It is reported on the Dallas Zoo thread that their newly renovated monorail is closing! This only leaves two in USA: Bronx and Miami.
Zoo Monorails
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
Sea World Gold Coasts monorail is in trouble as well.
Although this is a link to a forum, it shows content from a subscriber only article on the subject so I think it's valid to post it here.
Sea World Monorail removed from website and park map
I remember going on the monorail as a child, good times!
Although this is a link to a forum, it shows content from a subscriber only article on the subject so I think it's valid to post it here.
Sea World Monorail removed from website and park map
I remember going on the monorail as a child, good times!
Seems monorails are a dying breed. Expenses for operation and such, probably not worth the hassle to keep them.
Disney is lucky in the sense that they always roll in cash no matter what. That’s why they have less problems than the average zoo.
Disney is lucky in the sense that they always roll in cash no matter what. That’s why they have less problems than the average zoo.
Though not specific to zoos, here is an interesting video explaining why monorails have not been adopted on a large scale: Why The Monorail Keeps Failing - Cheddar Explains - YouTube
(If you don't want to watch the bottom line is they are too expensive, which of course is why most zoos have closed theirs).
(If you don't want to watch the bottom line is they are too expensive, which of course is why most zoos have closed theirs).
Not mentioned in this thread is ZooAmerica's. You have to go into the amusement park to use it, unfortunately, as it covers the whole area, but it does go all around the small zoo.
I wish I would have been able to go on Dallas's
It was too hot that day for it to run.
I wish I would have been able to go on Dallas's
It was too hot that day for it to run.
As of April 1st of this year, the Bronx Zoo is now the only Zoo in the US with an operating monorail. I was lucky enough to grow up nearby, and I hope it stays open for years to come.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/04/01/zoo-miamis-monorail-rides-its-final-ride/
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/04/01/zoo-miamis-monorail-rides-its-final-ride/
Yes.
Given today's situation, that comment has aged rather poorly...
Aardwolf
Well-Known Member
No real mystery - they are expensive and high maintenance, and once they start aging and need repairs, it doesn’t take too long to get to the point where management has to question their cost effectiveness
I also recall hearing some time ago that the company who produced parts for monorails went out of business, which led to zoos swapping parts to keep them up and running. Someone else may have more information on that.
The temperature range for when they can be used is also relatively small, especially compared to trains and other options. It can create a lot of downtime where the ride is sitting, unable to be used, but still needing maintenance and upkeep. The last two surviving, at Bronx and Hershey, both don't run half the year. The southern ones couldn't run in more extreme heat.
Hershey, it's worth mentioning (although I know at least you know this), is a monorail as part of the amusement park that happens to cross over the zoo. Being part of HersheyPark, it's obviously a much higher budget, for-profit institution that has much more expertise in maintaining ride vehicles, maintenance, etc., making it perhaps less cost-prohibitive in that different setting. Similarly, there are serval other monorails in places like Disney World that, while not zoos, are still able to keep them up and functioning.
This was the explanation for why San Diego, Dallas, and Minnesota shut down their monorails. The manufacturer went out of business, so eventually there was no way to maintain the vehicles and support systems. The institutions did everything they could to keep the monorails running, but lack of parts needed for basic maintenance eventually lead to major breakdowns and safety problems. In San Diego monorails broke down and stranded guests deep in the Safari Park and it took hours to get them out. The Dallas Zoo monorail caught on fire more than once.
Yeah I think that's a good reason to stop
Yeah, the monorail is accessed from inside the theme park. I am not sure if it really means much to include both the HersheyPark and Disney monorails in this conversation when they are really theme parks and thus have the revenue and attendance to actually justify keeping their monorails maintained and operational. Also worth noting that Disney's monorail doesn't go anywhere near Animal Kingdom.
Bronx Zoo is thus the last pure zoo in the country (and possibly the hemisphere?) to have an operating monorail. And I am not sure how much longer that will last (though unlike the other examples in this thread, that monorail is the only way to view certain animals currently).
The Wilds of Africa Monorail at Dallas was the only way to view much of that section of the zoo, which only makes it's closer all the more disappointing
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The Wilds of Africa Monorail at Dallas was the only way to view much of that section of the zoo, which only makes it's closer all the more disappointing
I rode the Dallas Zoo monorail in 2010 and yet there was only an average of 200,000 people per year taking the ride out of the zoo's more than one million annual visitors before it permanently closed down. The maintenance costs and fires ended the idea of reviving the monorail.
Much of Wilds of Africa can still be seen via the walking paths, but certainly for zoo nerds the closure of the five 'Habitats' (Woodland, Mountain, River, Desert, Bush) is a great loss. Here's a zoo map from 2013 that illustrates each habitat:
The thing that worries me most about Bronx Zoo's monorail is that Bronx has a history of having to close exhibits for financial reasons. So it's impossible to escape the feeling that it's living on borrowed time.
And yeah, it really sucks when exhibits become inaccessible due to monorail closures. I really hope the zoo does something to make those exhibits accessible.
And yeah, it really sucks when exhibits become inaccessible due to monorail closures. I really hope the zoo does something to make those exhibits accessible.