Originally Posted By Kevin There are many reasons transportation directly from the airport to Disney makes sense. There are millions of people that make this trip each year and the buses and cars that fill the highways (and pollute the skies) making this trek from airport to WDW and back are significant. Making a family with luggage make several stops on their way to Disney is going to make it less of an incentive to take the transportation and just stick with the cars, buses and taxis. Also, the route from the airport to Disney would make some real money from the fares being charged. The really sad part about this project being cut is that the country really needs to develop high speed rail to move us into the 21st century and Florida seemed as good a place as any to start. With several large cities spread over great distances, it would have been great to have quicker transit routes between major cities in Florida.
Originally Posted By Kevin I've been thinking a bit about this whole Monorail expansion thing. I love the Monorail and find the whole thing totally awe inspiring. Seeing it, riding it, thinking about it, ...it is awesome. However, I'm not sure a Monorail throughout the resort is feasible. How many routes and stations would be necessary to connect everything to the extent where buses were completely eliminated? I'd love to see the imagineers dream up something even more spectacular and futuristic -- a money is no object concept to top the Monorail. For example, getting into a train at the Beach Club and indicating on a touch screen to "take me to Typhoon Lagoon" and it whisks down the track non-stop to Typhoon Lagoon -- that would be awesome.
Originally Posted By Orvillefan Hey, I know! Lets get the old subs from 20K and make a subway system. All you have to do is dig about two feet down and hit water in Florida.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>I love the Monorail and find the whole thing totally awe inspiring. Seeing it, riding it, thinking about it, ...it is awesome<< I too will jump on the 'dreamland' vanwagon and say that i would like that very much myself but NOT the way the WDW monorail is currently operated. I could not stand having to hear those loud and obnoxious spiels telling what's to the left and the right and where to buy Vacation Club memberships, plus all of that 'waiting for traffic clearance' would make for an unreliable and unfast system. If we were treated to minimal spiels and maybe some soft music and the system was entirely automated and run on a tight timetable schedule (such as the TDR Line monorail) then maybe this would be a welcomed addition to WDW, but not as is now.
Originally Posted By irishfan The monorail adds to the whole experience for me, and I love the whole "holiday haven" aspect of having the seven seas lagoon in front of the magic Kingdom, teaming with boats of all shapes and sizes.
Originally Posted By rasvar The only problem with the veto is that Jeb is now in a Constitional breach. Lawsuit city.
Originally Posted By SJHYM The latest news is that Jeb has asked the Board responsible for this project to hold off on making any recommendations about a route for further study. As for the $4 million dollars that have been put aside for planning of stations, this will satisfy the law as it is written so Jeb will not be in violation of the law.
Originally Posted By rasvar Jeb is still incorrect. He will be in violation as of November 1, 2003. " The Legislature, the Cabinet and the Governor are hereby directed to proceed with the development of such a system by the State and/or by a private entity pursuant to state approval and authorization, including the acquisition of right-of-way, the financing of design and construction of the system, and the operation of the system, as provided by specific appropriation and by law, with construction to begin on or before November 1, 2003." Now, if they do a cerimonial earthbreaking by that date, they can probably get away with it on technicality. Shovels are suppose to be moving by November 1, though. This is where the lawsuit will probably come from. I know that it is already being worked on. It will be interesting if the Supreme Court rules the Governors Veto unconstitutional. Don't know what kind of mess that will cause.
Originally Posted By SJHYM Cant wait to see the high speed rail station in the middle of nowhere with no track attatched to it to meet the Nov date
Originally Posted By rasvar All they have to do is start construction. However, that is the money that was veto'd. Jeb is trying to stop any construction. If he wants that, he needs another amendment. Whether he wants it or not doesn't matter right now. The voters put it in the Constitution with a directive that construction begin. There is no chance to amend it again prior to the date, so you can be sure that the rail supporters will file a lawsuit within the next month to either force a special session or throw out the Governor's veto on Constitutional grounds.
Originally Posted By Kevin Ignoring all other debates, if the high-speed rail does go through WDW property and there is a station, where is that station planned? How would people get from the station to their many varied destinations?
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn There have been plans for a maglev train from the airport to WDW for twenty years. There were plans to end the line at Epcot, and others to end the line at TTC.
Originally Posted By rasvar The plan is for a multi-modal station at I-4 and the World Drive extension. The current Terminus would be at Orlando International and the other in Downtown Tampa. Phase II would be from OIA to Miami.
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn ...pretty close to where the WDW Internation Airport was going to be located.
Originally Posted By Kevin And then they'd just have a bunch of bus stops to get guests to all the different hotels?
Originally Posted By rasvar My understanding is that they would be free of charge busses to each resort and parks at the train station. Disney's idea is to eliminate the long bus ride and reduce traffic on property. The ultimate idea,for Disney, is that anyone could hop on the train from any major city in the state and be at Disney within an hour and a half max. Conviently dropped of right on Disney property. No car needed. A family from Miami could hop on the train and be at Disney in just over an hour or so. That is what Disney is looking for.
Originally Posted By pipanale Imagine how sweet that would be. Wouldn't mass transit be nice if it worked? Anyone else think the train could end up having the personality of Blaine the Mono?
