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

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I've seen a few also but haven't seen any where they are filling each gondola to capacity..I don't see them herding guests like cattle into them... which some think they will do with the Skyliner.

I think the near constant aspect helps on that. If you have too much time in between gondolas and a big enough back up I could see having more people in them than maybe would be ideal for overall guest comfort. To capacity? I'm not sure on that.

When people ride the buses and the monorail there are times where they really really pack you in. So I get that someone might think that's the same with the gondolas. But in reality the gondolas should be transporting people on a more consistent basis.

 

[Spaceguy55]

Guests staying on the Skyliner route will have a whole new change in the way they go to and leave the parks , it will not be a mad rush to not miss the bus or have to stand on the bus, but a relaxing stroll knowing there's always going to be a seat waiting for you when you get there.
This will change everything we all hate about the buses.
PLUS>>>Most of the time your party should be able to have your own Gondola....You just might have to lay back a little bit...till there's a lull.

 

[DanBoris]

I don't think the gondolas will often hold 10 people for the simple fact that the weights of guests may often be higher than the average figured in when they say that it holds 10 people. If someone is twice the size of the theoretical people who would fit 10 to a gondola, then obviously that particular gondola will have less people in it.

I do also agree with the poster above who said that many times there will be no need to fill them. Just like the buses. There are off times when you practically have the bus to yourself.....and then there's park closing time.

I am sure they are designed with enough safety margin that you couldn't overload it with 10 people.

 

[OSUZorba]

I am sure they are designed with enough safety margin that you couldn't overload it with 10 people.

They have a data plate that lists the max weight, which comes out to around 150 pounds per person (based on similar cabins). Unless there is a system wide limit that supercedes the individual gondola limit, I doubt Disney will go over it. That likely means they will limit the capacity to less than 10 adults.

 

[joelkfla]

They have a data plate that lists the max weight, which comes out to around 150 pounds per person (based on similar cabins). Unless there is a system wide limit that supercedes the individual gondola limit, I doubt Disney will go over it. That likely means they will limit the capacity to less than 10 adults.

Doppelmayr says it's 1,800 kg, which is 3,968 lbs., or 397 lbs. per person.

• Carrier weight/payload +12.5 % – now 1,800 kg (previously 1,600 kg)​

You can find it in the description of this official YouTube post:

 

[The Pho]

They have a data plate that lists the max weight, which comes out to around 150 pounds per person (based on similar cabins). Unless there is a system wide limit that supercedes the individual gondola limit, I doubt Disney will go over it. That likely means they will limit the capacity to less than 10 adults.

It’s incredibly common for ski resorts to load Gondolas over the marked weight limit, even by a few hundred pounds. I’d expect Disney to be no different. If it’s 4 people, they load 4 people regardless of weight. If it’s 70, they load 70. They don’t weigh people prior to loading so they can’t really control that very much anyway.

 

[OSUZorba]

Doppelmayr says it's 1,800 kg, which is 3,968 lbs., or 397 lbs. per person.

You can find it in the description of this official YouTube post:

I have a picture of a data plate on my computer at home I'll double check. I may have screwed up the conversion. But it may have also been a lower weight limit due to the long span between towers.

 

[joelkfla]

I have a picture of a data plate on my computer at home I'll double check. I may have screwed up the conversion. But it may have also been a lower weight limit due to the long span between towers.

But is a D-Line Omega IV? There were a lot of technical improvements in the D-Line, and Doppelmayr was still selling the old models at the same time.

 

[OSUZorba]

It’s incredibly common for ski resorts to load Gondolas over the marked weight limit, even by a few hundred pounds. I’d expect Disney to be no different. If it’s 4 people, they load 4 people regardless of weight. If it’s 70, they load 70. They don’t weigh people prior to loading so they can’t really control that very much anyway.

There are multiple ways to handle how you average out/comply with weight limits. Completely ignoring them isn't one of those ways, unless you want to pay damages out the nose if there is any type of incident.

 

[OSUZorba]

But is a D-Line Omega IV? There were a lot of technical improvements in the D-Line, and Doppelmayr was still selling the old models at the same time.

I'll double check when I get home later. I'm not disagreeing the number is higher if Doppelmayr says it is, I was saying what I saw. I remember thinking in the past there was no way they'd ever go over there weight limit, then I was surprised with how low it was on the one I was on.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've only ever ridden a couple of gondola lifts, but I've looked at a lot of YouTubes of them over the past year, and I don't think I've seen one that did not have crew handling the loading process.

