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The State & Future of the Monorails (WDW)

Yes, it's in the paint bay. They've been painting them all and that shot is showing the bellows removed for painting.

This will be the fifth train to be painted (Blue, Yellow, Gold, Orange) as an attempt to make them at least look better.
 
Quick update, but I don't believe removing any of the monorail lines is being seriously considered by anyone with decision making power in TDO. The opposite in fact.

By the opposite, do you mean adding lines, or adding trains?
 
I was skeptical about this rumor at first until I thought about how much sense it makes.

Closing the EPCOT line would be minimally painless for them adding bus service to and from the Magic Kingdom and the MK resorts.

There are 12 trains, and on most days 9 to 10 have to operate to handle the guests. Closing the EPCOT line (even if just a temporary thing while the hotel is built) and would allow two trains to be taken out of service for extended rehabs.

I've heard there are no current plans to replace the fleet, but instead the plan is to do what they did at Disneyland, stripping them down to the frame and essentially making them new again with updated internal and external components. This would allow them to keep operating the essential lines (Resorts and Express) and give them time to rebuild all the trains over time and not lose revenues from the hotels or impact the operations of the Magic Kingdom.
 
Quick update, but I don't believe removing any of the monorail lines is being seriously considered by anyone with decision making power in TDO. The opposite in fact.
My gut tells me that it is a bananapants crazy rumor, but then there is a little nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that this is the same company who has left abandoned PeopleMover tracks above Tomorrowland for nearly two decades. I still don't think they'll close it, just for the PR and guest services nightmare, unless they immediately started using the beamway and station infrastructure to install a newer, more advanced transportation system like someone was saying above, for an elevated PRT or something... but I think that's even more unlikely. That'd be way more expensive than just purchasing a new fleet of trains from Bombardier.
 
I still don't think they'll close it, just for the PR and guest services nightmare

I know nothing about what's being done. But I will say the PR could be handled by "we're refurbing Future World" (even if it's a lie) and guests would actually get to and from monorail resorts faster on a bus than the aging, always delayed monorail fleet. As the guy who rides it two or three times a week--it's bad. Delays are common.
 
:doh: How old are the NYC Subways? Are they still running?
The monorails were actually built right alongside some subway cars possibly even NYC subways. I believe they get new trains somewhat regularly and phase out the older cars. It would be interesting to know if they have some '89-'91 models still running. Here's a not so great photo during construction.IMG_3095-2.jpg
 
The monorails were actually built right alongside some subway cars possibly even NYC subways. I believe they get new trains somewhat regularly and phase out the older cars. It would be interesting to know if they have some '89-'91 models still running. Here's a not so great photo during construction.View attachment 5944
There’s still refurbished models from the 1960s on the NYC Subway. Although, I believe they have restrictions on their usage, like they can’t be at the end of trains due to collisions.
 
So MK is pretty packed today anddddddddd the Express Monorail is down. So only way to TTC is the Ferry. Or taking the long loop on the Resort Monorail.
 
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