Riding the Monorail

[goofy for fire]

Hello Everyone,

While I know everyone on here are die-hard Disney fanaticals, for our first trip to the WDW area we are staying off-site at HI Family Suites. I'm curious to know if off-site visitors are allowed to ride the monorail/ferry boats just to give the kids something else to experience. If we can then where would be a good place to catch these. I went to WDW about 25 years ago as a kid and if I remember correctly, we were able to ride the monorail through the Comtemporary to get to MK. I thought that was pretty cool looking down on the dining area and thought my kids might enjoy that as well.

Only 20 days left:sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

 

[Gail Hayden]

Hello Everyone,

While I know everyone on here are die-hard Disney fanaticals, for our first trip to the WDW area we are staying off-site at HI Family Suites. I'm curious to know if off-site visitors are allowed to ride the monorail/ferry boats just to give the kids something else to experience. If we can then where would be a good place to catch these. I went to WDW about 25 years ago as a kid and if I remember correctly, we were able to ride the monorail through the Comtemporary to get to MK. I thought that was pretty cool looking down on the dining area and thought my kids might enjoy that as well.

Only 20 days left:sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

If you have a multi day pass, you can ride the monorail. You can also ask the attendant if you can ride in the front car, I believe the pax limit is 4.

 

[Siege898]

u can ride the monorail, buses. ferries and any other forms of disney transportation

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Enjoy your ride

I always found it funny that access to all Disney transportation is listed as a perk to those staying on site, but once you are on property, everyone has the use of it all. You will probably board from the TTC although if you travel to any of the three monorail hotels, you will use their boarding station. For a nice ride, take the long monorail ride to Epcot.

 

[m star]

I believe that you WILL ride the monorail, you have to get from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom, and you have a choice between the monorail and the ferryboat. Also, if you do any park hopping between Magic Kingdom and Epcot, you will have to take the monorail.

 

[goofy for fire]

Thanks everyone for your help. With your responses I'm looking forward to this trip more and more each day!!!!!

 

[626]

If you have a multi day pass, you can ride the monorail. You can also ask the attendant if you can ride in the front car, I believe the pax limit is 4.

I enjoy riding up front in the monorail and I am sure your kids would get a kick out of it! Try to get in the front for the ride to Epcot. The view of Spaceship Earth as you approach is awesome and makes for a great photo op!

 

[DigitalDisney]

Once you get to the parks, you can use any transportation you want.

You can take the monorail from the MK to any resort or Epcot. You can also take the boats to any of the resorts (Contemp, Poly, WLodge, and Floridian) and the TTC.

If you're in Epcot or MGM, you can take a boat launch to the opposite park.

For something real simple, I'd recommend taking the resort monorail all the way to the Floridian, and then either stay on and complete the loop, or walk to the marina and take the boat back to the MK. You definately want to ride on the monorail through the Contemporary.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Have tickets - can travel. Ferry boats, monorail etc

 

[Master Yoda]

I don’t know how much you are saving by staying offsite but I’ll give you a few numbers that might make you want to try to book at a hotel that is on property. First it costs $8 a day to park. If you stay at an onsite hotel you never have to even get into your car until you leave. Even if you decide to drive to the parks when you stay onsite parking is free. Second, as a resort guest you can get into a selected park 1 hour early. While 1 hour doesn’t sound like a lot it makes a huge difference. Because of past experience I have become very leery of offsite hotels, especially suites. Every time I have tried to save a few bucks and/or get a bigger room I've gotten burned. The only valid criticism of onsite hotels I’ve heard is small room size, but how much time do you really spend in your room?

 

[barnum42]

I don’t know how much you are saving by staying offsite but I’ll give you a few numbers that might make you want to try to book at a hotel that is on property. First it costs $8 a day to park. If you stay at an onsite hotel you never have to even get into your car until you leave. Even if you decide to drive to the parks when you stay onsite parking is free. Second, as a resort guest you can get into a selected park 1 hour early. While 1 hour doesn’t sound like a lot it makes a huge difference. Because of past experience I have become very leery of offsite hotels, especially suites. Every time I have tried to save a few bucks and/or get a bigger room I've gotten burned. The only valid criticism of onsite hotels I’ve heard is small room size, but how much time do you really spend in your room?

