The Disneyland Monorail has one of the best histories of any attraction in Disneyland. It was Walt's idea from beginning to end and is a beloved attraction by not just small children, but by everyone who goes to Disneyland. It is a very iconic ride, though not in the usual way that most Disney rides are. Allow me for a moment to show you (the reader) what I mean.
Imagine you have just arrived at the esplanade of the Disneyland Resort. The air is ringing with the sounds of the well known Disney tunes, the turnstyles cranking to let guests into the parks, the bell of the Disneyland Railroad pulling into the station. Then, all of the sudden, on the track you have just noticed was sitting in the sky, a sleek, streamline train goes past with a whisper of electric energy. Somehow all the sounds you were just hearing, no longer exist. The quietest whisper of the graceful, swift, beautifully colored train has somehow taken over the sounds of the entire esplanade. Just as your mind realizes what is happening the entire five coach space ship is passed and the sounds of the esplande resume. But somthing is different now. Its as if the park was frozen in time and space while the shiny and single railed train went by.
The Monorail isn't just a beloved ride because it's at Disneyland, Its because of the presence it has in and outside of the park. It is the ride that lets you know, you have come to the one and only Disneyland U.S.A. and yes, you are really here. The Monorail is such a great ride not only because of its presence, but beacause of the lack of one. The Monorail can be like what I described in the last paragraph, or it can just sneak by, just stopping to say hello and moving on quickly to its destination.
Now for some history! The Disneyland Monorail began one day in Germany while Walt Disney was on vacation with his family. He was driving and all of the sudden saw one of the new "Alweg Monorails" go past. It wasn't like what we just saw in Disneyland, no. It clanked and it rattled and it looked like a loaf of bread, rather then a space ship. Walt liked the idea of a monorail at his park, but wnted it to be a one of a kind attraction.
Thats just what it was. After a lot of work, sweat, and arguments. One day the Disney company said to the Alweg company, "We would like to build a Monorail for our park. Will you fund and help build it?" The Alweg company said yes but they had conditions. They said the monorail had to be desighned by their engineers and had to be partly built by their engineers. Disney agreed and the work began. A few months later Walt told one of his imagineers to do some scetches for a new Monorail desighn. When they were completed, Walt liked them so much, he had them build this monorail instead. This was the start of the Monorail projects problems. The two companies were always in a dispute over what the Monorail should look like and how it should be built.
Finally, after several months of tinkering with the Monorail, it finally went around one loop of Tomorrowland without cathing on fire. They called it good and the next day unveiled it at the 1959 Tomorrowland expansion along with the Matterhorn and the Submarines and the Veiwliner. It was a huge sucsess and completed about four or five laps of Tomorrowland before overheating and stopping with Walt and the President of the United States in the front.
From this came the well known and loved Disney Monorail system. All the Disney World Monorails came from the Disneyland Monorail. The beautiful Mark seven monorail we know today is styled after the original 1959 Monorial.
So there ya have it! A short but informational history of the Disneyland Monorail. The monorail is and contiues to be a great attraction and thrilles guests of all ages. So next time you see the Monorail swoosh above you, remember where it came from and what is represents.
( Sources: Wikipedia and YouTube and my own knowledge )