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

[OKW Lover]

Unless the wind is blowing the rain sideways you can keep the rain out and let air flow thru.

During the daily afternoon thunderstorms you typically do get wind blowing the rain sideways.

 

[DanBoris]

Really? First I have heard of this so interesting .... I would just think there would be people that would be scared of heights or just not want to use them for any given reason and the buses would still be available

Part of the value proposition for the gondola system is the elimination of buses. As for people who don't want to take the gondola, there is the Minnie Vans, Uber, bus to another location and transfer, or rent a car.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Part of the value proposition for the gondola system is the elimination of buses. As for people who don't want to take the gondola, there is the Minnie Vans, Uber, bus to another location and transfer, or rent a car.

I guess I never saw the value proposition to be the elimination of buses - I thought it was just to reduce the reliance on them and reduce the # of buses - not take it to zero

and to clarify, not saying I am right/you are wrong, more I just never saw that before so it is news to me

 

[Farro]

Yep, Marni and others on the magic board have stated that there will not be bus service once the gondolas get going. Now , as with anything Disney, that could change but that was the last I had heard.

Wow! That would definitely influence my decision on staying at any of the resorts that would depend on the Gondola system. I'm one of those people that would not like to ride them every time - it's the cable thing...I don't like it. Makes no sense as I ride the 'L' everyday in Chicago and am fine with the monorail, but I'm quirky like that...

 

[DanBoris]

I guess I never saw the value proposition to be the elimination of buses - I thought it was just to reduce the reliance on them and reduce the # of buses - not take it to zero

and to clarify, not saying I am right/you are wrong, more I just never saw that before so it is news to me

As someone else pointed, this is a decision that could very easily be changed at any time.

 

[Q-man]

I guess I never saw the value proposition to be the elimination of buses - I thought it was just to reduce the reliance on them and reduce the # of buses - not take it to zero

and to clarify, not saying I am right/you are wrong, more I just never saw that before so it is news to me

The math is way back in this thread. It is a large savings to switch to gondolas. Buses cost ~$500K, have a 10-12 year life, get ~3mpg, carry ~60 people, and make 2 round trips an hour. Then there is; maintenance, bus driver salaries and benefits, uniform, administration, etc. vs a few college program monitors.

 

[Q-man]

Found my back of a napkin math from back in April when we thought 2000/hr was going to be the capacity. My estimate of the number of buses the gondolas can replace should be 50% higher by the latest numbers.

Starting bus driver pay is $12/hr. Buses get about 2.5 mpg and diesel is over $2.50 a gallon. Pop to Epcot parking is 6 miles and a bus does this twice an hour for a total of 24 miles is about $25 an hour in fuel. $37/hr x 100= $3,700 an hour times 8 hours is close to $30K per shift. Driver pay alone would be $10K per shift and that doesn't include benefits, administration, uniforms, etc. But fuel is an even bigger saving. They are claiming that gondola system is less than $400 a day versus $2,500 an hour for the same bus capacity. That is over $200,000 a week in savings with is north of $10 million for the year. Now that article says Disney's buses cost between $500-700K and have a 12 year life. So lets say $50K a year times a hundred buses is $5mil a year without maintenance costs.

 

[Sweettears]

I guess I never saw the value proposition to be the elimination of buses - I thought it was just to reduce the reliance on them and reduce the # of buses - not take it to zero

and to clarify, not saying I am right/you are wrong, more I just never saw that before so it is news to me

I always thought that the value proposition was to add direct (or semi direct) access to the parks so that they could raise the rates at the the participating resorts.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I always thought that the value proposition was to add direct (or semi direct) access to the parks so that they could raise the rates at the the participating resorts.

That too, of course

 

[Sweettears]

That too, of course

 

[dina444444]

New Concept Art and Info

12 Days of Disney Parks Christmas: New Images of the Disney Skyliner Transportation System

 

[TheMaxRebo]

New Concept Art and Info

12 Days of Disney Parks Christmas: New Images of the Disney Skyliner Transportation System

I must say that I like the concept art for the stations they have shown - they really do appear to fit in well as far as where they are situated.

hard to tell for sure but in the picture for the station at Caribbean Beach, it looks like the two systems are completely separate so everyone will have to get off to transfer

 

[dina444444]

I must say that I like the concept art for the stations they have shown - they really do appear to fit in well as far as where they are situated.

hard to tell for sure but in the picture for the station at Caribbean Beach, it looks like the two systems are completely separate so everyone will have to get off to transfer

They note in the article that the different lines will connect though Caribbean Beach.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

They note in the article that the different lines will connect though Caribbean Beach.

right, I know that ... just before, at least to me, it wasn't clear if everyone would have to transfer at Caribbean Beach or if some would go through and people would be added to empty cars - but looks like everyone will have to get off at Caribbean Beach and stay there or transfer

 

[HopperFan]

My read on this is that the DVC is not getting a station that they can load on .............

"Finally, cabins will slow down at the Disney Skyliner turn-station along Buena Vista Drive, where guests can see the mechanical and aerial components that make up the Disney Skyliner."

 

[skier_pete]

My observations that I also posted in the Rumors and News thread:
Something interesting that seems omitted here is the Riviera resort station. I only say this because they bothered to mention every other location INCLUDING the Boardwalk Turn Station which does nothing - yet they called it out. Not suggesting there won't be a station at Riviera, but just seems odd it wasn't mentioned.

The other thing is that this is really the first time we have seen full confirmation that there will definitely be multiple lines that change at CBR. It is still not known weather there are two or three separate lines. The view included appears to show the station from the CBR/Lake side, and so the Pop /AoA line is on the left, and the Epcot line is on the right, and whether the DHS line is a separate line cannot be gleaned for certain.

Another slightly less interesting point, the DHS and Epcot stations show lines that angle upward pretty quickly out of the station - the CBR hub on the other hand does not, and appears to stay fairly low. This is a minor point and might even be artistic over actual.

Finally, there's an awful lot of people carrying shopping bags in these pictures. Am I the only one that found that weird?

My read on this is that the DVC is not getting a station that they can load on .............

"Finally, cabins will slow down at the Disney Skyliner turn-station along Buena Vista Drive, where guests can see the mechanical and aerial components that make up the Disney Skyliner."

I don't know if the lack of mention means they won't have one. All the plans show a station at the Riviera.

 

[closetmickey]

right, I know that ... just before, at least to me, it wasn't clear if everyone would have to transfer at Caribbean Beach or if some would go through and people would be added to empty cars - but looks like everyone will have to get off at Caribbean Beach and stay there or transfer

I was wondering this as well. So you think that coming from AoA, you will have to reboard at CBR to get to either park?

 

[skier_pete]

I was wondering this as well. So you think that coming from AoA, you will have to reboard at CBR to get to either park?

Based on this drawing - you definitely will. As I mentioned in post above, the drawing shows two opposite load stations, which would have to be the AOA/Pop station and the Epcot station. (DHS direction has to be behind the building in the picture.) The question is if coming from DHS - do you have to dismount to go to Epcot and vice versa, or will the Epcot loop keep going to DHS - though I am making an assumption here that the AOA/Pop route wouldn't continue to DHS.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I was wondering this as well. So you think that coming from AoA, you will have to reboard at CBR to get to either park?

I guess still not entirely clear but it seems to show that in the image that there are entrance/exits on opposite ends of the station and solid material in the middle so nothing goes through, completely separate lines/cable systems

 

[paradesintherain]

WDWNT pointed out that there appears to be a gondola with captain America on it!