Scooter folk… who hates the new monorail procedures?

[SueM in MN]

Hadn’t thought of that! How about the steep incline up to the Land Pavilion in Epcot?

Maybe I’m overthinking this but it seems to me that the only way that weight in the back would cause a scooter to flip on the ramp would be with an extremely heavy person sitting in the seat. I certainly don’t mean that as a judgement but it would take a lot of weight in addition to the batteries and seat to flip. Maybe more weight if there is a rear basket that is loaded with stuff.

It’s not the total weight, it’s the weight distribution. The front of an ECV has very little weight on it. The majority of the weight is on the back 1/2 (regardless how much the passenger weighs, although that can make it more of an issue). The weight distribution affects the tipping point

There was a guy on an ECV on the boat from DS to OKW. They had him exit the boat in reverse on the ramp since the boat did not have room for him to turn around. He severely tipped backward and nearly ended up in the water. Rather than leaning forward as he went down the ramp, he was looking back to see where he was going and that put all his weight at the back of the ECV. It was super scary. CMs and other guests help catch him so he didn’t go into the water.

They should renovate the boat docks at OKW to be wider. I saw a guy on an ECV drive off the boat forwards at high speed. He almost went off into the water

 

[DisneyOma]

Back in 2018, a guest boarding the monorail at GF while on an ECV hit the doors on the opposite side, causing the door to come off. If that could happen going forward, I hate to think what could happen going in reverse. Also, how safe is it going to be for people already on board to have someone backing in who can’t see them? I understand where they are coming from with the tipping over issue, but this procedure sounds like it could have repercussions all its own.

Maybe they should have redesigned the ramps instead, so the incline wasn’t as steep . . .

From what I watched last month, they don't have someone load an ECV into a monorail cab that already has guests in it? I guess they could try to fit an ECV in, but we had to wait for access until the 2 ECVs were loaded near us.

 

[Debbie Jean]

From what I watched last month, they don't have someone load an ECV into a monorail cab that already has guests in it? I guess they could try to fit an ECV in, but we had to wait for access until the 2 ECVs were loaded near us.

Not very practical if all cabs are already occupied which they typically are if I need to board at GF… must I wait until there is one without any passengers? Could be a very long wait.

Even for those people who say “I don’t use a mobility device and don’t travel with anyone who does, so I don’t have a dog in this fight”, this will effect everyone since it will at the very least elongate the boarding process for all passengers.

I understand the problem for Disney, but I have a feeling this may create more issues and inconvenience than it solves. How about hanging some dead weights on the front of the scooter before you go up the ramp to balance the rear? Sort of a variation on the blocks they put behind the rear wheels on the Skyliner?

 

[Evita_W]

Well, as someone who has seen an ECV tip over (and the nasty aftermath from that) and someone who almost ripped over a few times himself, DH says he welcomes the change even though it will be a little more difficult to get on, it will be much safer in the long run to prevent tipping over, especially at the stations where you had to back out.

 

[Evita_W]

Not very practical if all cabs are already occupied which they typically are if I need to board at GF… must I wait until there is one without any passengers? Could be a very long wait.

Even for those people who say “I don’t use a mobility device and don’t travel with anyone who does, so I don’t have a dog in this fight”, this will effect everyone since it will at the very least elongate the boarding process for all passengers.

I understand the problem for Disney, but I have a feeling this may create more issues and inconvenience than it solves. How about hanging some dead weights on the front of the scooter before you go up the ramp to balance the rear? Sort of a variation on the blocks they put behind the rear wheels on the Skyliner?

Generally when this has happened in the past for us, the CMs polite ask people in one cabin to move to another to solve this issue.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Something just occurred to me-at what station(S) is the ramp into the monorail at such an angle that this is an issue? Getting into a bus, even when they lower it, seems like as much, if not more of an incline. And the angle getting off! I think of the monorail as almost straight, or just a slight incline. Compared to going up the hill in the Oasis section of the AK theme park. Or going up the incline at the Land. Or going from the Festival of the Lion King show back up to Kilimanjaro Safaris. As a former mathematician, I'd really like to compare the angle of the ramp getting in to the monorail to the angle of all the hills we navigate on ECVs around the theme parks. And I just thought of another-there's a slight hill as you leave the Jungle Cruise on an ECV-walkers go up stairs while we go up a slight hill.

 

[DisneyOma]

Not very practical if all cabs are already occupied which they typically are if I need to board at GF… must I wait until there is one without any passengers? Could be a very long wait.

Even for those people who say “I don’t use a mobility device and don’t travel with anyone who does, so I don’t have a dog in this fight”, this will effect everyone since it will at the very least elongate the boarding process for all passengers.

I understand the problem for Disney, but I have a feeling this may create more issues and inconvenience than it solves. How about hanging some dead weights on the front of the scooter before you go up the ramp to balance the rear? Sort of a variation on the blocks they put behind the rear wheels on the Skyliner?

They kept some cabs reserved for ECVs to load (only certain doors were open to start), but it was the EPCOT loop, not the resort loop.

