would depend on how daily operations costs stack up. Everything points to gondolas being much cheaper to operate. Write off the expense and make the change.

For those concerned about a gondola fitting into the CR's openings keep in mind that you can take out the monorails beams.

 

[rteetz]

I think it would depend on how daily operations costs stack up. Everything points to gondolas being much cheaper to operate. Write off the expense and make the change.

For those concerned about a gondola fitting into the CR's openings keep in mind that you can take out the monorails beams.

My question is wouldn’t initial costs be more than just getting new trains for the monorail? You have to demolish beams and monorail station, redesign the TTC and then build the gondola infrastructure.

 

[Tomh]

I could see some kind of elevated electric light rail system. I'm sure Disney could make it sleek and contemporary looking, and I would bet that building a traditional steel support system would cost significantly less than the concrete beams for the monorail.

 

[Ponderer]

My question is wouldn’t initial costs be more than just getting new trains for the monorail? You have to demolish beams and monorail station, redesign the TTC and then build the gondola infrastructure.

Not to mention having to redesign the Contemporary to do something with the very obvious and vacant hole in the center.

 

[rteetz]

Not to mention having to redesign the Contemporary to do something with the very obvious and vacant hole in the center.

The other question would be do they have the gondola go through the contemporary or not.

 

[Q-man]

My question is wouldn’t initial costs be more than just getting new trains for the monorail? You have to demolish beams and monorail station, redesign the TTC and then build the gondola infrastructure.

I think you'd have to look at operating cost over the second 50 years to know the answer. The latest tax laws are very favorable to big cap expenditures.

When WDW opened, monorails were supposed to be the future and 45 years later they are still a niche player.

 

[rteetz]

I think you'd have to look at operating cost over the second 50 years to know the answer. The latest tax laws are very favorable to big cap expenditures.

When WDW opened, monorails were supposed to be the future and 45 years later they are still a niche player.

We were supposed to have flying cars by now too.

 

[Ponderer]

The other question would be do they have the gondola go through the contemporary or not.

I thought about that. To me, that still seems like a tremendous amount of wasted space. I presume the gondola footprint would be much, much smaller than monorail and tracks. Can you imagine one little car coming in at a time? Has the potential to turn something majestic into something sorta embarrassing.

 

[rteetz]

I thought about that. To me, that still seems like a tremendous amount of wasted space. I presume the gondola footprint would be much, much smaller than monorail and tracks. Can you imagine one little car coming in at a time? Has the potential to turn something majestic into something sorta embarrassing.

No the gondolas will be rather constant. You will see several in a station at a time. These types of gondolas are detachable from their wires for loading and unloading purposes.

 

[donsullivan]

The other question would be do they have the gondola go through the contemporary or not.

I can't see a way they could route the gondola through the concourse of the Contemporary, there would have to be some sort of external station added to the building if something like that was considered. If you think of the practical issues, the pedestrian bridges from the elevators to the rooms on both sides of the tower would completely block the path for anything that needs that kind of aerial clearance to pass through. There is simply not enough room inside.

 

[sachilles]

To be clear, I am no way suggesting putting a gondola through the contemporary building. Makes no sense to do it. It is possible, but makes no sense to do it for many reasons.

Well how would you get in/out of the contemporary then? Unless you built a station outside the hotel and just plugged the hole through the hotel? I think they’d get in the way of a potential skyliner

 

[kbelle8995]

We were supposed to have flying cars by now too.

SO SAD. No flying cars. I would love to take a monorail to work.

 

[jknezek]

I'm still waiting on my humanoid robot house cleaner. A Roomba just doesn't cut it.

 

[jade1]

For those concerned about a gondola fitting into the CR's openings keep in mind that you can take out the monorails beams.

Good point, but that would only "lower" the floor. I could maybe see the skyliner go through but the cars would be below the floor then, so you could not get out of them.

The return line has more height to work with though.

But it might be enough room to send them through anyway.

Unless they are much smaller, and only hang a bit down. Might work.

Like others said-you wouldn't want to stop the whole process for a wheel chair etc.

But maybe there would be room to detach?

 

[afan]

I think you'd have to look at operating cost over the second 50 years to know the answer. The latest tax laws are very favorable to big cap expenditures.

When WDW opened, monorails were supposed to be the future and 45 years later they are still a niche player.

Seattle's monorail still only runs between two stops, downtown and Seattle center. When it was built for the worlds fair in 69 the thought was they would expand it which never happened. Would have been nice since we are just now building light rail.

They maintain them and only run on one track unless it's busy then they use two. Only needs two trains since it's point to point but it provides a service that people use, not just tourists though I'm sure they are the majority. I was driving under it Tuesday and the beams and stuff looked good, I didn't notice, and nothing has been on the news about pieces falling off or crumbling. But it's more of a quirky thing to do than anything.

 

[jade1]

Not to mention having to redesign the Contemporary to do something with the very obvious and vacant hole in the center.

Pretty small hole to fill IMO.

 

[sachilles]

Are those guest rooms right above the track on the right? Man, that would be annoying, as quiet as the monorail is, you have to notice it coming in and out of the building.

 

[Flayre]

Coming into this conversation late, but I'm also a big monorail nerd...so excuse me for both.

I think a lot that is being looked as it which train model they are going to go with and if the current track is compatible or if it'll need to be replaced anyway. Though I guess accommodations can be made, potentially, when building the trains. A lot of folks are hooked on price points, but with the volume of trains Disney is going to acquire I would expect some decent discounting. Not to mention there isn't a bigger stage to advertise your monorail product than WDW to help sell it to more municipalities.

My expectation is the plan moving forward is just for new trains with no expansion of the current rail system.

Comments on the Epcot line being in the worst shape, there might be a potential there for a replacement with light rail that could be tied into the new (rumored) hotel on the Future World side of the park. I can't see a gondola being used for that line with the limits to speed and capacity. I guess if they wanted to keep with the monorail theme they can rebuild stuff with a new multiple purpose station of a monorail line to the new resort/front gate of Epcot that would allow them to rebuild the line without impacting the current one. Then perhaps leave the potential there for a new light rail (or in my dreams monorail) line that would go out to the water parks and AK from the Epcot station.

 

[Canesfan3234]

yea, gondola's would not be an efficient way to replace the monorail system. they move way too slow to cover the much longer distance of the monorail compared to the current gondola plans

 

[jade1]

they move way too slow to cover the much longer distance of the monorail compared to the current gondola plans

A loop around Bay Lake is shorter than what's going in at EPCOT/DHS, but yea the EPCOT to TTC is longer.

edit: actually TTC to EPCOT isn't much longer than whats going in for the current skyliner-maybe 1/2 mile to a mile longer. But its quite a long run with no stops.