Skyliner nerd thread: Anything about how the skyliner functions.

[Silver Queen]

We are at The World right now and would like to try the Skyliner, but I am a bit concerned about reports that it can feel hot and stuffy. I’m currently experiencing a sinus issue that is making it hard to breathe through my nose at times in warm places were there is not a lot of air circulation. The temperature will be in the 80’s today and we were thinking of taking the Skyliner from Rivera to Epcot. Should I forgo this experience and take bus transportation?

 

[seashoreCM]

I would not arbitrarily shy away from the Skyliner. You could ride it early in the day before the temperature gets too high. Or you could put your face up to the window screen if you do feel congestion.

 

[Silver Queen]

Happy to report that we tried the Skyliner yesterday and it was fine. There was a slight, refreshing breeze that came through the screen at the top and we only had a couple of brief stops. We went from Riveria to Studios and then to Epcot and finally back to Riviera later in the afternoon. What fun! So glad I tried it!

 

[Spridell]

I have a question, I dont know if its been answered and I am sorry if it has....

Went on the Skyliner for the first time last week with someone who uses an ECV. Went from Riviera to epcot and then back to Riviera.

Now I know Riviera station does not have the option of taking one off the line so they just slow the entire line down to pretty much a snails pace and they get the ECV in while the line is moving
extremely slow. But when we got to Epcot they did the same thing to unload the ECV. Why not just have the ECV gondola go into the area at the Epcot station where it comes off the line? Wouldn't that solve having to slow the ENTIRE line down every time an ECV or wheelchair has to get off?

Also I asked the CM at Epcot station why a handicap portion was not installed at Riviera station and they said money was the reason. Dont know how true that is.

 

[joelkfla]

I have a question, I dont know if its been answered and I am sorry if it has....

Went on the Skyliner for the first time last week with someone who uses an ECV. Went from Riviera to epcot and then back to Riviera.

Now I know Riviera station does not have the option of taking one off the line so they just slow the entire line down to pretty much a snails pace and they get the ECV in while the line is moving
extremely slow. But when we got to Epcot they did the same thing to unload the ECV. Why not just have the ECV gondola go into the area at the Epcot station where it comes off the line? Wouldn't that solve having to slow the ENTIRE line down every time an ECV or wheelchair has to get off?

Also I asked the CM at Epcot station why a handicap portion was not installed at Riviera station and they said money was the reason. Dont know how true that is.

The action of switching a cabin into the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle loading area is triggered by the setting of a mechanical device at the top of the cabin's hanger. That device is set at the beginning of the day by Doppelmayr techs.

It might be possible for an operator to override the switch, but that would mess up the timing. The WAV's are evenly spaced to allow for adequate unload and load time. Each time a cabin enters the WAV area, another has to exit to make room. An unscheduled cabin being switched in would reduce available load time, and mess up the spacing of designated WAV's.

When the passenger load is low, Riviera cm's will try to wait for an unoccupied designated WAV, so the line doesn't have to be slowed again at the destination. The designated WAV's are marked by a small Mickey sticker on the door.

Riviera is the only station where cabins pass thru without reversing direction. Two WAV loading loops would have been required, greatly increasing the complexity and physical size of the station. So in the end, I suppose it does all boil down to the cost vs. benefit.

 

[seashoreCM]

Adding to the great expense of separate handicapped platforms at Riviera is arranging the walkways to the platforms and the paths of the gondolas. Long ramps are needed because guests would have to pass under the gondolas to get to some if not all of the platforms.

For Riviera the gondola track would split going into a (hypothetical) separate handicapped loop and the tracks would rejoin at the other end of the station. To create the ramp for guests, the track split would have to be much further from the platform compared to what it is now for the ramp to descend between the two branch tracks.

Contrast that with Caribbean Beach where no gondolas pass all the way through the station. There is a large open area on the same level for guest movements among the three U-turn loops for the three respective gondolas routes.

Did someone mention a wheelchair coming out of a gondola onto the "main" part of the platform at Epcot? I thought that the handicapped gondola doors don't open at a terminal station until the gondola gets onto the handicapped loop.

 

[joelkfla]

Did someone mention a wheelchair coming out of a gondola onto the "main" part of the platform at Epcot? I thought that the handicapped gondola doors don't open at a terminal station until the gondola gets onto the handicapped loop.

The ecv boarding at Riviera was loaded into a cabin that was a not a designated WAV, so it was unloaded at the regular unload platform at Epcot.

Adding to my previous post, it's possible that the Riviera cm phoned CBR to request an empty WAV be sent, but the CBR cm replied that there were chairs waiting to board at CBR, so the Riviera cm should use a regular cabin. The designated WAVs are equipped with a set of chocks, but they keep extra chocks handy at the stations to deal with such situations.

 

[Spridell]

The ecv boarding at Riviera was loaded into a cabin that was a not a designated WAV, so it was unloaded at the regular unload platform at Epcot.

