Mark VII Concept Drawing

[BigmacX]

Just looking by found a very nice article on wikipedia about Walt Disney Imagineering. One of the paragraphs talked about the upcoming monorails being developed by WD Imagineering Burke Design and TPI Composites.

It states the 2007 time frame, and of course some minor details about it. A picture is worth a thousand words.


Sorry if this is a repost, but anyway it is very interesting concept.

[Disney Analyst]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

thats hot.

[kcnole]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

looks like they follow the design of the ones I think in Tokyo in that they don't have a pilot.

[Jerren]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Hmmm, they probably will look more like the one in vegas, it is fully automatic but looks more like the current monorails... Disney sold the rights to Bombardier a while back, wonder if that has any impact on wether we will see the new design or not...

[Moonliner]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Meh, I say replace the entire thing with a real maglev train. MK to Epcot in 30 sec flat.

[BugsBunny]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Isn't this the new Disneyland monorail design? Are the Disney World monorails switching out, too?

[CastMember 02]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

:yea: Wow, pretty cool hopefully WDW's get the same treatment

[Captain Jack]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Walt Disney World, as far as I know, is keeping their Mark VI's. They're fairly new and in good shape. Disneyland is getting these Mark VII's, which are retrofutristic versions of the Mark I's-III's from 1959 to the mid-80's. When they built DCA, Grand Californian Hotel, and Downtown Disney West, the Mark V's at Disneyland took a massive beating from being run in shuttle mode. Monorail Orance @ Disneyland was stripped and chopped up to be reverse-engineered, as Disneyland's monorails differ greatly from Walt Disney World's. For instance, the beam size is entirely different. So, in conclusion, the Mark VII's for Disneyland only as of this point. One day the retro-futristic style of Disneyland's original monorails may be imported over to Walt Disney World, but for now, Walt Disney World is sticking with the leer jet look of their Mark IV's on their Mark VI's.

[MickeyMania]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Hmmm, they probably will look more like the one in vegas, it is fully automatic but looks more like the current monorails... Disney sold the rights to Bombardier a while back, wonder if that has any impact on wether we will see the new design or not...

Well, the train in picture is a concept of Disneyland's upcoming train, and DL's and WDW's systems differ in a good number of important areas, mostly especially being the size of the beam. DL's beam is skinny, so much so that Bombardier refused to contract for the new DL trains.

Frankly, Bombardier's performance on the Vegas monorail leaves MUCH to be desired. They've driven a train's nose into barriers because they didn't bother to see if the barn doors were open or not, ignored warning lights and caused a train to get stuck on the beam in the summer as a result, and another time absently opened the doors on a train in transit because the remote operator wasn't paying attention.

[Jerren]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Well, the train in picture is a concept of Disneyland's upcoming train, and DL's and WDW's systems differ in a good number of important areas, mostly especially being the size of the beam. DL's beam is skinny, so much so that Bombardier refused to contract for the new DL trains.

Frankly, Bombardier's performance on the Vegas monorail leaves MUCH to be desired. They've driven a train's nose into barriers because they didn't bother to see if the barn doors were open or not, ignored warning lights and caused a train to get stuck on the beam in the summer as a result, and another time absently opened the doors on a train in transit because the remote operator wasn't paying attention.

Oh yes and don't forget the parts falling off into the street and by some maricle no one was killed... I agree completely it leaves a lot to be desired.

[drnilescrane]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Now all you just wait a second before you get exited.

I for one would NOT like to see the Mark VII design at Walt Disney World.

WDW's monorails were specifically designed the way they were so they would fit into their sorroundings, which is not Tommorowland. If they got the retro-futuristic Monorails, it would severly clash with Epcot, The Contemporary, The Polynesian, The Grand Floridian, The Magic Kingdom AND the TTC. The neutral white design doesn't clash with any of those places. Bright Red, Pruple, Orange and Yellow with Silver Fluting Will Clash quite harshly.

The Monorails do look cool in context, but would be horribly gaudy and out of theme at Walt Disney World. Anybody who wants them just because they look cool really need to think about what it would do to the landscape. I say keep the legendary leer jets - they are instantly reconisable as a symbol of WDW and there would be huge amount of people from the general population crying fowl - Including a very vocal doctor from Seattle!

(BTW I posted that Image on Wikipedia - I now wish I hadn't considering the amount of people who I have had to condem acrosss forums.)

[CowofDisney]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Frankly, Bombardier's performance on the Vegas monorail leaves MUCH to be desired. They've driven a train's nose into barriers because they didn't bother to see if the barn doors were open or not, ignored warning lights and caused a train to get stuck on the beam in the summer as a result, and another time absently opened the doors on a train in transit because the remote operator wasn't paying attention.

At least no Mark Twains have been sunk

[MickeyMania]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Oh yes and don't forget the parts falling off into the street and by some maricle no one was killed... I agree completely it leaves a lot to be desired.

Well, some of the things that went wrong were obvious operator error, while others were building negligence, and others were just accidents bound to happen with a new system. The tire falling off and landing in the Harrah's garage is one of the last ones. Yes, it could have potentially ruined somebody's car, but they ran those monorails constantly testing them out and it only just happened to be fate that a tire didn't become dislodged during testing but did after opening. However, even during testing, if a part like a big heavy tire falls, there's no less danger to people below. It's one of the consequences of parking so close to the track, I guess.

There was some work on the beamway that was found to be grossly negligent, but after the opening year glitches, it's proven to be solidly-built, just poorly operated. Bombardier is pretty much 90% of the source of that problem.

At least no Mark Twains have been sunk

Disneyland's almost sorta did when too much weight was loaded on at once.

The Monorails do look cool in context, but would be horribly gaudy and out of theme at Walt Disney World.

I would agree that the long-nosed, mute-toned trains work better for WDW. Especially since there's no nostalgia for brightly-colored stubby trains like the old MK II and III over there. However, I don't think the current look is somehow the apex of that particular style, and they could always be improved, especially since they look less futuristic every year.

It's fairly easily laid out for them, too. Go draw some inspiration from the Japanese bullet trains.

[figment1986]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Hmmm, they probably will look more like the one in vegas, it is fully automatic but looks more like the current monorails... Disney sold the rights to Bombardier a while back, wonder if that has any impact on wether we will see the new design or not...

actually.. if i remember it was bombader's technology... though today i would bet most of there tech on the computers and such are gone....

but disney owns the design, bombader made the tech and owned it... hence the MVI in vegas... same tech, different design... just with there upgrades in tech as well...

[CowofDisney]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

Disneyland's almost sorta did when too much weight was loaded on at once.

Thats what I was referencing, somone posted an article not too long ago on the DL boards about it

[MickeyMania]

Re: Mark VII Concept Drawing

but disney owns the design, bombader made the tech and owned it... hence the MVI in vegas... same tech, different design... just with there upgrades in tech as well...

Though poorly managed, I'd take our trains over WDW's any day thank you. No driver, and no constant "shut-downs" like the one I experienced sitting in the station at Epcot. I know these are rather common, I think it was TDLFAN who asked about them and was told they were resetting so they didn't break down a few hours later during the busy period.