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

[robinb]

I am expecting them too.

That would be awesome! Pop's about $17 per room per day and I prefer Pop to the other All Stars so that's probably going to push me over to booking there.

 

[joelkfla]

Shutting down the system and leaving me stranded outside a park during a storm rather than getting me where I want to be does not feel like a positive "guest reaction" to me.

I think "perception" is more accurate than "reaction". If Disney is perceived as putting Guests in danger (even if in fact they are not), it's bad for their image (and maybe their stock price as well.)

 

[Moliphino]

Shutting down the system and leaving me stranded outside a park during a storm rather than getting me where I want to be does not feel like a positive "guest reaction" to me.

The boats already do that. We had to get off at Yacht and Beach and walk the rest of the way to the park in a thunderstorm.

 

[sponica]

Yea some "decisions" will need to be made at EPCOT from time to time.

If planning to leave, Gondola Resort guests will need to choose to walk to the front of EPCOT (if weather is approaching) for a bus, and not risk the walk to IG in case it shuts down. That could be a long wait back there.

DHS is much simpler, literally just feet apart.

Eh that's what hotel lounges are for. Worst case scenario I'll take a minnie van from boardwalk to CBR.

 

[OKW Lover]

I think "perception" is more accurate than "reaction".

You're right, that would have been a better word choice in my post. Thanks.

 

[danikoski]

So finally saw the gondolas in person a few weeks ago...and cursed them for not being fully operational The artwork on the EPCOT station is really lovely. I also had a shock when my dad, who has a fear of heights, asked if we could ride them. I explained they weren't open to guests, but I asked if he was serious. He explained they weren't any higher than the monorail, so why not ride them. Thought his thought process was interesting.

 

[jade1]

Eh that's what hotel lounges are for. Worst case scenario I'll take a minnie van from boardwalk to CBR.

My point was more the difference in EPCOT and DHS regarding the weather and gondola's.

It's also easy enough to just extend the EPCOT stay by hitting a movie or whatev, but for somebody that want's to beat the storm back, (or at least during the storm) to a Gondola Resort-I guarantee many will head to the front instead (partly depending where you are standing at EPCOT)-which is moot at DHS.

At least that's what we will do, and the advice I would give others.

Obv there are ways to get back from IG if the Skyliner goes down.

Just not as easy if the "decision" is to either choose the front of EPCOT or IG when weather is approaching-not a concern at DHS.

 

[sponica]

My point was more the difference in EPCOT and DHS regarding the weather and gondola's.

It's also easy enough to just extend the EPCOT stay by hitting a movie or whatev, but for somebody that want's to beat the storm back, (or at least during the storm) to a Gondola Resort-I guarantee many will head to the front instead (partly depending where you are standing at EPCOT)-which is moot at DHS.

At least that's what we will do, and the advice I would give others.

Obv there are ways to get back from IG if the Skyliner goes down.

Just not as easy if the "decision" is to either choose the front of EPCOT or IG when weather is approaching-not a concern at DHS.

We'll be at CBR next year and I'm pretty sure our decision calculus will be based on where we're going to in Epcot or where we're located in Epcot. If we're going to FW OR in FW, we'll use bus transportation. If we're in the world showcase or going to the IG, we'll roll the dice.

At least we have it easy. It would be annoying if returning from the parks and you had to get off at CBR when you're trying to get to AoA or Pop. I wonder if there will be some sort of shuttle to take people the rest of the way.

 

[vacationer1954]

Shutting down the system and leaving me stranded outside a park during a storm rather than getting me where I want to be does not feel like a positive "guest reaction" to me.

Having been on one of the boats trying to get back to the Wilderness Lodge from the MK in a major storm, I can assure you that it would have been a much more positive "guest reaction" from me were they do shut the boats down and instead run extra buses. I'm sure I'll feel the same about the gondolas as I feel about the boats. They're basically the same in terms of how much I fear Disney's reliance on them in major storms.

 

[joelkfla]

At least we have it easy. It would be annoying if returning from the parks and you had to get off at CBR when you're trying to get to AoA or Pop. I wonder if there will be some sort of shuttle to take people the rest of the way.

I would certainly expect buses to be dispatched to take Guests dumped at Riviera or CBR to their destination -- if not initially, then starting a few weeks after opening when all the complaints roll in. But knowing Disney Transport, it might take a while for the buses to show up.

They'll have to run replacement buses while the Skyliner is down, anyway. They may just have those buses take care of stranded Guests at the intermediate stations before commencing replacement service.

 

[fla4fun]

My point was more the difference in EPCOT and DHS regarding the weather and gondola's.

