Walt Disney World Monorail System

“Your Highway In The Sky”

(and some info of the other park's monorails)

 

"Please stand clear of the doors" ; "Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas"

Monorail Montage

 

Tow vehicle towing the maintenance car (mov file)

 

We are very sorry to hear about the tragic accident at Walt Disney World on July 5th, 2009 that caused the death of Austin Wuennenberg, a monorail pilot. (according to NTSB findings, Austin did what he could to prevent monorail pink from hitting by reversing his monorail, purple)

Monorail PINK and PURPLE are offline forever

 

UPDATE

(11-2009)

Monorail Teal (rebuilt using PINK and PURPLE) is out and running.

Monorail TEAL 11-2009

 

(04/2011)

Well it looks like WDW Transportation got the go ahead to get the 12th monorail back in service. They will be re-building two cabs with old and new parts, and using the 6 passenger cars that have been repaired from the accident in 2009.

 

(07/2011)

Maintenance Spur completed. This will be used to store one of the tow tractor vehicles on the Epcot line.

 

(08/2011)

The twelfth monorail will be going thru its testing phase and will be back online in the fall. It will have the color designation of PEACH.

Monorail Peach is online and in service OCT 11th, 2011

Monorail PEACH with no designation strips

Maintenance tow tractor on the new spur

Monorail PEACH out for a ride 09-20-2011

Monorail Peach online and in service. Oct 11th, 2011 Video Clip MP4

 

The Mark IV Monorail design ran from 1971 to 1991

The Mark VI Monorail is the present day design - 1989 to present

(The Mark V was only at Disneyland California)

Mark VII will be solely for Disneyland, CA 2008 (new pics of red, blue, and orange below)

 

Wikipedia Info

 

 

The Walt Disney World Monorail FAQ (Mark VI)

WDW has always had a Monorail system, Mark IV and VI

The monorail system has a total of 13.6 miles of track

The monorail's maintenance building is not far from Space Mountain. It has another miles worth of track.

There are two diesel powered tow trains in case a monorail has a problem.

The original track section links the Magic Kingdom, Contemporary Resort, Ticket & Transportation Center, Polynesian Resort and Grand Floridian Resort and circles the Seven Seas Lagoon.  The second section opened in 1982 and links Epcot with the Ticket & Transportation Center.

The monorail is 203 feet long

The monorail has 6 cars

Each monorail can carry up to 365 passengers

The Monorail uses the Michelin XTE2 445/65R22.5 for the load tire

Each train has eight electric motors operating on 600 volts DC to produce 112 hp each

The max speed Disney allows is 40mph, it can do 45 before the sensor shuts it down

The monorail has been tested at 55mph

The monorail have been using nitrogen in their tires since the accident of 85

Estimated cost of each Monorail - 3.5 million

On average, 150,000 passengers ride the monorails each day

The monorail track beam is 26" wide

Track columns are spaced at 50 feet

The monorails are identified by its color stripe

 

WDW Monorail videos.....

Here's another video to watch 08-02-2004

Monorail to the Grand Floridian (Front)

Monorail sports its new graphics

Monorail flyby

Monorail thru the Contemporary 06-13-2007

Monorail into the Contemporary 06-13-2007

Two monorails passing 06-29-2007

 

Don't forget to visit our mobile site with iPhone ready videos.

Please check out Monorail Yellow's website too!!!

Mark IV trains began transit service at the Walt Disney World Resort in 1971. When Epcot was added to the resort in 1982, a new loop was added with additional trains. By 1989, most of the Mark IV's had traveled around 67,500 miles each year. Having accomplished nearly ten million miles of travel with a reliability rate of 99.9% in eighteen-hour-a-day operations, it was time for a new set of trains. Bombardier, licensed by the Walt Disney Company, improved the design and debuted 12 new Mark VI trains beginning in 1989.

