I visited the Disney Resort Line for the first time in a year and a half. What’s new with this monorail in the kingdom of dreams and magic?
Let’s start with a quick look at the Disney Resort Line. It is a straddle-beam monorail that opened in 2001. The route is a single-track loop connecting Disney’s amusement facilities, official hotels, and JR East’s Maihama Station. The line is electrified at 1,500V DC. There are four stations along its 5.0-kilometer length, and 6-car trains run counterclockwise throughout the day.
Now, let’s get down to the main topic. Which would you prefer—the good news first or the sad news?
The good news is the launch of the “Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner.” This year marks the 20th anniversary of Duffy and Friends at Tokyo Disney Resort. To commemorate the milestone, a specially decorated train called the Duffy and Friends Colorful Happiness Liner debuted on April 8th, using Set 101 of the EMU 100 series (Type-C). The characters of Duffy and Friends are featured on the train’s sides.
The sad news is the retirement of the EMU 10 series (Type-X). Type-X was the very first model on the Disney Resort Line, introduced in 2001. Nineteen years later, a new model, the Type-C, debuted in 2020 and gradually replaced Type-X. The final surviving Type-X train, Set 4, was retired in September last year, much to the regret of rail fans. Thank you and farewell to the beloved Type-X trains.
