Has there ever been a monorail accident at Disney World?

Although some of these theme park stories are amusing because they don't lead to serious injuries, there have also been a few true tragedies at Walt Disney World Resort over the years. Perhaps the most notable is the 2009 Monorail crash that killed young driver, 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg.



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(CNN) -- Two monorail trains at Walt Disney World collided early Sunday, killing a 21-year-old driver. A 2 a.m. ET monorail crash at Disney World killed one person, a park spokesman said.

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Monorail is, by design, a grade-separated system. They do not interfere with existing transport modes. Unlike conventional rail systems, straddle monorails wrap around their track and are thus not physically capable of derailing, unless the track itself suffers a catastrophic failure.

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The accident occurred when the Pink monorail backed through an improperly aligned switch-beam and struck the Purple monorail. An operator and six passengers were on board the Purple monorail at the time of the collision.

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Disneyland Resort recently updated its website, announcing a temporary closure of its Monorail system starting July 5, 2023, for refurbishment. As of this article's publishing, Disneyland officials have not shared an estimated timeline for this refurbishment, meaning that the closure is currently indefinite.

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It isn't cost-effective. On top of the operation of a Monorail, it takes an entirely unique staffing situation. The Disney Skyliner is operated by Attractions Cast Members, the same as any other ride or show around the Walt Disney World Resort.

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No one is allowed to sit up front on the monorail since the tragic accident that took the life of a monorail pilot July 4th into the 5th of 2009.

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They allow Disney employees (cast members) to perform park support operations, such as trash removal, and for costumed characters to quickly reach their destinations on the surface out of the sight of guests to avoid ruining the illusion that is being created. These tunnels were first built for Magic Kingdom.

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Walt Disney World has removed the large, long-standing sign that looks like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror from the middle of World Drive. As of Thursday morning, the tower was reduced to a pile of dirt and stones. Demolition turned the sentimental favorite into an overnight memory, shifted to another dimension.

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Monorails over-all are quite safe. Steel does not bend easily, especially in the thickness and methods used to create a monorail. To suggest that a monorail track could bend is like suggesting that a steel bridge could bend. Sure there may be a small amount of flex, but not enough to cause a safety issue.

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Safe and reliable. As the track is an enclosed steel beam box that contains the traction wheels and guide wheels of the bogie, there is no possibility of derailment and the monorail operation is unaffected by rain, snow, icing or similar conditions. The suspended monorail can run around the clock in any weather.

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Disadvantages. In an emergency, passengers may not be able to immediately exit because the monorail vehicle is high above ground and not all systems have emergency walkways. The passengers must sometimes wait until a rescue train, fire engine, or cherry picker comes to the rescue.

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The Walt Disney World monorail is completely free, and is open for any guest to ride without a ticket. Just know that you may have to pay for parking if you're looking to park and ride.

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There are two monorail tracks that run from the Transportation and Tickets Center to Magic Kingdom, the Resort Track and the Express Track. The monorails go to the same places but in opposite directions.

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The reason LEGO has stopped making monorail is threefold, One, the motors and track molds ran out and would be very expensive to replace. Two, no monorail set ever made any money, in fact despite trying several different types at high price points they all cost more to produce then they were sold for.

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