Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Ever since they pushed back the DL Hotel for DTD I hardly ride it at all.>> Amen Brudda!
Originally Posted By Manfried They never "pushed back" the Disneyland Hotel, nor moved the hotel's station. It just seems that way since the tore down the bungalows and the shops that were right behind the station before DTD.
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney Space Mountain is my DD favorite ride. They can take everything but that..lol
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<They never "pushed back" the Disneyland Hotel, nor moved the hotel's station.>> We get that. But the result was leaving the Monorail high and dry and unrelated to anything other than the Disney Pin Cart at DTD.
Originally Posted By Scutr >>We get that. But the result was leaving the Monorail high and dry and unrelated to anything other than the Disney Pin Cart at DTD.<< Agreed. They really should have lengthened the track and moved the station closer to what's left of the hotel. >>I'd hate to see the Monorail track straightened out. Those esses and overlapping portions are much of the fun for me.<< Ditto! It's what separates the DL monorail from the strictly utilitarian WDW version. >>Discovery Bay . . . knew you'ld like that one.<< Yeah, okay, you kinda got me on that one. (and you get a gold star for paying attention in class) But I don't see where there's enough room unless you bulldoze the whole of TL and start from scratch. That may be an appealing idea to some, but let's face it, TDC's not going to spend any more $$$ than they feel necessary to attract customers. Even if the DID do that, we all know the new land would consist of 1, maybe 2, attractions surrounded by gift shops, a restaurant and a (probably Pixar) meet & greet. That's not a "solution" I'd care to see implemented.
Originally Posted By gadzuux I've posted a long descriptive post about my pipedream before, so I'll keep it short and sweet here, but I think there's a golden opportunity for a restaurant in the far back NE corner of the park. This new space would need to be elevated to take full advantage of the views available - the blue lit sub lagoon below, the Matterhorn in the foreground, with SB castle directly behind, the glittering lights of MSUSA, with 'Screamin', the 'Fun Wheel' and the new cadillac range in the distance. By elevating this space to take advantage of the views available, it creates space below for an attraction and some retail and guest accessible walkways. And the concerns of scale wouldn't be a factor since the area directly behind is the railroad roundhouse and an I-5 interchange. I imagine this addition to look somewhat similar to a twin blade razor - sleek and angular, perhaps with two floors of available space, which would allow the park to make available one level to private groups while still allowing access to the park's regular guests. If done well, this new location could practically print money. But for the whole thing to work, autopia and the PM tracks have to go. The monorail can stay but yes, it would need some re-routing. And yes, I'd like to see the station relocated to just east of the parade route entrance by small world mall, with a kind of transit hub with food beverage and retail. A whole new area of TL in an area that's mostly just landscaping right now.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Even in 1967 the People Mover was simply a rambling ride. It failed to demonstrate itself as a from here to there transportation system.<< I'm not so sure it failed us ... as it's more the other way around - we, failed it. I can't tell you how many newspaper and magazine articles I came across in the 70s to the 80s .. to the 90s ... with ideas for Orange County (just for example) Inspiration, no doubt, from Disneyland's Monorail and Peoplemover ... to just all fall through bureaucratic red tape and the economics of our time. To pun a line out of Carousel of Progress' theme song - It's still a dream away! It would be like saying Star Trek's warp capabilities, and teleportation technologies have failed, as they have not come to be .. since then. LOL ... some things are so "futuristic" it's going to take many, many decades .. if not centuries, and the right economics to ever get off the ground. "I don't want to hear it's going to take a 100 years, I want it now! Oh, I didn't get it now, so it failed!" ;-) LOL >>Then along comes Rocket Rods which had the potential of taking TL even further along into the future. Rocket Rods lent the original trackway a fresh cosmic-cosmopolitan feeling. (Yeah I said it.)<< Just my 2 cents, but I'll never understand the concept of Rocket Rods (their design and premise) to represent anything on a practical level .. with it's big round wheel in the back. Popping a wheely trick. What was it suppose to be? A motorcycle? A tri-cycle with a winy sound, Automobile hybrid? What? Glad it's gone! In the words of Smeagol ... Go away .. and never come back!!! ;-) lol >>> As someone already mentioned, the spaghetti bowl of trackways sitting atop the Sub bunker creates a limiting factor of possible future expansion. <<< I agree with you Crapshoot ... but in this day and age ... I doubt Disney would go through the trouble to give the area TRUE JUSTICE .. in the same INNOVATIVE vein .. they did with all the MULTI-LAYERING ... that was truly inventive! Just to end up creating (like someone said) ... ONE measly new ride, a Pixar or Marvel meet and greet or two .. or three! :O) .... and more restaurants :O) ... and shops :x ....... I'm gonna be sick! >>Back to the PM trackway; it simply takes up too much real estate to make it a viable attraction again. << This I have to say: I don't understand. The beauty of the P.M. tracks is they actually take up very, very little real estate .. as it fits in between attractions .. with only a narrow beam drilling right down into the Earth to hold it up. It's the planters that surround them at the base .. that take up any room. And we need shaded, "bench" places to sit anyway. (One of DCA's biggest design flaws, that we've been hammering at for years). Even the center station was a engineering marvel ... as it contained another attraction on top (Rocket Jets) .. and a hot dog stand underneath (Currently the Tomorrowlander shop). One of few areas in Tomorrowland that maximizes it's space brilliantly. I have no doubt the Submarine Bunker (built in 1958) is built like a brick s*-house ... but that itself STILL makes it difficult to re-imagine anything - too heavy. >>Same goes with the Monorail. The Monorail's trackway should lose the spaghetti bowl by simply following the RR tracks for the most part and cut over to the Materhorn at Small World.<< I'd be curious to see how that would look in a rendering. But there are sources who are saying "No ride replacement to the Peoplemover track." Eliminate the "Spaghetti Bowl". With the monorail only making a slow peek making the bend around the Matterhorn, and then it's slow trip out .. would be the land's only kinetics? With maybe just the Rocket Jets back up ... Does not sound like a Lively Tomorrowland. Sounds like a repeat of TDL's Tomorrowland, that has nothing more than the Rocket Jets to provide ANY lively kinetics. I don't want to see a repeat of TDL's format for the company's Flagship park. Almost a dead, really. >> In the end, the People Mover trackway should simply be removed someday. << That's only if they intend on reusing the 1967/77 buildings FOREVER. But are they???
