Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Now Open!

[TheMaxRebo]

They need to fix the video...

View attachment 359377

good point - with all the people that have stressed how these are floating death traps, in reality there will never be any actual people in them

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I gotta be honest, with all of the price increases, I was expecting #1 to be "for one low price per day!"

As slow as everything happens at WDW, I was prepared for “Opening 1 year from now!”

 

[skier_pete]

Boy, that video couldn't have told me less if it had actively tried.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Boy, that video couldn't have told me less if it had actively tried.

Seriously! It basically just showed the existing concept art with some words in front of it!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Boy, that video couldn't have told me less if it had actively tried.

Well, did we know 6 miles of cables?


That’s all I got

 

[FastPass Dad]

Maybe this has been addressed and I just missed it but how will they handle the one resort that is between 2 stations? From my understanding, there will be 3 lines. 2 of those lines, the AOA to CBR and CBR to HS will each have only 2 points (a start and end point) that's pretty straight forward. The 3rd line, Epcot to CBR, has a stop in the middle at the Riviera. How will the loading be handled at this stop? Do the people boarding at the Riviera have to wait for someone who is getting off there? I'm confused how else you would load people at a mid point when you are theoretically loading each car to capacity at each starting point.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Maybe this has been addressed and I just missed it but how will they handle the one resort that is between 2 stations? From my understanding, there will be 3 lines. 2 of those lines, the AOA to CBR and CBR to HS will each have only 2 points (a start and end point) that's pretty straight forward. The 3rd line, Epcot to CBR, has a stop in the middle at the Riviera. How will the loading be handled at this stop? Do the people boarding at the Riviera have to wait for someone who is getting off there? I'm confused how else you would load people at a mid point when you are theoretically loading each car to capacity at each starting point.

it's unclear but the assumption is that they will wait for an empty cabin in the direction they are going and if there aren't any occurring naturally there will be communication between stations to let an empty one (or perhaps ask the people if they are getting off at Riviera, thus making it empty) come for people waiting

 

[DanBoris]

Well, did we know 6 miles of cables?


That’s all I got

Probably not, but it would have been easy to calculate if we wanted to know.

 

[RRB]

Probably not, but it would have been easy to calculate if we wanted to know.

Wouldn't that be the total length of the system times 2? They gave us the length of the runs, right?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Wouldn't that be the total length of the system times 2? They gave us the length of the runs, right?

Well, probably some extra for winding between the wheels at the stations and turn, etc .... but yeah, pretty close at least

 

[rstevens333]

I know it's dumb, but I'm really looking forward to trying these. There's just something about continuous movement.

 

[RRB]

I know it's dumb, but I'm really looking forward to trying these. There's just something about continuous movement.

me too!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I know it's dumb, but I'm really looking forward to trying these. There's just something about continuous movement.

Well, then I am dumb too as I am really looking forward to it

We are planning a trip for next August (around the DIS event) and will be first time in 5 years staying on site and specifically are targeting resorts that will be on the Skyliner

 

[RRB]

I honestly can't wait. I want to stay at Boardwalk and ride it all the way around

 

[Ponderer]

I know, me too. I know they’re different things, but one of my favorite memories of Disney in general is the Skyway, and it feels like this is reclaiming that to an extent.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We’re already booked at Pop for next Sept and are hoping we'll be doing much of our travels on the Skyliner!

 

[QueenElinor]

I'm just going to throw my 2 cents out there, having worked around similar ski gondolas in the past:

Maybe this has been addressed and I just missed it but how will they handle the one resort that is between 2 stations? From my understanding, there will be 3 lines. 2 of those lines, the AOA to CBR and CBR to HS will each have only 2 points (a start and end point) that's pretty straight forward. The 3rd line, Epcot to CBR, has a stop in the middle at the Riviera. How will the loading be handled at this stop? Do the people boarding at the Riviera have to wait for someone who is getting off there? I'm confused how else you would load people at a mid point when you are theoretically loading each car to capacity at each starting point.

Well, they don't seem to worry if busses fill up at one resort or resort stop and leave the others down the line stranded, but the easiest solution is to just leave every fourth (or so) gondola empty. I'm sure the Disney number crunchers will have it worked out after a few days of watching the crowds. If it gets really bad, there will be communication between stations to handle it, though, just like there would be if a gondola malfunctioned or other incident occurred.

Plus your chances of having to stand using the gondolas is less if not eliminated.

