We recently got back from one of the really fun (and free) ways to celebrate the holidays at Walt Disney World: A monorail resort tour!
There are many ways to expand this tour, but I’m first going to cover the basics. Including information about how exactly to accomplish this, so you can experience this with your family, even if you’re not a Disney expert.
Why the Monorail? Where Does it Go?
First, the mythical monorail. Why a monorail tour? Because it’s fun! And if you’re from somewhere like Florida, like my family is, you don’t exactly get to ride on public transportation very often. So the monorail is a novelty. To those of you who don’t find this type of transportation a novelty, it’s still fun because of where it goes. Plus, you can visit multiple hotels easily.
The monorail has been zipping park guests around Disney World since 1971. There are three routes, but the one we’re focused on is the Resort loop. The two big stops are the Transportation & Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom. Then there are three hotels, which we’ll visit in my video below. There’s Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
The newest of these resorts is the Grand Floridian, which was built in 1988. The other two date back to Magic Kingdom’s opening of 1971. Age aside, they’re all still pretty impressive. The Polynesian is actually my favorite of the three when it comes to vacation recommendations, but they all appeal to different people for different reasons. (Which is why Travel Advisors are great to have!) The Grand Floridian has an elegant Victorian theme and the Contemporary has the monorail running right through the middle of it.
Okay, so for holiday purposes, the Grand Floridian is actually my favorite to visit due to the life-sized gingerbread house. Who wouldn’t be impressed by that? It’s a house made of actual gingerbread that multiple cast members can fit inside of while dolling out delicious holiday treats. Yum!
Anyway, all of these resorts are fun to visit and explore. Let’s start with a Basic Tour: take the monorail from one resort to another and check out the Christmas trees! This is pretty much what we did, plus some shopping. (Then we’ll get into optional bonus add-ons.)
The Basic Monorail Christmas Tree Resort Tour: Polynesian, Grand Floridian, & Contemporary
To get started on your tour, you can park at any of the three hotels or the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC). The TTC is probably the busiest so I don’t recommend that. I prefer starting at the Polynesian. It’s a little smaller and the parking lot is easy to navigate.
You can park at any of the hotels for a fee OR if you’re already staying at another Disney hotel, you can park there for free. Each hotel has a gate where you can check in with the guard. Most will ask for an ID or a magic band or possibly a reservation number. Once you park, head into the hotel and seek out the tree! Then follow the signs for the monorail.
Don’t have a car? You can always take a bus from your resort to Disney Springs and then take another bus from there to the hotel where you choose to start. That’s a bit excessive, though, so unless you’re up for an adventure, or dedicated to the “free” part of the itinerary, I’d go with an uber or lyft.
Your tour will include:
- Polynesian Village Resort
- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Contemporary Resort
Like I said I recommend starting at the Polynesian. We seek out the tree and take some pics, then do a bit of shopping (of course!) before heading upstairs to catch the monorail to our next stop.
From the Polynesian you’ll head to the Grand Floridian. I would recommend planning to spend the most time here, even if all you’re doing is checking out the decor. The reason for this is the life-sized gingerbread house. It’s pretty impressive. Plus, they sell a variety of holiday treats (see photo!) that are all pretty much worth waiting in line for. You may catch some live piano playing or want to take a trip on the glass elevator. There are also shops to peruse, like Basin where we made our own candles.
Next up is the Contemporary, where the monorail runs right through the hotel. This can be really fun to experience and watch, especially for kids who are train fans. Of course, I find it fascinating too. The lobby here is usually decorated, but what I find most impressive is the giant tree out front. Plus, when standing in the shadow of the massive tree, you can look over and see Cinderella’s Castle and Space Mountain all lit up if you’re there after dark. Pretty festive if you ask me. To see it you do have to go down to the lobby level and walk outside.
At this point you can hop back on the monorail and journey back to the Polynesian to pick up your car (or meet your bus) and you’ve made a full loop! Each monorail trip only last a few minutes apiece, but if you take some time to explore the different lobbies and gift shops, this can be a full evening.
Video Review
Here’s my video from our Monorail Resort Tour:
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Bonus Option 1: Dinner
There are so many great dinner options on this loop! A great way to expand your tour is to stop at one of the many restaurants for dinner.
Keep in mind that some of these will require reservations, and some of them will book up in advance. There are still some nice walk-up options though, especially if you’re looking to utilize the mobile ordering option available on the My Disney Experience app.
