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Disney World Monorail Will Soon Be Forced to Shut Down

EPCOT Monorail with Spaceship Earth in Background
Credit: Disney

Disney World could face changes as the Monorail may be forced to shut down!

Disney World is a popular tourist location seeing thousands of Guests daily. Walt Disney World Resort is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Being the most magical, Guests have high expectations of Disney World.

cinderella castle disney world

Credit: Disney

Guests heading to Disney World can explore their different parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Each Disney Park includes something for all Guests. Walt Disney World Resort is also home to two water parks, called Blizzard Beach (temporarily closed) and Typhoon Lagoon.

Since Disney has so much ground to cover for Guests heading to the Disney Parks or resorts, Guests can take advantage of using the skyliner, buses, ferry boat, or the most popular way of travel, the monorail.

Disney Skyliner

Credit: Disney

Disney’s Monorail allows Guests to ride high in the sky and connects Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and select Disney Resorts by just minutes. The Walt Disney World Monorail System has three separate lines that travel throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

The Resort Monorail makes the following stops:

  • Magic Kingdom Park
  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)

The monorail opens thirty minutes before opening and one hour after closing for Magic Kingdom. Guests using the monorail for EPCOT should know it opens thirty minutes before opening and two hours after closing.

Monorail EPCOT

Credit: thegotofamily.com

Ashley Carter recently tweeted that the bill that would allow the Florida Department of Transportation to oversee inspections of the monorail has now passed.

The Florida Senate has passed SB 1250, a transportation bill that includes an amendment that would allow the Florida Department of Transportation to oversee inspections of Disney World’s monorails. The bill passed 26-14.

 

In recent months, Disney World Guests have noticed that the monorail has started showing structural damage. With this bill, the Department of Transportation will be able to inspect that. This is part of Disney’s ongoing feud with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Disney is suing DeSantis, but the recently-appointed Central Florida Tourism District also announced a countersuit.

With this new bill in place, it would seem to be almost guaranteed that Disney will have to shut down its monorails at some point as the Department of Transportation conducts an inspection. The question, really, is how long the Disney monorails will have to be closed when this inspection does take place. Then, once the DOT conducts its search, how long will it be before Disney is able to reopen them?

Of course, this is all pending and up in the air as the lawsuits come forward.

Monorail beam

Credit: Disney and Shutterstock

Using the monorail is simple. Just wait at one of the convenient and well-marked pickup points throughout Walt Disney World Resort. Your ride will then arrive—usually within minutes—ready to transport you to a variety of destinations. Keep in mind that certain destinations are not direct; you may be required to take a connecting mode of transportation to reach your destination.

Just for you to know glass containers of any type are not permitted on the monorail. Medical strollers for Guests with disabilities will be treated as wheelchairs.

And remember: If you’re staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you can enjoy convenient access to all monorail lines, right from your Disney Resort hotel. This is one of the great perks of staying at a Disney Resort.

What do you think of this new bill passing?

About Brittni Ward

Brittni is a Disney and Universal fan; one of her favorite things at both parks is collecting popcorn buckets. While at Disney World Resort, Brittni meets the princesses and rides Kilimanjaro Safaris. At Universal, Brittni enjoys the Minions and watching Animal Actors on Location! When not at Disney World Resort or Universal Orlando, Brittni spends time with her family and pets.