Disney Parks Transportation

[Mr. Engagement]

If they’re your favourite places, how are you unable to think of even one?

Good point!
Maybe I should have said “current” examples.

I had a place clearly in mind when I wrote that, but then I remembered it was Disneyland, not MK, and didn’t matter because it doesn’t exist anymore.

I’ve always been a PeopleMover fan, and I’ve always wished they would expand the system or add another to serve as transportation.

My favorite was California’s with the roofs on each car and changing elevation of the track.

Anyway, there was a spot where the Skyway buckets passed over, and the Monotail passed under the PeopleMover, and all over the Subs lagoon! Here’s a postcard that shows what I’m talking about:

I have distinct memories of this as a kid, and it always felt like such an exciting convergence. (Also, we always used to wave to people on/from transportation.)

Anyway, while I was looking for examples, I realized I didn’t remember a spot like that at WDW.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

Just because they are common doesn't mean everyone rides them. As a 51 year old empty nester who lives in a relatively rural area, my last ride on any kind of bus was a private coach bus in Amsterdam about 18 months ago. Public transportation is non-existent across most of the country, unfortunately.

I love the buses at Disney. I marvel every trip at their efficiency and the amount of people they seamlessly move literally every single day of the year.

Don't assume your experience is universal!

 

[Ayla]

Don't assume your experience is universal!

I'm smart enough never to assume my experience is everyone else's and I'm old enough to look outside my own bubble.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

I'm smart enough never to assume my experience is everyone else's and I'm old enough to look outside my own bubble.

One of the things I enjoy about these forums is that we all come from different life experiences.

 

[phillip9698]

We are a Skyliner and bus family. We don't find it worth the extra money to stay at a monorail resort. We rode it once just to say we did but we all agree we can comfortably skip the monorail for the rest of our lives and be fine. We take the buses to MK instead of a car to the TTC specifically to avoid that rail.

Skyliner is awesome, my kids think of it as a ride and not transportation.

I'd like the Skyliner to go more places but I'm sure the "I don't want to see backstage" crowd would hate it.

 

[Fox&Hound]

My favourite places are anywhere the skyliner passes over the road network.

Ohhhh those are my least favorite- somewhat terrifying for some reason!

 

[Fox&Hound]

What a fun thread idea. My family and I love the skyliner and while it might not be to most cost effective option, we would love to see it expanded, especially between AK lodges and AK

 

[Mr. Engagement]

We are a Skyliner and bus family. We don't find it worth the extra money to stay at a monorail resort. We rode it once just to say we did but we all agree we can comfortably skip the monorail for the rest of our lives and be fine. We take the buses to MK instead of a car to the TTC specifically to avoid that rail.

Skyliner is awesome, my kids think of it as a ride and not transportation.

I'd like the Skyliner to go more places but I'm sure the "I don't want to see backstage" crowd would hate it.

Love this. I think the Skyliner was an excellent addition. I’d love to see it expanded, too!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I'd like the Skyliner to go more places but I'm sure the "I don't want to see backstage" crowd would hate it.

There is one poorly designed (and easy to fix) view from the skyliner. That isn’t the fault of the skyliner system.

I think the skyliner will get an expansion one day.

 

[nickys]

There is one poorly designed (and easy to fix) view from the skyliner. That isn’t the fault of the skyliner system.

I think the skyliner will get an expansion one day.

The Ratatouille ride building? Not sure how easy that would be to fix.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I agree! I’ve been looking for statistics about how many people Disney moves using the monorails. The best I can find indicates over 150,000 guests per day and more than 50,000,000 per year!

To me a ride on the monorail is an essential part of the Disney (especially MK) experience.

It is amazing the WDW monorails are still operating twenty something years past their lifespan! WDW manages to keep them going and still gives them minor facelifts on the inside and outside.
I have to hand it to WDW for keeping them going this long - GOOD SHOW WDW!

For the record the WDW monorail is both an attraction and transportation

 

[JIMINYCR]

I don't ride buses at home. Don't assume your experience is universal.

Same here. Where we live there are no bus routes that service us. There is transportation services for the disabled but it has to be reserved in advance and pick ups are at the homes, delivering folks for Drs. appointments and such. Further in town there are bus routes but their routes are limited.

