Nearly every single day, we think about how much we miss Disney’s Magical Express service.
Magical Express sign
This was a free service that took guests to and from the Orlando International Airport (MCO) and their Disney World hotel, and it was so deeply loved by pretty much all who used it. It was a magical, exciting, FREE thing to start and/or end your Disney World trip with. Now the closest thing to the old service is Mears Connect, which is NOT free and comes with much less Disney magic. But do you know what we miss more? This Disneyland Hotel perk that bypassed ALL the crowds.
The Disneyland Monorail has been in operation since June 1959 and has been a beloved way to see the sights of Disneyland Park ever since. The 13-minute journey spans 2.5 miles of track and is a must-do in our eyes when visiting the park.
Disneyland Monorail
In 1961 the track was extended to connect the monorail directly to the Disneyland Hotel, so guests could board the Monorail straight from the hotel, no additional walking required. It was very similar to how the Resort Monorail has stations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, the Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in Walt Disney World!
Disneyland Hotel
But this wasn’t the best part of the Monorail — it took guests directly from Disneyland Hotel INTO Tomorrowland, which means they bypassed ALL the entrance crowds!
©Disney
The key word here though is USED to. But in 1999, Disney took this hotel perk away from guests and moved the Monorail station to Downtown Disney. Yes, the station is only steps away from the hotel and still takes guests right into Tomorrowland, but ANYONE with a ticket can use this Monorail now, instead of it mostly just being for hotel guests.
The Disneyland Monorail station in Downtown Disney
This is great for those of us who are NOT staying at the hotel, and hotel guests can still get into the park early with their early theme park entry, but it’s less convenient than it used to be. It also means it’s one less perk hotel guests get when they’re already paying so much to stay on property.
Disneyland Monorail
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What’s your favorite part of the Monorail? Tell us in the comments!
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I believe the Magical Express was on of the last major guest perk launched by the Michael Eisner administration. A great loss for guests when Bob Iger took it away. Oh well, there is hope for the next CEO to get Disney back on track.
Our Disney Trips began when we landed at the Orlando Airport. No worry about luggage just a walk with our children and later grandchildren to the Disney area where the buses were. The expressions on their faces when they saw the buses, entered the buses, seated and watched the monitors was priceless. To save money Disney, why did you take away those moments for my wife and I and our children and grandchildren. You made the lost money up elsewhere?
The Magical express was one of the things taken away during CEO Bob Chapek tenure that I wish with Bob Igers return, he would correct but hasn’t yet. Even if it was a paid add-on it would be more convenient than nothing. I’m surprised Chapek didn’t just start charging for it like he did for everything else.