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

[Jon84]

I'm really looking forward to my first Skyliner Evac!

Firefighters have rescued 16 people trapped in gondolas for several hours on a ride at the SeaWorld amusement park in San Diego. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47289125

 

[jerseygal]

I'm really looking forward to my first Skyliner Evac!

Firefighters have rescued 16 people trapped in gondolas for several hours on a ride at the SeaWorld amusement park in San Diego. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47289125

Just heard this in the news; someone who was partially paralyzed riding the gondola which made evacuation difficult but thankfully no injuries! SCARY!

 

[JaxDad]

I'm really looking forward to my first Skyliner Evac!

Firefighters have rescued 16 people trapped in gondolas for several hours on a ride at the SeaWorld amusement park in San Diego. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47289125

At least at 49 degrees they weren't missing AC...

 

[OSUZorba]

I'm really looking forward to my first Skyliner Evac!

Firefighters have rescued 16 people trapped in gondolas for several hours on a ride at the SeaWorld amusement park in San Diego. - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-47289125

I'd really like to know if they actually couldn't restart it or if it was just their policy to evacuate if there was a fault.

My local park has a coaster with a history of faulting at the top of the lift. Their policy requires them to evacuate it, run the train three times empty and then move on with life. In 2017 it faulted where most of the train was past the stairs, they spent hours doing a dangerous harnessed rescue. There were multiple injury accidents on the adjacent highway due to rubbernecking. All for no reason. As soon as the people were off, they ran it through and it was reopen 30 minutes later. (It is really no reason, the brakes on coasters are fail safe and it only has one train). Luckily the state refused to certify it in 2018 until they extended the stairs.

Parks do this all the time with rides, though, and many times they put people in much greater danger because of it.

 

[jknezek]

I'd really like to know if they actually couldn't restart it or if it was just their policy to evacuate if there was a fault.

My local park has a coaster with a history of faulting at the top of the lift. Their policy requires them to evacuate it, run the train three times empty and then move on with life. In 2017 it faulted where most of the train was past the stairs, they spent hours doing a dangerous harnessed rescue. There were multiple injury accidents on the adjacent highway due to rubbernecking. All for no reason. As soon as the people were off, they ran it through and it was reopen 30 minutes later. (It is really no reason, the brakes on coasters are fail safe and it only has one train). Luckily the state refused to certify it in 2018 until they extended the stairs.

Parks do this all the time with rides, though, and many times they put people in much greater danger because of it.

It's a PR and CYA thing. If someone gets hurt during an evac they can say they were doing the right thing. If they start it right up with people still on it and something goes wrong, they are going to get sued into oblivion. The rescue might be more dangerous, but it is less liability than running a ride with a known fault reading. Lawyers love when people know something went wrong and carried on anyway. It's like blood in the water in front of a hungry shark.

 

[OSUZorba]

It's a PR and CYA thing. If someone gets hurt during an evac they can say they were doing the right thing. If they start it right up with people still on it and something goes wrong, they are going to get sued into oblivion. The rescue might be more dangerous, but it is less liability than running a ride with a known fault reading. Lawyers love when people know something went wrong and carried on anyway. It's like blood in the water in front of a hungry shark.

I know it is a CYA thing and they do it for theater. But if someone was injured in an evac that can be proven to be unneeded I'm sure they'd still be sued to high heaven.

 

[jknezek]

I know it is a CYA thing and they do it for theater. But if someone was injured in an evac that can be proven to be unneeded I'm sure they'd still be sued to high heaven.

Absolutely. But the company can still claim to have done the right thing. They got a fault, they evacuated the ride. That's a simple cause and effect and showing responsibility. They got a fault, they didn't evacuate the ride is a whole different can of beans if someone gets hurt. You know their was a flaw and proceeded anyway. Sued to high heaven for someone getting hurt while you did the best you could gets one result, sued to high heaven where someone can prove you ignored a problem? That's a lot more money.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

I know it is a CYA thing and they do it for theater. But if someone was injured in an evac that can be proven to be unneeded I'm sure they'd still be sued to high heaven.

But, if the procedure calls for an evac, and they do it, and someone gets injured, their insurance will pay.

If the procedure calls for an evac, and they don't, and someone gets injured, insurance will not pay.

Sadly, hospitals and doctors also make lots of medical decisions based on what would limit their liability, and not necessarily a risk/benefit assessment based on the patient's perspective.

 

[OSUZorba]

But, if the procedure calls for an evac, and they do it, and someone gets injured, their insurance will pay.

If the procedure calls for an evac, and they don't, and someone gets injured, insurance will not pay.

Sadly, hospitals and doctors also make lots of medical decisions based on what would limit their liability, and not necessarily a risk/benefit assessment based on the patient's perspective.

I know. I was just wondering if this was actually a needed evac or a CYA policy evac. I'm guessing the later.

In general these policies should be updated throughout the amusement industry to ensure greatest guest safety as opposed to dangerous safety theater.

A checklist can be created to work through the fault while the ride is at a safe stop, show the ride is safe to proceed to the station or the next block station and empty there. This is done in most other industries all the time, including aviation.

