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

[Tigger's ally]

I've even had a gun pulled on me on US-75 in downtown Dallas.

Tip for ya, if you are ever driving down the Dan Ryan in Chicago and someone pulls a gun, you might want to utilize evasive techniques because they don't just pull them, they use em......

 

[The Pho]

Orlando is tough just as there are soooo many people visiting in rental cars and not used to the car itself or the roads, etc.

New York City is kinda nuts but at least most of the people are competent drivers. Personally I've found Boston to be the worst

I’ll agree on Boston. I find the drivers in Florida to be pleasant and generally predictable. New York just rude, but predictable. LA and Chicago, slow but not crazy. Boston, rude and unpredictable, no turn signals get used, people swerve frequently to avoid all the crap. Doesn’t help that the roads in Boston are always in shambles. The city just wasn’t built for cars.

 

[ThistleMae]

Really? I've never felt unsafe with the driving in Orlando or Miami. Orlando annoys me with all the slow old people.

Nothing like driving in Texas (at least used to be, all the new people have made it more sane). I've even had a gun pulled on me on US-75 in downtown Dallas.

Are you saying all old people are slow?

 

[ljmiii]

I’ll agree on Boston. I find the drivers in Florida to be pleasant and generally predictable. New York just rude, but predictable. LA and Chicago, slow but not crazy. Boston, rude and unpredictable, no turn signals get used, people swerve frequently ....

Yet another vote for Boston. Though after two years living there I finally figured out the secret 'rule of the road' for Boston that made driving in the city predictable - you're only responsible for what you can see from 9 to 3...mirrors don't matter. If the lane to your left is 'open' from 9 to 12 it's yours...anyone 'behind' you has to get out of the way.

 

[OSUZorba]

Orlando is tough just as there are soooo many people visiting in rental cars and not used to the car itself or the roads, etc.

New York City is kinda nuts but at least most of the people are competent drivers. Personally I've found Boston to be the worst

I've never driven myself in Boston, but rode with other people when I was too young to drive a rental. I'd agree, people up there are nuts.

Dallas is nuts in that you can be in bumper to bumper traffic doing 80. Although that has kind of stopped with all the growth lately.

 

[vacationer1954]

Most of that should already be known. They’ve had a Gondola on property before, they currently operate a chair lift, and Disney has been hiring people with years/decades of experience with these systems.

There's still a difference between general knowledge and experience and understanding of a specific installation. Otherwise, the gondolas could operate the day after the construction crew leaves. I don't think the gondolas, themselves, are random variables. They're like Minnie Vans coming off the assembly line - very reliably what they are supposed to be, and ready to drive. I think it is the cabling, towers, stations and ground that they're all tied down into that are variable, and that's what causes the requirement for all the testing.

I believe Disney parks are self-insured.

Almost assuredly.

 

[NotUrsula]

There's still a difference between general knowledge and experience and understanding of a specific installation. Otherwise, the gondolas could operate the day after the construction crew leaves. I don't think the gondolas, themselves, are random variables. They're like Minnie Vans coming off the assembly line - very reliably what they are supposed to be, and ready to drive. I think it is the cabling, towers, stations and ground that they're all tied down into that are variable, and that's what causes the requirement for all the testing.

Not to mention guest behavior. That's a big part of what soft openings are for; looking for unexpected/predictable ways that guests interface with the attraction or service, in terms of how they read signage, queue movement, etc.

 

[Breezy2]

If you've ever ridden the Busch Gardens Tampa "Skyride" (OPEN Gondola Cars) in the SUMMER with sweat glistening on your body and thinking you were going to have heat stroke just imagine the joy these CLOSED (no air conditioning) Disney Sauna boxes are going to bring. I've never understood how design teams obviously never include people that have actually lived and worked in Orlando during the summer PRIOR to getting assigned to a project. An examp!e is the BLACK park benches that were placed in Universal Studios when it opened (since replaced) and in the summer actually would burn you if you were to sit on them. There's something to be said for common sense vs clever design work. Not to mention Florida is the "Lightning Capital" of the United States with "Lightning Alley" being Tampa to Titusville. After seeing "Blue Sky Lightning" associated with a distant storm hit a tree in my Florida yard this is definitely not a ride I'll be using in the summer. I have a whole new respect for Florida thunderstorms. This whole Disney Gondola folly just makes me shake my head and ask "what are they thinking?"