It's also easy enough to just extend the EPCOT stay by hitting a movie or whatev, but for somebody that want's to beat the storm back, (or at least during the storm) to a Gondola Resort-I guarantee many will head to the front instead (partly depending where you are standing at EPCOT)-which is moot at DHS.

At least that's what we will do, and the advice I would give others.

Obv there are ways to get back from IG if the Skyliner goes down.

Just not as easy if the "decision" is to either choose the front of EPCOT or IG when weather is approaching-not a concern at DHS.

I would be very upset if I tried to leave IG only to be told I had to go to the front of Epcot for a bus, then walk to the front of Epcot and get there just in time for the weather to clear enough that they have started the gondolas up again and cancelled the buses, so I get directed to the back of the park again. You could end up bounced back and forth many times on the typical summer day. It would make more sense to run a bus going to all three gondola resorts from a location near IG if weather causes the gondola to shut down, since all three resorts are close together geographically. If I were told to walk to the front of Epcot, I would probably go hang out at BC until the weather cleared enough for the gondolas to open.

 

[Moliphino]

I would be very upset if I tried to leave IG only to be told I had to go to the front of Epcot for a bus, then walk to the front of Epcot and get there just in time for the weather to clear enough that they have started the gondolas up again and cancelled the buses, so I get directed to the back of the park again. You could end up bounced back and forth many times on the typical summer day. It would make more sense to run a bus going to all three gondola resorts from a location near IG if weather causes the gondola to shut down, since all three resorts are close together geographically. If I were told to walk to the front of Epcot, I would probably go hang out at BC until the weather cleared enough for the gondolas to open.

It would be great if they had buses from BC or BWI for Epcot guests at gondola resorts when the gondolas are down. It's a long walk to the front of the park from the IG

 

[dizneefan13]

Eh that's what hotel lounges are for. Worst case scenario I'll take a minnie van from boardwalk to CBR.

I wouldn't take the more spendy Minnie van but would definitely head to Beach Club and grab a Lyft. But only after hanging around WS or a boardwalk hotel hoping for the skyliner to re-open.

 

[dez1978]

I have a silly question. Admittedly I have not read all 376 pages of this, it may have been answered. If staying at Riviera does it go all the way to DHS or epcot, or do you have to transfer at CBR?

 

[CarolynFH]

I have a silly question. Admittedly I have not read all 376 pages of this, it may have been answered. If staying at Riviera does it go all the way to DHS or epcot, or do you have to transfer at CBR?

From Riviera you can go directly to Epcot, but to reach DHS you'll have to transfer at CBR.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I have a silly question. Admittedly I have not read all 376 pages of this, it may have been answered. If staying at Riviera does it go all the way to DHS or epcot, or do you have to transfer at CBR?

I don't think there is any way this thread would ever get to 376 pages without the silly questions.

 

[Tallis]

I had soooo many questions about this new transportation system. Checked out the OP and all of them were answered. Thank you @WEDWDW!

Back when I was a kid, there was something like this to transport you around MK. I think. I have memories of it and I'm almost positive it was at MK, but we did travel across country once and visit DL. It "could" be there that I'm thinking of, but I don't think so.

I'm so excited to try this out. So excited, in fact, that I'm considering changing our December reservations to Pop.

 

[Sweettears]

I had soooo many questions about this new transportation system. Checked out the OP and all of them were answered. Thank you @WEDWDW!

Back when I was a kid, there was something like this to transport you around MK. I think. I have memories of it and I'm almost positive it was at MK, but we did travel across country once and visit DL. It "could" be there that I'm thinking of, but I don't think so.

I'm so excited to try this out. So excited, in fact, that I'm considering changing our December reservations to Pop.

MK used to have it. It was much shorter than the current version will be.

 

[Tallis]

MK used to have it. It was much shorter than the current version will be.

Oh, yes, I remember it being open air (you could push someone out or jump, a no-go in today's crazy world) with just a roof. And I remember just four people fitting per car. Or in the case of us, my sister and I ran the park alone, so we always had a car to ourselves. Those were the days ....

 

[jade1]

I would be very upset if I tried to leave IG only to be told I had to go to the front of Epcot for a bus, then walk to the front of Epcot and get there just in time for the weather to clear enough that they have started the gondolas up again and cancelled the buses, so I get directed to the back of the park again. You could end up bounced back and forth many times on the typical summer day. It would make more sense to run a bus going to all three gondola resorts from a location near IG if weather causes the gondola to shut down, since all three resorts are close together geographically. If I were told to walk to the front of Epcot, I would probably go hang out at BC until the weather cleared enough for the gondolas to open.

Yep this summed up exactly what I was referring to with the "decisions from time to time" at Epcot.

DHS will never have this dilemma.