Happy Monorail Memories

[inkkognito]

DH and I tend to take the monorails for granted now that we live by WDW, but I got a refresher in how they wow people who are new to Disney World. My sister-in-law and nephew came down to visit. DH took my nephew into the parks, but my sister-in-law doesn't really ride rides so I took her on a tour of WDW property. We parked at Downtown Disney, took the boat to Port Orleans, took a bus from there to TTC, took the ferry to MK, took a boat back and forth from Fort Wilderness, and took the monorail to TTC. As we were getting ready to board the monorail to Epcot, she said, "You've been paying all day. Let me pay for this one." She actually thought I was paying for all the buses, boats, and monorail rides we had been taking! I explained to her that we hadn't even been in a theme park and that was just Disney's transportation system...she was suitably awed.

 

[The Hendies]

I don't know how he does it, but my DS 25 has a knack of getting rides in the front of the monorail. Someone from the family has done it each trip, sometimes twice. My favorite was when he got us a ride by pointing out that is was my birthday trip. DH, DS and I had a great ride.

 

[Eljay]

Oh gosh, all these monorail memories made me recall a nice thing that happened, probably in the late 80's.

I was riding the monorail with a friend and the car was empty, except for us and a nice young family. It was a mom, dad and 2 little ones. We struck up a conversation and it turned out that this family had won an all expenses paid trip to WDW from a radio contest. They were from California and were frequent visitors to DL, but it was their first trip to WDW.

They asked if we would still be there the next day and they told us that this was their last day and they were leaving to go home in a few hours. Would we like 2 vouchers for breakfast anywhere on property? Well, of course, we gratefully accepted the vouchers and the next day, we ate at a Character Breakfast at the GF 1900 Park Fare, if I remember correctly. The GF was brand new at that time.

A wonderful opportunity, courtesy of a chance meeting on the monorail!

 

[deej696]

Like many others, my favorite thing to do at WDW was to ride in the front of the monorail. I've always thought it would be really cool to ride in the cone going in reverse. Well, when we went to DL for the first time last year, I was extatic to see they allow guests to do so. Here's me going backwards

 

[theostwalts]

We have always stayed on the Monorail Loop, so we have lots of fun memories from the monorail.

We love the "Please stand clear of the doors" recording. On our first trip, one of our dds asked if there was someone up front who kept making that announcement. I told her there was one guy who spoke english and one who spoke spanish. I told her that everytime they made the announcement, they had to pass the microphone between each other. She believed it!!!! She finally figured out that I was just kidding her and it was a big joke for the rest of the trip.

I actually have the Monorail Loop recording on a cd and we listen to it in the car sometimes.

We have a small model of the purple tram sitting on the TV stand in our basement.

Another great memeory was from our 2nd family trip. We met a family on the monorail while we were on the way to the MK for the day. He was celebrating his 80th birthday. The whole family had on T-shirts that said Pop Pop was celebrating his 80th birthday at WDW. He was in his scooter ready to go!!!! We told him happy birthday everytime we saw him in the park.

 

[snow.white]

My husband loves when you first get on and they tell you to please stand clear of the doors and then speak in Spanish - he recites it and even has the T-shirt with the monorail and saying on the front.

My favorite part is to travel through the Contemporary. When we leave I love to sit backwards and watch the Castle fading into the distance. I really want this to always be my last memory of the MK.

This thread talks about that famous phrase!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2182565

 

[theatermouse]

I was THISCLOSE to asking to ride in the front car on my bday this past March as we were the only ones at that end of the train at the point in time, but I felt silly, so we didn't.

My son hanging onto the pole while seated in his stroller is a funny memory for us. He saw everyone else doing it, so he did, too!

What's amazing to me is how aware of everything he is! He's 3 1/2 and I was showing my husband the video shot the night of the monorail accident. My son was sitting here with us & saw the trains. He recognized them as the trains that take us to "Mickey's Castle!" Fortunately he didn't see the bad in the video, but he remembers those trains! My husband & I were both shocked at how much this little guy remembers! I can't wait for him to see them again this upcoming December!!

 

[fairestoneofall]

Oh. Another one. On our last trip, we had three dreamy nights in a GF MK view room. We were in the farthest building and thus, right next to the monorail line. DS spent SO much time on our balcony watching the monorails and guessing which color would come next. He LOVES the monorails.

 

[ilandrazdsw]

This past Christmas we were able to spend 10 nights at WDW. It was the first trip that DH, DS and DD got to ride in front of the monorail. While we were waiting DH noticed how all the CM's name tags have where they are from printed on them and asked me if I thought we would meet anyone from Crown Point, IN (where we were intending to move and have since). Sure enough! The pilot of our monorail was from CP and we had a very nice talk about the best places to live and things to do in CP all the way to Epcot!

On the same trip our "adopted"D/Nanny came to visit us from where she was attending school near Orlando for 2 days. DS and DD so wanted to have her ride in the front of the monorail (cause they thought it was so cool the first time). On our last ride of the night (her last ride before she had to leave) around Epcot we were able to sit upfront and watch Illuninations.

 

[LMN]

inkkognito: Thanks for putting up the pic of you in your monorail hat: Now THAT is a happy monorail memory! Love it!