In the case of roller coasters, brakes are fail safe. Shut off the whole system and it'll stop the train. They require power to release.

The real problem with the coaster example I gave, though, was failure to have stairs everywhere the train could be stopped, which is always the case with a gondola. That is why modern gondolas are designed to be able to clear the line after faults occur.

 

[joelkfla]

That is why modern gondolas are designed to be able to clear the line after faults occur.

But this is not a modern gondola. It's a Von Roll 101 skyride.

 

[sachilles]

But this is not a modern gondola. It's a Von Roll 101 skyride.

To be honest, It's not a valid excuse, that's a long delay. Over water adds an element, but they should be prepared.
Getting up the tower and getting the rescue line over the haulrope doesn't take very long. However, the lack of slope could make it more of a challenge, as there is a little elbow the rescue rope goes through and is used to rest on the haulrope. The distance from the tower could be a fun challenge.

 

[Tigger's ally]

To be honest, It's not a valid excuse, that's a long delay.

I think they were just saying this isn't apples to oranges to the gondola's going in WDW and not to confuse the two. They aren'tt saying anything about it being an excuse

 

[amcc]

At least at 49 degrees they weren't missing AC...

Truest words... but several hours in the Disney ones in July would be a serious problem. Because of that, I imagine Disney’s safety protocols will call for moving the gondolas into the station except in the most extreme of situations and avoid any kind of evacuation.

 

[sachilles]

I think they were just saying this isn't apples to oranges to the gondola's going in WDW and not to confuse the two. They aren'tt saying anything about it being an excuse

I'm saying there is no excuse to make that evac take that long no matter the type/age of the lift. That amount of time is too long.
It's age and type aside, the redundancies in place, it's concerning they couldn't clear the cars through. Either a huge alignment issue prevented it from moving, or back up power failed. Also not acceptable.
I get they are trying to assure folks that Disney's wouldn't do that, but really Seaworld's shouldn't have either.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I'm saying there is no excuse to make that evac take that long no matter the type/age of the lift. That amount of time is too long.
It's age and type aside, the redundancies in place, it's concerning they couldn't clear the cars through. Either a huge alignment issue prevented it from moving, or back up power failed. Also not acceptable.
I get they are trying to assure folks that Disney's wouldn't do that, but really Seaworld's shouldn't have either.

That's fine, but I don't think he was saying it was an excuse anyway so I think you are more or less speaking the fully assembled choir. He is just saying it is an apples to oranges comparison that is all.

 

[OSUZorba]

But this is not a modern gondola. It's a Von Roll 101 skyride.

I know it's not and I wasn't trying to say they were. I am saying the amusement industry has a history of CYA policies that force unsafe evacs that aren't required for safety. I don't think we have the data here to know if that is the case, though.

But I was responding to the idea that you should always evac if you have any fault as a PP suggested. Modern systems are designed so that shouldn't be there default answer, even though that may not be true with this specific system.

 

[cisco911]

Can anyone explain why if they are already testing the skyliner, why it will be fall before it is open? Seems like a really long time to do testing???

 

[Tigger's ally]

Can anyone explain why if they are already testing the skyliner, why it will be fall before it is open? Seems like a really long time to do testing???

I have come to the conclusion that one of the biggest things that will take a lot of time is training the staff how to operate. As far as pulling gondo's for the ever increasing scooters, disabled, etc.

So, it will be probably June/July before all the testing and finishing of all the stations. With people working at every single station, I am thinking anywhere from 150-300 regular CM's will need to be trained if not more.

They probably cant be trained effectively until all the cars are on the lines and they are operational with no people on them.

Then I am sure there will be testing with guinea pig CM's traveling back and forth for awhile till they get it down.

Don't think it will be just a plug and play install by any means.

And this does not even come close to the training the electricians, IT and other levels will need.

 

[sachilles]

There is also a lot of infrastructure surrounding the skyliner, that is not the skyliner itself. So their is construction surrounding the stations etc. Security and tapstyle changes, concrete work around the stations. Bus stations etc. General presentation for the guests. There is a lot of ugliness on the route right now that can be tidied up before opening. Truth is they don't really need it up and running yet.
The conveyance might be ready for service, but it's surroundings are not. No need to rush it into service until the other stuff is ready.

 

[DanBoris]

I have come to the conclusion that one of the biggest things that will take a lot of time is training the staff how to operate. As far as pulling gondo's for the ever increasing scooters, disabled, etc.

So, it will be probably June/July before all the testing and finishing of all the stations. With people working at every single station, I am thinking anywhere from 150-300 regular CM's will need to be trained if not more.

They probably cant be trained effectively until all the cars are on the lines and they are operational with no people on them.

Then I am sure there will be testing with guinea pig CM's traveling back and forth for awhile till they get it down.

Don't think it will be just a plug and play install by any means.

And this does not even come close to the training the electricians, IT and other levels will need.

Someone who works for a lift at a ski resort said that it takes them a couple days to train new people who have no prior experience. Yes, there will be higher level positions that require more training, but most can be trained quickly.

We have also heard that it's very likely to open well before the "Fall" date Disney has been saying.