Yes, gondolas are for sitting, trams are for standing.

Will these have A/C, @rteetz?

This is a very good question for which I, too, would like to know the answer. Gondolas detach from the main cable to load and unload. I can't imagine how power would get to the car. And also they are typically made by companies who make the majority of their product for ski resorts, although of course if Disney wants to re-invent the wheel they are just the people to do that. But I wouldn't be surprised if the initial operators and engineers had German accents!

I just rode one of these in San Diego, it was an open gondola and very comfortable because you're in the shade and moving. But Disney's look closed, so it'll be really interesting to see how it's done. I'm guessing tinted adjustable windows, but who knows.

Also, it'd be really neat if these ran at night, does anyone know if they will?

 

[The Pho]

I'm just going to throw my 2 cents out there, having worked around similar ski gondolas in the past:
Well, they don't seem to worry if busses fill up at one resort or resort stop and leave the others down the line stranded, but the easiest solution is to just leave every fourth (or so) gondola empty. I'm sure the Disney number crunchers will have it worked out after a few days of watching the crowds. If it gets really bad, there will be communication between stations to handle it, though, just like there would be if a gondola malfunctioned or other incident occurred.

Yes, gondolas are for sitting, trams are for standing.

This is a very good question for which I, too, would like to know the answer. Gondolas detach from the main cable to load and unload. I can't imagine how power would get to the car. And also they are typically made by companies who make the majority of their product for ski resorts, although of course if Disney wants to re-invent the wheel they are just the people to do that. But I wouldn't be surprised if the initial operators and engineers had German accents!

I just rode one of these in San Diego, it was an open gondola and very comfortable because you're in the shade and moving. But Disney's look closed, so it'll be really interesting to see how it's done. I'm guessing tinted adjustable windows, but who knows.

Also, it'd be really neat if these ran at night, does anyone know if they will?

They'll have everything vents at the top for cooling so that should keep the internal temperatures no hotter than outside temperatures. And there's no reason they wouldn't run at night. Likely be the same as busses, boats and monorails, closing an hour after park close. Not like ski lifts don't run at night.

 

[dina444444]

This is a very good question for which I, too, would like to know the answer. Gondolas detach from the main cable to load and unload. I can't imagine how power would get to the car. And also they are typically made by companies who make the majority of their product for ski resorts, although of course if Disney wants to re-invent the wheel they are just the people to do that. But I wouldn't be surprised if the initial operators and engineers had German accents!

I just rode one of these in San Diego, it was an open gondola and very comfortable because you're in the shade and moving. But Disney's look closed, so it'll be really interesting to see how it's done. I'm guessing tinted adjustable windows, but who knows.

Also, it'd be really neat if these ran at night, does anyone know if they will?

These will not have AC as had been discussed on nearly 1/4 of the pages of this very long thread. These are going to enclosed with lots of ventilation and reflective material attached to the sides. I’m expecting operating hours to be similar to the monorail so 1-2 hours before earliest park open for parks on the line and will run at least 1-2 hours after latest park close for the one on the line.

 

[QueenElinor]

They'll have everything vents at the top for cooling so that should keep the internal temperatures no hotter than outside temperatures. And there's no reason they wouldn't run at night. Likely be the same as busses, boats and monorails, closing an hour after park close. Not like ski lifts don't run at night.

Yes, ski lifts do run at night, but it's less usual for gondolas to because they traverse areas that are typically unlit, being much higher up off the ground than a chairlift and covering much longer distances. There are trams that run at night but those are operated by trained personnel in the vehicle, all the passengers are together. So it'll be interesting to see what they come up with for lighting, if they do. They may not want people alone out there in the dark, though honestly it would be pretty cool to be there and see all the lights from the parks & resorts!

These will not have AC as had been discussed on nearly 1/4 of the pages of this very long thread. These are going to enclosed with lots of ventilation and reflective material attached to the sides. I’m expecting operating hours to be similar to the monorail so 1-2 hours before earliest park open for parks on the line and will run at least 1-2 hours after latest park close for the one on the line.

I'm sorry, I was just trying to answer a question another person had asked about the A/C and why it would be unlikely. Thank you for describing what will be done, that makes a lot of sense.

Did they say what operating hours would be yet? I hope that the hours will be the same as other modes of transport, but I could see why they might not be. Crossing my fingers for it to be done by late May! We're staying at BWI and I'd love to take a ride or even just see it from the ground.