The Disney Parks blog has announced the addition of a twelfth monorail returning to the Walt Disney World fleet. That will bring the fleet back up to its full complement after the tragic accident in July of 2009. Monorail Peach will begin testing soon, albeit… Read More »Monorail Peach Announced for Walt Disney World.
The monorail station could be looking like this a lot more when Disney institutes its new reduced hours for the trains.
One of my favorite Robert Heinlein short stories is “The Roads Must Roll.” Written in 1940, it speculates about a rapid transit system that would move people across the country in speed and comfort. The high speed nature of the rolling roads meant that maintenance was a huge deal. When the employees decided to organize for better working conditions, well, the shit hits the fan. In some ways it foretold the air controller strike of the Reagan era. These days there is an odd tie-in to the Walt Disney World monorails system too.
Walt Disney World just announced they would be reducing the operating hours of their monorail fleet. They used to run 1.5 hours after the parks closed or after the last scheduled event (extra magic hours, christmas party, etc). Sometimes these hours were stretched even further on the EPCOT line. Now they will all shut down 1 hour after the posted closing time for the park with no allowance for extra magic hours or other events. Guests will be placed on buses or water craft to be returned to their hotels or the TTC and EPCOT parking lots.
Initially, there was a lot of outcry directed at Disney for reducing benefits to resort and park guests at the same time they are raising prices, but soon word leaked out that there was an important reason behind the shift. The reason? The monorail fleet is just breaking down under the strain.
Update: No injuries are reported and the driver of the PT Cruiser will likely be cited says FHP. Word is coming in of another Disney Bus accident. This time a with a PT Cruiser near Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 26 passengers were on the bus. Injuries… Read More »Another Bus Accident at Disney World
Over the last 18 months or so while Disney World has been getting all sorts of bad press for incidents related to the transportation system, the one constant complaint I have heard is that bus drivers don’t like the Magic In Motion computer dispatch system.… Read More »Disney World limits Bus Drivers use of Computer Dispatch System
Disney has finally filled the new position created to unite the operation and maintenance sides of its transportation fleets. The new Vice President of Transportation at Walt Disney World will be Samuel Lau. Lau worked most recently at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which… Read More »Disney World hires San Francisco Transportation Exec to Run Its System
Disney’s Magical Express will celebrate it’s 10 millionth passenger today. The family gets a private coach and a gift basket from the mouse. That’s a pretty huge chunk of visitors coming to Walt Disney World, but it’s still a fraction of the 100+ million visitors… Read More »What affect will High Speed Rail have on Walt Disney World?
Fans of the no frills and no fees airline Southwest will be happy to hear that they have finally joined the full level Disney’s Magical Express (DME). The service provides free transportation to and from the airport with luggage delivery right to the room for… Read More »Southwest Airlines joins Disney’s Magical Express
With word coming in today from Arizona of another serious injury from the bus accident earlier this week, it might be time to look at providing seat belts for the Walt Disney World Resort’s younger patrons. The five year old child who was a passenger… Read More »SeatBelts. Is it time to add them to Disney’s Bus System?