The Dillos did something at the start of 2018 that they had not done this entire decade. They experienced a WDW vacation together. Stay tuned for ALL the updates forthcoming.
Boy, the Walt Disney World Monorail has one bad trip on its three and a half mile journey to EPCOT where its an absolute must to stand clear of the (open) door… and it’s bedlam!
The second weekend of January 2018 began with rumors that the Walt Disney World Monorail would be going away permanently. Of course, the instant reaction from this family steeped in nostalgia, tradition and the like to shake our fists at perhaps the greatest change of them all.
The end of the highway in the sky cannot be nigh… or can it?
After several deep breaths and existential meditation, the idea that the aforementioned TTC-EPCOT track could go away… is possible. We’re from Long Island, so changing at the TTC for EPCOT always felt like changing at Jamaica for the train to Penn Station on the LIRR. What I’m saying is that this change never felt convenient. And yet, when I stayed at the Polynesian Village for the first time in decade in February 2017, the walk to the TTC to catch the Monorail to WDW’s second theme park felt more convenient than I recalled. THAT being said, you could argue that frequent buses available from the Great Ceremonial House may have felt just as accommodating if available.
Now…
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE MONORAIL CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE MAGIC KINGDOM RESORT LOOP.
Boats, or short walks, or ferries aside, the Monorail defines the Poly, the Grand Floridian, and especially the Contemporary Resort. It always seemed to me that the jump in price for those three resorts was mainly because of the accessibility via the train. I know a big fan of Disneyland who visited WDW for the first time over the holiday. He basked in the wonder that was how the monorail ride provided the ultimate reveal of the Magic Kingdom. Listening to him tell the story of his journey up World Drive, through the toll plaza, parking at the TTC, and finally onto the monorail… that was the very definition of Disney magic.
I understand that the extra magic hours and quick turnover have not been kind to the monorail over the years. This is no longer the 9am-6pm days. Perhaps the new gondola system coming is Diz dipping the toe in the monorail removal waters.
It shouldn’t be. Let’s just not have more occasions where the express monorail fails and pushes all the early morning traffic to the ferry, okay. My conspiracy theory brain goes into motion when that happens.
Brother Dillo
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