 

Google
 

 

The different models of the monorails over the years of the two US parks

 

The Mark I built by Alweg

Disneyland, CA 1959 - 1961  One blue and red monorail

3 car configuration

 

The Mark II built by Alweg

Disneyland, CA 1961 - 1969 the two original monorails lengthened by one car (4 cars) plus one yellow added to the system

 

The Mark III built by WED/WDI

Disneyland, CA 1969 - 1987 four brand new monorails with 5 cars each (137')

 

The Mark IV built by Martin Marietta

Walt Disney World, FL 1971 - 1988/91

5 (171') and 6 (201') car configurations

(two of these monorails were reworked for the Las Vegas system until the new model was built. They now sit rotting away)

 

The Mark V rebuilt by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm

Designed by WDI

Disneyland, CA 1989 - 2008/09

 

The Mark VI built by Bombardier

Walt Disney World 1989 - present

6 car configuration (206.5')

 

The Mark VII built by Dynamic Structures

Designed by WDI, Burke Design, & TPI Composites

Disneyland, CA 2008/09 - present

 

TRONORAIL (these have been removed now 6-2011)

For the new Tron movie coming out 2010

Last "Tronorail" picture I took. (03-14-2011)

Monorail Black coming into the Grand Floridian Station (08-21-2011)

Monorail Black slowing into the Grand Floridian Station (08-21-2011)

 Plenty of room 07-05-2010

At special request you can ask to ride with the pilot up front. Four people can actually ride with the pilot. Sometimes they cannot do this if the pilot is too distracted by it or they already have someone. Just ask to ride the next monorail.....its worth it!!! and don't forget to get your monorail copilot license. (this has been discontinued because of the accident of 07-05-2009 and hopefully will continue again sometime in the future)

The new Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort

Monorail control system 06-2009 MAPO (mary poppins) System

Leaving the Grand Floridian Resort

Looking towards the ticket and transportation station with the water bridge near the top right

Where else can you ride a monorail to a magical kingdom?

switch track near the monorail "barn" 11-2005

Monorail tow tractor #2 11-2005 This little guy helps when a monorail has issues. WDW has three of these.

Monorail in tow using #3 inside the Contemporary Resort

The Magic Kingdom Station 04-22-2005

Two monorails at the Contemporary with Space Mountain in the distance 06-29-2007

The race is on!!! 06-29-2007 from John T!!

Susan and Jamie are all smiles during their first ride in the cockpit 12-06-2008

A rainy day view from the cockpit of the monorail 08-27-2006

Nicklaus enjoying his time up front

The new touch screen control panel, thanks Steven!!!

Exiting the Contemporary 04-22-2005

Monorail making its approach to the Contemporary 04-22-2005

Almost to the Contemporary 04-22-2005

Epcot 09-11-2004

Monorail being used as a cargo truck as Hurricane Frances gets closer 09-03-2004 (monorails did not come back
online for three days)

A view from the 6th floor stairwell of the Contemporary

Monorail leaving the Contemporary lobby. The monorail is ideal for groups looking to reach the conference
building which also resides in the Contemporary.

Here I am in the cockpit of the monorail 09-03-2004

David trying his hand at this monorailin' gig

Older controls for the monorail

Image from Paul C. Martens (click image to enlarge)

Teal replaced PINK and PURPLE.

PEACH has arrived (2011)

Monorail "barn" or "roundhouse"

Tow Tractor #2 at work. WDW has three of these.

Anyone can get a license, as you can see below, hahaha

Louie...right before he was caught sitting at the console

 

The WDW monorails are designated by the color band around it.

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
                                                                  Purple - retired - parts used to rebuild Teal
Black
Gold
 Silver
 Coral
 Lime
                                                              Pink - retired - parts used to build Teal

                                                      Teal - rebuilt from Purple and Pink

                                                                                     Peach - two rebuilt cabs, six rebuilt cars, coming 2011.

 

 

The debut of Monorail Teal 11-2009

The Mark VI Controls (old system)

 

The Mark VI Monorail 1989 to present day

Mark VI Monday August 2nd 2004

and there goes yella!

 

Interesting Facts of the Monorails

Go to MonorailYellow.com - Monorails

   

Monorail Black being towed

 

 

 

The Mark IV Monorail 1971-1989

 

The Mark IV's monorails were retired for numerous reasons. Guest capacity, aging fleet, a/c issues, and the big reason, safety.

