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View Full Version : Could the Monorail become a tram instead of an attraction?



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!

MonorailMan
07-24-2003, 08:15 AM
Wow.

Looking at it from a DTD View: Well, I think that If I was one of the owners of the DTD stores, I would be steamed. A nice quick easy way to access my store would be cut off. Afterall, it's the Downtown Disney station. What, now there going to quickly change it back to the Disneyland Hotel station?

The Monorail has been a Disneyland Icon for over 40 years. It would be a true shame to see Disney cut it to Hotel Guests only. The idea is sicking.

dav
07-24-2003, 08:22 AM
What are they used for over there, aren't they more of a primary transportation from park to park, hotel to hotel sort of thing?

-dav

jrad32
07-24-2003, 08:59 AM
They are a part of WDW huge transportation system, but still fun to ride.

The monorail news and other portions of AL's latest update have left me sickened. So much so, that I don't think I'll be going to Disneyland anytime before 2005 at the earliest. The situation in Tomorrowland is unforgivable. I think I will simply take vacations elsewhere, and if I get a Disney urge I guess I'll just have to save up for Florida.

dav
07-24-2003, 09:42 AM
I can't debate the fun quotient, but if it is more of a public barge... well, is it really listed as an attraction, a point of interest and draw for Orlando?

-dav

cstephens
07-24-2003, 11:11 AM
I'd have to say that I find the speculation about restricting the monorail to hotel guests only to be a bit difficult to believe. I can believe that the point was brought up for discussion (all kinds of things at least get brought up for discussion all over the place), but I don't believe they'd actually implement it, though.

I did find the accompanying picture to be interesting, but I'm not sure where it's from, and there was no indication from the article. Maybe it's from the express lane for hotel guests?

tod
07-24-2003, 11:28 AM
I remember back in the '80s they experimented with restricting access to the Hotel Monorail station to registered Disneyland Hotel guests only.

It didn't last.

--T

MonorailMan
07-24-2003, 11:29 AM
Originally posted by cstephens
Maybe it's from the express lane for hotel guests?

It is. ;)

Uncle Dick
07-24-2003, 11:48 AM
Restricting Monorail access to hotel guests makes no sense.

The Monorail, as it exists at Disneyland, was never designed to function as a transportation system. Its relatively short track length combined with extremely poor capacity simply doesn't lend itself to transporting large numbers of guests into and out of the park.

As a sightseeing/novelty/semi-thrill ride, it functions perfectly. As a transportation system, well, it's probably quicker and less strenuous to just walk from Disneyland to the DL Hotel.

The Monorail is the last attraction that truly reflects the theme of "Tomorrow"land. It'd be a shame to see it restricted.

JCLowesman
07-24-2003, 01:58 PM
Walt must be rolling in his grave (or freezer, if you belive that story)! They might as well put up walls around Tomorrowland, because it just became Yesterland.

I suppose the next phase will be to pull them down from the beamway and turn the trains into Eisner's newest plush stores. Just line them up in a circle, open all the windows, fill them with fuzzy Donalds, Mickeys, and maybe a few pirate hats for good measure and put a cash register in each control cab!

Maybe they could turn the DLRR into a giant moving churro machine! The Columbia would be great as a Red Lobster location, and the Mark Twain could be loaded with glow necklaces.

Where will it stop? A name change from Disneyland to Eisner Mall?

Crispy
07-24-2003, 02:23 PM
>>>I can't debate the fun quotient, but if it is more of a public barge... well, is it really listed as an attraction, a point of interest and draw for Orlando?<<<

At WDW, there is not actually a monorail station in the parks, you have to leave the parks to use the monorails, so there is no need to list it as an attraction. Also, as the fleet of monorails is used for transportation from the parking lot to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom, and from the Magic Kingdom park to Epcot, the fleet is not restricted to hotel guests. Anyone is free to use there. There is actually a seperate hotel monorail loop... it runs side by side to the monorail that goes from the magic kingdom parking lot to the entrance to the park... both beams are actually on the same vertical support. The different being that the hotel monorail loop makes stops at the contemporary resort, the ploynesian, and the grand floridian. At night when everyone rushes out to catch the monorail back to the parking lot, they used to require you to show a hotel key to get in line for the hotel monorail, but they don't do that anymore. And regular guests have always been able to use the hotel monorail during the day to leave the park, go to one of the hotels and have a meal, and then return to the park. My father and I used to always take the resort monorail to the contemporary for lunch when we were at the Magic Kingdom.

Cris