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

I am also not sure if the 115 people on a bus is accurate .... that seems like a LOT. I would think 50 or 60 would be more accurate....

I looked it up on-line and found a capacity of 112 listed. The actual number of course varies...but if you think about it, there's around 40-45 seats on the bus. The assume another 50 or so standees. This obviously varies based on whose on the bus. (Put a couple of ECVs the numbers drops by 10. More little ones might mean more people.) However, I think using 100 to 110 is more than reasonable.
 
I looked it up on-line and found a capacity of 112 listed. The actual number of course varies...but if you think about it, there's around 40-45 seats on the bus. The assume another 50 or so standees. This obviously varies based on whose on the bus. (Put a couple of ECVs the numbers drops by 10. More little ones might mean more people.) However, I think using 100 to 110 is more than reasonable.

There is no where near 45 seats on the non-articulating bus. Try 30.
 
I looked it up on-line and found a capacity of 112 listed. The actual number of course varies...but if you think about it, there's around 40-45 seats on the bus. The assume another 50 or so standees. This obviously varies based on whose on the bus. (Put a couple of ECVs the numbers drops by 10. More little ones might mean more people.) However, I think using 100 to 110 is more than reasonable.

There is no where near 45 seats on the non-articulating bus. Try 30.
 
If I remember correctly, a single bus has 19 seats in the rear, and 12 seats in the front. 2 or 3 of the front fold up for ecv. That's 31 total seats, plus standing room. Of course it depends on bus manufacturer. I'm not sure 40-45 seats is correct. Capacity might be 45-52, but not seats.
Skier pete are you referencing the articulated buses?
 

Well - whatever...less people per bus actually favors my argument that the gondola will provide way more transport capacity than the buses.
You might be right too .... going to try and find a picture ... I just think it's less than 45 by a bit
 
You might be right too .... going to try and find a picture ... I just think it's less than 45 by a bit
It's 31 I believe.
5 in the back row, and a row of 7 on each side in the back up high. Then 6 on each side down below. Some have an extra side by side seat behind the driver.
 
Pete,

Spinning turntables would be problematic...and the volume of wheelchairs and strollers makes that a no go in my book. They take forever to board electronics. Every 20th care doesn't address that problem...it would have to be about 1 in 5 and that will drag on the system.

The other question is how problematic is it to have four or more stops on the circuit...do they bunch up more are they suspended in a holding pattern more often? People will not like holding patterns on the run...at all.

And final question: where do you store the skis? :duck:
 
I looked it up on-line and found a capacity of 112 listed. The actual number of course varies...but if you think about it, there's around 40-45 seats on the bus. The assume another 50 or so standees. This obviously varies based on whose on the bus. (Put a couple of ECVs the numbers drops by 10. More little ones might mean more people.) However, I think using 100 to 110 is more than reasonable.

You're not looking at the bulk of the buses...most fit around 60 still...the articulated don't service that much of the property as it stands...most are the 2000-2010 fleet
 
It's 31 I believe.
5 in the back row, and a row of 7 on each side in the back up high. Then 6 on each side down below. Some have an extra side by side seat behind the driver.

You're not looking at the bulk of the buses...most fit around 60 still...the articulated don't service that much of the property as it stands...most are the 2000-2010 fleet


Depends on the bus - I've also sat on buses where the back is 4 rows of 4 + the 5 bench = 21 in the back. The lower portion you are probably right is another 10-15, so I would agree actual seating probably more like 30-35.

But again, you are helping prove my point - if the buses only fit 60, a resort like Pop Century runs a bus to Epcot and DHS every 15 minutes in the morning, well there's only 240 people per hour going to the park every morning, even if every bus is fully loaded. So if we add AOA, CBR, and CBR-DVC that's 1000 an hour traveling to both Epcot and DHS. Capacity will be 2,000 per hour. Not a problem.

Everyone make the assumption that a resort like Pop Century because it has 2,900 rooms that somehow you have 2,000 people an hour heading to DHS and Epcot. It's SOOO much less. Even if you have 12,000 people staying at the resort, they are split between going to 4 parks, the water parks, Disney Springs, other resorts, sleeping in, staying at the resorts, so maybe 2,000 people from Pop Century go to Epcot in a day, but some go for Rope Drop, some go for 10 AM, so sleep until noon, some just go for the evening.

The only potential congestion issue is when the parks close - but it's no different from what you have now when you see 500 people waiting for a Pop Century bus and you have to wait 3 or 4 buses to get back to your resort. You might wait 30 minutes in the gondola line.

Pete,

Spinning turntables would be problematic...and the volume of wheelchairs and strollers makes that a no go in my book. They take forever to board electronics. Every 20th care doesn't address that problem...it would have to be about 1 in 5 and that will drag on the system.

The other question is how problematic is it to have four or more stops on the circuit...do they bunch up more are they suspended in a holding pattern more often? People will not like holding patterns on the run...at all.

And final question: where do you store the skis? :duck:

The gondolas wouldn't have a spinning turntable - I was just using the loading method for Kali of an example how you can send cars out every 30-40 seconds even though the cars are actually in the load area for 2-3 minutes. The gondola would not have that.

