Tell me about the monorail

[BensWife]

DH and I have a standard room booked at CCI, but I am considering upgrading to DLH. If we do move to DLH, how is access to DL via the monorail? Is it available for the early mornings? How bad are the lines to come back at the end of the night? I like that the CCI has the shuttle (I have some foot problems so sometimes I can walk, but other times not having to walk back is great too!), but I know the DLH is quite a walk too. I would want to use the monorail quite a bit, but would also like the added benefit of those early mornings (we are rope droppers and don't have the MM because we are getting APs). The GCH is not an option for this trip, and to tell you the truth, I don't know if DLH really is either. I'm still up in the air about adding the expense to move to DLH. What are your thoughts about the monorail?

 

[LisaT91403]

DH and I have a standard room booked at CCI, but I am considering upgrading to DLH. If we do move to DLH, how is access to DL via the monorail? Is it available for the early mornings? How bad are the lines to come back at the end of the night? I like that the CCI has the shuttle (I have some foot problems so sometimes I can walk, but other times not having to walk back is great too!), but I know the DLH is quite a walk too. I would want to use the monorail quite a bit, but would also like the added benefit of those early mornings (we are rope droppers and don't have the MM because we are getting APs). The GCH is not an option for this trip, and to tell you the truth, I don't know if DLH really is either. I'm still up in the air about adding the expense to move to DLH. What are your thoughts about the monorail?

The Monorail will not be open early. It is simply a ride/attraction, just like anything else in the parks; it is not "transportation". That mean it opens when the park officially opens...so there's no way you could use it to get to the parks in time for rope drop. The lines can also be long depending on the time of day that you want to ride. We used it to come back to DLH one night, but had to stand in line for 30 minutes just to get on.

So if you would only consider DLH if the monorail could be used as relatively easy and convenient transportation...I would not book it.

 

[GatorChris]

If you're viewing the monorail like a WDW traveler, you'll have to be corrected. In FL, you've got 3 resorts that you can walk from your room to the monorail stop and it takes you straight to the MK gate or to TTA to switch over to the Epcot monorail.

Disneyland has it only as a ride/attraction. I know, hard to believe. You've got this great transport system and it's all just for show. It's like another Railroad train but not open air. Still, my kids have to ride it once per trip.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

The only time I've found the Monorail useful as a means of trasportation is when I'm ready to get out of the park just before, during, or just after the fireworks. Main Street is packed full and not fun to walk through, but if I'm already on that side of the park, I can take the Monorail around the whole crowd.

Otherwise, I agree with the PPs. It's not even that close to the DLH.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

I would say that the monorail is about a four minute walk from the DLH. My experience is that every morning my family and I would walk all the way to the front gate because I had read on these boards multiple times that we would get in faster. However, every morning the monorail would pass us with hotel guests beating everyone at the gates. Next time we stay at the DLH I will take my chances and go on the monorail to enter.

 

[tarheelalum]

The monorail was blazing hot a couple of weeks ago when I was last on it. No AC with just the windows open. I would walk before I got on that thing again when its warm outside.

 

[bakerudall]

The monorail was blazing hot a couple of weeks ago when I was last on it. No AC with just the windows open. I would walk before I got on that thing again when its warm outside.

We got lucky this week when we were asked to move up and ride in the conductor's cabin with a panoramic view and cold A/C!

To the OP, we only use the monorail as transportation when we are eating in DTD and park hopping afterward (e.g. Little Mermaid ride, Grand Californian exit to Earl of Sandwich, monorail to Star Tours).

 

[PatMcDuck]

Just a point about riding upfront on the monorail. This is what was explained to me last trip, it may have changed of course.

Riding up front on the DL monorail is great, esp. for WDW guests who are no longer allowed to do this on the WDW monorails. However, they often only board the front cab at the Tomorrowland station, because guests are NOT required to get off at DD, and many ride the front cab round trip. (they CAN get off at DD if they wish, of course.)

The DL monorails are really nicely lit after dark. Really cool. They are not air conditioned, as others have said.

I think they stop running during the evening fireworks. If it is too hot, they also do not run, I am fairly sure? But that is rare.