Disney Monorail: a Complete Guide to Disney World’s Highway in the Sky

What’s a Monorail?

A Monorail is a train that straddles a lone elevated beam during travel. At Disney World, each Monorail train features six cars that can hold a capacity of 360 passengers with their current Mark VI transports. Each car contains two compartments with its own seating and standing areas.

There’s room for about 20 people to sit and space for an additional 40 to stand with supportive handling bars and poles to keep everyone safe. Guests can enter the cars via sliding doors on the train, sit on one of the two benches inside, or stand while holding the available poles and bars. The standing room space is also accommodating for strollers and wheelchairs.

The lone beam supporting the Monorail at Disney World is suspended in the air via numerous columns holding it up from the ground, with electricity powering the rail through its routes. Guests on the Disney Monorail can expect the ride to be smooth and relatively quiet, with the running train producing a low humming sound. The current Mark VI cars operate with an average speed of 40 mph, making the Disney Monorail one of the fastest and most convenient modes of transportation, especially around the Magic Kingdom and Epcot areas.

Where does the Disney Monorail stop?

Walt Disney World Monorail stations are usually located near the entrance of the stop destination. For example, suppose you’re headed to the Magic Kingdom via the Resort or Express tracks. In that case, the Monorail station is located just to the left of the front gates facing the theme park entrance.

If you’re taking the Resort track, the Monorail stops at stations in front of the Grand Floridian, at the entrance to the Polynesian, and inside the Contemporary Resort, as the track goes through the second floor of the classic hotel. Monorail riders can even see the resort’s shops and Chef Mickey’s restaurant while traveling through the Contemporary. Of course, Resort also stops at the Magic Kingdom and the central TTC hub.

Those on the Express can travel between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom station without any other stops.

The Epcot track takes visitors between the TTC and the station directly outside the main gates of the theme park.

What is TTC at Disney?

The Transportation and Ticket Center, or TTC, is the central hub between you and the Magic Kingdom. The TTC is located near the massive Magic Kingdom parking lot and hosts the Monorail stations for the Express, Resort, and Epcot lines. In addition, guests can board a ferry across the Seven Seas Lagoon and travel between the Magic Kingdom and TTC.

The TTC also hosts rideshare pickup stations and some bus transportation. There are guest service booths handling ticketing for theme park visitors. You can also expect to go through a security checkpoint at the TTC to board the transportation options available.

Disney Monorail Schedules

What time does the Monorail start running?  When does Monorail service end each night?

The Express and Resort Monorails run from 30 minutes before the parks open for early birds until one hour after the parks close. The Epcot Monorail runs from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Resort and Express tracks operate continuously from 8 a.m. to midnight.

How often does the Monorail run?

The Disney Monorails generally arrive every 10 minutes when operating at peak hours, when the park opens and closes. There are also times during the day when the wait is longer because either there are technical issues with the Monorail or the park traffic is less robust.

How long are the Monorail rides?

Guests on the Express Monorail will have the shortest ride between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom, as it takes less than 10 minutes of travel and less than 20 roundtrip. Those traveling on the Epcot line should expect to ride about 15 minutes one way and approximately 30 minutes for the roundtrip. Because of the frequent stops and unique locations, the Resort Monorail can take only a few minutes if you’re traveling to the immediate next station or as long as 20 minutes to complete the entire loop around the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Boarding the Disney Monorail

How much does the Disney Monorail cost to ride?

The Disney Monorail is free for all riders. However, if you’re driving to the TTC near the Magic Kingdom or the Epcot theme park, you must pay a fee to park in those lots. Guests staying at a Disney resort with a car will pay a parking fee with their reservation, which also covers the cost of the theme park lots. If you want to avoid theme park parking fees, stay at the Contemporary, Grand Floridian, or Polynesian resorts along the Monorail track (or at another Disney World resort with shuttle bus transportation).

Can you ride the Disney Monorail without a park ticket?

