Impact of Skyliner on Epcot Resorts' Back Entrance to Epcot

[gardenrooms]

One of the many things I love about the BC has always been our nice, quiet back entrance to Epcot. I am dreading our next visit as I assume it is now a mess with the hundreds of people streaming in on the Skyliner. What is it like?

 

[TCRAIG]

We were there in December - it was more crowded than before but not overly crowded - seems to me they kept all the bag check lines and ticket readers open as well which helped...and the way the Skyliners works is not like the Monorail where 100 plus people come streaming out at the same time..however - Riviera was not open yet and that will add more riders

 

[CarolynFH]

The Skyliner lets off a continuous steady stream of people rather than a large number at once like the Friendship Boats do. The IG was rebuilt with additional bag check counters and separate tapstiles, so capacity was increased too. In November we didn’t find entry there much slower than in the past when the bag check and tapstile facilities were more limited.

 

[Jdismom]

We were staying at the Boardwalk last week. The gateway entrance didn't seem crowded to us at all.

 

[gardenrooms]

Thank you all. Glad to hear.

 

[kylenne]

One of the many things I love about the BC has always been our nice, quiet back entrance to Epcot. I am dreading our next visit as I assume it is now a mess with the hundreds of people streaming in on the Skyliner. What is it like?

Going to the park it wasn’t too bad, but gods preserve you when you try to leave after fireworks. It was awful on my last trip. Granted the Skyliner was down that night and it was Saturday night during F&W but still. It was a zoo and definitely not the experience of my childhood, back when it was so quiet they even had trams to take you to the IG from the Crescent Lake resorts.

 

[gardenrooms]

Oh, I never thought about leaving. How disappointing. I suppose even when the Skyliner is running there will be a big line because they can only move people out so fast. I assumed that when the Skyliner isn't running they would have to take buses from the front. Were they just hanging around in the back hoping it would start up? I've also been wondering how there would be enough buses to transport all those people when it isn't running. I'm sure Disney doesn't have a bunch of buses and drivers just waiting around, so I expect they pull them from other lines and mess everyone's else's buses up.

 

[kylenne]

Oh, I never thought about leaving. How disappointing. I suppose even when the Skyliner is running there will be a big line because they can only move people out so fast. I assumed that when the Skyliner isn't running they would have to take buses from the front. Were they just hanging around in the back hoping it would start up? I've also been wondering how there would be enough buses to transport all those people when it isn't running. I'm sure Disney doesn't have a bunch of buses and drivers just waiting around, so I expect they pull them from other lines and mess everyone's else's buses up.

The Skyliner had been down for some time too. I spent the evening at DHS and planned to take it to Epcot after riding TSM at close but it was down then so I walked. Most of the crowding was due to confusion, CMs were telling Skyliner guests to walk to BWI to catch buses to their resorts but there were so many people that it was tough to direct them.

Like I said, it was Saturday night during Food & Wine so not necessarily a normal crowd situation. But even the next night it was much more akin to leaving from Future World.

 

[AngiTN]

No impact whatsoever. This is going by NYE for the past 3 years. We stay at BWI and enter from IG. It was no different this year.
First they enlarged IG and second the skyliner arrives in a trickle. Not like the monorail dumping hundreds at one

 

[Hopefully]

Oh, I never thought about leaving. How disappointing. I suppose even when the Skyliner is running there will be a big line because they can only move people out so fast. I assumed that when the Skyliner isn't running they would have to take buses from the front. Were they just hanging around in the back hoping it would start up? I've also been wondering how there would be enough buses to transport all those people when it isn't running. I'm sure Disney doesn't have a bunch of buses and drivers just waiting around, so I expect they pull them from other lines and mess everyone's else's buses up.

WOW Debbie Downer for sure
We had no problems entering or leaving in October. No line to leave, just a steady flow of folks. Disney did a nice job with the IG.

 

[osufeth24]

Now I have nothing to compare it as before the Skyliner I had never been to the back entrance of Epcot

But since taking the Skyliner, I haven't noticed a crowd at all taking that entrance. Maybe just 2-3 people deep in each line

 

[Traveling on cc points]

I disagree with most others here. The skyliner has completely changed the nice quiet entrance/exit at the IG. While I can appreciate that Disney did what is best for their bottom line & for guests staying at one of the hotels on the skyliner route it is awful In comparison to what it used to be for guests staying at the boardwalk or beach club.

 

[gardenrooms]

Geez, thanks for the name calling, Hopefully. Is the smiley face suppose to make it ok? Everyone else, I appreciate your insights.

 

[GoofyCoaster]

Guess crowd management is improving or other people are having better luck at the IG than my experience in early November during F&W.

On multiple occasions, lines were 8-10 deep at the bag check lines, although wait at the tapstiles was minimal. There was crowd accumulation and congestion on the walkway between the skyliner station and boat dock, right inside the park with the character greets, and on the sidewalk into world showcase. Exiting had the same congestion.

To be fair, it is still quite manageable. I just remember occasions pre-skyliner when there was no wait at all entering the park and just a few families milling about. Arrival of a boat was a wildcard back then.

 

[gardenrooms]

So they don't bag check people before the get on the Skyliner? That seems odd.

 

[Lynne M]

Reminder: keep the personal arguments off the boards, please.

 

[AngiTN]

I stay 90% of our trips at BWI. For years
had lots of experience pre and post Skyliner.
we have never experienced any increase in waits or lines exiting or entering IG
we enter and exit enough there for me to say the norm is no impact and any line is an anomaly

So they don't bag check people before the get on the Skyliner? That seems odd.

I thought it was odd too

 

[maxiesmom]

One of the many things I love about the BC has always been our nice, quiet back entrance to Epcot. I am dreading our next visit as I assume it is now a mess with the hundreds of people streaming in on the Skyliner. What is it like?

It isn't a mess.

 

[Nainolaf]

Just back to the UK 3 days ago after a lovely 14 night stay at BC, we used the IG around 6 times and it was never any bother, longest queues at security were about 5 deep, I can’t compare to pre Skyliner though as never used the entrance prior to that!

 

[jo-jo]

With the new set up, is there a no bag line?