Sometimes things don’t go as planned in Disney World.

Cinderella Castle

You spend months planning your trip, making dining reservations and park pass reservations, but your trip will probably not go 100% as planned. Fan-favorite rides close all of the time (we’re looking at you Rise of the Resistance), transportation can cause issues trying to get to the parks, and weather can put a damper on your plans. We recently experienced a problem that impacted rope drop in Disney World and we’re here to share it with you!

Rope drop in Disney World is when you line up before or at the park’s opening time. We highly recommend rope dropping for anyone who wants to knock out a few rides without long lines or the need for Genie+ (Disney World’s skip-the-line system). But if you’re using the Monorail to rope drop EPCOT or Magic Kingdom, you may want to have a backup plan.

Magic Kingdom Entrance

We were on our way to Magic Kingdom one morning from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort when we saw the dreaded sign: “Monorail temporarily out of service.”

Monorail closed

We were directed to take a bus to Magic Kingdom instead. When we got to the buses, we had to wait a few minutes for it to show up, but eventually a “Resort Monorail” bus came along. The trip from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Magic Kingdom typically takes us 10-15 minutes depending on how long we have to wait for the Monorail. However, with the walk to the bus stop, the wait for the bus, and the bus ride, it ended up taking about 40 minutes for us to get to Magic Kingdom.

We did notice that the express Monorail that runs from the Transportation and Ticket Center directly to Magic Kingdom was running.

Bus

On top of that, the EPCOT Monorail was closed at the same time that morning. Any guests who chose to park at Magic Kingdom or who were staying at a Monorail hotel had to find a different way to get to EPCOT. Luckily, the EPCOT Monorail reopened by about 10:30AM.

EPCOT Monorail was also closed

When the Monorail was closed, the sign inside the park directed guests to the bus station. So what can you do if this happens to you?

Directs you to the bus stop

Well, you can follow the signs and head towards a bus station. When other forms of transportation like the Monorail or the Skyliner temporarily close, Disney does their best to provide more buses to get people where they need to go. The buses can be more time consuming, but you can count on them most of the time.

Bus Station

Another option is to take an Uber or Lyft to the park. If you’re staying at a Monorail hotel and wanted to rope drop EPCOT, this may be one of the fastest ways to get there when the Monorail is down. It does cost extra, but can save you from missing rope drop.

Lyft Pickup Zone

Even if the Monorail runs smoothly during your trip to Disney World, it’s best to have a backup plan in place just in case. Talk about the best options with your family before your morning rope drop!

This happens to people using the Disney Skyliner, too. The Skyliner closes for technical difficulties, refurbishments, and weather, so it’s best for anyone staying at the Skyliner hotels to also have a backup plan. The same rules apply — grab a Disney bus or a Lyft to get to your destination.

We’ll continue to help you solve any issues that may come up during your Disney World trip, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

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What is the biggest problem you’ve run into in Disney World? Let us know in the comments!