Are the parking trams gone for good?

[Starcade]

I recently read an article where they showed how Disneyland is putting benches along the parking tram route to establish it as a waling pathway to avoid the bottleneck lines that occurred to get on during Covid. The idea is you would walk along the path rather than ride the tram and to walk back you would return through Downtown Disney and the path direction might be reverse for surges in either direction.

My concern is this is Disney's way of phasing out the tram all together and that was their plan all along but the Covid pandemic makes it easier to phase out in the name of safety. ( Of which we know they are not really that concerned ) This new plan would have you exciting through downtown Disney furthering the exit through the gift shop mentality they push hard for. I know there was talk of a similar walking distance when they were considering the Bridge across Harbor. Does anyone know if this is the plan or will they bring back the Tram after Covid is finally back to below pandemic levels? The cost savings of no longer needing the tram or tram load staff would be a savings that the "Value trimmers" in Corporate I am sure would love to enact. I know for my family this waling distance it doable but for many this will be a deal breaker as they will not be able to handle such a long trek especially after being on their feet for a period while in the park itself.

[DisneyPilot]

Highly unlikely that it is more that just a temporary Covid mitigation measure considering how much they just invested into a new tram hub at the parking garage.

[Jesser-pie]

Disney is erasing the fun specifically, so the real question is how fun are the trams?

[tarheelalum]

They very well may try to get away with not bringing it back. I suspect if they feel loss of business it may cause is greater than the savings they will gain from labor and expenses, then they won't do it. But I'm sure bean counters have been exploring that and every other concievable way to squeeze out a buck.

[denyuntilcaught]

no.

[biggsworth]

I don't think so personally. People with strollers wheelchairs and age wouldn't be happy if this became permanent and it would probably effect number of visitors.

[monster heck]

There’s nothing I look forward more to than spending 12+ hours in the park and then walking back to my car. /s

[9oldmen]

There’s nothing I look forward more to than spending 12+ hours in the park and then walking back to my car. /s

If you think they're going to have the parks open for 12+ hours, I think you are being very optimistic.

[Eagleman]

I recently read an article where they showed how Disneyland is putting benches along the parking tram route to establish it as a waling pathway to avoid the bottleneck lines that occurred to get on during Covid. The idea is you would walk along the path rather than ride the tram and to walk back you would return through Downtown Disney and the path direction might be reverse for surges in either direction.

My concern is this is Disney's way of phasing out the tram all together and that was their plan all along but the Covid pandemic makes it easier to phase out in the name of safety. ( Of which we know they are not really that concerned ) This new plan would have you exciting through downtown Disney furthering the exit through the gift shop mentality they push hard for. I know there was talk of a similar walking distance when they were considering the Bridge across Harbor. Does anyone know if this is the plan or will they bring back the Tram after Covid is finally back to below pandemic levels? The cost savings of no longer needing the tram or tram load staff would be a savings that the "Value trimmers" in Corporate I am sure would love to enact. I know for my family this waling distance it doable but for many this will be a deal breaker as they will not be able to handle such a long trek especially after being on their feet for a period while in the park itself.

You Hit a BINGO........
I have read before the pandemic, and Disney Built the 2nd parking parking garage
That Bob Chapek ,wanted to get rid of the "TRAM's" to save $ Money $ on operation .
Bob never had a Issue with guest walking and shopping..........
Disney has become a matter of worth.....for service
All the pandemic did give Disney a good reason from the True Reason $$$$$$
to get rid of the Tram Service !

[SkunkID]

EXTREMELY unlikely, but hey, worse case, maybe they'll eventually replace the trams with "mini-vans" and buses like WDW has. Or even gondolas, if they can iron out the kinks.

[Eagleman]

EXTREMELY unlikely, but hey, worse case, maybe they'll eventually replace the trams with "mini-vans" and buses like WDW has. Or even gondolas, if they can iron out the kinks.

