Riding at the front of the monorail?

[soccerchick]

I can't remember from our last trip Is there a queing area to get in if you'd like to ride in the front of the monorail? Or do you just ask a CM? My DS is a train freak and I'd love to try to do this for our trip.

TIA!

 

[beattyfamily]

Just ask the CM on duty there. First come first served.

 

[lillygator]

don't forget, if you have a stroller - you will have to fold it up!!

 

[Kapp]

we tried for this, we were met by pushy, surrely parents rushing the CM to get their kids (and most were infants!) up front! The CM were also very rude (really the only rude CM we have ever encountered alont with one terrible CM at Thunder Mountain!). I am sure they are asked this 1,000 a day but that is not excuse for being rude.
Hope you have better luck with this than we did!

 

[Tigger_Magic]

We had real good luck during our trip last Nov. We stayed at CR and we went during a "slow" period mid-afternoon. We had to wait for a 2nd monorail to come and then got to ride a complete trip. I'd suggest trying that (mid-morning after the crowds have hit MK or mid-afternoon).

 

[Marseeya]

we tried for this, we were met by pushy, surrely parents rushing the CM to get their kids (and most were infants!) up front! The CM were also very rude (really the only rude CM we have ever encountered alont with one terrible CM at Thunder Mountain!). I am sure they are asked this 1,000 a day but that is not excuse for being rude.
Hope you have better luck with this than we did!

We had a not so nice experience with this too! We'd eaten dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse and decided to ride the monorail to see the view and just waste some time off our feet. It wasn't busy at all when we were there. We asked the CM at the gate and he was really nice about it, but when we rode at the front, the pilot of the monorail acted almost put out by our presence! He wouldn't speak to us at all and would hardly even look at us. We were so uncomfortable. We even tried to engage him in conversation, but he just gave us one word answers and very obviously didn't want to talk. After we made the circuit, he handed us the co-pilot's cards like they were no big deal. Fortunately, my 9 yo DD didn't really know anything was amiss, otherwise I would have been fuming! Trust me, I'm not some Pollyanna who expects "happy happy joy joy" all the time, but this CM really made my DH and I uncomfortable!

That was our only bad experience with a CM, I'm happy to report. He must have been having a bad day or something, but IMO that really doesn't excuse rudeness. I used to work retail and I never let my moods affect the customers.

 

[kimisabella]

Don't forget to get you co-pilot's license from the CM when you reach your destination.

 

[missypie]

DH loves the monorail. We stayed at CR and rode the monorail a lot (even when it would have been faster to walk.) We're a family of 5 and they only let 4 people ride up front, so we had to split up, but each of us rode up front at least twice. All you have to do is ask the CM. Ask as soon as you get there. If you aren't early enough, get into one of the first cars and peek out and wacth how many get in. One time the front was "taken" but it turns out there were only two in their party, so they let two of our family join them. Once, when DH, DD9 and DS14 were up front, they got the driver to say "[my name] and [DDs name], we wish you were up here with us" on the loud speaker.

 

[ccgegg]

Can you videotape/take photos when you're in the front? Any flash regulations?

 

[beattyfamily]

Can you videotape/take photos when you're in the front? Any flash regulations?

DH is a video tapping freak and he video taped the whole ride and he also took several photographs. I don't remember any restrictions.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

We had a not so nice experience with this too! We'd eaten dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse and decided to ride the monorail to see the view and just waste some time off our feet. It wasn't busy at all when we were there. We asked the CM at the gate and he was really nice about it, but when we rode at the front, the pilot of the monorail acted almost put out by our presence! He wouldn't speak to us at all and would hardly even look at us. We were so uncomfortable. We even tried to engage him in conversation, but he just gave us one word answers and very obviously didn't want to talk. After we made the circuit, he handed us the co-pilot's cards like they were no big deal. Fortunately, my 9 yo DD didn't really know anything was amiss, otherwise I would have been fuming! Trust me, I'm not some Pollyanna who expects "happy happy joy joy" all the time, but this CM really made my DH and I uncomfortable!

That was our only bad experience with a CM, I'm happy to report. He must have been having a bad day or something, but IMO that really doesn't excuse rudeness. I used to work retail and I never let my moods affect the customers.

Wow, I think we got this same CM on a ride we had last November. He was unusally quiet and when we tried to engage him in conversation, we got almost single syllable answers. I told my 2 DDs that he had to pay close attention to the driving. We didn't get their co-pilot cards on that trip, so a couple of days later, we tried again. This time we got a GREAT CM, who was pointing out things, chatting with the girls and made a big production of "awarding" them their co-pilot cards. That was a great ride!

 

[ssdeverell]

We will be riding to the CR for dinner at the Concourse Steakhouse. Is it worth it to even ask for that short ride? I thought we would just walk back to MK instead of riding the whole loop around, so that would really be our only opportunity.

Also, we will be childless this trip, so do they care if it is just adults?

 

[eeyore45]

Wow, I think we got this same CM on a ride we had last November. He was unusally quiet and when we tried to engage him in conversation, we got almost single syllable answers. I told my 2 DDs that he had to pay close attention to the driving. We didn't get their co-pilot cards on that trip, so a couple of days later, we tried again. This time we got a GREAT CM, who was pointing out things, chatting with the girls and made a big production of "awarding" them their co-pilot cards. That was a great ride!

WOW _ In July we got the surly guy too!! We stayed at the Polynesian, and asked from there, finally got one - and when I asked about the co pilot's license the surly CM driver said, "they dont do that anymore, I wish people would quit asking' It made me so unconfortable, I never tried again We did get another up front ride to Epcot with a talkative driver, but no license!!

 

[nana2tots]

How Kool is that, we have been lucky and did it twice, you just have to ask, and if there aren't anyone else at the time wanting to ride, then they will let you.

 

[binigrl417]

I had the same experience many of you had when I rode at the front of the monorail too. The driver said not one word to us and it was kind of awkward. And nobody got a co-pilots license.

 

[Bouncing4Tigger]

I rode in the front with my niece and nephew in April when we went. We had to wait for a few monorails to do it though. We did not get a pilot license though.

 

[crazymomof4]

I had the same experience many of you had when I rode at the front of the monorail too. The driver said not one word to us and it was kind of awkward. And nobody got a co-pilots license.

That is just not right! I can't believe how many of you experienced this! I was wondering if any of the many posters who got "un-Disney like" monorail pilots put in a complaint to GS? I would have complained. Part of their job (yes, what they get PAID to do) is to be friendly and accomodating to all Disney guests. If enough people complained about the same situation, I would imagine that he (or they, if it's not the same CM) would either have to change his attitude or risk losing his job.

 

[Lorelai]

We did this in Nov. 2003. They only allowed 4 patrons to ride up front, so my husband took our two older ones, and I sat in the next section back with our toddler. The CM was okay, not too chatty, but no co-pilot license. We didn't even know that you could get one! Or that you could in the past, I gues not anymore.

 

[Goofy4WDW1964]

We have actually gotten ride up front at least once every year that we have been there. Now, we haven't gotten to ride up front every time we have asked. It really depends on what monorail you are getting on and what time of day and year you are there. The best time to try it is during slow times of the day. Also, try it with the Epcot monorail. There are fewer people riding that monorail, so it increases your chances.

We have videotaped the ride before, but we have never taken any pictures. I was worried that the flash would bother the pilot, so didn't even ask about it.

We have also experienced the gambet of pilots from the very chatty pilot who hands out co-pilot licenses to the very quiet, one answer, very focused pilot.

 

[cobbler]

We have been up front on each trip that we have been on. Never have we received a pilots license.