Sure, Disney World’s transportation system might be best known for its buses, which travel pretty much everywhere resort-wide. But the Disney World monorail is undeniably the most iconic.
Unlike Disneyland Resort, where Disney’s monorails first debuted back in 1959, the Disney World monorail is an actual mode of transportation. Sure, it’ll feel like an attraction (especially for kids who are fascinated by vehicles), but it’s a speedy way to get around certain resorts and from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom Park and vice versa.
Find everything you need to know about the Disney World monorail, from its stops to its history, below.
- History of the Disney World Monorail
- Where Does the Disney World Monorail Travel?
- Disney World Monorail FAQs
The History of the Disney World Monorail
The Walt Disney World Monorail System first opened along with the resort itself back in 1971. It’s Disney’s second-ever monorail system (the first obviously being its counterpart at Disneyland Resort).
When it first opened, Disney World’s monorail features Mark IV trains that ran two services around what is now known as the Magic Kingdom Loop: Guests could travel the Resort Loop and visit different hotels or take the Express Loop from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom (and vice versa).
In 1982, EPCOT opened and introduced a third service to Disney World’s monorail. Guests could take an extended line over to EPCOT from the Transportation and Ticket Center. A few years later in 1989, the monorail fleet was upgraded and began running Mark VI trains.
Today, the Disney World monorail runs 12 Mark VI trains across those same three lines. In total, the monorail travels over 14.7 miles across its three service lines and carries more than 150,000 passengers each day.
Where Does the Disney World Monorail Travel?
Like we mentioned above, the Disney World monorail runs three services: the Resort Loop, the Express Loop, and the EPCOT Loop. All of these originate from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC).
To simplify things, we’ll divide these services into two: the Magic Kingdom Loop and the EPCOT Loop. If you’re looking for transportation to or from Magic Kingdom, you’ll board a train on the Magic Kingdom Loop. If you’re looking to get to or from EPCOT via the TTC, the EPCOT Loop is the correct choice.
The Magic Kingdom Loop
There are two monorail tracks that run from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, the Resort track and the Express track. They go the same places but in opposite directions.
The Resort Loop
The Resort Loop takes guests on a circle around Seven Seas Lagoon and the three resorts that sit near Magic Kingdom. It stops at the monorail hotels along the way, but the monorail originates from the TTC and returns to the TTC on this service line.
Here’s the order of stops:
- Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)
- Polynesian Resort
- Grand Floridian Resort
- Magic Kingdom
- Contemporary Resort
- TTC
With stops, it takes about 30 minutes to complete the loop.
The Express Loop
The Express Loop travels non-stop from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom. It goes by or through the hotels, but it doesn’t stop.
A non-stop trip from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom takes about 8 minutes (barring any traffic on the route that may cause delays).
The EPCOT Loop
The EPCOT Loop of the monorail runs from the TTC to EPCOT. You can see the track and even a monorail when you’re driving to the Magic Kingdom parking lot. If you’re parking at EPCOT, the track runs overhead right to the park’s entrance.
Where the Magic Kingdom loop stays outside the Magic Kingdom, the EPCOT track goes right through the park. It loops through the Future World portion of EPCOT coming to a stop above the main entrance to the park.
You can get a view of all of the future world pavilions as you arrive at EPCOT on the Disney monorail.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Disney World Monorail
Can you ride the Disney World monorail for free?
Yes, the Disney World monorail is free and open to guests.
How long does it take to ride the Disney World monorail?
It depends on which of the three services you’re using. If you’re simply traveling on the Express Loop, a ride on the Disney World monorail will take about 8 minutes. If you’re headed to EPCOT, the trip will take about 15 minutes. And if you’re traveling the Resort Loop, it’ll take approximately 30 minutes.
Is the Disney World monorail faster than a ferry?
In general, the Disney World monorail is faster than a ferry if you’re headed to Magic Kingdom. After all, the monorail was brought to the resort to offer speedy, efficient transportation. And, barring any delays or traffic on your route, odds are it’ll arrive faster than a ferry.
