Monorail Expansion

[BamaJenn]

I'm putting this in the "rumors" section because until I see it for myself, it's just a rumor... BUT...

A friend of mine just returned from a trip on which she got to take the 8 hour Behind the Magic tour. During this, they made a visit to the monorail shop where they were able to get a sneak peak on plans (actual blueprint type things) for an upcoming monorail expansion to DHS and DtD. She said the construction had already begun (according to the CMs that maintain the monorails) but I've not seen or heard anything of new concrete pillars going up etc. They said it would be opening in late 2012 or early 2013 so maybe none of the actual "seeable" work is happening yet?

Additionally, she said the monorail CM stated they are switching (in 2014) to a system or mini-monorails for the DtD line (and maybe others depending on the results) that will be individually powered, 20 passenger cars (no more trains).

I'm curious if anyone else has been on the tour and also gotten to see these plans and/or if anyone has heard anything else. If it wasn't from someone I know is incredibly honest and Disney crazed, I'd have questioned it but she told me if I needed the proof, all I had to do was come up with the $224 to take the tour myself. LMAO!

[supernova]

I couldn't see them adding anything that far from the TTC again, unless the line split off from the Epcot line. But I could see them adding a line from Epcot over to DHS, since it isn't even that far to walk.

Then again, it isn't putting up the pilars so much as it is buidling the platforms for the lines. Let's see what happens.

[HauntedGabe]

Well if I wanted to imagine...wouldn't this be a great D23 announcement??? And in true fashion of D23, everything gets leaked prior to D23.

But the pessimist in me keeps me guarded. I'm sure there are many blue prints around back to the planning stage of MGM dating back to 1985 when Disney hastily built MGM trying to trump Universal. Sure with every change in management the idea rears its ugly head again and the finance committees kill it.

I can make up a Rumor that this is why they are shutting down the monorail a hour after closing...to work on the expansion at night.

Maybe this time.

[doconeill]

The only known construction regarding the monorail was the addition of a spur near the TTC to store the tractor so that when there is a breakdown they don't have to drag it all the way from the shed. That kind of gives an idea of the level of issues they have been facing lately.

Add the fact that they just announced they are cutting back on monorail hours so they can perform maintenance that had been reduced/postponed for years due to the ever increasing park hours and EMH, it seems that they need to concentrate instead on keeping the existing system working and eventually replacing the trainsets they have rather than expanding.

As for plans, I'm sure they have plenty of them - it has long been known that there were plans for a monorail expansion to what was the Disney Village (now DTD) that would pass through what is now Saratoga Springs (the real estate documents given to the DVC members who purchase there contain the easements on the property for it), and there are plenty of pictures of the model but it's long been a dead project.

Now, it is curious that a CM working there would make those statements...

[supernova]

I can make up a Rumor that this is why they are shutting down the monorail a hour after closing...to work on the expansion at night. Maybe this time.

But why would they have to cease service at the parks to install a line where the monorails don't currently run? Wouldn't make sense.

[DVCDad]

At a cost of approximately $100 million/mile, cant see it happening.

[HauntedGabe]

All good questions. I could see them the next round going to the airport type monorails. They hold a lot of people and are so much cheaper and take less staff an added bonus.

I cannot recall how the MK monorail was or was not interrupted when they added the Epcot monorail. I remember it going up but we stayed off site at that point and drove into the parks.

[HauntedGabe]

Now, it is curious that a CM working there would make those statements...

The first time I heard the rumor of the 5th park it was from a CM. I trust outside reliable sources much more than the CM's.

[NC_WDW_Daddy]

Seems very costly and would certainly be a surprise considering the cost-cutting measures taken recently.

[doconeill]

I cannot recall how the MK monorail was or was not interrupted when they added the Epcot monorail. I remember it going up but we stayed off site at that point and drove into the parks.

Not sure how long it took, but they would have had to only take the Express beam down for the time it took to add in the switch to the Epcot line, and perhaps some time due to the nearby construction of the platform but they may have been able to avoid that.

They wouldn't shut down now for something that hasn't actually been built. The connections would be one of the last things done unless there were other circumstances that made it a good time to get out of the way.

The first time I heard the rumor of the 5th park it was from a CM. I trust outside reliable sources much more than the CM's.

I'm not saying general CM rumors are to be trusted. However, this person actually works in the area in question, and to claim that they already started building it - which either is happening in secret or they'd have to know it was a complete lie. That's different than the general CM spouting off rumors or myths about other parts of the company. That's what is puzzling.

Or could it have been misinterpreted?

[tizzo]

The first time I heard the rumor of the 5th park it was from a CM. I trust outside reliable sources much more than the CM's.

I'm not in any way suggesting that you should believe the rumor at hand, but depending on when you heard the fifth park rumor, it may or may not have been accurate. Everything I've read said that the fifth gate was only abandoned due to the sharp decline in the economy.

[WDW1014]

i hope this rumor is true , that would be amazing. the only part im not liking is the hearing that it wont be trains if they do this Now i wanna take this tour more then ever

[tizzo]

I'm putting this in the "rumors" section because until I see it for myself, it's just a rumor... BUT...

A friend of mine just returned from a trip on which she got to take the 8 hour Behind the Magic tour.

I tried to look up the tour you mentioned. There's a "Backstage Magic" tour, and a "Magic Behind Our Steam Trains" tour. I'm assuming your friend took the first one, because that's the only one that comes close to 8 hours (WDW's web site puts it at 7 hours). But I can find no mention of it involving a visit to the monorail barn. Does anyone know if this is a standard stop for that tour, or is it more of a "you get what you get" kind of thing?

The rumor aside (I'd love if it were true, but just can't bring myself to believe it), I would be very interested in taking a tour that included a look at that facility.

[WDW1014]

i second that, the monorail barn would be awesome to see lol

[DopeyDancer87]

I can't see this happening...not right now anyway. They have been discussing expanding the line for years, even when the economy was good and Disney wasn't dying for visitors and offering deals like they are now. Way too expensive, and I don't think the pay off would be worth it for them, even if they were able to cut buses and other means of transportation down as a result.

All wishful thinking...