Walt Disney World Monorail System
| Walt Disney World Monorail System | |
|---|---|
| Park | Walt Disney World |
| Type | Monorail transportation system |
| Opened | October 1, 1971 |
| Designer | Bombardier Transportation (Mark VI trains)
|
| Status | Operating |
Walt Disney World Monorail System is the monorail network serving Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Operated by Disney Transport as part of the resort's wider transportation system, it opened on October 1, 1971, the same day as Magic Kingdom, and runs three services on two routes using a fleet of twelve Mark VI trains across about 14.7 miles (23.7 km) of beamway.
The Florida system was Disney's second monorail. The first, at Disneyland Park in California, had opened in 1959 as a Tomorrowland attraction. In Florida the monorail was planned from the outset as practical transport as well as a symbol of the new resort, linking the main car park, the first resort hotels and the park entrance across the Seven Seas Lagoon.
History
When the resort opened in 1971 there were two services around the lagoon and four stations: the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Magic Kingdom and Disney's Contemporary Resort, whose station sits inside the hotel's main concourse. Trains were Mark IV monorails, built with involvement from Martin Marietta, and the fleet grew during the 1970s as visitor numbers rose.
A second route followed a decade later. The EPCOT line, a single-beam route running south from the Transportation and Ticket Center, opened on October 1, 1982, alongside the park itself. The most recent station was added in 1988, when Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opened on the lagoon loop.
Between 1989 and 1991 the Mark IV fleet was replaced by twelve Mark VI trains built by Bombardier Transportation. The newer trains are longer, wider and higher-capacity than their predecessors, with improved air conditioning and doors, and each is distinguished by a coloured stripe and a matching interior accent. The fleet is commonly identified by that colour — Monorail Red, Monorail Blue, Monorail Coral and so on.
Lines and stations
There are six stations and three named services, although only two physical routes.
The Resort service runs clockwise on the inner beam of the lagoon loop, calling in turn at Magic Kingdom, Disney's Contemporary Resort, the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa before returning to the park.
The Express service runs on the outer beam of the same loop and links Magic Kingdom directly with the Transportation and Ticket Center, without intermediate stops. It carries most day visitors arriving by car.
The EPCOT service runs between the Transportation and Ticket Center and EPCOT, passing over sections of the park's Future World area — now divided into World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature — before looping through its station.
Beams are precast concrete with a lightweight core, supported on concrete pillars. Trains run on rubber tyres over the beam, are driven by on-board pilots, and can reach about 40 mph (64 km/h) in regular service, with higher maximum speeds possible on the EPCOT beam.
Operation and culture
The system has long been among the most heavily used monorails in the world. Disney figures quoted in reference works put annual ridership in the tens of millions, with daily totals regularly above 100,000 across the three services.
For many visitors the recorded safety announcement — "Please stand clear of the doors", delivered in English and Spanish — has become closely associated with the resort. The English line was originally voiced by Jack Wagner, long known as a voice of Disney parks, and later recordings have retained the wording. The phrase appears on merchandise sold across Walt Disney World.
Trains are maintained at a barn behind Magic Kingdom, reached by a spur beam, where the fleet can be stored and worked on above a similar facility for the Walt Disney World Railroad locomotives.