Monorail Blue Making Late-Night Runs
Disneyland has been conducting regular after-hours tests of the new Monorail Blue as adjustments continue on the Monorail Red cooling system, Disney officials confirmed.
Mouse Planet columnist David Koenig, author of the definitive “Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland,” reported that poor air circulation in the air-conditioning-less cabins remains the key kink holding up the new monorail’s much-anticipated debut.
Complicating matters, the Mark VII monorails feature windows that only partly swing out from the bottom rather than slide down like an automobile, making for an uncomfortably warm ride on hot days, according to Koenig.
Mice Age columnist Al Lutz reported that Disneyland maintenance crews are exploring the option of installing exterior-mounted baffles to scoop air into the cabins while in transit along the beamway.
The new monorail’s sleek iconic exterior features color-shifting paint with gray pinstriping that evokes the stainless-steel side panels of the 1959 original designed by Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr.
— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer