[Question] Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

[greeeneyes17]

This might be a stupid question, because there's probably an obvious answer, so sorry in advance...
Just wondering why the monorail doesn't yet connect DL to DCA.

Are they building this? Are they going to in the future? Has it been thought of and vetoed? Does it make sense? Does it not make sense? What would be the down/upsides?

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks!

and no, I'm not too lazy to walk across the esplanade, but I thought it might be useful.

[sdjeff4sc]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

This might be a stupid question, because there's probably an obvious answer, so sorry in advance...
Just wondering why the monorail doesn't yet connect DL to DCA.

Are they building this? Are they going to in the future? Has it been thought of and vetoed? Does it make sense? Does it not make sense? What would be the down/upsides?

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks!

and no, I'm not too lazy to walk across the esplanade, but I thought it might be useful.

#1 - I think it's a ticketing issue, you would need to install ticket scanners at the Monorail station in DTD, TL AND DCA. Basically, people would have to have Parkhoppers or they could ride the Monorail within the park they actually had tickets for. Aside from this would be the staff required to man those stations. Additionally, imagine how difficult it would be to tell people that they only had tickets for one park or the other and therefore couldn't get off in the other park - think of the nightmares CM's would have to endure.

#2 - There's also the issue of time....... how long it takes a single train to make a circuit. Adding a 3rd stop would interrupt the traffic on the line - not that they couldn't work around it, but I think it's more hassle/expense/headache than it's worth for TDA to put a Monorail stop in DCA......

[bkroz]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

Plus blocking sections on the monorail beam require a certain number of open zones between trains, and that spacing could not be accomplished if a station were at Stage 17 in California Adventure (which is generally where people would imagine it going).

[Jetlife]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

Tickets are required at DTD, and everything works out fine at that Monorail station.

Block zones wouldn't be a problem if the station was above the 'Soarin Queue.
I bet they could put turn-styles similar to the ones they have at the Grand Californian entrance to DCA.

I think that the stop was never put in at DCA in the interest of saving money.
It would have been cool, but unfortunately it never happened.:blush:
Who knows? It could happen.
I never thought that Carsland would be as cool as it has turned out.:thumbup:

[Koutesu]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

It was probably cheaper to leave the 1961 monorail track as is when they built DCA and Grand Californian Hotel.

[disneylandreport]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

I think the simplest answer I can give is that the monorail was built before DCA. It would cost a TON of dough to put a stop there now. Perhaps they could have rolled that in to the new DCA renovations, but I don't think people were really calling for it. I personally am ok without it.

[jaybee]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

I don't think there is any justifiable need to add the stop. It would be a huge change to operations and the costs would probably be way more than whatever benefit it would provide. Basically it's fine as as it is now as a Disneyland ride.

That said, if a third park goes up in the future, it might have some actual benefit to justify adding to the system and turning it into a more functional transportation between parks.

[calsig31]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

#1 - I think it's a ticketing issue, you would need to install ticket scanners at the Monorail station in DTD, TL AND DCA. Basically, people would have to have Parkhoppers or they could ride the Monorail within the park they actually had tickets for. Aside from this would be the staff required to man those stations. Additionally, imagine how difficult it would be to tell people that they only had tickets for one park or the other and therefore couldn't get off in the other park - think of the nightmares CM's would have to endure

I've actually posted this in a past thread, but one way around the ticketing issue would be to just have different cars for the two parks. When you get to one of the stops only the doors for that park open. The others remain closed, thus not allowing people to enter a park that they don't have a valid ticket for. If you have a hopper, you can choose which line to get in when you go to board.

[patton45]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

[QUOTE=greeeneyes17;1056820163]This might be a stupid question, because there's probably an obvious answer, so sorry in advance...
Just wondering why the monorail doesn't yet connect DL to DCA.


besides all the posts regarding the cost, can you imagine how much slower the monorail loading would be if Disneyland had to compete with DCA and the hotel access gates? Yikes.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

I don't think there is any justifiable need to add the stop. It would be a huge change to operations and the costs would probably be way more than whatever benefit it would provide. Basically it's fine as as it is now as a Disneyland ride.

That said, if a third park goes up in the future, it might have some actual benefit to justify adding to the system and turning it into a more functional transportation between parks.

I hope so, too. Park 3 will be across two major arterial streets, but it would be a quick ride down Harbor and looping through Park 3.

Theres a lot of room where the trams used to run behind Hollywoodland.

[greeeneyes17]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

thanks for the answers guys.. I guess it just doesn't make sense at least not right now, for a stop to be added.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

They may be building an external transportation of some kind between Park 3 / Convention Center, Disneyland/Garden Walk, and the Platinum Triangle (future ARTIC Station).

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

The reason I don't want it to stop there is space.....A station would take up too much space...unless the station is in the backstage area behind Soarin...because I don't want a whole building in Hollywood taken up for the monorail....instead of a attraction

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

^All great answers......but they're all wrong too.

The Biggest reason they didn't build a stop for the Monorails in DCA was because the President of the park, at that time, was determined not to replace the Mark V's. Had he had his way the Monorail Beam would be up there as empty as the PeopleMover Track.

So, looking at it from his point of view, it's easy to see why they didn't "waste" money on building a stop for an attraction that was supposedly on its' last legs.

---------- Post added 08-13-2012 at 03:40 PM ----------

The reason I don't want it to stop there is space.....A station would take up too much space...unless the station is in the backstage area behind Soarin...because I don't want a whole building in Hollywood taken up for the monorail....instead of a attraction

What space does the Monorail station inside Tomorrow land take up

[explodingboy]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

^All great answers......but they're all wrong too.

The Biggest reason they didn't build a stop for the Monorails in DCA was because the President of the park, at that time, was determined not to replace the Mark V's. Had he had his way the Monorail Beam would be up there as empty as the PeopleMover Track.

He who shall not be named.

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

^All great answers......but they're all wrong too.

The Biggest reason they didn't build a stop for the Monorails in DCA was because the President of the park, at that time, was determined not to replace the Mark V's. Had he had his way the Monorail Beam would be up there as empty as the PeopleMover Track.

So, looking at it from his point of view, it's easy to see why they didn't "waste" money on building a stop for an attraction that was supposedly on its' last legs.

---------- Post added 08-13-2012 at 03:40 PM ----------



What space does the Monorail station inside Tomorrow land take up

Not much but look at DCA...it can stop really at 2 places

Behind Soarin which is mainly unused...or in Hollywood....and even just a loading station would limit the land that hopefully will be devolved into a new ride or attraction one day..weather it be the Millionare building or The End of the Line Club/Flynn's Arcade area

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

Not much but look at DCA...it can stop really at 2 places

Behind Soarin which is mainly unused...or in Hollywood....and even just a loading station would limit the land that hopefully will be devolved into a new ride or attraction one day..weather it be the Millionare building or The End of the Line Club/Flynn's Arcade area

Which is an excellent reason why they may not have added a station later......but I am looking at it from the standpoint of deciding on where or if to put one while he-who-shall-not-be-named was drawing up the original plans for the park. Since Monorails are above ground, they could have put it in many places without taking up much of a footprint (like the one in TL) The queue for Soarin, for instance, could have been underneath the queue for the Monorail.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

The fixed-guideway shuttle may use monorail technology:

Anaheim Fixed Guideway | TransitRiderOC

Theres a map on this link.

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

The fixed-guideway shuttle may use monorail technology:

Anaheim Fixed Guideway | TransitRiderOC

Theres a map on this link.

I was a tad disappointed to see that the link did not include my catapult idea

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Why does the Monorail not go to DCA?

Jeff, are you still pitching catapults? :lol: