Walt Disney World: Animal Kingdom Monorail

Hi all - just got back from WDW and heard FINAL confirmation about the
plans to move forward with the monorail expansion to the AK. This park
is still low in numbers, compared to the others, and this additional
transport is hoping to boost attendance. Just wanted to share....I
know this has been discussed before....this was a leak from the WDW
planning DEPT.

dcat

As if.

"dcat" <georgiascarlet@m> wrote in message
news:1127348402.408788.171910@f14g2000cwb. o...
> Hi all - just got back from WDW and heard FINAL confirmation about the
> plans to move forward with the monorail expansion to the AK. This park
> is still low in numbers, compared to the others, and this additional
> transport is hoping to boost attendance. Just wanted to share....I
> know this has been discussed before....this was a leak from the WDW
> planning DEPT.
>
> dcat
>

Where did this confirmation come from? This story has been going around
for *years*. I heard this 3 years ago while on the steam train tour of
the magic kingdom. (acutally, the story was it would split at EPCOT,
with one spur going to the Animal Kingdom and the other going to
Downtown disney) He said they were a month away from announcing it to
the public. If it's not in a press release and can be seen being built,
then don't believe.

dcat wrote:

> Hi all - just got back from WDW and heard FINAL confirmation about the
> plans to move forward with the monorail expansion to the AK. This park
> is still low in numbers, compared to the others, and this additional
> transport is hoping to boost attendance. Just wanted to share....I
> know this has been discussed before....this was a leak from the WDW
> planning DEPT.
>
> dcat
>

dcat wrote:
>> Hi all - just got back from WDW and heard FINAL confirmation about
>> the plans to move forward with the monorail expansion to the AK.
>> This park is still low in numbers, compared to the others, and this
>> additional transport is hoping to boost attendance. Just wanted to
>> share....I know this has been discussed before....this was a leak
>> from the WDW planning DEPT.
>>
>> dcat

Some type of Monorail expansion would be great, and Disney might would do it
in spite of the high cost involved in construction of a new line, IF it
would solve all their transportation needs. But it won't, the Monorail just
can't handle the crowds during "rush hours", like the buses can. They are
limited by the amount of time that is required in each station to load and
unload guest. Plus why would a Monorail expansion increase park number at
Animal Kingdom? Attractions are what draw guest, and they could build five
or six major attractions for what a Monorail expansion would cost.

One thing of interest was during our last trip we did get to ride in a newer
new bus at WDW. It's very similar to the new buses they introduced a few
years, the main section is all at the same low level so no steps are
required, and the bus lowers and tilts for wheel chairs. But there are
steps that you have to go up for the rear section. And all of the seats
including the rear section now face into the center of the bus.

I believe that the newer buses were designed to accommodate more people, but
with a greater percentage of those people standing. :(


--
Keith

°O° + °Õ° = °õ° & °õ° & °õ° & °o°

> One thing of interest was during our last trip we did get to ride in a
> newer
> new bus at WDW. It's very similar to the new buses they introduced a few
> years, the main section is all at the same low level so no steps are
> required, and the bus lowers and tilts for wheel chairs. But there are
> steps that you have to go up for the rear section. And all of the seats
> including the rear section now face into the center of the bus.
>
> I believe that the newer buses were designed to accommodate more people,
> but
> with a greater percentage of those people standing. :(
>
>
> --
> Keith
>
> °O° + °Õ° = °õ° & °õ° & °õ° & °o°

I was on one of those newer buses a few weeks ago, exactly as you described.
The buses can accomodate more than one wheelchair rider, simply by flipping
up one of 2 rows of seats along the side behind the driver, towards the
back. We had one wheelchair on the bus I was on. The unfortunate part for
those standing, is that you have to watch carefully that you don't bump into
the rails on the floor. As the bus got more and more crowded, it was
difficult to watch your feet as you walked in.

Ellen :)

Scalemaster34 wrote:
> Plus why would a Monorail expansion increase park number at
> Animal Kingdom? Attractions are what draw guest, and they could build five
> or six major attractions for what a Monorail expansion would cost.

Really? Five or six?
>
> One thing of interest was during our last trip we did get to ride in a newer
> new bus at WDW. It's very similar to the new buses they introduced a few
> years, the main section is all at the same low level so no steps are
> required, and the bus lowers and tilts for wheel chairs. But there are
> steps that you have to go up for the rear section. And all of the seats
> including the rear section now face into the center of the bus.
>

We also rode on the "newer new" buses last January. My recollection is
different although they may have more than one seating configuration.
The rear section had a sloped floor, not steps. There was one
rear-facing set of seats (face to face with a forward-facing one).
Other than that, all seats faced forward.

