Resort Monorail

[SamG]

I've never done this and am not advocating it, but... what's to keep someone not staying on Disney property from getting on the resort monorail at MK?

We were there over NY, and the crowd waiting for the express monorail was down the ramp and going through a "rope" cue. Since we stayed at Poly, we could get on the resort monorail (line started about 1/2 down the ramp).

But no one asked to see a room key or anything. So (aside from honesty), what's to keep someone with a car in the MK lot from getting on the Resort line? IIRC, the resort line stops at TTC anyway.

[Strmchsr]

To the best of my knowledge there's no rules against someone using the "resort" monorail. People do it all the time to get to dining reservations or just to check out the other resorts. The difference between the resort monorail and the express (as far as I know anyway) is that the express goes directly from the Mk to the TTC and back while the resort line stops at the various resorts. No restrictions on usage. If that's some new policy I'd be interested in knowing about it, too.

[KylesMom]

A few years back, there was a guard at the entrance to the Resort Only monorail checking resort IDs as you que'ed up in line. DH and I were very happy about that, since we were paying to stay on the monorail line & noticed many folks were just trying to avert the lines of the general TTC monorail. However, we haven't noticed anyone checking resort IDs the past couple of trips. Another cut, I guess. Don't know what the "official" policy is now.

[scoot241]

AFAIK all you need to ride the monorail is a park ticket.

If you had an ADR to Chef Mickey's for dinner and you stayed off-site and were visiting the Magic Kingdom, the best way to get there would be on the Resort Monorail.

[DisneyGlutton]

Although I've never stayed at a monorail resort, I can't imagine it would be good to check IDs. First off, that takes time and slows down the line. Second, what if you're like me and have an ADR--are they gonna look it up, which would really slow down the line? And if they don't, what's to stop random people from saying that and riding the monorail anyway? Third, at some point segregating resort vs non-resort guests gets ridiculous.

[KylesMom]

I should have clarified - there were guards checking IDs at park closing on non-EMH evenings. This would be after the last hotel dining ressies of the evening had past. Have you seen how long some of those lines can get?!!! People are paying a premium for the monorail resorts - why wouldn't they get special treatment back to their room when that's a big part of what they're paying for?

[DizneyRox]

I guess I'm not sure why they would prevent anyone from boarding the Resort Monorail. Entry to the park for EMH requires a KTTW card.

It takes about 5 minutes to walk from the TTC into the Poly and then another 10 minutes to walk over to the Grand Floridian. If you can't catch the resort monorail from the TTC, you can easily get it at the Poly or Grand.

[KylesMom]

DisneyRox, I think the original poster is asking the reverse - what about at park closing when the general TTC line winds around and way down the ramp, and the "Resort Guests" line is 1/3 of the size . . .

[SBETigg]

I usually stay at the deluxes on the monorail line, frequently take the resort monorail, and in all my stays, I have never seen anyone checking ID or have never been checked. Taking the resort monorail is not an exclusive right for those staying at the monorail deluxes, as far as I know.

[medic9016]

If I remember correctly. The PA system on the Monorail at TTC says something like, If you are leaving, Thank you for visiting WDW. So I don't see it being a problem.

[DizneyRox]

DisneyRox, I think the original poster is asking the reverse - what about at park closing when the general TTC line winds around and way down the ramp, and the "Resort Guests" line is 1/3 of the size . . .

DOH! You are right! Yeah, there's not a problem at all with that either. Personally I would take the boat over to the Poly and walk over to the TTC. Usually the monorail lines are a mob scene. I've NEVER seen a guard checking IDs on the exit from MK. I have seen a guard recently tending a pass through to allow guests to exit that way, but I think he was there to keep people from bypassing the bag check than to keep "illegals" from taking the monorail.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I didn't know that only resort guests were supposed to take the resort monorail?!?

We've taken it a bunch of times before, to resort hop, just for the trip, to take a break on our way to Epcot, etc.

I would think that you'd want to use both the resort and the express monorail, to get everyone where they are going as fast as possible.

[wdwfansince75]

When we were there last June, one night, at closing, the CM's were actually suggesting use of the Resort monorail, to try to reduce the backup for the Express monorail. They were reminding people that the Resort monorail does stop at the TTC.....Over the years, never had my ID checked, and never saw anyone turned away from the Resort monorail.....

[CaptainDisney]

wdwfansince75 is exactly right.

As official policy, non-resort Guests are sent to the Resort side all the time. If the Express line is queued all the way around the entrance plaza, then the coordinators will start to divert some guests to Ferry and Resort. It is a matter of logistics. There are other reasons as well. If there is a breakdown on one beam, Guests are diverted to another. Also, at the end of each night at the MK, after a majority of the Guests have gone home, the Express line will close. It is the first beam to go down each night, and any remaining Guests must take the Resort monorail, even if they are heading to the TTC.

The bottom line: monorail resort guests pay for use of the monorail but not for exclusivity.

[SamG]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply there was something wrong with taking the resort line, I just didn't know the "official" policy.

So then I've got to wonder... WHY do so many people line up for the express when you CAN get on the resort line? As the experts say... "go to the left"!

[CaptainDisney]

Well it is not in everyone's interest to take the Resort monorail all the time. At peak times, there can be 3 Express monorails coming for every 1 Resort monorail. Think that each of these arrives virtually empty as well, whereas the Resort trains are often half-full of resort-hopping Guests when they arrive. The capacity is therefore up to four times greater, so the line will move four times as fast.

The bottom line: if the Express line extends down the entire ramp but the Resort line is only half as long, it is still better to select the Express side.

[Marilyn Michetti]

We take the resort monorail to the Poly, then walk up the hill to SOG. No rules apply to that. The resorts want the traffic, hopefully to browse in their gift shops, and eat at their restaurants.