It’s always fun to watch a train approach! The Monorail at Walt Disney World is an icon. It is not only transportation, it’s an attraction in its own right. Many people feel as if their vacations start the moment they step onboard. Who doesn’t get excited when they see it for the first time? Disney’s Monorail is so popular that it even has its own hashtag at the beginning of each week, #MonorailMonday. What better way is there to start a week than by looking at pictures of these beautiful vehicles?
That said, sometimes the Monorail is not what dreams are made of. There are insanely long lines at the beginning and end of each day. When the Monorail arrives, the cars become more like subway cars at rush hour. People are crammed inside, and since strollers do not need to be folded there is usually at least one in each car, and they are often the size of Texas. Riding the Monorail in the middle of the day is usually a relaxing experience, but during the busier hours it can be downright stressful.
Of course, everything is different now because of COVID-19. Disney is not going to allow overcrowding. I’ve been to the Magic Kingdom twice since the reopening process began. The first time my daughter and I didn’t take the Monorail because it was the beginning of the day and we didn’t want to wait in the line. (There are markers on the ground to keep people apart, which makes the line look longer than ever before.) When we returned for our second time, we arrived a couple of hours later. Since there was no line, we decided to ride and see the new safety protocols.
You’ll wait on a number by a gate When we arrived at the platform, a Cast Member asked us how many were in our party. She then assigned us a number. Each number was a gate, and it corresponded with a Monorail car. There was hand sanitizer available before getting on, and once again when we exited.
Even though a Monorail was leaving when we arrived, the next one was there quickly. We didn’t have to wait long at all. I don’t know if they are running extra routes because the Monorail to EPCOT isn’t available (don’t quote me on that!) but it was nice to see. We had the same experience when we returned at the end of our day, the next train arrived almost immediately after one left.
There are signs at the gate that remind you that only one party is allowed on each bench. I don’t know if they are combining parties during the busier times of day, but they weren’t either time that we rode. Once inside, there is a physical barrier between the two sections of each car. There is a small gap at the bottom of the barrier, but if you sit on the seat on the opposite side you will still be able to remain socially distant.
There are barriers inside the cars I was happy with how clean the car was. Let’s face it, in the past sometimes the Monorail cars would get kind of gross, especially by the end of the day. Both coming and going this time the car was spotless.
Guests need to remember to stay apart when they get off. Most people were, but there were a couple of times when six feet was more like two feet. Overall, though, things went well. Disney’s Monorail is not my first choice at the beginning or end of the day because of the lines, but it was great to be able to enjoy a relaxing ride in the sky to the Magic Kingdom once again.