Adding to my previous post, it's possible that the Riviera cm phoned CBR to request an empty WAV be sent, but the CBR cm replied that there were chairs waiting to board at CBR, so the Riviera cm should use a regular cabin. The designated WAVs are equipped with a set of chocks, but they keep extra chocks handy at the stations to deal with such situations.

The gondola that I was in with the ECV was DEFINITELY a WAV cabin. It had the the Mickey mouse sticker on it. We unloaded the ecv at epcot on the main part of the station. slowed the entire line down to a crawl and exited where everyone else was exiting.

 

[joelkfla]

The gondola that I was in with the ECV was DEFINITELY a WAV cabin. It had the the Mickey mouse sticker on it. We unloaded the ecv at epcot on the main part of the station. slowed the entire line down to a crawl and exited where everyone else was exiting.

Like Seashore said, WAV's normally load and unload in the WAV loop.

I can only guess that they've changed the procedure, and are now designating some cabins without the switching device set to be used for chairs boarding at Riviera.

 

[Spridell]

Like Seashore said, WAV's normally load and unload in the WAV loop.

I can only guess that they've changed the procedure, and are now designating some cabins without the switching device set to be used for chairs boarding at Riviera.

That's why I was confused when we got to epcot.

We waited about 10min at Riviera for the cabin that had the Mickey sticker on it. When we got to the epcot station I thought we were going to go into the loop to get off but the doors opened and the CM said we are going to slow it down and get off here with everyone else.

 

[joelkfla]

That's why I was confused when we got to epcot.

We waited about 10min at Riviera for the cabin that had the Mickey sticker on it. When we got to the epcot station I thought we were going to go into the loop to get off but the doors opened and the CM said we are going to slow it down and get off here with everyone else.

The same device that activates the switch into the WAV loop also disables the door opener at the regular unload platform. So unless the cm manually unlocked and pushed open the doors, the device was not set. Or, there was a malfunction in disabling the door opener.

 

[Spridell]

The same device that activates the switch into the WAV loop also disables the door opener at the regular unload platform. So unless the cm manually unlocked and pushed open the doors, the device was not set. Or, there was a malfunction in disabling the door opener.

Doors opened automatically. I did not see them physically open the doors.

It was my first time on the skyliner so I really didnt know what to expect. I thought we were going to go into the handicapped section and it would come to a complete stop. The CM at Riviera even told us that's what would happen.

We then walked down the ramp and back into the handicapped section and a stopped cabin was there waiting for us

 

[seashoreCM]

... now designating some cabins without the switching device set to be used for chairs boarding at Riviera.

Easy to plaster some additional cabins with Mickey stickers to meet the demand. Pre-designated and impromptu designated cabins are handled the same way at Riviera.

At the terminal station, every cabin whose doors opened on the main platform has to be unloaded there since there is great danger that someone could be flung out if they remained on board since the doors remain open around the U turn loop. So the main platform CMs just need to be trained not to be surprised when a cabin with a wheelchair arrives.

... back into the handicapped section and a stopped cabin was there waiting for us ...

Meaning tihe WAV loop was not out of service so as to necessitate the preceding maneuver a lot.

 

[As Bob Sees It]

That's why I was confused when we got to epcot.

We waited about 10min at Riviera for the cabin that had the Mickey sticker on it. When we got to the epcot station I thought we were going to go into the loop to get off but the doors opened and the CM said we are going to slow it down and get off here with everyone else.

I am in a wheelchair and do YouTube and Moderate a Facebook group so I am very interested in how the system Works. I spoke to several cast members and the inform me that ALL gondolas have the ability to be a "handicapped gondola". They are all equipped with chocks for the chair and flipping the top switch is what designates the gondola to the computer.

I've been in wrapped and unwrapped gondolas (I like the unwrapped - it's easier to video). But there really is no preset assignment for disabled cars.

The cars are on a 90 second turn around timer. From the time a car enters the sidetrack they have a minute and a half to unload, reload and prepare to take the line. Just listen for the three bonks...

 

[joelkfla]

I am in a wheelchair and do YouTube and Moderate a Facebook group so I am very interested in how the system Works. I spoke to several cast members and the inform me that ALL gondolas have the ability to be a "handicapped gondola". They are all equipped with chocks for the chair and flipping the top switch is what designates the gondola to the computer.

I've been in wrapped and unwrapped gondolas (I like the unwrapped - it's easier to video). But there really is no preset assignment for disabled cars.

The cars are on a 90 second turn around timer. From the time a car enters the sidetrack they have a minute and a half to unload, reload and prepare to take the line. Just listen for the three bonks...

Actually, only the designated Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles were equipped with chocks, but extra chocks were kept at the station in case they had to load a wheelchair in another cabin.

The overall ratio of wrapped to unwrapped is about 50-50, but the number of each designated as WAV's did vary. I've seen 3 unwrapped in a row come into the WAV loop, and other times I've been told there was only one on the line.

I believe the dispatch interval of WAV's was closer to 2 minutes. I think the countdown timer started out at something like 94 seconds, but there was a period of time after it reached zero until the cabin started to move and the timer reset.