I have no idea how they handle wheelchairs and ECVs, that's for those smarter than I, but a wheelchair every 5th car is unlikely to be necessary - that assumes one out of 100 people at Disney is in a wheelchair/ECV, so at MK on any given day there are 4,000 -5,000 ECVs running around? And again, as I pointed out, they may just provide alternative transportation for ECVs, I just really don't know...being a skier does not give me a lot of experience with seeing them loading wheelchairs into gondolas.

The pictures I provided are of the Whistler Village Gondola that runs from the base village at Whistler/Blackhomb up to about 2/3rds up the mountain - a total length of about 7,000 feet (1.3 miles?).

It has a total of 4 stops along the route, one at the bottom, a second a short ways up the mountain, another about a 1/3rd of the way up, and then the one at the "top". At each stop, the gondolas detach from the cable and slow for loading and unloading. Then once they pass on to the next segment, they attach to the next section of cable and are on their way. While each loop of cable is continuous, they run independently, though because of the cars they can't really STOP one without stopping them all. However, they move very slowly through the load stations. They are easier to get on than say the moving sidewalks at an airport. (See pictures below - people walk their BIKES onto them.) Because of this, they rarely if ever have to stop, unlike a chairlift which stops frequently for loading/unloading issues.

2722146731_c74be1d7b3.jpg

1208WHI-002.jpg
 
I'm not debating that gondolas have far more potential than buses...I'm down with that.

But I think you are underestimating the "hunter/nana" factor when it Comes to strollers and ecvs...

While we really have ski resorts to refer too...using Breckinridge and whistler puts you on another planet.

I'm talking families not n athletic shape from Ohio or Pennsylvania with a first time ecv rental trying to use this...

That's seems like not a big logistical deal...until you meditate like yoda and use the force to notice just how much of that is there.

If it takes 9 minutes to get one on a bus - And it often does - what's that do unless there is a separate load platform...which there should be. I wonder what kind of employee requirement there looking at?
 
Thanks for the loading pics/explanations. I can see how 20 seconds under normal circumstances is 100% achievable. If they do build a separate ECV/Wheelchair load, I think this will be 100% better than standing 100 deep in a bus line. Even if they don't it will be at least on par and probably more enjoyable than standing on an overstuffed bus.
 
FYI, Breckenridge can load wheelchairs into a normal gondola. The doors are even with the ground with basically no gap so they can just roll on. I also bet they don't have to strap them down since they won't be on the road/subjected to crashes or other high forces.

I don't think strollers or wheelcars will be much issue, especially if you don't have to fold strollers. ECVs I could see being an issue, so hopefully they have a separate loading rail, or enough empty space in the main rail to fully stop one car without backing up the incoming cars.

I am sure the industrial and traffic engineers at WDW know exactly how many ECVs to expect and are thinking of something. I at least know they aren't ignorant of the concern.
 
I'm not debating that gondolas have far more potential than buses...I'm down with that.

But I think you are underestimating the "hunter/nana" factor when it Comes to strollers and ecvs...

While we really have ski resorts to refer too...using Breckinridge and whistler puts you on another planet.

I'm talking families not n athletic shape from Ohio or Pennsylvania with a first time ecv rental trying to use this...

That's seems like not a big logistical deal...until you meditate like yoda and use the force to notice just how much of that is there.

If it takes 9 minutes to get one on a bus - And it often does - what's that do unless there is a separate load platform...which there should be. I wonder what kind of employee requirement there looking at?

I've racked my brain trying to figure out how to get those personal pavement crafts onto the buses faster. It doesn't help that I'm watching the process at the end of a long park day.
 
Thanks for the loading pics/explanations. I can see how 20 seconds under normal circumstances is 100% achievable. If they do build a separate ECV/Wheelchair load, I think this will be 100% better than standing 100 deep in a bus line. Even if they don't it will be at least on par and probably more enjoyable than standing on an overstuffed bus.

No dispute...I am liking that idea.

Big "if" though...

Look, strollers are part of the business...and I like that they have always lead the way on ADA access. Nothing to criticize.

But does anyone want to stand for a half hour while "convenience" ecvs are slowly loaded on and off. Don't have that problem too often on a ski lift. Do they have to be strapped in? Come on...I'll be the heel by bringing it up...but I'm doing it wondering if they will make a system that is convenient for everyone...as opposed to the ramps for the buses and monorails that are not? A special design would work the best.
 
Pete, one question...how will unload work in conjunction loading? Will it slow things down, will one side of that platform visible above be loading, while when it swings around will be unloading?
 
I've racked my brain trying to figure out how to get those personal pavement crafts onto the buses faster. It doesn't help that I'm watching the process at the end of a long park day.

I'm thinking the same thing. Not only that...about 25 years ago they really encourage their usage. That's great for inclusion but the downside is the numbers are off and really crunch the transport.

We all know the elephant in the room here. It's not use of assistance devices for medical purposes. It's the "drive up to the restaurant and then hop off and walk in...cause those parks are just SO big"...call me crazy, but isn't that part of the thought process In planning? Maybe I'm nuts.

The result is the numbers are skewed and it requires a separate design.
 
Pete, one question...how will unload work in conjunction loading? Will it slow things down, will one side of that platform visible above be loading, while when it swings around will be unloading?

There's a lot more question here than skis and mountain bikes. It requires a custom design for both capacity and load/traffic control.

If they don't know this...it will be a failure for practical purposes. Anyone think they will build a flawed system JUST to sell the Bon Bini Villas?
 












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