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

[Nazran]

Sorry. I am sure this has been asked/answered but am I right in thinking....

Assuming the Gondola station terminates at the International Gateway there is no way someone could seamlessly ride from TTC monorail to Epcot to Hollywood Studios unless they had park hopper so they could enter front gate of Epcot and walk to International Gateway to board the Gondola?

 

[CMNJ]

Correct-just like Epcot resort guests can't get to/from MK via monorail without a park hopper

 

[DBDiz]

I find it odd that they'll route you through the resort station to go from one park to the other. I would think for the significant investment this represents, they'd have a direct park-to-park line and the resorts would be a separate offshoot.

 

[rteetz]

I find it odd that they'll route you through the resort station to go from one park to the other. I would think for the significant investment this represents, they'd have a direct park-to-park line and the resorts would be a separate offshoot.

There are two stations at CBR. One is the main Gondola station for transfers. It's like the TTC, there is no direct MK to Epcot monorail.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Will this really be a time saver? Sounds cool, but seems like it will be more like a ride than a realistic mode of transportation.

 

[rteetz]

Will this really be a time saver? Sounds cool, but seems like it will be more like a ride than a realistic mode of transportation.

They can move at speeds similar to the monorail or faster. Yes it will be a real transportation system.

 

[OSUZorba]

The Gondola in Breckenridge claims that it can do 3000 people per hour. Having ridden myself quite a few times, I am sure they are actually in the 1000-1500 people per hour range. Even at 1000 pph, that would be what 10-15 buses? The Breck Gondola also has a transfer station for the cars at the resort on Peak 7, I imagine it would be similar for people going direct from EPCOT to DHS. So I think this could be a real transportation system.

I can't remember what Breck does in the lightening, its towers are also pretty low to the ground. No reason to go high for a transportation system.

Video of the transfer station:

 

[DanBoris]

I find it odd that they'll route you through the resort station to go from one park to the other. I would think for the significant investment this represents, they'd have a direct park-to-park line and the resorts would be a separate offshoot.

The system is not about getting people from Epcot to DHS, there are already boats and walking paths for this. This system is about getting people efficiently from the resorts to the parks and back.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I just think that, with all of the strollers, wheel chairs and ECVs at WDW, this is not going to be very fast. Loading and unloading times are going to be a lot slower than at other places where similar transportation has been implemented. But, like I said, it is cool and we stay at CBR all the time, so I'll have to try it.

 

[danikoski]

I just think that, with all of the strollers, wheel chairs and ECVs at WDW, this is not going to be very fast. Loading and unloading times are going to be a lot slower than at other places where similar transportation has been implemented. But, like I said, it is cool and we stay at CBR all the time, so I'll have to try it.

Actually, it'll be just like loading them on the monorail...They will roll right on. The trams move like an omnimover and from what I understand can be slowed.

We aren't talking like a ski lift where your feet dangle, or like a gondola on a ferris wheel.

This is what we are talking about
https://www.doppelmayr.com/en/products/reversible-aerial-tramway/

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Actually, it'll be just like loading them on the monorail...They will roll right on. The trams move like an omnimover and from what I understand can be slowed.

We aren't talking like a sky yup lift where your feet dangle, or like a gondola on a ferris wheel.

This is what we are talking about
https://www.doppelmayr.com/en/products/reversible-aerial-tramway/

I get it, but the reason that it doesn't greatly impact the loading times for the monorail is that so many people load and unload at once. When only a few load and unload at once, and each is slowed down by these things, the entire thing is slowed down.

The simple fact is that the efficiency of this as a mode of transportation is tied to one thing - load/unload times. That will be a lot higher at WDW than anywhere else it has been implemented.

 

[beer dave]

I get it, but the reason that it doesn't greatly impact the loading times for the monorail is that so many people load and unload at once. When only a few load and unload at once, and each is slowed down by these things, the entire thing is slowed down.

