DTD Monorail for park opening entry?

[buttercup3]

Hi all!
First, you guys are amazing in providing feedback and answers!! I may have a slight addiction to the disboards!
I was wondering if you can get into the park at park opening (i.e. rope drop) through the Monorail station in DTD? Does it open at the same time as the main gate, and is it usually busy?
Thanks in advance

 

[MikeRx]

Yes, there is typically a line and then you have to take the monorail ride (which is very nice, but not when you are burning valuable "golden hour" minutes). The don't appear to open the line until park opening so you have to get screened, board and ride over to the park. I feel that you are far better going to the plaza and entering at the main gate. More security officers and ticket lines process people much faster. We bypass the monorail every morning when staying at the DLH, but often take it when we return after our afternoon breaks! We try to get the cab or rear car..a special ride indeed.

Mike

 

[mommymermaid]

we always enjoy using monorail if we aren't in a rush. like the previous poster said, it can take quite a while to get through, and there is usually a line....but ask to ride in the front of the monorail! Super fun!

 

[cinder-ellah]

My experience from a couple of weeks ago : It was 7:45am with an 8am EE/EMH. We were headed to Tomorrowland to sign up for Jedi Training. We figured since we were close to the front of the line it would be a fun casual entry in to TL. A line was formed (20 in front of us, another 20 behind us),up to the security table. Everyone happy, ready to go. Security guards all smiles and pleasant. Strollers folded, tickets in hand ..... ready to hustle through security and up the stairs. And then .....8:01....... "Sorry folks....there is a delay. We'll open at 8:30". Why in the world did they wait til 8:01. Just seemed like it was the given time that they were told to make that announcement. Odd....
OMG ! Not the worse thing to ever happen, but it almost seemed pre-planned for that situation. Everyone grabbed their significant others / strollers flipped back open etc and speed walked on down through DTD. And by then the security lines etc were quite busy and full. Everyone was orderly, but OMG ! By the time we got to Jedi signups (and we went straight there) the first sign up spots were gone. Maybe they would've been gone anyway. In the future for us......if the line is it not actively moving / loading, we'll by pass it.

Also, on a side note be aware....the Monorail will close down during the day if its too hot out. No air conditioning except in the front and end car. CM's told us that mid day, its common to be shut down due to the heat. Check your apps.

 

[cinder-ellah]

Yes, there is typically a line and then you have to take the monorail ride (which is very nice, but not when you are burning valuable "golden hour" minutes). The don't appear to open the line until park opening so you have to get screened, board and ride over to the park. I feel that you are far better going to the plaza and entering at the main gate. More security officers and ticket lines process people much faster. We bypass the monorail every morning when staying at the DLH, but often take it when we return after our afternoon breaks! We try to get the cab or rear car..a special ride indeed.

Mike

I totally agree..... I would skip it for park opening. Lesson learned on my part.
Yes, the front and rear car are a treat !

 

[mom2rtk]

My experience from a couple of weeks ago : It was 7:45am with an 8am EE/EMH. We were headed to Tomorrowland to sign up for Jedi Training. We figured since we were close to the front of the line it would be a fun casual entry in to TL. A line was formed (20 in front of us, another 20 behind us),up to the security table. Everyone happy, ready to go. Security guards all smiles and pleasant. Strollers folded, tickets in hand ..... ready to hustle through security and up the stairs. And then .....8:01....... "Sorry folks....there is a delay. We'll open at 8:30". Why in the world did they wait til 8:01. Just seemed like it was the given time that they were told to make that announcement. Odd....
OMG ! Not the worse thing to ever happen, but it almost seemed pre-planned for that situation. Everyone grabbed their significant others / strollers flipped back open etc and speed walked on down through DTD. And by then the security lines etc were quite busy and full. Everyone was orderly, but OMG ! By the time we got to Jedi signups (and we went straight there) the first sign up spots were gone. Maybe they would've been gone anyway. In the future for us......if the line is it not actively moving / loading, we'll by pass it.

Also, on a side note be aware....the Monorail will close down during the day if its too hot out. No air conditioning except in the front and end car. CM's told us that mid day, its common to be shut down due to the heat. Check your apps.

That happened to us once, and it was enough to cure us of ever using the monorail at park opening again.

 

[buttercup3]

Exactly what I was looking for! I think we'll stick to the main gate for park openings.
Thanks for the great info!

 

[Sagginit]

Everyone keeps mentioning the back and front cars. Is there a way to get these? Is it first come first serve (push your way in like the subway) or is a CM monitoring these special spots? I am staying at Paradise Pier so I think we will utilize the monorail in the afternoons/evening to save on walking. The last trip there we stayed offsite so we only used the monorail once and I didn't realize you could sit in those cars. Reading this I remembered my husband wondered how those lucky people got into those cars.