I agree ........EXTREMELY unlikely
As OP, had put it
This new plan would have you exciting through downtown Disney furthering the exit through the gift shop mentality they push hard for.

same reason why Disney took out so many park bench's , from the parks
So guest be on there feet walking , in there shop's !!
IMO

[SkunkID]

Okay, having gone off and read the originally mentioned article, aswell as just general speculation, I'll actually go head and change from saying extremely unlikely to, probably not, though depending on how things shape up after the quarantine, this might be used by disney as a means/excuse to change how the current trams run, or even using trams.

For starters, as others had pointed out, Disney seemed to play with idea of maybe doing away with the trams when considering the new parking structure, and this has resulted in them apparently choosing not to purchase new or replacement lead and passenger cars, and cannibalizing retired ones to repair ones in active use.

Considering Disney's recent increased use of solar, aswell as the lowering price of electricity from panels in california, I'd wager they might be "running the trams till they die" to either replace them with electric versions, or even electric/hybrid buses. The situation in changing the tram paths into walking paths might be used as a way to test if guests are willing to transition to mostly walkways, perhaps additional walkways and bridges in the future, etc.

Obviously they would keep things like the Mickey Van and and probably add additional vans and buses as needed for mobility limited guests, stroller toting guests, etc. But, depending on how things pan out, this really could be used as a means for Disney to decide if it's time to upgrade/replace the trams, keep what they have now but not make additional purchases until they have to, etc.

Of course, it's only speculative at the moment, as Disney themselves haven't really acknowledged the tram roads being converted to walkways, but, there is at least an ounce of potential that this could be a sort of test for the future if the trams.

[JerrodDRagon]

lol

No they will be back but for now it makes sense not to have them but they will be back...American's hate exercise and walking

[monster heck]

lol

No they will be back but for now it makes sense not to have them but they will be back...American's hate exercise and walking

I don’t know about that. For me, after walking 25-30,000 steps in the park, a walk back to the Mickey and Friends Lot seems dreadful.

[Sun Bonnet]

I don’t know about that. For me, after walking 25-30,000 steps in the park, a walk back to the Mickey and Friends Lot seems dreadful.

Yeah. We like taking the bridge/walkway to the parks because we stop by pin traders, but on the way back we're ready for the tram.

[YeaDZNY]

Disney is erasing the fun specifically, so the real question is how fun are the trams?

Who said anything about the "Trams being fun"? I find it a bit more of a convenience and much appreciated at the end of a 12-14hr day at the parks.

[Jesser-pie]

Who said anything about the "Trams being fun"? I find it a bit more of a convenience and much appreciated at the end of a 12-14hr day at the parks.

It was a stupid joke about another bad-faith thread concerning Disney removing things that are fun specifically. Lighten up, let RJ out of your head, and know that I agree that the trams should stay.

[YeaDZNY]

It was a stupid joke about another bad-faith thread concerning Disney removing things that are fun specifically. Lighten up, let RJ out of your head, and know that I agree that the trams should stay.

Lighten up?? Um ok..wth are you talking about?? Making a statement about nothing...cool

[9oldmen]

Who said anything about the "Trams being fun"? I find it a bit more of a convenience and much appreciated at the end of a 12-14hr day at the parks.

And again, when the parks re-open, I highly doubt they will be open 12-14 hours. The Florida parks were only open 10 hours at first (starting back in July), and have now had their hours reduced to 9 (Magic Kingdom and DHS), and 8 (Epcot and DAK). I'm willing to bet that by the time the Anaheim parks have re-opened, and have had their hours increased to 12-14, we will probably see the return of the trams.
Although this whole thread seems like it's really "jumping the gun". We don't even have a date for the parks to re-open, so we haven't even entered the "no trams" era. For all we know, they could open the parks, and then a week later, realize how important those trams really were, and they might bring them back then. It's too soon to tell.

[TikiTime]

no.

What he said.