Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours

[bicker]

I also see this as a non-issue for our BLT visits, and really, I don't see this as a significant concern regarding any future GFV visits we'll make. The busses will be running, and EMH is a benefit because fewer guests are in the park - it sense that that fantastic benefit will have a small down-side in terms of transportation options.

I surely do not want my fees to reflect this added cost, and I don't expect anyone else to pick up the tab for transportation to/from my timeshare.

 

[asta]

I may not be reading this right, but wouldn't it also affect those guests who are staying at a Disney resort that is not on the monorail line, but choose to use their own car or rent a car for whatever reason? If they are parked at the TTC (either because they are at EMH at MK or because they hopped from MK to Epcot for EMH) how do they get back? I am guessing that they will have to have buses shuttle them there, which I think is what a lot of people are trying to avoid by using a car in the first place.

From the MK you can take the big ferry back to the TTC. From the other parks it will either be bus or car. I imagine there will be more buses and longer waits.

 

[BrerMama]

I may not be reading this right, but wouldn't it also affect those guests who are staying at a Disney resort that is not on the monorail line, but choose to use their own car or rent a car for whatever reason? If they are parked at the TTC (either because they are at EMH at MK or because they hopped from MK to Epcot for EMH) how do they get back?

The announcement said boats will still be running, so I'm thinking the ferry. Now if you parked at MK and then rode the monorail to Epcot for EMH, there's going to have to be a bus or something...

 

[stargazertechie]

Two CMs, two internal memos, two different stories.

For some reason, this doesn't surprise me.

 

[doconeill]

Exact wording from a internal memo posted.

Is this change permanent?

Yes, although we regularly evaluate and adjust our operations based on a variety of operational considerations.

Thanks for the update. So I'm reading the entirety of this as they just don't have enough time during down hours to do all the maintenance that is required to keep the system operating.

However, if we don't see a relative decrease in the breakdowns, we'll know it was just cost-cutting.

They will need to provide service to TTC as people will have park-hopped through the TTC and may need to get back to DHS/AK.

 

[rbenn81]

Ticket prices go up year after year but the service provided seems to get lesser and lesser! I just don't see the value of staying at one of the monorail resorts if you're limited to when it's in use.

This is not just the resort line but the enitre monorail system is shutting down an hour after the park closes. Can you imagine what it's going to do to the other forms of transportation? You think people complain about the wait time for buses now at the end of the night, just wait!!!

DISNEY yet another great idea!!!

 

[bellemeeko1]

This is what WDWMAGIC released:

Monorails to no longer operate during Evening Extra Magic Hours
Jul 09, 2011

Beginning on July 11 2011, the Epcot monorail service will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing, and from August 1 2011, the Magic Kingdom monorail will stop operation 1 hour after regular park closing. This means that in both cases, the monorail will not be able to return guests back to their resorts after evening Extra Magic Hours. Guests will instead be transported by bus and boats where available. Morning Extra Magic Hour service has not been affected. All indications are that this is a permanent change.

 

[bicker]

The direction this all seems to be going is to slowly ratchet down pieces of evening EMH for their eventual elimination.

They're not going to continue to do anything that isn't in their owners' best interest, and they're not going to not do anything that is in their owners' best interest. So EMH is going to be or not be offered based on how much we guests make it worthwhile (read: $$$) to Disney to offer it.

I don't mind admitting that my family is "part of the problem" in that regard. We've been practicing the "avoid EMH" approach for years now. The kids' ability to stick it through to the end of the day varies so much with age that evening EMH doesn't amount to much for us, and if we're typical, it would make a lot of sense that evening EMH would be eliminated. The key to making EMH stay is making is a major reason why a lot of people pay extra to stay at WDW. This is a "hearts and minds of the guests" thing. It's not some capriciousness going on behind closed doors.

I can confirm that this is NOT temporary.

Well, nothing is permanent. They did away with Surprise Mornings when the benefits to the company weren't high enough and the costs were consequently too high, and then they introduced EMH with a big flourish just a short time later, almost surely gaining financial benefits from doing so. Things are reevaluated repeatedly over time, and that isn't just a Disney thing - that's true far more generally.

 

[WEDWDW]

I think something that may be being "lost" is that,if I understand the announcement correctly, the change is for EVERYDAY,not just EEMH days.

That means Guests will have one hour to get to the Epcot Monorail after closing which could be hard with a late ADR or "after closing" shopping at Mouse Gears,etc.

 

[snykymom]

One "benefit", I suppose, is that this will inconvenience the non-resort guests who routinely hang around for EMH, and since the monorail resorts have little appeal to me, it won't affect me much. MK is the one park we won't drive to anyway because of the TTC and the mess of a parking lot.

But not having the monorail does take away from the "feel" of the place. Walking out and seeing the monorail whizz by, or taking it to a resort for drinks or a meal - that's lovely.

