Do I use monorail for anything?

[june@imsarc.com]

Staying at Grand Californian. I understand you can literally walk to both parks, but then I also heard you can take the monorail for something? What exactly? And, where do you "catch it?"

 

[Soccermom-Cheri]

There is a station towards the end of Downtown Disney and another inside Disneyland (Tomorrowland). My favorite thing to do is just get on a ride around. It is a break from the crowds in the air conditioning.

 

[elaw]

You can use it to enter the park, as ride and a nice way to get to the tomorrowland station while missing some of the main entry traffic ... I recommend doing it at least once. The monorail entrance from DTD is next to the rain forest cafe

 

[skiingfast]

You can use it as a ride.

If you are going to Tomorrowland first, and *not at park open*, but another time of the day it may work fine. Or if you want to go back to the GCH or DTD from near Tomorroland it will work fine.

The dilemma of using the monorail is, it may have shorter hours than DL Park does. It only goes from west of the GCH to Tomorrowland.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you're near Tomorrowland and want to eat at Rainforest Cafe or at a Disneyland Hotel restaurant, or if you want to go to the Lego Store, taking the monorail out into DTD makes sense.

Or if you've had breakfast at one of those restaurants and want to end up in Tomorrowland (or to go quickly to Toon Town or to ride small world, the things further back in the park), then it can make sense to take the monorail in rather than walk all the way through DTD and Disneyland.

But to walk from the Grand back to the monorail entrance...distance-wise it just makes no sense, unless you really want to avoid walking from the gates to Tomorrowland. Probably quicker to just walk the other way towards the esplanade instead of back towards the monorail.

 

[jdb in AZ]

The monorail at WDW is necessary for transportation, and is considerably larger than the Disneyland version, which was designed as a ride. Last time we took the monorail to "save time" after a parade at Disneyland, it ended up taking longer.

 

[pixiewings71]

We ride it sometimes but mostly we use it to go to DTD and back to DL. The monorail has no heat or air conditioning but it is fun to ride and the windows do open.

 

[mickeyplanner]

Staying at Grand Californian. I understand you can literally walk to both parks, but then I also heard you can take the monorail for something? What exactly? And, where do you "catch it?"

Are you doing a pre-trip report for this trip? We would be flying out of Pittsburgh to go to DL as well. I am starting to do research now to plan for a future trip to DL. Any pointers you have and would like to pass along?

 

[skiingfast]

I am starting to do research now to plan for a future trip to DL. Any pointers you have and would like to pass along?

If you haven't read this thread, the DLR guide for WDw vets start there.

 

[mickeyplanner]

If you haven't read this thread, the DLR guide for WDw vets start there.

Thank you I did not know about that thread

 

[WestCoastMama]

We just stayed at the DLH and used it solely to get into and out of DL. The lines are considerably longer in the evening to take it from Tomorrowland to DTD. It was perfect early in the morning especially to get to TT for Morning Madness. Have fun!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We just stayed at the DLH and used it solely to get into and out of DL. The lines are considerably longer in the evening to take it from Tomorrowland to DTD. It was perfect early in the morning especially to get to TT for Morning Madness. Have fun!

Right they aren't running it until 10 am during the week because if DCA construction.

 

[BrizMarc]

The DL monorail is handy to get out of the park to the downtown Disney area when the park is busy. As for that its really more a ride and a nice way to see things from a different angle. Its totaly pointless for DCA though as it doesnt stop there. If your at Grad Californian it wont matter anyway as you have your own enterance to the park.

 

[WestCoastMama]

Right they aren't running it until 10 am during the week because if DCA construction.

I had heard that the monorail didn't open until 10 a.m. but you know what? Both mornings we were there (Mon. & Tues. of last week) the monorail was open at 7 a.m. (for hotel guests) and 8 a.m. for everyone. Now I don't know if that was because it was so busy they wanted to cut down on the crush at main gate.

 

[skiingfast]

I had heard that the monorail didn't open until 10 a.m. but you know what? Both mornings we were there (Mon. & Tues. of last week) the monorail was open at 7 a.m. (for hotel guests) and 8 a.m. for everyone. Now I don't know if that was because it was so busy they wanted to cut down on the crush at main gate.

This is because it's A. the busy season and core of the holidays and B. construction workers get days off too. So they were shortening the hours.

The 10am opening of the monorial may return this week, and definitely the next week as maximum pace construction resumes.

 

[june@imsarc.com]

Thx for the info and good tips! I had no idea that the monorail was designed to be a ride! One last question, if you are in DTD and want to get onto the monorail, I assume you have to have a ticket or room key, right?

 

[skiingfast]

Thx for the info and good tips! I had no idea that the monorail was designed to be a ride! One last question, if you are in DTD and want to get onto the monorail, I assume you have to have a ticket or room key, right?

Yes there are turnstyles at the DTD station as well as a security check.

 

[wbl2745]

Thx for the info and good tips! I had no idea that the monorail was designed to be a ride! One last question, if you are in DTD and want to get onto the monorail, I assume you have to have a ticket or room key, right?

At the DTD station, you will be going to the Tomorrowland Station, so you have to have a valid park ticket. Your room key won't work since, unlike WDW, the monorail doesn't serve the hotels.

Likewise from the Tomorrowland Station you will be exiting Disneyland if you get off at the DTD Station. Be sure to get your hand stamped if you want to enter the parks again.