Depending on whether or not you’re securing a reservation ahead of time, you may choose to start or end your tour with dinner, or even lunch. As the monorail tour is very flexible (it’s a circle after all), you can always choose a different starting point.
Some of your best dining options at the three resorts include:
Polynesian Village Resort
- Ohana is undeniably the favorite at this resort. Breakfast and dinner served family style, with prices ranging from $35 to $60 for an adult dinner. Character dining is sometimes available (check for Covid restrictions). Reservations recommended.
- Kona Café offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a touch of the South Seas. Traditional American dishes with Asian flair, prices range from $15 to $35 for an adult dinner. Includes sushi kitchen. Reservations recommended.
- Captain Cook’s is their quick-service restaurant featuring sandwiches and salad. Average meal is about $15 or under. Offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and you can order ahead of time with the mobile ordering on the My Disney Experience app.
- Pineapple Lanai is great if you’re just looking to grab a quick snack – like a Dole Whip. And don’t worry, it’s usually never too cold in Florida for ice cream 😉
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Narcoossee’s is always an amazing choice because of the panoramic waterfront views. Want a view of Cinderella’s castle all lit up at night while enjoying spectacular steak and seafood? Narcoossee’s has it all. Prices range from $35 to $60 for an adult dinner, reservations are highly recommended, and there is a dress code.
- Cítricos has been redesigned to a Mary Poppins theme and features Florida food touched with a Mediterranean flair. Prices range from $35 to $60 for adult dinners. Also features an award-winning wine list and sommeliers. Reservations are recommended, and there is a dress code.
- Grand Floridian Cafe gives you casual dining in an elegant atmosphere for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Views of rose garden and pool can be enjoyed while dining on treats from the Grand Floridian Bakery. Prices range from $15 to $35 for adults and reservations are recommended.
- Gasparilla Island Grill gives you the option of grabbing a burger, chicken nuggets, or pizza. Prices average $15 or under and there’s the option of mobile ordering ahead of time from the My Disney Experience app.
Contemporary Resort
- Steakhouse 71 is your best option for an amazing steak. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available at this casual restaurant. They are famous for things like prime rib and bone-in pork chops (some of Walt’s favorites!), which, as far as I’m concerned, are a wonderful way to end an evening. Prices range from $35 to $60 for adult dinners and reservations are recommended. Or hop over to the Steakhouse 71 Lounge for cocktails and elevated bar food.
- California Grill gives you an amazing view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom while you dine on California cuisine. Prices start at $60 for adults. Reservations are highly recommended, there is a dress code, and you must check in on the My Disney Experience app so a cast member can take you up to the restaurant in their private elevator.
- Chef Mickey’s offers breakfast and dinner with occasional character dining (check for updates due to Covid) in the grand atrium as the monorails zip by overhead. Prices range from $35 to $60 per adult, and reservations are recommended although the last time I was there they had only a 20 minute wait for walk-ups.
- Contempo Café is right next door to Chef Mickey’s so it also has the view of the monorails going by, but it is the casual counter service restaurant with prices averaging $15 and under. Ordering is done via mobile ordering on the My Disney Experience App either ahead of time or as you walk up.
Bonus Option 2: Boat Ride & Wilderness Lodge
Our final option is to make detour away from the monorail and head out on … a ferry boat!
All of the hotels on this monorail tour feature Water Transportation as well. But here’s the thing – an awesome resort to visit during Christmastime is Wilderness Lodge, which is not on the monorail loop. So how do we incorporate it into our tour? The boats!
In my opinion, the easiest way to do this is to catch the ferry once you reach the Contemporary, and sail over to Wilderness Lodge from there. Then, you can sail back to the Contemporary and catch the monorail back to your starting point.
In other words, this tour looks like this:
- Park at Polynesian
- Take monorail to Grand Floridian
- Take monorail to Contemporary
- Take water taxi to Wilderness Lodge,
- Take water taxi to Contemporary
- Take monorail back to Polynesian
The water taxis and ferries take a little longer than the monorail to get from one hotel to another, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of time with this one. But if your ultimate goal is holiday decor sight-seeing, this is certainly the way to go!
Your Favorite Resorts
What is your favorite Disney resort to visit during the holidays? I love to learn about why people pick which resort they visit!
My favorite part of planning vacations for people as a Travel Advisor is to personalize itineraries around the things that you love most – to make your vacation special to you.
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