 

[disneygirlsng]

If you've ever ridden the Busch Gardens Tampa "Skyride" (OPEN Gondola Cars) in the SUMMER with sweat glistening on your body and thinking you were going to have heat stroke just imagine the joy these CLOSED (no air conditioning) Disney Sauna boxes are going to bring. I've never understood how design teams obviously never include people that have actually lived and worked in Orlando during the summer PRIOR to getting assigned to a project. An examp!e is the BLACK park benches that were placed in Universal Studios when it opened (since replaced) and in the summer actually would burn you if you were to sit on them. There's something to be said for common sense vs clever design work. Not to mention Florida is the "Lightning Capital" of the United States with "Lightning Alley" being Tampa to Titusville. After seeing "Blue Sky Lightning" associated with a distant storm hit a tree in my Florida yard this is definitely not a ride I'll be using in the summer. I have a whole new respect for Florida thunderstorms. This whole Disney Gondola folly just makes me shake my head and ask "what are they thinking?"

Perhaps doing some research, or even just reading through this thread, will give you a better idea on how these work. They are not even remotely like the ones at BG.

 

[kittlesona]

Is anyone else anxiously waiting for news that one of the other lines is testing?

 

[gap2368]

Is anyone else anxiously waiting for news that one of the other lines is testing?

Yes I am

 

[jade1]

This is me but in Miami. I drive all over the country for work and nothing is worse than Miami. Holy smokes.

Still OT sorry, but I agree. Esp the "triangle" from Miami to Miramar (had training in Miramar) to F Laud.

For every 40 MPH slow poke in Orlando, these were 80 to 90 MPH easy.

By the way-weirdly just today looked up Holy Smokes. Never knew it was voting for the Pope, at least one theory.

 

[Mark Cameron]

Is anyone else anxiously waiting for news that one of the other lines is testing?

I'm staying at Pop in September and want to take a ride on this so yes, I am paying attention to it!

 

[Breezy2]

Perhaps doing some research, or even just reading through this thread, will give you a better idea on how these work. They are not even remotely like the ones at BG.

Agreed-have actually seen them on numerous occasions lately and they are nothing like the BG Gondolas or the old ones in the Magic Kingdom but it doesn’t make them logical for Florida summer weather. I’ll still take a pass on this one but y’all enjoy!

 

[ADS2508]

I’m sure this is in the thread somewhere, but I can’t find it. How long is it expected to take from EPcot to HS? Will it be faster than the boats, with the benefit of the boat being no transferring? At the very least it’s nice to have options when dealing with transportation.

 

[rteetz]

I’m sure this is in the thread somewhere, but I can’t find it. How long is it expected to take from EPcot to HS? Will it be faster than the boats, with the benefit of the boat being no transferring? At the very least it’s nice to have options when dealing with transportation.

You will have to transfer at CBR but it still should be faster.

 

[OSUZorba]

I’m sure this is in the thread somewhere, but I can’t find it. How long is it expected to take from EPcot to HS? Will it be faster than the boats, with the benefit of the boat being no transferring? At the very least it’s nice to have options when dealing with transportation.

Right now the lines are going about 14 mph (IIRC) and that is about 2 miles of line. So about 9 minutes of cable time and a few too transfer, so maybe 15 minutes total. Plus no waiting for the boat to show up, load, and leave.

Edit: someone way up thread posted time estimates with the exact line length, probably around a year ago. You might be able to find it if you search.

 

[Weedy]

Another Doppelmayr video

 

[Weedy]

Another interesting how many cabins in the station

 

[skier_pete]

Another Doppelmayr video

Geez, now I want to visit La Paz.