Disney Honors Cast Members on Monorail Day
In case you haven’t heard, today is Monorail Day!
As Disney World uses a fleet of monorail trains known as the Mark VI model, and today is March 6, it is the perfect time to celebrate Disney’s iconic transportation system.
Since 1971, Walt Disney World guests have been able to board the Highway in the Sky to travel between Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Magic Kingdom. In 1982, a second monorail loop would debut, connecting EPCOT Center to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Later, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort would also join the loop.
Photo: AP Photo/SDS
Nearly 54 years after the Walt Disney World Monorail debuted, the transportation system remains as popular and magical as ever!
To celebrate Monorail Day, Disney is spotlighting some of the Cast Members who make the transportation system run and deliver Disney magic.
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Let’s meet them, shall we?
Bobb Handt (Monorail Center Controller)
First, we have Bobb Handt, a Monorail Center Controller who knows the transportation system like the back of his hand.
Photo: Disney
Bobb has worked at Disney for 47 years, 35 of which he spent on the monorail. While Bobb had intended to retire after 45 years of service, he loved his job too much to stop.
When asked what his favorite part of his job was, Bobb revealed that it was meeting guests!
Photo: Disney
“I enjoy working here,” Bobb said. “I always tell Guests if it’s your first time at Magic Kingdom, take the monorail or the boat. One over and one back. Encounter both. That way you find what you like best.”
Carlos Yepes (Monorail Shop)
Bobb and his operations team work closely with the maintenance team to keep the monorails running.
Photo: Disney
That is where Carlos Yepes comes in.
Carlos has worked as a mechanic at the Monorail Shop for 28 years. To this day, he remembers being in awe the first time we walked into the building.
Before joining Disney in 1997, Carlos worked in bus maintenance. However, after getting the opportunity to interview for a monorail maintenance position at Walt Disney World, the course of his career changed.
Photo: Disney
He loved working in the Monorail Shop so much that his family wondered what all the excitement was about. Following in his father’s footsteps, Carlos’s son, Andres, then joined the monorail team and has worked alongside his father for 19 years!
“One of the best parts is when I come with my family and grandkids,” Carlos said with a smile. “Everybody on the same car and having fun all day.”
Photo: Disney
Carlos’s nine-year-old grandson now also wants to work the monorail one day. He even made himself a Monorail Shop hat so he could be like his father and grandfather.
The Walt Disney World Monorail Continues to Amaze and Inspire
54 years after debuting at Walt Disney World, the monorail continues to amaze and inspire new generations of fans.
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Looking for more Monorail content? Disney shared a video with four hours of Monorail ambience!
So, next time you visit Disney World, make sure to take a trip on the Highway in the Sky! It is an experience unlike any other.
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