Using The Free Disney Monorail System: Routes, Park Hopping, and Monorail Crawling

Using the Disney World monorail system is easy, free, and part of the fun of a Disney holiday. Operational since 1971, this transport feels a bit like an extra opening day ride outside of the main parks. The monorail system doesn’t link to every park and resort, but it is definitely a form of free Disney transport that you’ll want to experience on your holiday from the UK.

The monorail offers the perfect way to park hop from Magic Kingdom to EPCOT and there’s one route that has now been adopted by Disney adults for a ‘Monorail Crawl’. In this guide, we’ll be looking at how you can use the monorail during your holiday to reduce steps and faff with pushchairs, find new experiences, and most importantly sharing exactly where you can plan to go using the monorail.

For a full look at all the different free transport options at Disney World a UK guide to free Disney transport will provide all your options.

Where Does the Monorail Go?

There are three monorail routes: a direct route to Magic Kingdom; a resort route, and a route to EPCOT. A

1. The Express Line Route: Non-stop between the the Ticket and Transportation Centre (TTC) and Magic Kingdom.

2. The Resort Line Route: with five stops: Ticket and Transportation Centre (TTC), Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

3. The EPCOT Line Route: Only runs between the Ticket and Transportation Centre (TTC) and EPCOT. There is no direct monorail from Magic Kingdom to EPCOT. You must transfer at the TTC.

How long is the monorail track?

The monorail routes at Disney World operates across a track length of 14.9 miles long.

Monorail Routes

Riding Disney’s Monorail With A UK Comparison

The monorail offers a smooth ride, that isn’t jolty. It’s an elevated ride on a track sitting about 9m above the ground. With few stops and a constant speed of around 30mph (48km/h) this transport is pretty good for those who suffer with motion sickness.

There is only really one UK monorail experience that is comparable, and that is the Alton Towers monorail. Alton towers is the only UK theme park with a working monorail to get guests from the car park to the main theme park entrance plaza. The track is about 2 miles long (1/7th of the size of Disney’s monorail system) and goes from A to B and back again.

Riding the Alton Towers monorail is nothing like a Disney monorail in feels at the station or in journey length. However, the experience of glimpsing rides like Nemesis Reborn in the Forbidden Valley is similar to going round Spaceship Earth at EPCOT and looking out towards World Showcase. It’s also unusual to wait anywhere near as long as you do at Alton Towers in a morning for the monorail to depart at any Disney World monorail station.

Do I Need A Park Ticket to Ride the Monorail?

No, you don’t need a park ticket of any kind to ride the monorail and the monorail is not just about getting you to and from the theme parks, although it is great for park hopping. Anyone can enjoy a ride on any of the three monorail routes. This makes it a perfect form of transport to ride on your non-park days when you may be considering resort hopping, enjoying a monorail crawl, or heading out for a meal at a different Disney hotel.

What times does the Monorail operate?

There is a fleet of 12 different monorails, (each has a different colour stripe), running from about 30 minutes before Magic Kingdom or EPCOT parks opening time to an hour after at Magic Kingdom and 2 hours after at EPCOT 365 days a year.

Monorail riding tips and when should you skip it?

Riding the monorail can have some strategic advantages if you are looking to maximise your time, and knowing whether to choose the monorail or another option is key for anyone eager to get somewhere or keen to get home and rest sore feet. Here are our favourite tried and tested tips for

1. If the Express line has a massive 30-minute wait, hop on the Resort line. It makes more stops, but you'll often get to Magic Kingdom faster than waiting for the Express monorail at the TTC.

2. If you are visiting the Polynesian Village Resort for a Dole Whip or dining at 'Ohana, don't wait for the Resort Monorail, you can walk through from the TTC in a gap near where the trams stop. You’ll walk about 5-7 minutes from the Great Ceremonial House to the Ticket & Transportation Center (TTC).

3. When boarding the Express Monorail at the TTC (heading to Magic Kingdom), aim for the far end of the platform-Gate 12. This gate aligns perfectly with the exit stairs at the Magic Kingdom station. You'll bypass the long, winding ramp and reach the park entrance taps before the rest of the train has even disembarked.

Monorail or Ferry Boat to Magic Kingdom?

You get to the TTC, time is ticking and you want to get to Magic Kingdom. Faced with two options: monorail or ferry boat, the first thing you think is which is the fastest; the monorail or the ferry. On paper the monorail probably has it by about a minute, however, the monorail can have much bigger queues, making it the slower option. Plus, when it is full it really does feel crowded. Even though the ferry boat has greater capacity, it never seems to feel as crowded if you’re standing with a view out over the Seven Seas Lagoon.

