Monorail Expansion

[jennsky]

It would be cool if the monorail {woud be expanded} ...wouldn't it be environmentally friendly to have monorails instead of buses?

[goofyfan4466]

that would be awesome !!! hopefully it would help the enviorment.

[jray21]

That would be great.

[TexasPrincessAurora]

I'd always heard that monorail expansion was pretty much out of the question because it was just ridiculously expensive.

[JPL]

The expansion of the monorail would be extremely cost prohibitive even if you go with a million dollars a mile back in 1971 dollars just for the beamway. Add to that the cost of trains, staffing and maintenance it seems like a far fetched dream and wishful thinking. As for the environmental issues Disney is switching to Biodisel to combat this problem which burns much cleaner and is more envioronmentally friendly and cheaper. The monorails run using electricity so in order for them to be envioronmentally friendly the power plant supplying the elctricity need to be.

[DizneyFreak2002]

At the current cost of laying the track, I doubt it....

[medic9016]

While on the boat from FW to MK last week. I ask the CM about a monorail expansion. He said the cost is just unreal. He said the last he heard it would be over million dollars a mile of track not to include the new monorail vehicles. It's not like they don't have the money.

[Jasper]

While I don't believe for a minute that a monorail expansion is coming any time soon, I do believe that Disney could afford one if they really wanted to. Of course there has to be a valid reason for doing. Let's say that maybe there is a huge savings in fuel costs, or they think it will draw tons more guests, or maybe they think it would move people around more quickly so they would spend more money, or whatever. If Disney thinks those advantages are large enough they could go ahead and do it. The problem is I personally don't see that any of the issues are strong enough to overcome the costs involved.

[mouseketeer mom]

My husband just mentioned he thinks we bought WDW a new monorail already with the money that ends up getting poured into these trips!!!:D;)
That would be terrific if it ever came to fruition. We would love to see that happen.

[wdwfansince75]

Everyone quotes the "ridiculous" cost of $1 Million per mile....A single loop to take in Epcot, AK, and the Studios would be less than 10 miles....Were I running the place, I would seriously consider two new loops, a Park Loop connecting Epcot, AK, and Studios, and a Resort Loop, connecting CSR, CBR, OKW, and POR (at least) to a transfer point at Epcot. Each loop would be similar in length to the current TTC-Epcot loop. It would make the monorail station at Epcot the new TTC, drawing more attention to Epcot for resort guests.

There is also a possibility of the resort loop anchored at the TTC, but the loop would be over twice the length of the current Epcot loop.

My sense is that Epcot centered loops would increase use of Park Hoppers....a potential source for payback.

Not sure if there would be any offset on resort busses....think such offset may be critical to justifying costs. Believe monorails would be "greener" than buses, so eliminating or cutting back buses should be the justification.

[BMan62]

Everyone quotes the "ridiculous" cost of $1 Million per mile....

Understand that the $1M/mile was in 1971 $$$. With inflation, that number would be closer to $15M/mile now.

Also, the instability of the Florida "soil" (sandbar) and the fact that WDW is built in a swamp make sinking pylons for holding up the monorail tracks more than just a little difficult. They would be better served to lay a conventional railway bed for a trolley system.

[wdwfansince75]

Also, the instability of the Florida "soil" (sandbar) and the fact that WDW is built in a swamp make sinking pylons for holding up the monorail tracks more than just a little difficult. They would be better served to lay a conventional railway bed for a trolley system.

Great idea! Would be even better if they did it with replica vintage trolleys from cities of USA, including Silver Bullets, SF cable cars, ect....

[John]

It's more like 25-30 million a mile...

http://monorails.org/tMspages/HowMuch.html

The new one in vegas cost $88 million a mile for seven stations in 4 miles.

[wjdoc]

I have to believe that construction cost really isn't the only problem. I have a feeling that it's the environmental sensitivity of the land in the area that is a major problem. In the years since the monorails have been built there has been some major legislation regarding impacting wetlands. Realistically the monorails are not complex machines to build. As per the cost of the project, concrete is not that expensive, the expense of most projects like this is the cost of the actual land to build the monorail on.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The big question is "Why?".
2) Disney does NOTHING with monetary justification.
3) There is no advantage to monorails.
4) The disadvantages of installing more monorail
. . . it will not increase patronage
. . . it will not bring in more hotel revenue
. . . it is not easily adjustable for more/less attendance
. . . it will promote park-hopping
. . . it will require more infrastructure (like repair barns)
. . . it will require lots of land for stations, let along the track
. . . it would use LOTS of designated wildlife acreage

[BrerEmma]

3) There is no advantage to monorails.
There is a demand for monorails. If there was not we would not be having this conversation.
. . . it will not increase patronage
. . . it will not bring in more hotel revenue
I think it would bring more people to the parks.
As Disney evolves the monorail must evolve. It is a hallmark of the park. At times you must say:mickey: cost is irrelative what does the public want.

[princessimagineer]

walt disney was always interested in the idea of mass transportation, maybe not necisarily expanding the monorail tracks, but anything besides bus systems i think would be realy great and im sure there is many choises that are environmentally friendly


someone said somethng about florida legislation on wetlands.... i think florida would let disney do whatever the heck they want considering they employ half the state, without disney world floridas economy would go down the tubes.


cost- disney has there own construction company? what is making it $88 million? even if it was $88 mill/mile, i have no doubt in my mind the disney can afford it, weather they want to or not is another story, like i said earlyer, there are other forms of mass transportation disney should consider investing in

i am all for environmentally friendly transportation (i drive a toyota yaris, i get 1000 miles to the gallon, if that doesnt scream tree hugger than i dont kno what does)

[brownie]

While I don't believe for a minute that a monorail expansion is coming any time soon, I do believe that Disney could afford one if they really wanted to.

Probably not when they're sinking $1 billion into California Adventure over the next few years.

[jetsdc]

It's not so much a question of whether they can afford it as it is a question of how to allocate resources. If they were to invest hundreds of millions in monorail expansion, that's money that would not be available to re-do the Studios park, or to add rides like Everest, or eventually to add the next e-ticket to the MK. The pool of resources is finite, and it's always a question of how to allocate that pool across the range of desired projects.

So the question is not whether Disney could do it, but whether it feels that guests would benefit more from a monorail expansion or from in-park amenities...