The simple fact is that the efficiency of this as a mode of transportation is tied to one thing - load/unload times. That will be a lot higher at WDW than anywhere else it has been implemented.

Very true. Unless certain cars can be moved to a spur or some such for a complete stop to load. There's no way someone could roll a stroller onto a platform that is moving at any rate, let alone wheel chairs...... First the front wheels would start the horizontal drift, then the entire stroller, then the person pushing would have to jump in. Wheel chairs would be impossible. So unless they have a moving sidewalk to go with it..... with some mattresses stacked at the end to collect all the failures.....

 

[OSUZorba]

I get it, but the reason that it doesn't greatly impact the loading times for the monorail is that so many people load and unload at once. When only a few load and unload at once, and each is slowed down by these things, the entire thing is slowed down.

The simple fact is that the efficiency of this as a mode of transportation is tied to one thing - load/unload times. That will be a lot higher at WDW than anywhere else it has been implemented.

Since the cars come of the cables, you can get pretty creative with the loading. There is no reason the gondolas have to stay in motion while loading. They can also split into two paths, one from people without strollers/wheel cars and one for people with those things. The fairgrounds in my home town has had a gondola ride built more than 30 years ago (been there my whole life, so I am not sure when it was built), they could use multiple tracks in the house to load and the gondolas came to a full stop while loading. I am sure Disney will have this figured out, they know how many strollers and wheel cars come to the parks.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Since the cars come of the cables, you can get pretty creative with the loading. There is no reason the gondolas have to stay in motion while loading. They can also split into two paths, one from people without strollers/wheel cars and one for people with those things. The fairgrounds in my home town has had a gondola ride built more than 30 years ago (been there my whole life, so I am not sure when it was built), they could use multiple tracks in the house to load and the gondolas came to a full stop while loading. I am sure Disney will have this figured out, they know how many strollers and wheel cars come to the parks.

I agree that this is possible. We will have to wait and see. But if the way that Disney loads buses in an example of how they are going to handle this, it is going to be a mess.

 

[George4]

Not disputing that it is likely a gondola system at this point, but pointing out that most of these systems close in high winds and thunderstorms. In Central Florida, that could be interesting. Assuming they have a plan for all of this, but I'm still not excited about being caught in one of these when a Florida weather system rolls up somewhat unexpectedly. I'll stick to the buses as long as possible.

 

[DisFanDad]

Not disputing that it is likely a gondola system at this point, but pointing out that most of these systems close in high winds and thunderstorms. In Central Florida, that could be interesting. Assuming they have a plan for all of this, but I'm still not excited about being caught in one of these when a Florida weather system rolls up somewhat unexpectedly. I'll stick to the buses as long as possible.

I actually don't think that's accurate, some of them may close in high winds, but I can tell you that many of these systems work in VERY high winds, like those experienced on the sides of mountains at high altitudes, and they absolutely do not close.

 

[Q-man]

I wonder if this is a D23 level announcement. This is a pretty big deal of a new system. (And is there any doubt they'll call it the Skyway?)

Skyway to EPCOT and Skywalkerway to HS.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Skyway to EPCOT and Skywalkerway to HS.

or they could tie it into Aerosmith on RNRC and call it the Skyewalkthisway

 

[Sweettears]

I actually don't think that's accurate, some of them may close in high winds, but I can tell you that many of these systems work in VERY high winds, like those experienced on the sides of mountains at high altitudes, and they absolutely do not close.

I'm sure that if this is reality that they have heavily studied the loading/unloading process

 

[George4]

I actually don't think that's accurate, some of them may close in high winds, but I can tell you that many of these systems work in VERY high winds, like those experienced on the sides of mountains at high altitudes, and they absolutely do not close.

I looked at the information on the London gondola and that's exactly what it says on their website. I'm sure Disney has looked into this and has a solution, but my current stance is I wouldn't want to be in the gondola in those circumstances.

At least the monorail doesn't sway in the breeze.