It’s always funny how some people will say “it’s too expensive and complicated to build and operate monorails and boats all over the place” - and then look around at all the monorails and boats that have been built and are operating.

“it’s kind of fun to do the impossible”

I think the expense is real and what's keeping Disney from expanding it. Monorails and trains built by cities are paid from taxes and govt funding and subsidized by paying passengers. The cost isn't coming out of a businesses budget. You are talking about a huge process of clearing land, altering power lines, altering existing roadways, preparing the sites for track, rails and buildings and that's just some of the initial costs. And yes Disney does have a lot of people that would ride those things but the numbers pale in comparison to a city wide ridership. And they are paying customers who are continually paying for their rides. Disney isn't charging for who rides their transportation. Overall Disneys time to have build their transportation services was back when they were originally in the process of starting up. Now the cost has gone up spot that it's not feasible for Disney to expand property wide.
Boats are plentiful at Disney where they are utilized in service so I don't see where Disney needs to expand that service to their guests.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The Ratatouille ride building? Not sure how easy that would be to fix.

Literally just add a facade and some landscaping - the same way they fixed the backstage walkways at magic kingdom.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

Unsung heroes of the WDW transportation system: the parking trams!

All the flexibility of buses (except speed), and probably the most efficient load/unload on property. Not accessible for folks in wheelchairs and such, and can be inconvenient to have to fold strollers, but these trams are real workhorses.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

Same here. Where we live there are no bus routes that service us. There is transportation services for the disabled but it has to be reserved in advance and pick ups are at the homes, delivering folks for Drs. appointments and such. Further in town there are bus routes but their routes are limited.

I think the expense is real and what's keeping Disney from expanding it. Monorails and trains built by cities are paid from taxes and govt funding and subsidized by paying passengers. The cost isn't coming out of a businesses budget. You are talking about a huge process of clearing land, altering power lines, altering existing roadways, preparing the sites for track, rails and buildings and that's just some of the initial costs. And yes Disney does have a lot of people that would ride those things but the numbers pale in comparison to a city wide ridership. And they are paying customers who are continually paying for their rides. Disney isn't charging for who rides their transportation. Overall Disneys time to have build their transportation services was back when they were originally in the process of starting up. Now the cost has gone up spot that it's not feasible for Disney to expand property wide.
Boats are plentiful at Disney where they are utilized in service so I don't see where Disney needs to expand that service to their guests.

I don’t understand the “feasibility” argument in favor of buses.

I know these systems are expensive (and not just to build, but to operate and maintain)! But those other systems pre-date the buses and were always part of the vision for Disney parks.

Why do you think the parks have long included trains and monorails (both expensive) instead of just relying on buses all along?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Monorails are very expensive to build - so there is a legit issue there.

There’s not too many options for new boat routes that make lots of sense - but many that they built to begin with wouldn’t make sense either and they work!

Skyliner or peoplemover (using the generic people-mover term that can cover lots of systems) can be added for some quick jumps easily.

 

[nickys]

I don’t understand the “feasibility” argument in favor of buses.

I know these systems are expensive (and not just to build, but to operate and maintain)! But those other systems pre-date the buses and were always part of the vision for Disney parks.

Why do you think the parks have long included trains and monorails (both expensive) instead of just relying on buses all along?

Oh, so the Skyliner predates the buses? And we’re always part of the vision? Must have missed that in the books about the history of the parks.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

I'm smart enough never to assume my experience is everyone else's and I'm old enough to look outside my own bubble.

I never questioned your intelligence. It seems strange you’d feel the need to add that in.

And your age seems irrelevant. But thanks for looking outside your own bubble on this one!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

maybe we should just define it this way -

The monorail and skyliner are the most unique transportation options.

Followed by the Boats.

And the least unique would be the bus.

 

[Mr. Engagement]

Oh, so the Skyliner predates the buses? And we’re always part of the vision? Must have missed that in the books about the history of the parks.

Why so quick to be aggressively snarky and dismissive?

I was referring to the railroad and the monorail.

No, of course the Skyliner didn’t predate the buses. But the Skyway did!

Photo: Yesterland