Rumor: Disney World Cuts Monorails as Evening Extra Magic Hours Transportation
WDWMagic is reporting that Disney World will soon be cutting out the monorail system as transportation for guests during evening extra magic hours. According to the report, Monorails will now stop running an hour after regular park closing starting on July 11th, 2011 for the Epcot loop and August 1st, 2011 for the Magic Kingdom loop resulting in guests not being able to use monorails for resort transportation during evening extra magic hours. Bus and boat transportation will be available.
So, readers, what are your thoughts of this new Disney rumor? Does it change your desire to pay for a monorail resort or to tour during evening extra magic hours?
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We have heard from many of our guests that this new change is actually affecting their resort decision. Too bad!
I don’t think the reduction is a big deal. It won’t affect my resort selection at all.
This was also confirmed on the Disney Mom’s Panel as well.
All Ears is reporting this as a confirmed schedule change. It really is the pits. Meh.
We’ll be arriving at the Poly in less than a week and will be VERY ticked off if we’ve paid such a high price to not have the monorail from EPCOT during EMH. We really love the Poly, but the monorail is a huge part of the reason that we’re willing to pay so much more than Port Orleans. If possible I’d consider moving resorts if it turns out to be true- I’d think the front desks at monorail resorts would be bombarded by angry guests who were sold a hotel on a service that doesn’t exist. Crossing fingers this is a bad rumour
I was at the park in May/June and was talking to one of the monorail stop attendants and he said that the monorails were breaking quite frequently and that they were currently running at 1/2 capacity. this was during Memorial day weekend! I wonder if this is the first step to potentially canning the monorails all together?
Well the good news is it’s a rumor so it may not be true. But I will say that I am a travel agent and a Disney Specialist. Last Friday I just sold a package for 20 people to stay at a monorail resort and extra magic hours were discussed. I use the monorail for extra magic hours whenever I go. This is not a good idea. Maybe if Disney is cutting expenses they could start collecting an extra nickel from everyone who rides it after hours. I will pay a few extra nickels:)
I will give Disney a nickel and in turn they can give me wristband that shows I have Extra Magic Hours and a trip on the monorail.
I wish I knew what the real reason was, because then I might be able to get behind it as a good idea. We have, in the past, parked at TTC, and ended things out at Epcot EMH. We caught a monorail to get back to TTC. Would there be any way for someone to get back to the TTC lot to retrieve their vehicle using resort transportation? Doesn’t sound like it. Bet they did not think of this, but they had better tell everyone very clearly (because last time we did this, we weren’t the only ones doing it).
Yet another reason not to waste the money and stay onsite. Of course, if Disney keeps raising prices and offering fewer perks, they might just price this Disney fan right out of a vacation.
I haven’t stayed at a monorail resort yet, and rarely stay so late for the extra magic hours. But if the monorail wasn’t running I would definately reconsider staying at a monorail resort.
I’ll be in the MK tomorrow and verify this is true.
Cool, Len! As always, you’re the man! Thx for scouting out the truth for us!
So Len, it’s tomorrow. 🙂 What’s the word?
I’m splurging to spend my 40th b-day at the Grand Floridian in September. The night of my b-day we plan to stay for EMH at Epcot to celebrate. This entire b-day plan is based on being at a monorail resort. In fact, we normally drive to the Parks, even though we stay onsite…this was to be our exception, due to ease of travel on the monorail and because we might be celebrating with adult beverages and certainly wouldn’t want to drink and drive. Now my whole plan is in question. This is definitely a slap in the face to those who pay extra to get the “extras” at WDW.
When I can stay in a beautiful 4br 4bath penthouse suite 5 minutes from Disney for 300/nite, I can’t figure out why any of you would pay the crazy Disney prices anyhow. They would have to pick me up in a private horse and carriage, give me a cut and style on the way, feed my fish back home and give me $50 to spend in the parks to make it worth what they charge.
It seems unwise to me because it doesn’t make FINANCIAL sense?? The monorail is probably the most cost-effective way to get around the parks!! Certainly cheaper that BUSSES!! Why would WDW make that kind of decision?
