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

[sachilles]

In any of the permits, does it give away the footprint of the IG station? Just wondering if this is being built in a way for it to expand further towards the front of the park(now or a future phase). The footprint could give evidence of what the future plan is in terms of entrance security etc. I know the trinidad station appears big enough to store the cars, but wonder if the IG station might also get some storage ability as it would make sense given the three distinct lines that are rumored.
I am excited for this. I love that folks have ferreted out the info on it without much of official confirmation from Disney.

 

[rteetz]

In any of the permits, does it give away the footprint of the IG station? Just wondering if this is being built in a way for it to expand further towards the front of the park(now or a future phase). The footprint could give evidence of what the future plan is in terms of entrance security etc. I know the trinidad station appears big enough to store the cars, but wonder if the IG station might also get some storage ability as it would make sense given the three distinct lines that are rumored.
I am excited for this. I love that folks have ferreted out the info on it without much of official confirmation from Disney.

I would say no this station won't have that option. Storage and maintenance seems to be all at the Trinidad station. We will probably have to wait and see to know for sure tho.

 

[danikoski]

Now I'm picturing chair lifts at the Disney parks.

Is it widely assumed that there will be more info about this at D23?

These won't be chair lifts. They will be enclosed, very similar to a tram car, but on a cable.

Something similar to this, although it probably won't be as high...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirates_Air_Line_(cable_car)

 

[BuzzLightyearDad]

With the construction starting at the International Gateway, I am really wondering if the construction will impact the paths from the Epcot resorts. We are booked at Beach Club in April '18 and if we were unable to get to Epcot through the IG due to construction, I think we would want to stay somewhere else.

 

[sachilles]

With the construction starting at the International Gateway, I am really wondering if the construction will impact the paths from the Epcot resorts. We are booked at Beach Club in April '18 and if we were unable to get to Epcot through the IG due to construction, I think we would want to stay somewhere else.

I don't see a need to block the IG in anyway to make this work.

 

[ucfknight]

With the construction starting at the International Gateway, I am really wondering if the construction will impact the paths from the Epcot resorts. We are booked at Beach Club in April '18 and if we were unable to get to Epcot through the IG due to construction, I think we would want to stay somewhere else.

Station construction should not have an effect on your ability to enter IG. It is off to the side in the old tram loading area.

 

[BuzzLightyearDad]

Has anyone done trip time estimates? I am now wondering if the trip from IG to the Studios will be faster than the boats that stop along the way

 

[joelkfla]

Now I'm picturing chair lifts at the Disney parks.

Is it widely assumed that there will be more info about this at D23?

The only chair lift is at BB.

Gondolas are not chair lifts. The old skyride was a gondola, but the technology has come a long way since then.

 

[ckelly14]

Station construction should not have an effect on your ability to enter IG. It is off to the side in the old tram loading area.

I never knew there was a tram there. When was that and what did it do?

 

[DanBoris]

In any of the permits, does it give away the footprint of the IG station? Just wondering if this is being built in a way for it to expand further towards the front of the park(now or a future phase). The footprint could give evidence of what the future plan is in terms of entrance security etc. I know the trinidad station appears big enough to store the cars, but wonder if the IG station might also get some storage ability as it would make sense given the three distinct lines that are rumored.
I am excited for this. I love that folks have ferreted out the info on it without much of official confirmation from Disney.

The permits do not show the IG station, but according to people with knowledge of the project, it will be something like this.

 

[jknezek]

I never knew there was a tram there. When was that and what did it do?

It went from the Swolphin to the International Gateway. I don't know if it went to MGM back then but I'm thinking it did. Stopped in the mid 90s, maybe 94 or 95? I think right before construction started on Boardwalk or right before Boardwalk opened. It was a Pink and Teal Tram.

 

[DanBoris]

Station construction should not have an effect on your ability to enter IG. It is off to the side in the old tram loading area.

The station construction shouldn't have an impact, but I would expect the whole setup of that are to be modified, possibly to push the security screening back further like they have done at MK. With that said, I highly doubt they will close the IG completely at any point in the construction.

 

[Planogirl]

The only chair lift is at BB.

Gondolas are not chair lifts. The old skyride was a gondola, but the technology has come a long way since then.

I should have added a winking smiley.

I still hope that these things have A/C. We'll see.

 

[joelkfla]

Has anyone done trip time estimates? I am now wondering if the trip from IG to the Studios will be faster than the boats that stop along the way

Good idea! I just did the math:

• The path postulated by WDWnt.com is 3.7 km from Epcot IG to DHS.
• The top speed of single cable detachable gondolas on the Doppelmayr site is 6 m/s.
• If WDW runs at the top speed, that works out to 10.28 minutes.
• Assuming very generously 1 minute to pass thru each station (including turning stations), the total time should be around 14 minutes.

