Is Staying In a Disney World Monorail Resort Actually Worth It?

There’s a lot of things for you to consider when deciding where you want to stay during your Disney World vacation.

You will need to consider your budget, which parks you want to spend the most time in, what you’re looking for in terms of amenities, plus transportation. There’s a lot that goes into the decision! One thing that a lot of guests prioritize is ease of transportation, so they choose to stay at hotels with multiple ways to get around, like the Skyliner hotels, or hotels on the Monorail loop. But is staying at a Monorail hotel actually worth it? Let’s take a look.

First thing’s first: the Monorail hotels are Polynesian Village Resort, Contemporary Resort, and Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. These hotels each have a Monorail station connected to the hotel, so guests staying there can travel to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT via the Monorail from their hotel.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the whether staying at a Monorail hotel is worth it!

Pros of Staying at a Monorail Hotel

Let’s start with some pros! More than anything else, staying at a Monorail hotel is incredibly convenient. Disney buses can take a while to arrive and aren’t always the most reliable, so it’s nice to stay in a hotel that has different options for transportation.

The Monorail hotels are also convenient because, not only can you take the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom, but you can walk to the Magic Kingdom from all three hotels, as well! Keep in mind that if you’re hoping to be able to walk to the Magic Kingdom from your hotel, the Contemporary is the closest, followed by the Grand Floridian, and then the Polynesian.

Another good thing about the hotels on the Monorail loop is that the hotels are all in Disney’s Deluxe category, which means that they are the nicest hotels Disney has (this also means they are the most expensive hotels Disney has). By staying at a Deluxe resort, you have access to more hotel amenities (like more restaurant options in your hotel, often more pools, and generally nicer, more spacious rooms).

Also because they are Deluxe hotels, guests staying at the Monorail hotels are eligible for Extended Evening Hours. Extended Evening Hours replaced Extra Magic Hours in the evening and allow guests staying at Deluxe hotels access to the parks later in the evening than other guests. All Disney World hotel guests are eligible for Early Theme Park Entry at the parks (which allows you into the parks 30 minutes early), but only certain guests can stay in the park late.

Another thing to consider with the Monorail hotels is the ages of the group you are traveling with. If you are traveling with kids, staying at a hotel with the Monorail station might work well for you because of the ease to which you can head back to your hotel from the Magic Kingdom. If your kid (or let’s be real, if you) need a nap, you can just hop on the Monorail and head back to your room to rest, head to the pool, or grab a bite to eat.

If you are traveling with kids who still use a stroller, another pro for the Monorail is that you don’t need to fold up your stroller to board the Monorail the way you’ll need to fold it up when you get onto a Disney bus.

Click here for the latest update on Early Theme Park Entry in Disney World!

Cons of Staying at a Monorail Hotel

While staying at a Monorail hotel is incredibly convenient, there are some cons to staying at these hotels. First thing’s first: the cost. Because the Monorail hotels are Deluxe hotels, they are some of the most expensive hotels you can book in Disney World.

Another thing to consider is that these rides are very close to the Magic Kingdom, and as a result, are farther from some of the other parks, like Animal Kingdom. So if you’re planning to spend a lot of time in Animal Kingdom, you might want to consider staying somewhere closer to that park, like Animal Kingdom Lodge.

It’s also important to remember that, just like any other mode of transportation, the Monorail will occasionally break down or be unavailable. Even if it is running, the line for the Monorail gets very long at the end of the night, so you may find yourself waiting for a long time to get back to your room because it services three hotels (instead of just one like the bus will), plus the guests heading back to the Transportation and Ticket Center.

And finally, one slight con to staying at the Monorail hotels is that, while it is incredibly convenient for getting to Magic Kingdom, it can be kind of annoying to try to get to EPCOT. This is because you’ll need to get on the Monorail at your hotel, then get off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, change Monorails, and get on the one heading toward EPCOT, and the same thing goes for your return trip.

If you’re looking to stay at a hotel that has alternate transportation options but isn’t necessarily on the Monorail loop (or a Deluxe hotel), you can try many of the hotels with Skyliner access. Pop Century and Art of Animation are both Value hotels, meaning that they will be some of the most budget friendly Disney World hotel options. Caribbean Beach is a Moderate hotel, so it’s a little more expensive than something like Pop Century, but not as expensive as the Grand Floridian, for example.

Lots of other hotels have options for other transportation. For example, you can take a boat from the Port Orleans Resorts to Disney Springs, so you don’t need to be staying in a hotel on the Monorail loop, or on the Skyliner if you’re looking for alternate transportation.

All in all, whether or not staying at a Monorail hotel will be worth it is entirely dependent on you and your travel party and what you’d like to get out of your vacation. If you’re not planning to spend much time in Magic Kingdom, we probably wouldn’t recommend shelling out the money for a Monorail hotel, but if you have children and plan to be in Magic Kingdom a lot, it might be worth it for you and your family.

As always, make sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and information, plus vacation and travel tips!

Click here to see which Disney World hotel has the best theming, according to our readers

Do you like staying in the Monorail hotels? Let us know in the comments!

Comments (2)