Monorail - Minnie Vans - Resort

[Duchess of Warwick]

I have a disability and use a wheelchair. My husband and I have gone to disney world twice and I went 2 or 3 times as a child. Last time we went I stayed in Pop Century resort. The time before we stayed off campus and took a bus in.

When we go (hopefully in the Winter 2019 Feb or March) we may be going with a foster child. I keep thinking that it is worth the money to stay at the Contemporary because of access via the monorail. I think it will help that we can walk to the Magic Kingdom and easily jump on the monorail to get around.

Where can we go on the monorail if we stay at the Contemporary? Can we wait inside, in the air conditioning? How long will be we waiting?

If we stay anywhere else we will have to get on the bus and that takes a long time. We will have to load onto the bus and make sure there is plenty of space for the wheelchair (which doesn't always happen). We may also be traveling with a stroller.

I've heard about the new Minnie Vans. Are these wheelchair accessible? What if we took our own wheelchair accessible van. How much is parking at the parks? Can we bounce around or does it cost each time you park?

Thanks for all the information. We are trying to do this trip affordably but also not wait around in the heat forever and ever. I have MS and the heat is hard on me.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The monorail at CR goes to the TTC, the Poly, GF and the Magic Kingdom. Transfer at the TTC for Epcot.

To get to DHS or AK is a bus, shared with another resort.

 

[winnieofpooh]

Parking is $22 per day at the parks, and you only have to pay once. So if you pay to park at MK, but then hop over to Epcot, you don't have to pay twice. There's also now parking fees at the resorts, not sure what those are but they depend on which 'class' of resort you stay at - value, deluxe, moderate. If you stay at Contemporary, you wait for the monorail inside in the A/C. Anywhere else, you'll have to wait outside (though it's all covered). You can take the monorail from Contemporary to the TTC, Poly, GF, or MK.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Parking is $22 per day at the parks, and you only have to pay once. So if you pay to park at MK, but then hop over to Epcot, you don't have to pay twice. There's also now parking fees at the resorts, not sure what those are but they depend on which 'class' of resort you stay at - value, deluxe, moderate. If you stay at Contemporary, you wait for the monorail inside in the A/C. Anywhere else, you'll have to wait outside (though it's all covered). You can take the monorail from Contemporary to the TTC, Poly, GF, or MK.

But if you are staying on Disney property, you can park at the theme parks for no additional cost. You will pay a nightly fee to park at the resort though.

Here is a link to the Minnie Vans : https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/minnie-van-service/

 

[yesdnil]

The monorail is very convenient and the most you'd be waiting is about 10 minutes. You can use it to get to Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

Bus service is not very tricky with a wheelchair - you'll usually have a separate waiting area and they will board you and your party first, and then fill the bus. It's very unlikely that you would be unable to board due to a lack of space.

The waiting areas for transportation are not air-conditioned, but the monorails and buses themselves are.

Oh, and the Minnie vans have storage space for your wheelchair, but you will need to transfer.

 

[drwadadli]

Where can we go on the monorail if we stay at the Contemporary? Can we wait inside, in the air conditioning? How long will be we waiting?

I've heard about the new Minnie Vans. Are these wheelchair accessible? What if we took our own wheelchair accessible van. How much is parking at the parks? Can we bounce around or does it cost each time you park?

The monorail at the Contemporary is indoors in the A/C and with that you can to go MK, TTC, Poly, and GF or get off at the TTC and catch a monorail to Epcot. At the TTC, there is no A/C room to wait in.

For the Minnie Vans, yes they have special Minnie Vans (Ford Transit 150 and 350) that accommodate wheelchairs. They are $25.00 a trip. So if you travel from the CR to AK, it is $25.00 there and again $25.00 back.

Probably the best for you would be to use your own wheelchair accessible van. Since you are already staying at the CR, your parking throughout the resort at the different parks is included. Aside from riding the monorail and waiting for the buses, this would be your best choice and cheapest.

 

[Maxie86]

Parking is free at the resorts if you have a handicap tag, even valet, and parking is free at the parks if staying on site. Having your own wheelchair accessible van would be the easiest and least expensive option. CR would be the easiest resort as well. You could walk to MK and monorial to GF or Poly for meals or shopping. Driving or taking a minnie van to Epcot would be easier than the monorail. From any of the monorail resorts you would have to transfer to the Epcot monorail at the TTC...that requires going down a ramp and going up another ramp to get the monorail.

 

[Duchess of Warwick]

Thank you SO much for the responses. Can someone tell me what TTC is? I'm trying to figure that one out.

I am so excited about planning this trip. I think the best option is to try and save money up so we are able to stay at the Contemporary. However, like you said if I am able to drive my own van this is a really good option too.

 

[winnieofpooh]

Thank you SO much for the responses. Can someone tell me what TTC is? I'm trying to figure that one out.

The TTC is the Ticket and Transportation Center. The monorail loop does not directly run from Contemporary to Epcot. You'll have to take the monorail from Contemporary to the Ticket and Transportation Center (one stop away), and then get off the monorail and switch tracks to get on a monorail going to Epcot from there.

 

[Babsy]

Thank you SO much for the responses. Can someone tell me what TTC is? I'm trying to figure that one out.

I am so excited about planning this trip. I think the best option is to try and save money up so we are able to stay at the Contemporary. However, like you said if I am able to drive my own van this is a really good option too.

The TTC it the Transportation and Ticket centre. It is where the three monorail lines (Express monorail, resort monorail and the Epcot monorail) intersect so that you can transfer from one to the other at the TTC. If you are staying at a monorail resort by the MK and want to get to Epcot, you will need to take the resort monorail to the TTC and then get off, go down a ramp to the ground level, then go around and up another ramp to the Epcot monorail that will bring you to Epcot. It is bit of effort, so some suggest that it is easier to take your own transportation to Epcot.

I agree that the CR would be a great option for you! we love the tower rooms, but the garden wing is really nice as well - especially ground floor where you have a patio and no need for elevators.

Sounds like a nice trip! Enjoy!