Originally Posted By leemac I suspect a lot of the shape is dictated by the fact that the majority of the internal space is dedicated to standing room. I can understand why people don't like the exterior look but they are cute inside. Overall the Resort Line isn't as cool as the HKDL MTR line but it is still fun. My only beef is that they can run with up to 8 minute gaps which isn't that great when it is your only means of transport around the resort.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss They mave have 8 minute gaps in service, but at least you know when the next monorail is coming! It's a crapshoot at WDW, with their interminable waits for clearance.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ True but WDW does have a tendency to pack the express line so there is rarely much of a wait for one. I also think the TDR Line loses something but being fully automated. I always get a kick out of seeing kids (and grown-ups) getting very excited about the possibility of riding in the front cab at WDW.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 The design of the TDR line monorails might also have been influenced by the government. Since it's a public transportation option, maybe there were regulations they had to follow in dimensions and such? It's just a guess, but I wouldn't be surprised if concessions had to be made to make it conform to government standards.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Ok, even though I have never been to TDR, I've seen enough photos and videos and descriptions to form a basic opinion. I've kind of been obsessed with it for a little while. Anyway, my take on what WDW does better than TDR. Size, of course. You just can't say enough about green. It's hard to really relax in such an urban environment, like TDR or DLR for that matter. However, once you're inside the parks, all bets are off. I think that the MK has a bit more charm than TDL, just because it's smaller and has a lot more "intimate" areas. This could be said of the comparison of DL and MK, because I feel Disneyland has more charm than the MK. Anyway, from what I've seen, I think TDR is too expansive sometimes and has lost that sense of closeness. The entrance to the Magic Kingdom. That has to be one of the coolest ways to enter a theme park. TDL looks so utilitarian with it's wide expanses of concrete and no train station to hide the berm. Main Street USA, with it's lack of covering. Also, it has vehicles that go all the way down, where at TDL there are no more vehicles and when they were there they were limited to the hub area. MK's Tomorrowland. TDL still has that very 70's look to it, and it doesn't have much kinetic movement. Although, I guess this might just be my opinion, since some may like the retro look. Well, that's all I can think of off the top of my head. There are probably more, but then there are just as many things TDR does better than WDW, but that's not what this topic is about...
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Oh, yeah, and I have to agree that WDW beats TDR by a mile when it comes to fireworks shows. All other Disney parks beat out TDR for that.
Originally Posted By barboy I don't remember reading anyone's comments about WDW Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland vs TDL's in overall theming(I'm not talking about specific attractions). The Magic Kingdom's has been updated with really attractive colors and rock formations while TDL's is very tired and outdated.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> A Japanese monorail with a bullet-train nose would have been a cool idea, and a way to differentiate from the WDW styling. << >> Your statement implies that the TDR monorails are not distinctive, which is obviously not true. << My statement was not meant to imply that they are "not distinctive." What I said was, they COULD have made them look cool. And they COULD have made them look cool in a different way than the WDW/MK monorails. They didn't have to be full clones of the WDW/MK design. (which they obviously are not) I DO say that they are distinctive in that I think they are boxy and unattractive. Which can be a distinction too.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> but I wouldn't be surprised if concessions had to be made to make it conform to government standards. << This would be my guess too. I can't believe Imagineering is happy with a boxy design. But probably got pushed into it due to some Japanese Transportation Board requirement. I understand the steam train rain into similar issues. One reason the train does not circle the park like MK or DLR is because it would have had to operate like a transportation line (like the monorails do) and not like an attraction/ride.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy I will say I not wanting to belittle the TDL monorails. They are technologically superior, attractive inside, well designed and engineered. I am jealous of that. They just don't have pizazz. (<-- sp?)
Originally Posted By Skellington88 yea WDW's Tomorrowland is superior to japans "im still stuck in 1983" tomorrowland. Although Monsters Inc. and stitch bring down the coolness .
Originally Posted By Faith I can't believe all this comparing of the monorails- to me, they are so different. Tokyo's seems more of a legitimate form of mass transit (mainly because you must pay to use it) while WDW's seems like a theme park transit system. I have to say that I find the experience of riding in a TDR monorail to be more enjoyable than one in WDW... but I really can't compare the 2. As to what WDW does better, I'd agree on the fact that there is more of everything there- more theme parks, more other attractions (such as waterparks), more choices in hotels in various price ranges, etc. It's also easier in the sense that you can have your entire vacation right there, without ever leaving the grounds of the resort. (which also leads to being able to feel cocooned in Disney 24/7) I can't imagine a trip to TDR that doesn't include other destinations in (and outside of) Tokyo. Another pro of WDW is that it offers extended hours options (currently EMH) and more options for promotions/ discounts, such as the current free dining package for the fall. And here's another one- WDW welcomes having you browse in the Main Street stores after the park closes! I tried to buy a DVD in one of the TDL stores on my way out of the park, and I was not able to. Otoh, I have a great memory of being one of the last folks to leave the MK one night after some leisurely shopping, and I never felt rushed out. The main advantage of WDW is that it is so much closer for those of us in the Eastern US. Which is why I may be swinging down there this year... (don't think that I don't believe there are tons of things I think TDR does better- that's just not the topic of this thread...)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Just thought of another thing WDW does better than TDL -- pay lip service to the ideal of exceeding guest expectations.
