I can answer #3:
All Stars and other non-monorail resorts drop off at 1 of the two bus-loops directly to the East of the Magic Kingdom entrance turnstiles (right-side if you're facing the train station from outside, on the left when you leave at night.)
The monorail is open for everyone. There are two lines that stop at the Magic Kingdom front entrance itself. The station for both is located to the left when facing the entrance and to the right when leaving the park.
There are also several boat docks along the waterfront directly outside the park. These goto the monorail resorts and also there is a large ferry that is an alternative to the monorail.
The Express Line runs from the Ticket and Transportation Center (Magic Kingdom's main parking lot) directly to the front entrance turnstiles and back again in a counter-clockwise direction. At the Magic Kingdom, it is the ramp located most-toward the park itself, the Resort Line loads from a ramp toward the waterfront. Both lines exit to a central platform between the two.
The Resort Line runs also from the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) to the front entrance, but going clockwise. It stops at the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts on the way to the Magic Kingdom and at the Contemporary on its journey to the TTC.
If the seven seas lagoon (the lake between the TTC and Magic Kingdom) was a clock, Magic Kingdom park is at 12 o'clock. The contemporary resort is at 2 o'clock, the TTC is at 6 o'clock, the polynesian is at 7 o'clock and at the grand floridian is at 9 o'clock.
At the TTC, there is one more monorail line which goes from directly the TTC to Epcot and back. It is the longest line and i would recommend it for the "monorail ride" experience.
If you're at the TTC and facing toward the Magic Kingdom across the lake, on the far left is the ferry boat landing. At the monorail station, the left ramp is both the entrance and exit for the Resort line. The center ramp is used for the Express line entrance and the next ramp over is the express exit. The next entrance ramp is for Epcot. Epcot unloads to the far right.
If you take the express line from the Magic Kingdom you wont have to fully exit the station to get to the Epcot line. You simply cross the platform to the loading area. If you exit the Resort line going to the Epcot line, you don't exit back out the front of the station, but rather going toward the waterfront down a secondary ramp that goes down and under the actual resort and express monorail before going back uphill and to the loading platform for the Epcot line.
Exitting the Epcot line, you have to fully exit the station and re-enter.
Epcot's monorail station is located at the entrance to the park and also the park's main parking lot (they're the same place, unlike at Magic Kingdom).
Epcot's station is several floors high with ramps leading up to the entrance from the center of the park turnstiles. The unload ramp is long and winds around to unload to the far-right (when facing the park).
The ride to Epcot from the TTC is narrated and offering information about the monorail system. It goes through Epcot before reaching the station and the narration describes several of the Future World pavilions as well as a breif overview of World Showcase. I recommend the ride to any first-time visitor.