See a big problem with this unwise decision. Guests pay extra to be in the monorail line resorts, now they want to cut back?? Well cut back on the price that is incorporated for this added feature. I dont think this will last.
As a fellow Disney junkie, I am horrified by the thought that this might be true. I agree with my fellow posters- I pay to stay at the resorts on the monorail loop for the convenience of the monorail. If the monorail will not always be available, why pay top dollar to stay there?! Also, what exactly are you supposed to do if staying at the Grand Floridian or Polynesian. My understanding is that buses from the Magic Kingdom do not run to these resorts. If I am correct, that means that everybody will be trying to take that little boat that sits approx. 20 or so people? It doesn’t make any sense.
Perhaps the extra garage time for the monorail will result in increased maintenance and fewer break downs. That would be a plus in the long run.
I think that this is a really bad choice for Disney, though it wouldn’t make a difference in my choice of resort. My main concern is the amount of time that it would take to get all of the guests back to their resorts via boats. The boats just don’t hold as many people as the monorails do, and extra trips back and forth across the water are going to mean a lot more gas being consumed. It doesn’t make sense in my mind. I’d like to know where they found the information.
Perhaps it’s just a rumor? I certainly hope so since I stay at the Poly because of the monorail. EMH isn’t such a perk when it will take you an extra time to get back to your hotel. Even with this possible cut-back it’s still worth staying on property though. It’s not about the perks for me, it’s about immersion in the magic. I just might start finding a moderate or value resort a bit more magical.
Crazytown!!! As much as I love a good boat ride from MK to the Poly, this sounds like a horrible Idea for this time of year…. Off season, maybe, but I know I’d be ticked if I’m waiting three deep for a TTC or GF/Poly boat. And yes, I consider a monorail ride at 1 or 2 am very much part of the reason I’ll pay out the nose for the Poly. 🙁
Same here…wish I knew how to complain directly to Disney!
Know what? Next will be no EMH at all. All of these cutbacks…they are cutting any incentive to stay onsite. People are loving WWOHP and to make up for ticket prices for going to Universal and Disney, I’d just as well stay offsite in a fancier room for less money and rent a car if doing a trip like that. IF true, Disney is losing sight of what it is. I love Disney just as much as the next Disney lover but enough is enough! I am not staying on the monorail line for my next trip but if I was–I would be extremely angry to not be able to use the service for EMH. Who is running Disney these days??? Hope they wise up!
Ditto!
I’m sorry, but we pay a premium for staying at a monorail resort. To take that away from people who are taking advantage of one of the other priveleges we pay for (EMH) is going to do nothing but engender bad feelings. Bad, bad move.
This is not any surprise to me. They just keep on raising the ticket prices and taking things away. The only way Disney is going to listen to there customers is if we stop going to Disney and stop buying all there crap and stop watching there movies. Then they will listen to there customer because they will have no choice then. By the way I really don’t think people are going to stop going to Disney.
I certainly hope this is not the case. Getting from MK back to the parking area is bad enough during EMH with the monorail running, I can’t imagine everyone being forced to pack onto busses and the ferry. It would seem that with gas so high the busses and ferry would be the better option to shut down, but hey, I’m not a Disney accountant. Anyway, until it comes from Disney we can just hope this is a bad report.
Not just EMH folk affected… if you’re doing a late dinner at one of the resorts/MK/Epcot and wanted to take the monorail back you’ll be affected. Even not so late dinners with the holiday party closures at MK.
Oh, I didn’t think about the holiday parties! We’re going to MNSSHP in September and will stay to the end of the party. So I guess we’ll be taking the ferry back to the parking lot as we are staying off-property. Hmmmm . . . interesting. I’ll definitely be following this rumor closely! I also heard that some character meet & greets will not be happening during EMH hours anymore, either. What does all this mean? Are they trying to do away with EMH all together?
So what happens to those of us that stay on the monorail route? We pay all this extra money for the “extras” that we get and now they are taking that away. I know I pay the extra money to stay on the monorail route so I don’t have to use the buses or the boats. This is sooooo not fair to us monorail resort people. Why can’t they make monorail transportation for those of us that stay at the monorail resorts???? Disney PLEASE rethink this!!
Figures. Pay more for less. Another reason to stay offsite.