Anyone else rethinking riding the Gondolas?

[BabiesDaddy]

I was on the fence about riding, but between the squeezed/crushed car and the delay, we wont be riding. I understand that things happen everyday in life with cars and airplanes, but you have to play the law of averages. There are millions of cars, and thousands of airplanes, vs the number of accidents that happen. There is only one Gondola system at WDW. The average for this is a bit uneasy at this point for me.

 

[Rusty2rules]

There's also a several stories stating that the Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue raised concerns about the gondola system weeks before it even opened. More about personnel cut backs than anything else. He says they "got lucky". Noooooope.

 

[AggieDizzer]

I will definitely ride them. I will be staying at CBR in January for marathon weekend and I am hoping they'll be back up and running by then (no pun intended!) - it still seems like a great way to get some cool new views of the resort. I feel confident that Disney and the gondola manufacturer will get the mechanical issues worked out, given the amount of $$ Disney has already sunk into this project, and it will be good to go. I understand others not wanting to ride, and that's fine, but I am not deterred. I still think it's a great idea and they'll get it right.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I have a question for anyone that may know more about these gondolas then i do. Now i know they do not have A/C on them but do they have any sort of mechanical ventilation (like fans) on them for situations like this? I ask as that while thankfully it appears this happened in the later part of the day and also not at the height of summer had this occurred at say noon on a hot August day there may have been much more serous health issues especially if there is absolutely no active ventilation that is functional when the gondolas stop moving. Eight people in such a small space create alot of heat on top of bright sun, hot humid day and 3 hours sitting there. This combonation might become quite dangerous especially for the very young, very old or those with pulmonary issues.

As to if this changes my thoughts on riding them well i guess the answer to that is probably not a lot. I was not interested in riding them during hot weather for just the reasons i stated above. Eight people in such a small space on hot days i think it would be too warm for me even when moving. On a cool day (are there even any of those in FL?) perhaps i would try them as the view looks really nice.

 

[erionm]

Now i know they do not have A/C on them but do they have any sort of mechanical ventilation (like fans) on them for situations like this?

No fan.

 

[samsteele]

I'll ride. But I'm also a single adult and really just have to take care of myself. If I was toting young children or traveling with a parent/grandparent with any special needs, I'd have second thoughts.

 

[Donald Duck888]

No fan.

Wow that just doesnt make sense to me. Must be a power issue, is there power in the gondolas? Why else would you rely solely on ventilation created by movement on something that could at times stop moving for long periods of time?

 

[disneyophile]

I'd ride it again in a heartbeat! The view, the quiet, the breeze circulating through the gondola: It was such an amazing experience. Getting stuck under the hot sun for hours is a minimal risk. I was parked on a Florida highway mid-day one summer due to a fatal car accident for over two hours, car engine off and windows down : I'm still driving on highways during the mid-day summer heat. Stuff happens. Don't let it steal your joy.

 

[James From Utah]

Disney is really fortunate this didn't happen during the day. People could have died getting stuck in those hot gondolas for 3 hours. Kids can die in just 20 minutes when they're locked in a hot car.

 

[Donald Duck888]

Disney is really fortunate this didn't happen during the day. People could have died getting stuck in those hot gondolas for 3 hours. Kids can die in just 20 minutes when they're locked in a hot car.

That was my thought when i asked about the backup mechanical ventilation. While not a sealed up tight as a car with windows closed would be, in principal it would be similar in that with no air flow that interior would heat rapidly especially with 8 people already at ~98F all giving off heat inside of it.

 

[HopperFan]

There's also a several stories stating that the Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue raised concerns about the gondola system weeks before it even opened. More about personnel cut backs than anything else. He says they "got lucky". Noooooope.

Weeks? ... been months. Last spring they kept saying that they are ill equipped to deal with an issue. Their staff hasn't been increased in decades ... now think about everything that has been built and added including an entire park. I think they said they need something like 50% more staff. But even if they get the staff .. they don't have the equipment and evac would be just as slow. They know how, they just don't have the manpower or equipment.

My #1 reason I was against these from the rumor forward is Disney's poor evacuation processes. The monorail was proof enough they wait a long time before they call it, then they don't have the equipment to do in in a timely manner. The monorail is sitting safely on a track, with large cabins and A/C. The gondolas have none of that and evacuation of that many units will take multiple times longer. THEN you add the A/C issue while everyone waits for hours. Sure it is breezy enough for most while it's traveling but odds are it will stop often, and it has now shown that a long shut down is likely considering it only took a week. JMO - I don't think we'll see huge issues with DHS or POP/AOA line. I think the fact that the Epcot line has two hard turns and a midway loading station changes everything. And add the human factor .. that we're already hearing guests are having difficulty going from a stationary platform to a moving car.

Great they could move that blue gondola and get it running again. But 6 gondolas in almost 4 hours .... can you imagine how long it would have taken if they couldn't start back up. At this point they have some decisions to make. I would love to see some solar fans installed on top, they need to expand fire department and equipment and honestly they need to consider a different option for the gateway waterway and expecting guests to zipline. AND guests need to think about their comfort level. If you aren't, don't ride it. It's not easy on the rescuers when there is a guest who has issues with heights or has begun panicking.

And no, this is not the same as stuck in a car on a highway. On a highway you can get out, walk around, feel connected and safe. Even if hot you can get some air movement. These are small spaces, fully enclosed, no ability to get more air since there are only small vents that work with movement ... you can't get out, you are trapped and you are dangling high in the air. There is no comparison in how the brain works in making one feel safe and in control. I've been stuck for a long time in a car a few times and I have been stuck on the top of a roller coaster for too long. Not the same .... feet on ground, in control is huge.