 

[Aladora]

Everyone keeps mentioning the back and front cars. Is there a way to get these? Is it first come first serve (push your way in like the subway) or is a CM monitoring these special spots? I am staying at Paradise Pier so I think we will utilize the monorail in the afternoons/evening to save on walking. The last trip there we stayed offsite so we only used the monorail once and I didn't realize you could sit in those cars. Reading this I remembered my husband wondered how those lucky people got into those cars.

We asked a cm and we were prepared to wait a few trips before it was our turn to sit in the front (and back, now that I think about it...we have ridden in both)

 

[ParkHopper1]

Everyone keeps mentioning the back and front cars. Is there a way to get these? Is it first come first serve (push your way in like the subway) or is a CM monitoring these special spots? I am staying at Paradise Pier so I think we will utilize the monorail in the afternoons/evening to save on walking. The last trip there we stayed offsite so we only used the monorail once and I didn't realize you could sit in those cars. Reading this I remembered my husband wondered how those lucky people got into those cars.

Just like any of the roller coasters for that coveted spot...you request the front with the cast member loading. First come first serve and there may be others waiting ahead of you that have already requested it. I do not believe they load the front unless someone specifically asks, so it is not just who can rush there first when the loading gate slides open.

If I remember right it is a max party size of 4 that can ride up there.

 

[cinder-ellah]

We've just asked a CM when waiting / as we approached the railing and were told yes we could or someone else asked first, but we could wait til the next one. No pushing or shoving. And when we've seen it it was never just open as an option to get in. You had to ask. The back one holds 6 people. I don't remember how many fit in front (6 ?) Sometimes only a couple of people were riding in it and they were asked if they minded sharing the ride. Fun !

 

[alvernon90]

Generally speaking, it is much better to think of the monorail as one-way transportation from DL to DTD. Getting on at the DTD station is a bad idea almost any time of day. Mornings are bad for reasons discussed above. The rest of the day is bad because long lines form and do not go away -- at the DL station all riders are required to leave but at DTD only a handful of people get off.

It may work very late (like post-fireworks) but for most times you would want to be entering the park, heading for the main gates is going to be a better option.

 

[Kindermouse]

When I stayed at PPH we used it a lot both directions except for MM (before they started doing EMH for all on site guests and we had only 1 MM with our park hopper) since we had heard that it wastes too much of you special hour.

 

[SMD]

Yesterday the park closed at 9 and the monorail stopped running at 7. I rode it twice and there were announcements both times that after 7pm you had to exit through the front gate only.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Definitely only 4 people fit up front. We're a fam of 5 so I remember that number quite well! (But we all fit in back no issues.)

And we too have run into the 8:01 "sorry folks" thing at the monorail. Although one time when we tried it was 8am and they said "we should be open soon", let people fill the queue, watched the monorail come and go but it was just testing. By 8:20ish we were told they were shutting down and we'd have to go to the main gate. THAT'S the experience that cured me of EMH monorail entry!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yesterday the park closed at 9 and the monorail stopped running at 7. I rode it twice and there were announcements both times that after 7pm you had to exit through the front gate only.

Bummer! Were there fireworks? (OP, a monorail thing to be aware of is the it closes around firework time and reopens if the park is open late). But that's just the current show that is leaving this weekend, maybe with the old show they'll be able to keep the monorail running! I remember viewing fireworks from the very back of the monorail one night a long time ago and it was magical!

 

[buttercup3]

By 8:20ish we were told they were shutting down and we'd have to go to the main gate.

I would be SO upset!! What a huge waste of time! And no fastpasses or anything done to make up for it?!?
We'll definitely only ride it once in the park. There's too much I want to accomplish in the first hour!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I would be SO upset!! What a huge waste of time! And no fastpasses or anything done to make up for it?!?
We'll definitely only ride it once in the park. There's too much I want to accomplish in the first hour!

Never FP issues for monorail going down that I've seen.

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

I was just about to post this thread, because I was thinking if we stayed at the DLH, that the monorail would make it closer. So basically it's just for returning at night, or if we go back during the day?

 

[Kindermouse]

I was just about to post this thread, because I was thinking if we stayed at the DLH, that the monorail would make it closer. So basically it's just for returning at night, or if we go back during the day?

In my experience it was fine either way-took about as long as the walk through DTD with a couple of little ones and a stroller anyway EXCEPT if you are doing RD or EMH.

If you typically sleep in and go the the parks a little after park opening I would use it as long at the line looks reasonable (there are always going to be days that it has a long line and it feels like everyone in the park is trying to do the same schedule as you are) which for me was most of the time.