Riding in the front of the monorail...can you only do this to the parks?

[IvyandLace]

Had planned to try to grab a "front row" seat on the monorail for my inlaws first ride around Epcot and/or the resorts before our Ohana's PS...but I remember reading somewhere that you could only ride in the front to the parks. Is this correct?

If so, how do you suppose we plan the infamous first ride? We are planning on leaving ASMu by 6:30pm and our PS is at 7:30pm. Should we just take the Epcot tour (which I LOVE) and leave the resort tour for later?

Thanks in advance!
IVY

 

[mecook]

A good while before we went, I read somewhere that you could only ask at the 3 resorts, not TTC, MK, or EPCOT. Right before we went, I heard that you could ask anywhere. Where we made our mistake was getting on the monorail in another "car". Every time we stopped, we watched to see if the "front family" got off. Even when they did, with NO ONE ELSE waiting for the prized seats, the captain wouldn't let us move. After asking a zillion times (we rode from EPCOT to TCC, then around the resort loop twice before going back to EPCOT), he finally told DH (when no one was waiting that time) that a rider couldn't move forward after they were already on. Why didn't he just tell me that to start with? We could have got off and stood there waiting for another train to come by. No guarantee there, but there sure wasn't a chance in the position we found ourselves in, too late at that. DD9 wanted to ride up front so bad, but we never got to. Melanie

 

[raparker13]

I think the best way to do this (what we have done in the past) is to go to one of the monorail resorts and ask the CM there for the front. You might have to wait for a few trains to come through, but you will get it. Each resort had dibs on the front on a particular color train.

We did this just a few weeks ago. We were able to ride in the front from the CR to MK (past TTC, Poly, and GF) because there was nobody at those stops waiting. It's really cool.

I've never tried at Epcot, so I don't know if it works the same.

 

[laurie31]

Melanie, I'm so sorry you never made it up there

As for the OP - we were just there Oct 4-12 and got to ride 3 times. The key is to ASK THE CM as soon as you get to the platform. Our favorite was the ride to Epcot (from the TTC). It was gorgeous! (and natch, that's when my camcorder battery decided to die ). That time, there was another family waiting near the front (NOT on the purple bench). We asked, and were the front was available and to go sit on the purple bench, which we did. When the monorail arrived, the other family complained that we got the ride in the front, yet they were there first. The CM said we had asked first, and that was all that mattered. We had no idea they were waiting to ride in the front, they were just in a "regular" line. My point is to ASK and ask nicely! "May we please ride in the nose, if it's available?" was our key to 3 rides this trip, and 3 the trip before that.

Good luck

Laurie

 

[snyderla]

If you want to make sure your family can ride up front, the first thing to do when you walk up to the gate is ASK the CM that is working on the platform. We went up and asked if my inlaws, who had never been to WDW, could ride up front or if someone else had already asked and he said they could, 4 people can. But you have to ask first. There was another family standing there and they got mad when the CM told us we could ride, they said "but we were here first" and he said "You didn't ask if you could ride up front". That was at EPCOT. When we got to TTC, my mom, who had never been on the monorail before, asked if she could ride up front, so she and my step dad rode up front. Then, when we got to Poly, they came back and GOT DH and I to ride up front with them. Now, this was in the middle of the day and there were not very many people getting on or off the monorail, but it is possible to move from a regular seat to the front and you just need to ask to be able to ride, and if no one else has already asked, and if the CM pilot says OK, you can ride. It really is up to the CM.

And it is a REALLY neat experience. I just loved it and so did they.

Lori

 

[IvyandLace]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!
What I would like to know now (I know, being question greedy! ) is this...If we want to take the Epcot monorail we would A) Have to get to the TTC and ride from there or B)Take MK monorail to TTC and then transfer...is this correct? Also if we just want to do a resort loop, we would just get on and stay on from MK, right? Which would you suggest for your first ever monorail experience??

Sorry 'bout the stupidity, but my brain is being fuzzy today!

Thanks again!
IVY

 

[laurie31]

No worries, Ivy

For the Epcot monorail, you leave from the TTC. It doesn't matter at all *how* you get to the TTC And yes, for the resort loop you get on at MK or any of the monorail resorts. As for which is best, gosh that's hard. Both are really cool. I would say don't worry so much about which one you do first, let fate decide Ask to ride up front when you get to the monoraol platform and where ever you're going when you get yes for an answer, that's the one you do first!

Have fun!

Laurie

 

[KathyFP]

We have rode it from a resort and from parks.