Back in 1985 Monorail Silver had a very serious accident. A tire blew out and caught on fire. This in turn ended up causing one whole car to be engulfed in flames.

Even though this monorail was full of guests, the fast thinking of some of the guests helped everyone up to the roof and away from the flames. No one was seriously hurt.

The Mark VI monorails have many safety features included which would prevent this from ever happening again.

They are shown on a separate page, click here

Thank you.

Mickey and Goofy on the job

The Mark IV passing thru the Contemporary Resort in the 70's

1975

1975

Mark IV near the Contemporary before they built the conference center - 1971

Ticket and Transportation - 1971

 A rare look into the "roundhouse" or "barn" - Thanks TOM!!!!

The original WDW 10 - Great shot seeing them all together.

Construction of the Magic Kingdom Monorail Station

monorail beam installation

Monorail Delivery

Takes some doing to add a monorail to the track

Mark IV monorail installation

Mark IV monorail riding past the Contemporary still being constructed

Monorail Barn Construction, also above you can see Disney's power plant

original Mark IV control panel

The seating arrangements for the Mark IV

Removal of the Mark IV monorail with Tow #2 and a very large crane

Mark VI Monorail installation

Mark IV monorail graveyard - A sad sight to see

Mark IV monorail graveyard

 

 

 

An interesting bit of trivia here. When Las Vegas decided to build a monorail system they used two refurbished WDW Mark IV monorails before their own were completed

Here are some pics of them in action on the Vegas strip!!!

 

 

 

From my www.Mousesurplus.com visit......

(Monorail Red went back to owner in Georgia)

 

 

 

 

Disneyland, California Info

 

Disneyland California's Monorail (pretty bad shape 2006)

Free video clip of the Disneyland Monorail 03-2006

the monorails at this park are not very tall at all, duck or you'll see stars.

A bit of a rust problem right next to the monorail. The old people mover track....or rocket rods as they were called before closing it forever.

Looks like they are for kids only :) No standing please.

 

The latest version of the Monorail at Disneyland, California.

(these also are not air conditioned, go figure)

The Mark VII Disneyland, CA

The Mark VII - Monorail Red

The Mark VII - Monorail Blue

Orange being installed - Disneyland's Tow Tractor next to it.

The Mark VII - Monorail Orange

 

 

 

Tokyo Disneyland Monorail Info

The Tokyo Monorail was built (2001) by a Japanese company (to their transportation standards and hold 571 passengers)

There's something else about the Tokyo Disney Resort Line that certainly deserves mention - Its trains are driverless.  The individual Liners (as they are called) are controlled from a central location by an automated (but monitored, of course) system.  A single Cast Member rides in the tail of each Liner to ensure that guests have fully boarded the vehicle before its doors are closed.

The Japanese trains are designated as such: 1-Blue / 2-Yellow / 3-Purple / 4-Green / 5-Peach.

These monorail's also are an open design. You can walk from one end of the whole train to the other.

(remember Disneyland Tokyo is not fully owned by Disney, its a franchise owned by the Oriental Land Company, so things are done a bit different there)

Tokyo Disneyland's monorail does not have the "Mark" designation

 

 

Hong Kong Disneyland "Monorail" Info

HK Disneyland does not have it's own monorail system within the park. Instead the MTR has a spur with added service within it's mass transit system.

As you can see in the picture they did make sure it would blend in with Disney.

The MTR train on the Sunny Bay station- Not a monorail but at least they have something.

 

 

 

Daveland's Disneyland Monorail Photo Page

 

 

 

Custom Search

 

 

Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas

 

Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas

 

 

Disney Monorail Accidents Over The Years

Contemporary Resort ROOFTOP VIEWING is a great place to see the monorails

 

Trainz Monorail addon

 

Busch Gardens Monorail Pics

 

Google
 

 

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I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of the pics I have taken or collected. I have thousands more but will add more as always.

I want to thank all the cast members (past and present) that have helped on the site.

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