I wonder as well how this will affect the TTC for party guests? You don't have to be staying at a resort to go to the MNSSHP or MVMCP - it will be interesting to see how they manage the parking lot on those nights if the monorails stop running to the TTC.

 

[Oglet]

I think something that may be being "lost" is that,if I understand the announcement correctly, the change is for EVERYDAY,not just EEMH days.

That means Guests will have one hour to get to the Epcot Monorail after closing which could be hard with a late ADR or "after closing" shopping at Mouse Gears,etc.

I believe you are correct, from the way I read the memo it quite clearly stated that as well.

I wonder as well how this will affect the TTC for party guests? You don't have to be staying at a resort to go to the MNSSHP or MVMCP - it will be interesting to see how they manage the parking lot on those nights if the monorails stop running to the TTC.

I would guess they will keep the Monorail service running on those nights due to the sheer number of guests in the park.

 

[crostorfer]

One "benefit", I suppose, is that this will inconvenience the non-resort guests who routinely hang around for EMH, and since the monorail resorts have little appeal to me, it won't affect me much. MK is the one park we won't drive to anyway because of the TTC and the mess of a parking lot.

But not having the monorail does take away from the "feel" of the place. Walking out and seeing the monorail whizz by, or taking it to a resort for drinks or a meal - that's lovely.

I wonder as well how this will affect the TTC for party guests? You don't have to be staying at a resort to go to the MNSSHP or MVMCP - it will be interesting to see how they manage the parking lot on those nights if the monorails stop running to the TTC.

WOW, I didn't think of that. So all party guests who drive in will be forced to take the ferry across to the TTC.

 

[rbenn81]

I think something that may be being "lost" is that,if I understand the announcement correctly, the change is for EVERYDAY,not just EEMH days.

That means Guests will have one hour to get to the Epcot Monorail after closing which could be hard with a late ADR or "after closing" shopping at Mouse Gears,etc.

That is exactly how I read it. That the monorail will stop running an hour after close on these dates.

 

[E&K's Dad]

I think something that may be being "lost" is that,if I understand the announcement correctly, the change is for EVERYDAY,not just EEMH days.

That means Guests will have one hour to get to the Epcot Monorail after closing which could be hard with a late ADR or "after closing" shopping at Mouse Gears,etc.

@WEDWDW, good point! I was so tied up on the EMH issue but the hour after park closing is probably a bigger deal. I wonder what this means for a guest staying at the Poly who goes to the CR for a late dinner and drinks and then needs to get back the their resort.

 

[asta]

I believe you are correct, from the way I read the memo it quite clearly stated that as well.




I would guess they will keep the Monorail service running on those nights due to the sheer number of guests in the park.

Are those nights more crowded than evening EMH? I have never been to either MNSSHP or MVMCP but many times the MK is absolutely packed for evening EMH. If the ferries and buses can handle those crowds, they would probably be able to handle those paid events. Maybe since those are paid events, they will get better service.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Hmm, any guesses on if the monorail will be running on MVMCP nights? We've got late ADRs on several nights at monorail resorts. I was counting on being able to catch the monorail back to MK and catching a bus back to Boardwalk/Dolphin (split stay) from there. I may be rethinking that and switching to dinners at the Swolphin restaurants, since 6 of the 8 nights we're there MK either has EEMH or MVMCP.

 

[SmallWorld71]

From the MK you can take the big ferry back to the TTC. From the other parks it will either be bus or car. I imagine there will be more buses and longer waits.

The announcement said boats will still be running, so I'm thinking the ferry. Now if you parked at MK and then rode the monorail to Epcot for EMH, there's going to have to be a bus or something...

Not sure how I forgot about the ferry! It's not like it's this teeny, tiny thing...

 

[DebbieB]

I think something that may be being "lost" is that,if I understand the announcement correctly, the change is for EVERYDAY,not just EEMH days.

That means Guests will have one hour to get to the Epcot Monorail after closing which could be hard with a late ADR or "after closing" shopping at Mouse Gears,etc.

So you'll have to take a bus instead.

 

[think-like-tink]

Well, I guess that made my decision to stay at Shades of Green for sure now. We always drive down anyway, now it seems no point in staying at a monorail resort. I am bummed.

 

[SRUAlmn]

This is absolutely ridiculous! We save and save and save so we can afford to stay Deluxe each year because we really don't like having to use the busses. We choose Epcot or MK resorts because we can use the monorail and avoid the bus hassle. If they're going to limit monorail hours, then they need to decrease Deluxe prices because they've reduced one of the incentives of staying there. Yes, you can still use the boats, but like the quote below, what about resort to resort visiting, or Epcot to MK resort trips where you'll have to take a bus? I find this REALLY annoying

@WEDWDW, good point! I was so tied up on the EMH issue but the hour after park closing is probably a bigger deal. I wonder what this means for a guest staying at the Poly who goes to the CR for a late dinner and drinks and then needs to get back the their resort.