Movies - Walt Disney World Monorail System

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The Walt Disney World Monorail System is a monorail system for rapid transit at the Walt Disney World vacation and recreation resort in Bay Lake, Florida, USA.

Introduction

One of the most famous symbols of Walt Disney World, the original Mark IV monorail was designed in California and assembled in Florida by the Martin Marietta Corporation. The new Mark VI monorails were built by Bombardier and installed in December 1989.

Since 1971, when the loop at the Magic Kingdom was built, the monorail has traveled the equivalent distance of twenty-one trips around the world. On a typical working day, around 150,000 Walt Disney World guests travel on three routes:

Express: Express service between the Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center
Resort: Local service making stops at the Magic Kingdom, the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney's Polynesian Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney's Contemporary Resort. Starting from the TTC, the monorail goes first to the Polynesian, The Grand Floridian, The Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary before returning to the TTC.
Epcot: Service between the Transportation and Ticket Center and Epcot

A spur track connects the Express and Resort lines to the maintenance shop. Another spur connects the Epcot and Express lines and is located north-east of the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Trains

The Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating twelve Mark VI trains. Each train is identified by one of the following colored stripes: black, blue, coral, gold, green, lime, orange, pink, purple, red, silver, and yellow.

Maintenance Shop

The maintenance shop holds ten of the twelve Mark VI trains on its upper level (the bottom level houses the four steam locomotives that circle the Magic Kingdom). On any given night, two Mark VI trains are parked outside the gate of the Magic Kingdom. No train will ever be left outside two nights in a row.

Tennis balls hanging from the ceiling of the shop hit the front window of the train as it pulls in to let the driver know to stop.

Safety

The Mark VI trains have a built-in safety feature that stops the monorail when another train is detected ahead. Periodically during the day, a safety test is performed when one train follows closely behind another; for example, if a train approaches a station where another train is already stopped. If a train spent the night in the maintenance shop, it undergoes at least three of these tests during the day. If the train was parked on the monorail system, it undergoes at least two of these tests during the day.

The stations have remotely-opened gates that bar riders from approaching the monorail track (and, thus, any approaching or departing train) until the operators have determined that it is safe to allow people to board the train.

The train is also known around the world for its friendly advise and familiar voice used for years: "Please stand clear of the doors; Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas."

Monorail Pilots

The operators of a monorail train are called pilots. The Walt Disney World pilots are a separate group of operators from those who drive the resort buses, receiving separate training.

Riding Tips

When entering the station, riders may ask a cast member (employee) if there is room to ride up front with the pilot. Such inquiries may be directed to another cast member who may ask the monorail pilot if there is room.

There is seating room for four individuals. In the case of the Resort train, riders in the front may not be leaving at the next station; for the other monorail lines, those riding in front must disembark at the next station. Monorail pilots may give out souvenir co-pilot licenses to guests riding in front with them.

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