 

[wdw4rfam]

I had read the reason for the change was that several ECVs had tipped over backwards going up the ramp into the monorail recently.
The issue with ECVs going forward up ramps is the weight distribution. Most of the weight is in the back of the ECV and up high (the wheels and motor weighs relatively little compared to the weight of the passenger). That can make tipping backward when going up a ramp easier and is apparently what happened that led to the change.

When I read this post the first thing I pictured was it flipping backward. So it makes sense to me

 

[Evita_W]

Something just occurred to me-at what station(S) is the ramp into the monorail at such an angle that this is an issue? Getting into a bus, even when they lower it, seems like as much, if not more of an incline. And the angle getting off! I think of the monorail as almost straight, or just a slight incline. Compared to going up the hill in the Oasis section of the AK theme park. Or going up the incline at the Land. Or going from the Festival of the Lion King show back up to Kilimanjaro Safaris. As a former mathematician, I'd really like to compare the angle of the ramp getting in to the monorail to the angle of all the hills we navigate on ECVs around the theme parks. And I just thought of another-there's a slight hill as you leave the Jungle Cruise on an ECV-walkers go up stairs while we go up a slight hill.

For DH, specifically the Magic Kingdom stop (don't remember which direction) is very problematic when exiting. It isn't just about how steep the ramp is, but also how slowly you need to back out to make sure you don't go off the platform and the fact that you are backing out adds to the complexity. And to add further complications, you have people that load up their scooter with backpacks, shopping bags and such hanging off the back. Add in any rear mounted accessories like baskets, sunshades, etc. And they become even more top heavy. They are more likely to have shopping bags at the monorail, as people leave the parks or hotels after shopping. And no, DH doesn't do these these things, but it can add to the problems.

Simple math actually becomes very complicated here.

 

[Groot]

When I read this post the first thing I pictured was it flipping backward. So it makes sense to me

Especially since a lot of people rent the 3 wheel scooters vs. the 4 wheelers.

 

[Evita_W]

Especially since a lot of people rent the 3 wheel scooters vs. the 4 wheelers.

The 4 wheelers flip just as much as the 3 wheelers in this case, as it is all about weight distribution between front and back and the 4 wheeler doesn't really change that too much.

 

[Groot]

Plus, in practically EVERY mobility device OWNER’S MANUAL ever made, there’s CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHERE in there that states “DO NOT BACK YOUR DEVICE UP/DOWN HILLS.”

 

[Evita_W]

Plus, in practically EVERY mobility device OWNER’S MANUAL ever made, there’s CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS SOMEWHERE in there that states “DO NOT BACK YOUR DEVICE UP/DOWN HILLS.”

This is a very valid point, sometimes you have to on a ramp in order to get on or off of transportation, but you definitely shouldn't do it if avoidable.

 

[Selket]

I must be the only person who enjoys driving my ECV backwards…haha! I had wondered about the monorail change after experiencing it a few trips this summer. The only thing I don’t love is the door is open on the opposite side (so behind you) when back in. I can’t believe no one has misjudged the reverse and gone too far and tipped out the door behind them. I swear the door behind me was open each time I backed in.

 

[Evita_W]

I must be the only person who enjoys driving my ECV backwards…haha! I had wondered about the monorail change after experiencing it a few trips this summer. The only thing I don’t love is the door is open on the opposite side (so behind you) when back in. I can’t believe no one has misjudged the reverse and gone too far and tipped out the door behind them. I swear the door behind me was open each time I backed in.

It used to be if the other door was open, as CM was in the doorway, is that no longer the case?

 

[Selket]

It used to be if the other door was open, as CM was in the doorway, is that no longer the case?

I don’t remember anybody being at the open door behind me. I remember turning around to judge how far back I was once all the wheels were off the ramp. I won’t swear to it but I remember thinking wow I could just go out the back of this thing. I stayed at the CR in July and August and took it a bunch.

Which line is it exactly? I’m here now and I’ll go over and ride it if I have time today (which isn’t likely but I might).

 

[SueM in MN]

… that require you to back up the ramp to board? CM told me this was instituted 2 months ago. I never had any issues backing out and don’t know why they changed it. For me backing UP the ramp is so much more difficult!

Anyone else????

Which monorail line and which stop?
It's possible that only some stations have this issue. I'm thinking maybe Magic Kingdom because that is the tightest

 

[only hope]

The inclines in the parks aren’t comparable to the ramp to get on the monorail. Hills in the parks are just a gradual upward slope that ends gently. The ramp to the monorail ends with a surface that is suddenly flat.

 

[TCRAIG]

I had to back into the monorail from MK to Grand Floridian last night - it was easy peasy - and I can’t twist around due to back issues. The CMs let you know if you’re lined up straight and let you know how far back you are so there’s no bumping into the doors…

 

[disney-inspired]

I have many fears about the ramp at the TTC because my ecv has died TWICE on that hill.
From now on I will avoid the TTC when at all possible.