If you’re a first time visitor or returning visitor and it’s your first trip into Magic Kingdom, nothing beats taking the ferry boat. The spires of Cinderella Castle move closer and closer as you sail across the lagoon and there is just something truly magical in that experience, that you can’t get on the monorail. It’s a feeling of anticipation that just starts the day off in amore magical way.

Monorail or Ferry Boat From Magic Kingdom

This one is personal choice, on chilly nights, the monorail is the warmer option, as it can feel chilly on the ferry boat especially in January and February. Equally, if you want to see the lights of Magic Kingdom, and the hotels, then the ferry boat is your best option.

If the Monorail line is backed up past the "Express" sign, head to the Ferryboat. It can hold up to 600 people per trip. While the Monorail is faster in motion, the Ferryboat often clears the platform faster during the fireworks exodus.

Also consider using the ferry boat if you are heading home during the fireworks or the Seven Seas Electrical Parade, as it offers some lovely views, especially from the top deck or the back of the boat.

Benefits of Using the Monorail

Using the monorail has some obvious benefits, that make your trip from the UK easier:

• They are frequent, arriving every few minutes, so it's a quick and convenient way to zip around.

• Perfect for park hopping transport for guests planning to visit both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT in the same day.

• It's a unique way to travel for kids and adults alike. It's great fun waiting to see which colour monorail you'll be riding.

But there are also some lesser known benefits that first-timers and UK visitors don’t realise you can get by using the monorail:

• If you are heading to the Magic Kingdom, and you’re on a budget, consider getting on the Resort line and grabbing a drink with your resort mug from one of the quick service restaurants, for example grab a drink at Captain Cooks and then jump on the Resort Route from the Polynesian stop.

• Unlike Disney buses, you do not have to fold pushchairs on the Monorail. If you have a sleeping toddler, this is the route to take, although you can also take pushchairs on the ferry boat without collapsing them. During midday, the cabins are nearly empty, providing plenty of room for even the largest double buggies.

How to Use the Monorail to Park Hop to EPCOT

The monorail is your best option to park hop to EPCOT from Magic Kingdom, as there is not a bus service from Magic Kingdom direct to EPCOT. (You would need to head to the Contemporary and grab a bus from there). Park hopping between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT is easy, but can take time, so always leave yourself about an hour between leaving the parks and getting to a Lightning Lane or dining reservation for example. If you’re a first time visitor and new to the concept of park hopping head to park hopping explained for UK visitors to see how it works across all Disney theme parks.

Here’s how to park hop from Magic Kingdom, just do this is reverse if you want to park hop from EPCOT:

1. When you leave Magic Kingdom, head to the Monorail station and take the Express Monorail. The journey will take less than 7 minutes and you’ll arrive at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC).

2. You’ll need to swap monorails at the TTC, and this is a bit time consuming. You get off the Express Monorail onto the platform and then walk down the exit ramp and across to the EPCOT platform. It’s well sign posted and you’ll see the signs for EPCOT monorail.

3. Board the EPCOT-bound train. This is the longest and most scenic Monorail ride in the resort with a travel time of around 15 minutes. Keep your camera ready as the train loops through EPCOT, circling Spaceship Earth before docking at the station.

The Monorail Crawl: what is it and how to do it?

The monorail crawl is when you visit each of the Deluxe hotels on the monorail loop in one day, and choose to have a drink and a snack at each hotel. There are lots of drinks and snacks to choose from so you can modify this to your own families tastes. It’s fully possible to do on a budget as a resort guest with your resort mugs, buying a cake or a cookie and soaking in the atmosphere of each hotel, or having a bigger snack and an alcoholic drink.

To do a monorail crawl, simply set yourself a challenge, such as the cake and drink in each hotel, get on the resort line and get off at each resort to explore and enjoy a snack and a drink. This is something you can do at any time of year, but you’ll find it extra special at Christmas and Easter when these resorts have extra events going on, such as gingerbread displays or Easter eggs.

Magic in a Minute

The Disney monorail is a convenient way for UK visitors to explore the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT area for free. Perfect for park hopping for families with pushchairs who want to park hop conveniently and for people looking to cut down on steps when park hopping. Offering an easy option for anyone looking to explore the Deluxe resorts on the monorail loop during rest days, the monorail adds a unique vibes to getting from A to B for UK visitors.

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