 

[inkkognito]

inkkognito: Thanks for putting up the pic of you in your monorail hat: Now THAT is a happy monorail memory! Love it!

Glad you enjoyed it! That reminded me of another memory. I was wearing it, and DH and I had dinner at Garden Grill. Pluto fell in love with my hat and "stole" it and was parading around in it. Of course we didn't have our camera, but we did manage to snap a cell phone shot. It was hilarious.

 

[Bones1389]

My 1.5 year old daughter was thrilled to be sitting next to the window (and not in her stroller or car seat -- I think this is why she really had so much fun at WDW) and yelled "wheeeeeeee!!!!" as we went through the Contemporary on our way back to the TTC parking lot. That monorail joy she let everyone hear was the perfect exclamation point to the perfect day, her first ever at Walt Disney World.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Like a lot of you some of my favorite Monorail memories are sitting up front and having a direct view of everything in front of us. Besides that when my family and I have had the Tower Magic Kingdom View at the Contemporary, I also enjoyed just sitting out on the balcony and seeing the Resort Monorail and Express Monorail going along the tracks.

 

[Tink888]

I remember riding the monorail as a little girl and just feeling like, on top of all the other Disney magic, that I was really someplace special.

My favorite memory is when I took my sons to WDW for the first time. My oldest son was 5 at the time and totally into all modes of transportation. He was so fascinated by the monorail the first time he saw it. His first ride was from MK to the Contemporary for breakfast at Chef Mickey's and the look on his face as he saw us head toward and then pull into the Contemporary was priceless. He was in total awe.

Two years later we were lucky enough to be able to ride in the front. To this day, no Disney trip is complete without a monorail ride. Just looking up at the track and seeing it whoosh by from the road adds to the excitement of being at WDW.

 

[ShelsGoingToDisney]

Our family loves the monorail and one of the first things we do upon arrival is go on a trip around the resort route or the Epcot route. We always ask to sit in front and generally do it multiple times per trip. I am almost positive on our last trip one of our late nights coming back from Epcot Austin was our driver. He made an impression on me because he was so kind to my kids and was laughing that my 4 yr old fell asleep on the trip back slumped over in his seat in the front! We saw him again the next morning at the MK station and were surprised to see him back at work so early after a late night.

As for happy memories a tradition for our family is to yell out the color of the monorail as it passes. It started on a mother/daughter trip that I took with my DD. We had a standard room at the Poly but I always ask for a 3rd floor with view of the monorail. We sit on the balcony in the morning and eat our breakfast as we watch the monorails go by. She was 3.5 and learning her colors at the time so every one that would go by she'd yell the color and it has turned into a tradition. Sadly it was the colors my kids first noticed when they saw the crash pictures and my DD commented that we rode on the pink last March for my DS's very first monorail trip (up front of course!).

I sure hope they bring back the ability to ride in front.

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

Great idea for a thread. Here is a video of my older boys getting to "Pilot" a little bit on the way to Epcot early one morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhkGxojP0RQ

 

[FigmentChick]

First, thanks to the OP for starting this thread....I love reading stories like these!!!! Most of the time I lurk, but I do have a couple of really good memories.

On our first family trip to the world, in April 2006, we were leaving MK for the day and no one was on the platform when we got there. I knew from reading that I should politely ask if we could sit up front. We were able to and had one of the best pilots (although, I have to say - we've NEVER had a bad pilot). As we pulled away from MK, fireworks started to go off from the direction of the GF. Now, I should say that this was around 5pm in the afternoon. We asked what was going on, as I knew there shouldn't be any fireworks at 5pm, let alone from the GF. Come to find out, it was a Cinderella Wedding.....we even got to see the coach as we drove past the GF!!! It was so beautiful (but I can only imagine the cost of that wedding for the bride's family!).

A second memory occurred this last trip in Oct 2007. We were headed to Epcot from the TTC (as we often do because the ride is so cool). Again, we were the only ones on the platform on the time, chatting it up with the CMs. An older man came over to us and asked what kinds of pets we have. My children quickly replied "cats". He said if we could name five Disney cats, we could ride in the front. You know, I am a Geek of Disney Knowledge, but I have to admit - the pressure got to me! However, with the CMs help, my kids recited five names. And wouldn't you know???.....he happened to be our pilot to Epcot.

I love the Monorails, as the first time I see them, I am truly at Disney. And I have to admit, like others on here, that's the first "official" Disney ride.

 

[Doc CW]

Just hearing the phrase that eveyone knows "Por Favor..." and everything else. I have no idea how to spell it. Also how excited my baby sister gets whenever she hears or sees a monorail.

 

[PrincessDreams2]

Thank you for starting this thread! It really does make it feel better! We are looking forward to our trip in September - and riding the monorail again!

 

[heycher]

On our last trip, we were on the monorail to MK on day 1 of our trip. My daughter who is 8 has been to WDW several times but she was with her cousin (age 9) who was a first timer.

I watched my daughter lean over to my niece and say in a real soft voice, "it really is the most magical place on earth".

I still could cry just thinking about that moment on the monorail! It was so precious!