Originally Posted By gadzuux If they remove the PM tracks, that includes the tracks along the TL promenade and the turntable by TL terrace. There goes the Rocket Jets. If kinetics are sooo important, perhaps they could route the monorail track along the current TL promenade - where the elevated PM tracks are now - on its return trip to DTD. Also - I think we need to remain in the realm of the realistic. They're just not going to knock out 'Space' or the showbuildings for Buzz and Star Tours. But removing the PM tracks and rerouting the monorail are real possibilities.
Originally Posted By oc_dean ^^^^ There's no doubt Buzz and the newly renovated Star Tours are here for a LONG time ... including Space Mountain. But it does not mean they couldn't knock the heck out of the exterior walls .. and take it down to the steal structure .. and redesign them.
Originally Posted By tonyanton They could also get rid of everything else, from the carousel building, Redd Rockett's (sp?), Captain Eo, and Starcade which would leave alot of room to work with.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "I'm not so sure it failed us ... as it's more the other way around - we, failed it. I can't tell you how many newspaper and magazine articles I came across in the 70s to the 80s .. to the 90s ... with ideas for Orange County (just for example) Inspiration, no doubt, from Disneyland's Monorail and Peoplemover ... to just all fall through bureaucratic red tape and the economics of our time." If something never becomes economically feasible, it's not that we failed it. It means that the idea wasn't workable. A failure. "LOL ... some things are so 'futuristic' it's going to take many, many decades .. if not centuries, and the right economics to ever get off the ground." The People Mover stopped being futuristic a quarter of a century ago.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>If something never becomes economically feasible, it's not that we failed it. It means that the idea wasn't workable. A failure.<< Simplistic way to look at the grand scheme of things. As if a concept is not solid .. and politicians and lobbyists always do the right thing! You might want to look up the history how the Red Car was "single-handedly" dismantled! >>The People Mover stopped being futuristic a quarter of a century ago.<< Show me a large contingent of people who share the same negative, and cynical view as you do ... and I MAY consider your OPINION as something that matters.
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Show me a large contingent of people who share the same negative, and cynical view as you do ... >> Merely from a practical standpoint; Does a slow, plodding attraction running through the tree canopy of Tomorrowland have that much appeal, especially in today's world of the ADHD Disney guests? There were too many dead zones along the route. Sure, every ten feet was a new splendor for the eyes. But the attraction overall held no real appeal other than a place to rest sore feet. And I loved People Mover and I still love People Mover. But I would love it as a point to point transportation system, not a pointless romp.
Originally Posted By berol Ah yes, I remember the other 50 times we've had this conversation. Even when they tried that speed tunnel stuff, I wanted to love it, but... eh.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "As if a concept is not solid .. and politicians and lobbyists always do the right thing!" Every municipality in the world has declined to build a People Mover. It's a failure. "You might want to look up the history how the Red Car was 'single-handedly' dismantled!" The automobile killed the Red Cars: <a href="http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/551/did-general-motors-destroy-the-la-mass-transit-system" target="_blank">http://www.straightdope.com/co...t-system</a>
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo There is still hope in the real world: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Heathrow_Terminal_5_PRT#Heathrow_Terminal_5" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...rminal_5</a> And Dubai was going to have one cover the whole city before their economy fell apart.
Originally Posted By dagobert That's an interesting transport service. Although it's just a more modern Peoplemover, I can imagine that this will be the future. I think if Disney would build a monorail today, it would be this system, since it is a lot cheaper than a regular monorail. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DCC_Doppelmayr_Cable_Car" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D...able_Car</a>
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Every municipality in the world has declined to build a People Mover. It's a failure.>> The brilliance of a People Mover type system is that the vehicles never stop. And that fact is very under appreciated. Given that there is a constant flow of people queued up instead of stop-load-go like every transportation system in the world (sans escalators and moving sidewalks), it still amazes me that the efficency that the system imparts hasn't been duplicated in great numbers.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "The brilliance of a People Mover type system is that the vehicles never stop. And that fact is very under appreciated." That's nice in a theme park. Might be a bit wasteful in the real world.