Until Disney can do rooms for under $20 a night, I don't think I'm getting burned by staying offsite. Also my annual pass gives me free parking and the convenience of not waiting for a bus, just jump in the car whenever I want. Over a two week period I save a sack of cash by staying offsite, said cash can then be enjoyed in the park.

All hotel rooms look the same when you are asleep

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

While I see the points you make are valid, it seems that you have never stayed onsite. Waking up in the magic is, as they say, priceless. You might want to consider it some day.

 

[VampireZombie]

I would like to recomend eating at Chef Mickeys. Its a great restaurant in the Comtemporary and i believe it does All breakfast lunch and dinner. You can sit and watch the monorail as your eat and have a great atmosphere

 

[barnum42]

While I see the points you make are valid, it seems that you have never stayed onsite. Waking up in the magic is, as they say, priceless. You might want to consider it some day.

I would not knock staying onsite, it's just that I have read remarks that say people will have a lousy time if they stay offsite. Fact is not everyone can afford onsite and I just feel that if such people, particularly newbies, read posts implying they will have a rotten time offsite (not the case from Yoda's post I hasten to add) they will start their vacation on a down note which could hang over their whole trip.

I've stayed onsite only at Disneyland Paris for a three day trip. At Florida, staying onsite at a value resort using anual passholder discount I could manage four nights for the same price I paid for two whole weeks at a place just ten minutes drive away from any of the park main gates.

I'll take two weeks in the parks over four days in the parks and resort (I can still visit the resorts, it's just that my bed is not there). :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

I was not implying that your trip would be ruined by staying offsite. I was merely pointing out that there are a lot of offsite hotels that offer really low prices on large rooms, claim to be close to the parks, and then don't deliver. I've stayed at hotels on hotel plaza blvd as well as I-drive and been very pleased. I have also stayed in hotels just off Hotel plaza blvd and in Kissimmee that have been horrible.

Primarily I was just trying to say buyer beware. When you stay at a Disney hotel you can expect a certain level of quality and service that you are not guaranteed at other places

 

[barnum42]

Primarily I was just trying to say buyer beware. When you stay at a Disney hotel you can expect a certain level of quality and service that you are not guaranteed at other places

Can't argue that you know what you will get with Disney and that it can be a bit of a gamble with offsite. Fortunatley I've done well on most of my thirteen visits. Just one that was too far away and one that did not live up to it's billing, but was adequate, which is all I am after.

Forgot to mention that your avatar is brilliant.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I've stayed onsite a couple times at Pop Century and Port Orleans. While nice, I don't think I'd describe it as priceless. I have to agree with Barnum that where you end up at the end of the night is pretty much an afterthought. Unless you REALLY take advantage of all the amenities and "extras" of staying onsite, I don't think it adds that much. The TV stations are a nice touch, but really nothing to jump up and down over. Purely my opinion.

 

[barnum42]

The TV stations are a nice touch, but really nothing to jump up and down over. Purely my opinion.

The neighbouring hotels I have stayed at recently also had the Disney World guide channels.

 

[RedBaron]

Until Disney can do rooms for under $20 a night, I don't think I'm getting burned by staying offsite. Also my annual pass gives me free parking and the convenience of not waiting for a bus, just jump in the car whenever I want. Over a two week period I save a sack of cash by staying offsite, said cash can then be enjoyed in the park.

All hotel rooms look the same when you are asleep

Under $20 a night? It sounds kind of spooky. I have stayed off site many times when I first started traveling to WDW (thinking I would not be able to afford one of the on site hotels), but once I stayed on property I never stayed off site again. We always found that it was only slightly more expensive to stay on site and you never had to worry about driving yourself from here to there. I understand that many people prefer to drive themselves, however I just enjoy the convenience of not having to worry about anything. I never travel there at peek times but have heard that it can be a real trafic jam getting to the parks, parking, taking a shuttle to the entrance.... not much of a time saver. Just my 2 cents. :wave:

 

[barnum42]

Under $20 a night?

I guess we can get different deals from the UK. I noticed in the lobby of the places I stayed, and their outdoor signs that the local price paid was nearer the price of Disney Value resorts.