From Anaheim to Shanghai, the Disney Parks are renowned for their immersive qualities. Strolling down Main Street, U.S.A., you might catch a hint of vanilla in the air as it’s pumped out through hidden vents. The stretching room in the Haunted Mansion disguises a simple elevator ride to the main show building by giving guests the illusion of a spooky enchanted chamber. And you won’t find a panoramic view of the Magic Kingdom through the windows of Be Our Guest Restaurant; instead, diners are treated to mood lighting and the charming projection of a gentle snowfall, mirroring the romantic atmosphere of Belle’s first dance with the Beast.
Everything at the Disney Parks has been designed to enhance your experience: the sights, the smells, the tastes, even the way the music seamlessly shifts from land to land. Much like an expert stage magician, Disney shows you only what you need to see — anything more, and it might ruin the magic that distinguishes these theme parks from their contemporaries.
Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, however — after all, even five-year-olds know that Tinker Bell uses a wire to flit around Sleeping Beauty Castle — and there’s still one classic Disney attraction that consistently spoils the magic of the parks: the Disneyland Monorail.
Is the Monorail a transportation system or an attraction?
Disneyland Monorail
Image: Ashley Varela
First, a little history. If you’re familiar with some of our prior features here, you know that Walt Disney partnered with the Alweg Corporation to create his own monorail system in the late 1950s. (The story of just how Walt was inspired to revolutionize theme park transportation is still up for debate, but most believe that he stumbled across one of Alweg’s straddle-beam monorails on a business trip to Germany in the spring of 1958.) He was smitten by the innovative design and efficiency of the trains and commissioned Imagineers Bob Gurr, John Hench, Roger Broggie and Bill Martin to construct a similar structure in the heart of Tomorrowland.
It was an instant E ticket attraction, drawing over 2,000 invited attendees during a dedication ceremony led by then-Vice President Richard Nixon. While today’s guests can use the Monorail to travel to the far end of the Downtown Disney District, Walt initially planned for the train to circle around the Matterhorn before closing its 8/10-mile loop above the crystalline waters of the Submarine Voyage.
In 1961, a second station was constructed by the original Disneyland Hotel, giving guests an easy way to bypass the long trek to the main gates. Visitors now had two options: they could shell out $3.50 for general admission to Disneyland and take the Monorail into the park or opt for a discounted “tail-cone tour” price that allowed them to ride in the Monorail’s tail cone (without disembarking in Tomorrowland) for one full circuit.
As the resort prepared for a massive expansion in 2001, the original hotel and its monorail station were demolished and rebuilt. Downtown Disney blossomed into an avenue for nighttime entertainment, shopping and quality dining, and the Monorail became more than just a fun gimmick — it was a legitimate, albeit limited transportation system.
Here’s what Disney doesn’t want Monorail riders to see
Backstage view from the Disneyland Monorail
Image: Ashley Varela
So, what’s not to love about the Monorail? Given its connection to Walt Disney and the undeniable attraction of sitting up front as it circles the Matterhorn, why would we tell you to skip it? Do we hate old attractions? Are we grouchy PeopleMover purists?
Not quite.
Because the Disneyland Monorail shuttles its riders to and from Tomorrowland, it is forced to do what no other attraction does: it extends beyond the perimeter of the park. As you move away from the Tomorrowland station, you zip past the adjacent Harbor Boulevard and the hotels and shops that cater to perennial out-of-towners. From one side of the Monorail, you are treated to a view of traffic and palm trees outside the resort; from the other, you get a long look at several backstage areas of the park itself.
Image: Disney
Unlike the Disneyland Railroad, which encircles the park (pre-Star Wars Land, at least), the Monorail removes you from Disney’s immersive environment and reminds you that the outside world exists. Even worse, it reminds you that everything you’ve seen and experienced within the resort has been just a little contrived.
Now, there are two things to keep in mind here. First, remember that the Monorail was always intended to be more practical than most of Disneyland’s signature attractions. Walt hoped to stun its riders with its sleek design, silent, smooth movement and quick turnaround time. By all accounts, he had envisioned the Monorail as the transportation of the future, eclipsing cars and trains as it glided above congested roadways. It was never supposed to stay within the confines of the Disneyland Resort.
Second, remember that Disney never really shows you anything they don’t intend you to see. Sure, they might not want you fixating on the security vehicles and offices that you can see from the Monorail, but you’re not going to spot Donald and Goofy walking around without their character heads or catch Elsa chowing down on a cheeseburger. Anything pertaining to Disney’s characters, live entertainment and behind-the-scenes magic has been carefully and deliberately locked away from public view.
There’s one classic view you’ll miss on the Monorail
Sleeping Beauty Castle
Image: Ashley Varela
If you’re going to ride the Disneyland Monorail — and you should, given its revolutionary place in theme park history — at least wait until your second day in the parks. This advice, of course, only applies to those who haven’t yet explored Walt’s original stomping grounds.
There’s no disputing the appeal of the Monorail as a convenient alternative when you’re coming from the Disneyland Hotel, Rainforest Cafe, ESPN Zone or anything that requires more than a five-minute walk from the Esplanade. It’s much easier to take the rail into Tomorrowland than it is to fight your way down the clogged sidewalks of Main Street, U.S.A. (And don’t get us started on the mass hysteria of those post-fireworks crowds.)
Taking the convenient route also deprives you of a quintessential Disneyland experience, however. If it’s your first visit to Anaheim, you should experience the parks the way Walt intended, and that means waiting out those long lines at the main gates so that you get the unparalleled pleasure of watching the Disneyland Railroad steam into the station, walking underneath the plaque that reads, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy” and strolling through Town Square until you see the pastel spires of Sleeping Beauty Castle waiting for you at the end of the street.
Rest assured, the Monorail will still be there to transport you to and from the resort, giving your aching feet a much-needed break at the end of the day or cool relief during the zenith of a Southern California summer. But if you’re traveling to the Disneyland Resort for the first time? Trust us: it can wait.
