The most historically significant monorail system is found at the original Disneyland park in California. This was the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, and at its debut, drew praise for being an innovative and futuristic mode of transportation. Today, the Disneyland monorail serves more as an attraction than a true transportation system. It’s arguably faster to walk from the Tomorrowland station over to the station in Downtown Disney rather than wait in line and take the monorail, but it’s still an enjoyable ride winding over Tomorrowland, across Disney California Adventure, and through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The fleet – made up of three actively used Mark VII monorail trains, is sleek, stylish, and well-maintained. The lack of air-conditioning can be brutal on a hot summer day, particularly since the windows only partially open. The California monorail could also benefit from an expansion and stop at one of the resort hotels. As it operates today, it’s a rather quick trip from Point A to Point B, which means it’s at the bottom of our list.

The most traveled and arguably most recognized of all the Disney Monorail Systems is found at the Florida resort. This is by far the largest and most elaborate Disney monorail system anywhere, as 12 Mark VI trains move riders between Epcot, the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), Magic Kingdom park, and among three different resort hotels. It’s a fantastic sight to behold from many different places, whether gliding around Spaceship Earth at Epcot, cruising along Crescent Lake, or speeding parallel to the main road leading to the TTC. This fleet is old though – and long overdue for a replacement as several current events have clearly demonstrated – but it’s still a fantastic and practical way to get around the various points of Walt Disney World that it serves. The problem here is obvious: there are many more theme parks, water parks, and hotels within Walt Disney World that the monorail does not travel to. And while it’s been discussed and debated endlessly, expansion keeps passing it by. Cost is clearly the reason, as the decision to build the Disney Skyliner gondola system demonstrated. Unfortunately this means the Walt Disney World Monorail System is only a portion of what it could and should be, resulting in a second place ranking on our list.

At the peak position is yet another Tokyo attraction that just does everything right. The Tokyo monorails are modern, sleek, and as one would expect in Japan, spotlessly clean. The exteriors blend nicely into the Tokyo Resort, sporting a unique look highlighted by mouse shaped windows. The interiors are even better, with Mickey-themed handles and plush comfortable seating. And let’s not forget Duffy: the monorail train dedicated to the Disney Bear and his friends is off the charts with kawaii charm. Beyond its looks, the system is built exactly as it should be, circling the entire resort perimeter, with stops at the entrances to both Theme parks, the Ikspiari shopping district, and the resort hotels. Five separate trains are the perfect number to keep things moving, and accommodate the large Tokyo crowds. And the stops are just the right distance apart, which means using the monorails is a worthwhile decision, as they are built to be a truly efficient way to get around the resort. Perhaps this one should be chalked up to Japan’s already stellar public mass transit system, but the Tokyo monorail line serves its purpose perfectly – and is the best Disney Monorail System in the world.