Wender·Vista
Disneyland Monorail System
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCalifornia · United States
above Tomorrowland, between the park and the Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland Monorail System

— — the future that opened in 1959.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The first daily-operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere, opened at Disneyland on June 14, 1959. A streamlined train on a single concrete beam, looping out of Tomorrowland, over the berm, across the Downtown Disney esplanade and back. Walt rode the first run with Vice President Nixon. The trains have changed shape five times since — the current Mark VII still threads the same beam. From the platform you can hear the small whisper of the tires before the train comes into view. — from the studio

from the studio
Disneyland Monorail System
— bring it home

Disneyland Monorail System, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Disneyland Monorail System

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Disneyland Monorail System opened on June 14, 1959 as part of a major Tomorrowland expansion that also introduced the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the Submarine Voyage. It was the first daily-operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere, built by Walt Disney with engineering from the Alweg company of Cologne, Germany. The single-beam loop runs roughly 2.5 miles from Tomorrowland Station out over the Disneyland Resort esplanade to the Downtown Disney Station near the Disneyland Hotel and back. Vice President Richard Nixon and his family rode the first public run with Walt Disney at the controls.

— the stone

The system has run seven generations of rolling stock since 1959: the original Mark I red, blue and yellow trains; the lengthened Mark II in 1961; the Mark III in 1969 which added the third car for the extended route to the Disneyland Hotel; the Mark V in 1986; and the current Mark VII, designed in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering and introduced in stages starting in 2008. The Mark VII trains carry up to about 130 passengers each. The original concrete beam from 1959, with later extensions, still carries every train; the Tomorrowland Station was rebuilt for the Mark V in 1986.

— the visit

The monorail is included with admission to Disneyland Park and runs as both an attraction and as transit between Tomorrowland and the Downtown Disney Station, a short walk from the Disneyland Hotel and Disney California Adventure. A round-trip without disembarking takes about 13 minutes. Guests entering at the Downtown Disney Station must hold valid park admission for Disneyland that day. The system runs whenever Disneyland is open, weather and maintenance permitting. The shortest waits are typically in the first hour after park opening and the last hour before close.

— informed by Disneyland — Monorail
— where
United States · Anaheim, Orange County, California
— within
Disneyland Resort
— elevation
48 m · 157 ft
— position
33.8121° N · 117.9190° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Tomorrowland
themed land
1 km W
Disneyland Hotel
resort hotel
at the lake
Matterhorn Bobsleds
attraction
N
Disneyland Monorail System
Tomorrowland
Disneyland Hotel
Matterhorn Bobsleds
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Disneyland Monorail System — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The Disneyland Monorail System opened on June 14, 1959 as part of a Tomorrowland expansion that also introduced the Matterhorn Bobsleds and the Submarine Voyage. It was the first daily-operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere.

Walt Disney commissioned the system, with engineering by the Alweg company of Cologne, Germany. Vice President Richard Nixon and his family rode the first public run with Walt Disney at the controls on June 14, 1959.

The single-beam loop is about 2.5 miles long, running from Tomorrowland Station out over the Disneyland Resort esplanade to the Downtown Disney Station near the Disneyland Hotel and back. A round trip without disembarking takes about 13 minutes.

The current Mark VII trains were designed in-house by Walt Disney Imagineering and introduced in stages starting in 2008. They carry up to about 130 passengers each and run on the same concrete beam, with extensions, that opened in 1959.

Yes. The monorail runs as both an attraction and as transit between Tomorrowland inside Disneyland Park and the Downtown Disney Station, a short walk from the Disneyland Hotel and Disney California Adventure. Park admission is required at both stations.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The monorail is one of the original 1959 features of the park and a touchstone for multi-generational Disneyland families. A Medium or Large with a handwritten studio note carries that recognition with the right weight.

The mid-century blues and stained-glass treatment sit well in mid-century modern rooms, Atomic-era retro interiors, and warm minimalist spaces with walnut and brass. It also lifts a child's room or a hobby studio with a Disneyland thread.

Yes. Mid-century modern continues to favour named landmarks of the 1950s and 60s, and a 1959-opening Tomorrowland piece reads with intent. A walnut frame or a brass standoff above a credenza suits the artwork well.

Above a console, a single Large reads well. Above a full sofa, step up to a 4-tile Mural or a 9-tile Mural for proportional weight. The Mural's grid lines work with the streamlined horizontal of the monorail train.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish, which are scratch-resistant and built for steam and splash. Glossy is best kept to drier rooms or framed wall pieces. All three finishes are wipe-clean.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water handles everyday dust. For kitchen residue, a damp cloth with a drop of mild dish soap. Avoid abrasive pads and bleach-based sprays, which can dull the surface over time.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license images in or out, and we are not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.