Rudeney wrote:
> Steve Russo wrote:
> > Scalemaster34 wrote:
> >> Plus why would a Monorail expansion increase park number at
> >> Animal Kingdom? Attractions are what draw guest, and they could
> >> build five or six major attractions for what a Monorail expansion
> >> would cost.
> >
> > Really? Five or six?
>
> Hell, they could add five or six new *lands* for the price of a Monorail
> expansion, assuming those lands are based on the ever-popular Dinoland USA
> :-(

Well, the assertion was 5 or 6 "major attraction" - not 5 or 6 lands
that would remind one of the local carnival.

"Steve Russo" <srusso@nycap.> wrote in message
news:1127400249.940447.161210@g44g2000cwa. o...

> Well, the assertion was 5 or 6 "major attraction" - not 5 or 6 lands
> that would remind one of the local carnival.

In the past, I think $800 million was the number that had been kicked around
for a major monorail expansion, or roughly the cost of a new theme park. If
major attraqctions are still going for something in the $100 million range,
five or six new attractions is in the ballpark.

DJJ

Steve Russo wrote:
>> Scalemaster34 wrote:
>>> One thing of interest was during our last trip we did get to ride
>>> in a newer new bus at WDW. It's very similar to the new buses they
>>> introduced a few years, the main section is all at the same low
>>> level so no steps are required, and the bus lowers and tilts for
>>> wheel chairs. But there are steps that you have to go up for the
>>> rear section. And all of the seats including the rear section now
>>> face into the center of the bus.
>>>
>>
>> We also rode on the "newer new" buses last January. My recollection
>> is different although they may have more than one seating
>> configuration. The rear section had a sloped floor, not steps. There
>> was one rear-facing set of seats (face to face with a forward-facing
>> one). Other than that, all seats faced forward.

I used the term "newer new" buses, because the one we rode in was a newer
bus, that is built a little different from the "new" buses that Disney has
had for a couple of years now, like the one you described. We rode it at
night (12:30) back to our Resort from Downtown Disney, so I didn't really
notice any exterior differences. It wasn't until we got inside and noticed
that the rear of the bus was different.

Also not sure if it's a design difference, but the A/C was really putting
out the cold air. I am taking it felt like winter time on that bus. One
person got up and talked with the drive, but the air stayed on. And I
noticed when exiting, that the drive must have had a separate unit for his
area, because you could feel heated air blowing as you went by. This might
have felt really good during the day with a packed bus...


--
Keith

°O° + °Õ° = °õ° & °õ° & °õ° & °o°

Rudeney wrote:
>> I think they should just take out all the seats and make the buses
>> standing room only. It seems that more and more guests are using
>> ECV's anyhow. In fact, maybe they should just give each on-property
>> guest and ECV, build ECV lanes on all the roads, and get rid of the
>> buses and Monorail all tighter. ;-)

We saw a two couples riding around in rented ECV that had little fabric tops
on them to provide shade. They parked at TGMR and all walked in, and seemed
to have no problems, they weren't even overweight. But at least they
weren't using them to get to the front of the line.

We also saw an older lady and her granddaughter, both of who we had seen two
years ago. Two years ago she had been at the same bus stop at our resort,
and rode the bus with us to one of the Parks. We noticed her because
grandma was very talkative and loud. And all she talked about was her
granddaughter, how she did dance and gymnastic, but had broken something in
her leg. The girl at the time was seven or eight and we all felt sorry for
her.

Of course we met them again the next day at the resort without the
wheelchair, the same little girl running around the pool, and jumping in
the lounge chairs like they were a trampoline. Not something someone that
had a damaged leg should be doing, and grandma was right there.. :{

We saw them both again this trip, same grandma, same girl only now she is
close to ten and not as cute, and same wheelchair. Grandma was doing all
she could to get "special" attention for her poor granddaughter. My wife
really want to go say something to her and let her know what she taught of
someone that was using (and teaching) a child like that. But I wouldn't let
her...


Not sure how they will do it, but at some point Disney is going to have to
try and control the abuse of Wheelchairs and ECV. I know that there many
the do need them, and that of those some may have no outward signs of any
physical problems. But the percentages at WDW or a lot higher than in the
real world.




--
Keith

°O° + °Õ° = °õ° & °õ° & °õ° & °o°