Darkbeer
07-24-2003, 07:43 AM
Now, I have always questioned why Disney does not offer tram service to its hotels, or became part of the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) system, even though they are supposed to be "premium" hotel, and charge those prices....
But reading Al Lutz's article today at MiceAge.com, an O-M-G version (for many reasons), had this to say....
http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al072403b.htm
And so the inevitable is about to happen, and the Disneyland Monorail fleet will be cut back to only a one or two train operation on August 1st. Regardless of the attendance, they will no longer run more than two trains per day. Disneyland actually owns four complete monorail trains, and they have routinely run three trains simultaneously on weekends and busy periods since the hotel station was added in 1961. (At one point I understood that the fourth train, Monorail Red, was being cannibalized for parts to save on upkeep budgets, but that may no longer be true.)
But now, to reduce wear and tear on the trains and to cut back on maintenance budgets, there will only be two trains running on busy days and one train running during the off season. What that means is that it will likely be a real headache trying to use the Monorail in August since Disneyland still has five busy weeks of summer left.
Want even more bad news? TDA is also considering removing the Monorail system as an official "attraction," and only allowing Park visitors with a valid Disneyland Resort Hotel room key to use the trains on a one-way basis only to and from the Downtown Disney station. The Facilities department is currently trying to create a plan that could nurse the Monorail fleet through the 50th Anniversary and later in to the decade when the money may be found to buy new trains. But the easiest thing to do at this point is to drastically reduce the daily wear and tear put on each train, and so a "Hotel Guests Only" policy is likely on the way with the newly downsized fleet.
I am truly at a lack of words (well, at least ones I can post), and those who know me, that is hard to do!
But reading Al Lutz's article today at MiceAge.com, an O-M-G version (for many reasons), had this to say....
http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al072403b.htm
And so the inevitable is about to happen, and the Disneyland Monorail fleet will be cut back to only a one or two train operation on August 1st. Regardless of the attendance, they will no longer run more than two trains per day. Disneyland actually owns four complete monorail trains, and they have routinely run three trains simultaneously on weekends and busy periods since the hotel station was added in 1961. (At one point I understood that the fourth train, Monorail Red, was being cannibalized for parts to save on upkeep budgets, but that may no longer be true.)
But now, to reduce wear and tear on the trains and to cut back on maintenance budgets, there will only be two trains running on busy days and one train running during the off season. What that means is that it will likely be a real headache trying to use the Monorail in August since Disneyland still has five busy weeks of summer left.
Want even more bad news? TDA is also considering removing the Monorail system as an official "attraction," and only allowing Park visitors with a valid Disneyland Resort Hotel room key to use the trains on a one-way basis only to and from the Downtown Disney station. The Facilities department is currently trying to create a plan that could nurse the Monorail fleet through the 50th Anniversary and later in to the decade when the money may be found to buy new trains. But the easiest thing to do at this point is to drastically reduce the daily wear and tear put on each train, and so a "Hotel Guests Only" policy is likely on the way with the newly downsized fleet.
I am truly at a lack of words (well, at least ones I can post), and those who know me, that is hard to do!