Among the many forms of transportation in and around Walt Disney World, the monorail is perhaps the most iconic. The monorail takes guests to three of Disney's resort hotels and two of its theme parks. Here's everything you need to know.
The monorail.
Do I have to pay to use the monorail?
No. Use of the Walt Disney World monorail system is free. You don't need any sort of ticket, nor do the cast members at the monorail have any mechanism for collecting a fare.
To use the monorail, does it matter where I'm staying?
No. Anyone is free to use the monorail system regardless of where they are staying, on or off Disney property. There is, however, an exception to this.
What's the exception?
Yes. It is doesn't matter where you stay, but there may be some situations where your access to the monorail may be curtailed. In pre-pandemic times, this would happen only on the busiest handful of days each year. On those days, you might be asked to show a Disney resort ID or proof of a restaurant/tour reservation within a theme park. This was for crowd control purposes in the theme parks and had nothing to do with limiting your access to the transportation itself.
Post pandemic, beginning in January 2021, when Disney re-instituted guest park hopping capabilities, guests had their park admission scanned prior to boarding park-to-park transportation. This scan was to ensure that the guest's ticket had park hopping capabilities was not designed to limit access to transportation in general, nor was it dependent on the guest's lodging.
You can roll a stroller directly onto the monorail.
Where does the monorail operate?
There are three monorail lines. The Express Monorail runs a continuous loop between the Transportation and Ticket Center (Magic Kingdom parking) and the Magic Kingdom. The Resort Monorail runs a continuous loop from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Polynesian resort, the Grand Floridian resort, the Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary resort, in that order. The Epcot Monorail runs back and forth between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Epcot.
Can I take the monorail directly from Magic Kingdom to Epcot?
No. This route requires a transfer. Take the monorail from Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center, then transfer there to the Epcot line monorail.
What are the monorail hours?
Monorail hours vary with some regularity, even from day to day. In general, expect the monorail to run at a minimum from one hour before Magic Kingdom or Epcot opens to one hour after those parks close. The resort line monorail often, but not always, starts moving guests at 6:30 a.m. to accommodate folks with 7:00 a.m. breakfast reservations at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary. Monorail service may stop running early during events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. If this is the case, or if the monorail temporarily suspends operations for technical reasons, then bus and/or service will be provided as an alternative.
How often does the monorail run? Is there a schedule or timetable?
There is no set schedule or timetable, but generally you can expect the next monorail to arrive within four to seven minutes.
Monorail hours vary.
What is the seating on the monorail like?
Monorail cars have minimal bench-style seating. First thing in the morning, last thing at night, and during crowded times of the year, it’s likely that you will have to stand.
In the monorail wheelchair or ECV accessible?
Yes. The monorails are fully wheelchair and ECV accessible. The monorail cast will set up a ramp allowing guests with mobility devices to roll right on.
Can I bring a stroller on the monorail?
Yes. The vast majority of the time, guests will be able to roll strollers directly onto the monorail, either with or without children in them. There is no need to wake a stroller sleeping child to ride the monorail. Only rarely, during the most crowded conditions, a cast member may ask you to fold a stroller to better accommodate more guests on board. If you’d like to avoid this, you can simply wait until the crowds dissipate.
Are there alternatives to using the monorail?
Yes. To get from the Ticket and Transportation Center to Epcot, you could take your own car or a bus. To get from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, you could take the ferry. To get between the Magic Kingdom area resorts, you could take your own car.
If you don't mind walking, there is now a path that fully connects an arc from the Contemporary resort to the Ticket and Transportation Center, including Magic Kingdom, Grand Floridian resort, and Polynesian resort. (There is no walking path between the TTC and the Contemporary, making it an incomplete loop.)
Anything else I should know?
Many years ago, guests were allowed to ride in the monorail co*ckpit with the driver. This is no longer the case.
