Is the Skyliner better than monorail?

Both will take you to Disney's Epcot park, the monorail gives the added bonus of Magic Kingdom, and the Skyliner gives you Hollywood Studios. Ultimately, the decision comes down to a personal choice of which resort you want to stay at. Either way, you can't really go wrong in choosing a Skyliner or a monorail resort!



Whether the Disney Skyliner is "better" than the Monorail depends on your destination and your tolerance for heights. The Skyliner is often praised for its "continuous loading" system, meaning you rarely wait in a stationary line for long, and it provides a scenic, breezy bird's-eye view of the resort. It is the most efficient way to get to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. However, it is not air-conditioned (it relies on cross-ventilation) and can close during lightning storms. The Monorail, meanwhile, is an iconic "Highway in the Sky" that offers a climate-controlled environment and direct access to the Magic Kingdom. While the Monorail feels more "classic Disney," it suffers from frequent "technical holds" and can feel incredibly cramped during peak hours. If you are staying at a Value or Moderate resort like Art of Animation or Caribbean Beach, the Skyliner is a massive upgrade, but for Magic Kingdom access, the Monorail remains the gold standard.

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Is a Skyliner Resort Worth it? The easy answer is: YES! Skyliner resorts provide you with easy access to two of Disney parks, not to mention all of the other resorts on the Skyliner route and the resorts in the EPCOT area for you to explore and enjoy an extension of dining options beyond your own resort.

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The only way to travel from the EPCOT monorail station to the EPCOT Skyliner station without entering the theme park would be to use a car service to travel from the front of the theme park to one of the resorts along Disney's BoardWalk and then walk from the resort to the Skyliner station.

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“We were stuck on the disney skyliner for 40 minutes in a tiny unairconditoned, overly heated box high in the sky with no water!

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At the stations, they are slowed down to approximately 1 mph giving guests the ability to enter the vehicles with ease and then increase to about 11 mph while in the air. However, it's important to note that the Disney Skyliner can be slowed and stopped to accommodate guests who are in wheelchairs or for other reasons.

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Often Skyliner will start running 30-60 minutes prior to park opening. Ask at your hotel what time it will start running. Don't forget to allow time to board Skyliner during rush hour, wait times can be 15-20 minutes during this period. Yes, another reason to get an early start on your day at Walt Disney World!

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Anyone can ride the Skyliner; you don't have to be staying at a Disney Resort. Probably the easiest way to catch a ride on the Skyliner (if you aren't staying at a resort with a station or if you are staying offsite) is to board at either Hollywood Studios or Epcot.

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This grand, state-of-the-art gondola system conveniently connects Disney's Hollywood Studios and International Gateway at EPCOT to the following Disney Resort hotels:
  • Disney's Art of Animation Resort.
  • Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.
  • Disney's Pop Century Resort.
  • Disney's Riviera Resort.


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While the Skyliner is generally a very reliable system, there are a few times it will be closed. First, weather may impact operations of the gondola system. High winds and rain will temporarily suspend travel. And, of course, there have been a few “crashes” of gondola cars at the stations.

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Everywhere You Can Dine on the Skyliner. Just like with the buses, boats, and monorail, anyone visiting Walt Disney World can use the Disney Skyliner. And, you don't have to be staying at one of the Skyliner resorts to ride it, either.

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The Skyliner is non-stop and provides luggage storage, free wifi and reserved seats. The Access Express is just a regular train with limited stops. That said, if you're going to Asakusa, the latter is probably better. The Skyliner is an express train that requires an additional express charge of abou 1200 yen.

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The estimated capacity of the whole system is 4,500 guests per hour. The Disney Skyliner fleet has 300 cabins, more than half of which will be on the Epcot/Riviera Resort line.

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Does the Skyliner close if it rains? During storms or high winds, or if lightning has been detected nearby, the Disney Skyliner does close. When that happens, bus transportation will be provided.

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In general, you can expect the Skyliner to begin running about an hour before EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios open, and to stop running about an hour after those parks close, but there is significant variability in this.

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The Disney After Hours at EPCOT event takes place from 10.00pm to 1.00am. You can get a head start on the fun by entering EPCOT at 7.00pm. You do not need a Disney park reservation or additional ticket to enter EPCOT after 7.00pm.

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Yes. The Disney Monorail is Free to ride, and anyone can ride the monorail.

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If you just want to ride the Skyliner for fun, you will have to get off at a destination—you cannot just stay on through a station—but you can usually just walk right back on going the other way. Of course, during peak times (park closing, particularly) this might be a bad idea.

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In the event that the Disney Skyliner is closed at any point during your trip, the Walt Disney World Bus Service will be running to ensure you get to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. These buses can also accommodate passengers in wheelchairs. Disney is all about accessibility!

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The themed gondolas are fun to see gliding across the sky and riding in one adds an extra bit of pixie dust to your day. The operating hours for Disney Skyliner vary based on theme park hours, but they typically start running around 8:00 AM and go until 10:00 PM.

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