The gondola at Steamboat Springs, Colorado (ski resort) had two separate loading lines, one for single riders and one for everyone else. They had crew there that attempted to load the gondolas, and they would direct the single line riders to cars with extra space. People had a little freedom to go in a different gondola then the crew told you to go in, but the people in the gondola couldn't forbid people to enter their gondola. We even had a very pushy lady force her way into our full gondola and make snide comments about how we weren't moving over fast enough for her.

I was surprised how fast these gondolas loaded considering people had to put theirs skis into an outside rack before getting into the gondolas in full ski gear with clunky boots and helmets. I would think people could load and unload pretty quickly at Disney, with the exception of ECV's.

 

[joelkfla]

I'll double check when I get home later. I'm not disagreeing the number is higher if Doppelmayr says it is, I was saying what I saw. I remember thinking in the past there was no way they'd ever go over there weight limit, then I was surprised with how low it was on the one I was on.

Yeah -- this is obviously the design limit for the grip and cabin combination. I could see where the per/cabin limit could be lower based on system design factors, such as number of cabins between towers, slope, braking capability, etc.

 

[The Pho]

There are multiple ways to handle how you average out/comply with weight limits. Completely ignoring them isn't one of those ways, unless you want to pay damages out the nose if there is any type of incident.

I’m not saying that’s what they should do, but that is what is normal. I’ve been to a lot of different Ski Resorts, they all handle Trams and Gondola the exact same way, by number of people and not weight. Vail, Alyeska, Cannon, Jay Peak, Canyons/Park City, Big Sky, Mammoth, Heavenly, etc.

It’s very common and quite often discussed inside the gondolas by the passengers when they notice how low the limit is.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm sure that they will do it by number, assuming 10 to be the upper limit only if the group includes children, and otherwise probably 8. They don't want standing riders, and if people feel too packed on the benches, it is a sure bet that someone will decide to stand up instead.

Keep in mind that just as a general rule, folks who are going downhill skiing are going to be more fit that the average theme park visitor, so passenger weights at WDW are more likely to range more widely than the average among skiers. It makes the most sense for Disney to go for how many the gondola can comfortably seat if it's a wee bit warm, and that isn't going to come anywhere near the maximum weight limit.

 

[rteetz]

The Skyliner is now testing with workers inside on the DHS line.

 

[scrappinginontario]

The Skyliner is now testing with workers inside on the DHS line.

Woot woot! With all their hard work, this is a great group to reward with some of the first rides! I'm sure they're still working while in there but still nice for them to try it out first.

 

[Hoosier John]

The Good News is, I feel much less comfortable on DC Metro trains (and buses), than I ever did on the gondola in St Thomas.
The Bad News is, the gondola my family and friends were loading onto looked like it was getting too full, so I quickly jumped into the car in front, just before the doors closed. If I were that creepy guy, they had no chance to get off.
But like I said, I felt no qualms about jumping in with a bunch of strangers and chatted with them on the way up about how their cruise ship diverted to our itinerary to dodge a hurricane.
Also, if it is crowded enough to combine different groups, your "radar" will have already gone off while standing in line with them. It will be easy to quietly request a separate car. If you're not standing in line with others, then I'm sure they will load groups in separate cars anyway.

 

[OSUZorba]

The Good News is, I feel much less comfortable on DC Metro trains (and buses), than I ever did on the gondola in St Thomas.
The Bad News is, the gondola my family and friends were loading onto looked like it was getting too full, so I quickly jumped into the car in front, just before the doors closed. If I were that creepy guy, they had no chance to get off.
But like I said, I felt no qualms about jumping in with a bunch of strangers and chatted with them on the way up about how their cruise ship diverted to our itinerary to dodge a hurricane.
Also, if it is crowded enough to combine different groups, you're "radar" will have already gone off while standing in line with them. It will be easy to quietly request a separate car. If you're not standing in line with others, then I'm sure they will load groups in separate cars anyway.

A huge difference between subways and the gondola though is there will be employees at the exits and if some guy was assaulting someone it'll be pretty hard for them to get away with it. Unlike a subway where you can "grab and dash" without having any employees around at the station they run off on.

 

[JKalai]

I haven't been keeping up with the updates on the Skyliner, but has Disney confirmed an audio track in the gondolas?

 

[DanBoris]

I haven't been keeping up with the updates on the Skyliner, but has Disney confirmed an audio track in the gondolas?

No. There does appear to be a battery pack on the cars so something will be powered, we just aren't sure what yet.