If you are a fan of Walt Disney World Resort, you likely are also a fan of Disney transportation! Disney’s transportation is unlike any other, as there are so many different forms of vehicles that Guests can board.
Disney busses will shuttle Guests from every Disney Resort to their theme park or Disney Springs, and there are plenty of Disney ferry boats and friendship boats that Guests can hop aboard. The most recent form of Disney transportation is the Disney Skyliner. But, the majestic mode of transportation that feels iconically Disney is the monorail created by Disney Imagineering, and most notably, Bob Gurr.
The monorail attaches the Ticket and Transportation Center to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, as well as the monorail Resorts, which are Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort (as well as Bay Lake Towers). But, it seems that Disney’s plan was always to expand the monorail system at Walt Disney World, although it has not yet happened.
History@Disney (@HistoryAtDisney) Tweeted the fact stating:
Did you know that initial plans for the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village (now Disney Springs) had a Monorail Station on Lake Buen Vista Drive as well as a PeopleMover traveling around the shopping village?
In this model you can see the PeopleMover track in the foreground.
Did you know that initial plans for the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village (now Disney Springs) had a Monorail Station on Lake Buen Vista Drive as well as a PeopleMover traveling around the shopping village?
In this model you can see the PeopleMover track in the foreground. pic.twitter.com/ZawkVT5bSg
— History@Disney (@HistoryAtDisney) December 3, 2021
Phillip (@p_paree) had an interesting response which expands on this fact, and explains why certain facades in EPCOT were heavily themed, even though they were not visible to Guests.
Wasn’t this the reason why all the Future World East pavilions were completely themed all the way around the buildings? The monorail and/or Peoplemover was intended to be routed along that side of EPCOT Center to the Disney Village…
Wasn’t this the reason why all the Future World East pavilions were completely themed all the way around the buildings? The monorail and/or Peoplemover was intended to be routed along that side of EPCOT Center to the Disney Village…
— Phillip (@p_paree) December 4, 2021
Related: Abandoned Disney World Monorail Found in the Nevada Desert
There was also talk of the monorail system extending into Disney’s Hollywood Studios; however, that has not yet happened. At the moment, there has been no talk of any monorail expansion at Disney World, so it seems these original plans are likely scrapped. That being said, of course, there is always the possibility of expanding in the future with newly updated plans.
Would you like to see Disney World expand the monorail system? How do you think they could do this?
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!