If Disney goes with the more complex but more wind-stable 3-rope system:

• Top speed is 8.5 m/s.
• Time on rope at top speed would be 7.25 min.
• Total time would be about 11 minutes.

The above calculations make the following assumptions:

• Disney chooses to operate the system at the maximum speed.
• Cabins arriving at CBR from Epcot are routed onto the rope to DHS, with no transfer required of riders.

So with these assumptions: YES -- the gondola would be faster than the boats. There's also the advantage of continuous loading, so no need to wait 15 minutes if you just miss the boat.

 

[ucfknight]

I never knew there was a tram there. When was that and what did it do?

It was there back in the early 1990's prior to them building the Boardwalk Inn. We used it quite a bit to park hop between Epcot and the new Studios.

They had already built the physical boardwalk itself, but nothing else was there besides a long construction wall that ran the length of the wooden boardwalk. They then had a standard parking lot tram that ran from IG over to near the Swan with easy access to the Disney-MGM Studios. So it went down the empty boardwalk with big concept art that showed what was going to be built there. Original plans called for some actual rides like a ferris wheel to be built. It looked much more like Paradise Pier at DCA than what actually ended up being the final results.

 

[DanBoris]

Good idea! I just did the math:

• The path postulated by WDWnt.com is 3.7 km from Epcot IG to DHS.
• The top speed of single cable detachable gondolas on the Doppelmayr site is 6 m/s.
• If WDW runs at the top speed, that works out to 10.28 minutes.
• Assuming 1 minute to pass thru each station, the total time should be around 14 minutes.

If Disney goes with the more complex but more wind-stable 3-rope system:

• Top speed is 8.5 m/s.
• Time on rope at top speed would be 7.25 min.
• Total time would be about 11 minutes.

The above calculations make the following assumptions:

• Disney chooses to operate the system at the maximum speed.
• Cabins arriving at CBR from Epcot are routed onto the rope to DHS, with no transfer required of riders.

So with these assumptions: YES -- the gondola would be faster than the boats. There's also the advantage of continuous loading, so no need to wait 15 minutes if you just miss the boat.

From what I have heard, all three lines will terminate at CBR south where people will need to transfer.

 

[ucfknight]

I did a quick search and found a YouTube video of the old tram that left from IG:

 

[NicolaUK]

Is there any proof that this is cables in the sky stuff?

 

[AnnaKat]

They need more transportation methods, im willing to give it a chance. they need to make it fast enough that it beats bus times is the big thing for me.

Gondola transportation does sound faster than the buses, & def more fun(unless you are afraid of heights).

But is it REALly worth paying $150 more a night to stay @ CBR (my guesstimate) than the current mod prices,
or $100 more per night to stay @ Pop,
or AoA?!

For transportion efficiency, an uber ride to HS and Epcot would be a mere fraction. And Disney is looking into offering their own uber/type service.

ALSO, there is the reasonable costing in/park to in-park transportion being offered now.

The gondola will not be going directly between Epcot & HS, will it?!


IF Disney spikes the rates of even a refurbished Pop to
high moderate/almost deluxe price
(due to being reclassified as a Gondola Resort, vs. value/mod/deluxe),

I see it as a HUGE loss for guests!

 

[Roxyfire]

Gondola transportation does sound faster than the buses, & def more fun(unless you are afraid of heights).

But is it REALly worth paying $150 more a night to stay @ CBR (my guesstimate) than the current mod prices,
or $100 more per night to stay @ Pop,
or AoA?!

For transportion efficiency, an uber ride to HS and Epcot would be a mere fraction. And Disney is looking into offering their own uber/type service.

ALSO, there is the reasonable costing in/park to in-park transportion being offered now.

The gondola will not be going directly between Epcot & HS, will it?!


IF Disney spikes the rates of even a refurbished Pop to
high moderate/almost deluxe price
(due to being reclassified as a Gondola Resort, vs. value/mod/deluxe),

I see it as a HUGE loss for guests!

So the purpose isn't really to connect those resorts. The purpose is thought to be to connect the rumored CBR DVC expansion. Those others are additional opportunities to increase value over the long term. I wouldn't expect a standard room at Pop to immediately go up $150. It will shift upward, and thanks to the room refurbs those configurations will help with people who want a queen bed instead of two doubles. Maybe a small family of three or a couple. I'm certain AoA suites will shift upward quite a lot. But you can't get around the room size. That will always cap it in some shape, at least for standard rooms. I do think they'll eventually try to adjust this limitation for Pop, maybe creating family suites of some kind.