WKMG Click Orlando (News 6) acquired a report and photos of the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) first-ever inspection of the Walt Disney World Monorail system.
Walt Disney World Monorail System Inspection
News 6 requested public records related to the Monorail inspection in late 2023 after the inspection took place. FDOT withheld the public records until now. Large portions of the report were redacted due to security.
In May 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law allowing FDOT to inspect privately owned transportation amid his battle with The Walt Disney Company. Three months later, FDOT officials met with Disney personnel near the Monorail maintenance bay behind Magic Kingdom. A schedule indicates FDOT District 5 Secretary John Tyler, four state engineers, Disney Parks VP and Chief Safety Officer Greg Hale, several Disney Cast Members, and Disney government relations lobbyist Leticia Adams attended the meeting.
Another meeting was held in October 2023, between a Disney facilities manager and FDOT officials at their DeLand office. Disney later delivered records about the Monorail system to FDOT, including engineering reports from the system’s design and construction.
FDOT conducted the first phase of inspection in late October 2023. During this phase, engineers inspected the vertical concrete columns that support the Monorail tracks. They measured cracks in the columns and examined electrical conduits. According to News 6, a bridge inspection supervisor said in an email that they found “no issues” with the columns.
Engineers conducted the second phase of the inspection in November. This time, scuba divers inspected the Monorail supports that are submerged underwater. Disney employees escorted the FDOT team to each location by pontoon boat.
The third and final inspection phase was conducted in December 2023. At this time, engineers examined the Monorail’s horizontal beams. They coordinated with Disney to conduct this phase of inspection in the early morning before the theme parks opened. Disney also required FDOT officials to undergo training to avoid falling from the beams. They used a maintenance tractor to conduct the inspection.
The redacted report doesn’t indicate if FDOT found anything of significance during the inspections.
Inspections of the Monorail structures will occur approximately every two years but FDOT is authorized to conduct “risk-based” inspections at any time. Officials said they will complete the next structural inspection in 2026.
FDOT updated their manual regarding “fixed guideway transportation systems” earlier this year to include the Walt Disney World Monorail system. Under the guidelines, operators must submit safety plans to FDOT annually and must notify FDOT within two hours of fatalities, injuries requiring hospitalization, or property damage exceeding $25,000. FDOT is authorized to conduct independent investigations of any incidents and operators must comply with any corrective action plans prescribed by the agency.
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Shannen Ace