 

[gypsy_at_heart]

A zipline?! Noooooope. Of course, I'm not crazy about the idea of climbing down a 40 foot fire truck ladder, either. Heck, I don't like climbing down the ladder off my roof! Nope, no thank you, I'll pass. I'll drive myself or take the bus, thank you very much.

I’m the opposite, the idea of possibly getting to do a zipline from a gondola just makes me want to do it more

I’ve also always wanted to use the inflatable airline escape slide...

 

[Donald Duck888]

I would love to see some solar fans installed on top, they need to expand fire department and equipment and honestly they need to consider a different option for the gateway waterway and expecting guests to zipline.

I agree with this 100%

 

[Moliphino]

That was my thought when i asked about the backup mechanical ventilation. While not a sealed up tight as a car with windows closed would be, in principal it would be similar in that with no air flow that interior would heat rapidly especially with 8 people already at ~98F all giving off heat inside of it.

It's more like sitting in a car with the windows open. There are open vent windows on both sides.

 

[Rusty2rules]

It's more like sitting in a car with the windows open. There are open vent windows on both sides.

I've lived in in Florida. I could drive down I-75 or I-4 at 80 mph with the windows down. When it's 99 degrees with 100% humidity in the middle of July, it's still bad. You can't create enough of a "breeze" to get comfortable. Now you add doing, what, 10-11 mph in a gondola with window vents? That is going to stop at various points during your ride? With 6-8 other people in the gondola? Hoping they all used their deodorant that morning and didn't have Mexican for lunch? (I say Mexican because I know how my body reacts to it - let's say I love Mexican but it doesn't love me ) No thank you, I'll pass.

 

[Moliphino]

I've lived in in Florida. I could drive down I-75 or I-4 at 80 mph with the windows down. When it's 99 degrees with 100% humidity in the middle of July, it's still bad. You can't create enough of a "breeze" to get comfortable. Now you add doing, what, 10-11 mph in a gondola with window vents? That is going to stop at various points during your ride? With 6-8 other people in the gondola? Hoping they all used their deodorant that morning and didn't have Mexican for lunch? (I say Mexican because I know how my body reacts to it - let's say I love Mexican but it doesn't love me ) No thank you, I'll pass.

Waiting outside for a bus in that type of weather is miserable, too. The highest average high temp in WDW is 92 degrees. We rode on a 91 degree day and it was actually a little chilly inside when they were in motion because of the airflow. It gets a bit stuffy when they stop and you don't have the constant breeze, but there is ventilation so it won't be like being in a car with the windows closed.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We rode them for 5 out of our 6 days, we arrived opening day, the 29th, at AoA. We loved the Skyliner. We went home day of the incident. They are so smooth, and quiet, and just plain FUN. I was sad the one day we did not get to "fly" (AK day and laundry night).

Thursday night, 2 days before, we were on the Epcot line after park closing, after the Frozen dessert party. We were stuck for 35 minutes over the highway, where the Skyliner is very high. There were 4 of us, me and my son and a mother/daughter (strangers to us). We all did ok. It was weird when it tried to restart 3X, and stopped again after a few feet. We were all laughing and joking around. I was sharing the special snowflake glasses from the dessert party. We rode again the next night, (night before accident) just to get ice cream at Boardwalk, and then back to AoA.

I would ride again tomorrow. I will specifically book hotels that are on the Skyliner line (when I can, we use both cash and our DVC points, so not always possible). Overall, it made me feel less remotely located than I usually felt staying way out at Pop or AoA.

Edited to add, they only felt warm in the hottest part of the day, and there is a good breeze especially if you are facing forward. they rarely loaded up the cars. Usually me and my adult son were alone (he also has a large stroller/WC that I would push on), other times 2 additional people, only once we had 4 others, 2 being kids. But the line moves so fast, it is preferable to waiting for a bus that you just missed in 90+ degree heat. And they are actually vented on 3 sides.

 

[lovedisneycruise]

We rode them for 5 out of our 6 days, we arrived opening day, the 29th, at AoA. We loved the Skyliner. We went home day of the incident. They are so smooth, and quiet, and just plain FUN. I was sad the one day we did not get to "fly" (AK day and laundry night).

Thursday night, 2 days before, we were on the Epcot line after park closing, after the Frozen dessert party. We were stuck for 35 minutes over the highway, where the Skyliner is very high. There were 4 of us, me and my son and a mother/daughter (strangers to us). We all did ok. It was weird when it tried to restart 3X, and stopped again after a few feet. We were all laughing and joking around. I was sharing the special snowflake glasses from the dessert party. We rode again the next night, (night before accident) just to get ice cream at Boardwalk, and then back to AoA.

I would ride again tomorrow. I will specifically book hotels that are on the Skyliner line (when I can, we use both cash and our DVC points, so not always possible). Overall, it made me feel less remotely located than I usually felt staying way out at Pop or AoA.

Edited to add, they only felt warm in the hottest part of the day, and there is a good breeze especially if you are facing forward. they rarely loaded up the cars. Usually me and my adult son were alone (he also has a large stroller/WC that I would push on), other times 2 additional people, only once we had 4 others, 2 being kids. But the line moves so fast, it is preferable to waiting for a bus that you just missed in 90+ degree heat. And they are actually vented on 3 sides.

I'm glad you enjoyed them; they sound great if they run well. I wasn't aware there were other incidents of stoppage already. I envy those who don't panic, but for me, even the 35 minutes would be too much for my anxiety. I love the idea of the calm and the views, but I'll give it a long while for them to work out the kinks.

 

[paradesintherain]

Nope.

 

[Dean Marino]

Deleted