Since the Disney Monorail only stops outside the theme parks, anybody can ride the Monorail without a park ticket. The benefit of the Monorail is that it’s a scenic, quiet ride around some of the attractions at Disney World. Riding the Resort or Express gives guests beautiful views of the Seven Seas Lagoon directly in front of the Magic Kingdom. The Epcot Monorail route briefly takes riders inside of the park as the track loops around the World Celebration area and the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction, but the actual station stop lies just outside of the front gate to the park.

Do you have to stay at a Disney hotel to ride the Monorail?

Anyone can ride the Disney Monorail, regardless of whether they’re staying at a Disney World resort. If you’re staying off the resort, you can drive in and park at the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT lots (for a fee) to gain access to the Monorail stations.

Can you walk from the Monorail to the Skyliner?

A Disney Skyliner station is accessible through Epcot, so only those riding the Epcot Monorail track can walk over. However, because of the way the Monorail and Skyliner stations are situated (at Epcot’s front gate and International Gateway, respectively), visitors looking to ride both modes of transport would need a park ticket. You’d have to walk through the entire park to get from one to another.

The Disney Skyliner is another unique public transportation system within Disney World. Visitors can use these Disney-themed gondolas to enjoy scenic aerial views of theme parks and resorts. The Skyliner connects Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios and also features stop stations at the Rivera, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Art of Animation resorts.

What can I bring on the Monorail?

Guests are allowed to bring bags, strollers, and wheelchairs on the Monorail. However, no glass containers are allowed.

How do you get around Disney Resorts?

Disney offers multiple complementary transportation options for resort guests, including the Monorail. To discover possibilities available to you at individual resorts, use our interactive Disney World Transportation Map.

You can also explore all the transportation options at Disney World with this video from The Vacationeer, our favorite Disney YouTube Channel.

Does the Monorail go to every Disney park?

No, the Monorail only offers transportation to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

Does the Monorail go to Hollywood Studios?

The Monorail does not go to Hollywood Studios. Still, Disney World resort guests can take advantage of complimentary bus service to the theme park. In addition, Disney’s gondola Skyliner offers transportation to Hollywood Studios, along with some boat transport if you’re going by water.

Does the Monorail go to Animal Kingdom?

There are no Monorail stops at the Animal Kingdom theme park. Still, resort guests can use Disney World’s complimentary bus transportation to travel there.

Does the Monorail go to Disney Springs?

The Monorail does not go to Disney Springs, but visitors can drive in, use a rideshare service, or take Disney’s complementary bus and boat transportation for resort guests to get to the entertainment, dining, and shopping district.

Does the Monorail go to Disney Water Parks?

Disney’s two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, do not offer Monorail transportation for guests. Guests can use other transport, such as cars and rideshare. Resort guests can also use the complimentary bus service, but may need to transfer as part of the journey.

What hotel does the Monorail go through?

The Resort and Express Monorail tracks go through Disney’s Contemporary Resort, one of the original Disney World hotels located close to the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland area. The Contemporary Tower building is easily identifiable by its distinctive side frame that resembles an A, with the Monorail track going directly through the middle of the letter. Inside the hotel, the Monorail passes through the Grand Canyon Concourse, where several shops and restaurants are located.

The monorail also stops at stations attached to — but not located inside of — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Disney Monorail Facts and Figures

In addition to the facts we shared in “what is a monorail” above, here are a few additional bits of knowledge about the Walt Disney World Monorail System.

How many Disney Monorails are there?

Disney operates 12 Monorail trains on three tracks around the resorts and theme parks.

Each train is identifiable by the color of the stripe in its livery.  The current monorails in the system are:

• Monorail Black
• Monorail Blue
• Monorail Coral
• Monorail Gold
• Monorail Green
• Monorail Lime
• Monorail Orange
• Monorail Peach
• Monorail Red
• Monorail Silver
• Monorail Teal
• Monorail Yellow

When did the Disney Monorail open?

Disney World debuted its first Monorail when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 with the Express and Resort tracks that circled the Seven Seas Lagoon in front of the theme park. When Disney World opened its second theme park, Epcot, in 1982, a separate Monorail was built to debut simultaneously to transport guests across the nearly eight-mile distance in about 15 minutes.

However, Disney World stopped building additional Monorail tracks for subsequent theme parks and destinations.