The new DVC Riviera Resort??

[brertoad]

Not at all interested. Not a fan of gondolas, don't like the location, don't like roof top pools. I am really trying to figure out how this resort fits in with "Disney" theming.

I've wondered the same thing. It doesn't really fit with Disney theming at all. I've mentioned this to other DVC members, the consensus is that this is to compete with Universal Hotels or other "upscale"/"modern" Orlando hotels with fireworks viewing and various lounge/pool/shopping/dining experiences.

I'm not interested in it.

 

[deerh]

The ones in Singapore and Hong Kong do not have AC. Average temperature on Lantau Island in high summer ranges from 76F in April to 87F in July, August and September. These are averages, mind you.

Singapore, year round, is high 80s-low 90s, with rain 10-15 days per month. They've been operating since 1974. No AC there either.

So there is plenty of data on how mostly-glass cars with forced air vents perform in consistent wet heat. Disney is not forging new ground here.

I am getting paranoid about the "Skyliner" now. I don't like real tight places, and now everyone is saying it is enclosed, in glass, and would be Hot and no A/C. So.. question, how long will it be if someone passes out due to heat exhaustion or faints? Lawsuits will be happening then... What if one has diabetes and the heat affects them? How do "service Animals" work inside the gondolas and might bite someone? What if one of the "Service Animals" gets heat
exhaustion from the heat? LOTS of questions yet to unfold.....

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I am getting paranoid about the "Skyliner" now. I don't like real tight places, and now everyone is saying it is enclosed, in glass, and would be Hot and no A/C. So.. question, how long will it be if someone passes out due to heat exhaustion or faints? Lawsuits will be happening then... What if one has diabetes and the heat affects them? How do "service Animals" work inside the gondolas and might bite someone? What if one of the "Service Animals" gets heat
exhaustion from the heat? LOTS of questions yet to unfold.....

I have ridden in a gondola carriage that is quite similar to the model Disney is using. It is not tight.

People are not passing out from the heat in cars in Singapore, which are similar to the units Disney has purchased, and do not have AC. Singapore has a humid year-round heat.

If someone has diabetes such that the heat is an issue, Disney in hot season is not a good choice for them already. The gondola won't be any worse than one of the boats on Bay Lake for heat.

If a "service animal" bites someone on a gondola, they would have been as prone to do that on a bus or the monorail. It is not a concern unique to the form of transport. There is no reason to believe they will get heat exhaustion from riding on the gondola, as heat illnesses have not been issues on other systems in warm climates.

Disney is not innovating, here. They are doing something that has been done in hot climates, warm climates, climates prone to rain and wind, repeatedly. This is not a new or novel form of transport.

 

[ScubaCat]

Will you ride them in a thunder storm? Will they even run? Not so sure I would like riding in a lighting rod.

I'd pay extra to ride that!

 

[Frederic Civish]

Is the new Riviera DVC resort going to be one of Disney's more desirable locations? I am curious to see how excited DVC Members or DVC future Members feel about this upcoming property. With access to two Disney Theme Parks (HollyWood Studios & EPCOT) via gondala system and a roof top view of the fireworks of EPCOT it seems like this resort will be home-run. It might not have walking access to the theme parks, but the Gondola itself may be fun way to see Disney in a new prospective (day or night). What are your thoughts?

My biggest issue with the Gondolas is there is talk of removing all other forms of transportation to the locations that they go to, which could cause problems for those with a fear of heights, etc.

Overall, I think the Gondola system is a good idea though, as it can handle a massive number of people per hour with minimal operational costs.

Gondolas are a relatively 'new' (well, re-evaluated), previously underutilized means of Urban Transportation. You will soon see them popping up all over the world, and Disney is going to be one of the leaders of that, because it will show many people the real feasibility of this type of system.

There are ways to ground the Gondola system so that it is not bothered by lightning, at all. Lightning rods on the towers and a lightning rod/conduction system on the gondolas and the cables that carry them will handle the problem. I could see Disney shutting them down during a heavy lightning storm, but I really can't see that they will do what they currently do with some rides, and with the boats, where they shut them down if there is lightning within 15 miles. If they do that, this will be a very undependable and unpopular option. BUT, I think that Disney really will have that handled. Very High winds and high lightning are much less common and those will be the only real problems. Probably the type of things you will get in a real tropical strom.

The gondola system is much much cheaper as a means of transport than ANY other option for Disney. Some people calculate that it comes in at ONE PERCENT of the cost of the Monorail and 10 percent of the cost of trains/light rail. It will cost more initially than buses, but it will save incredible amounts in bus driver salaries and benefits, as well as upkeep of the buses. It will have very high carry rates (much higher than fleets of buses), it will be reasonably fast (faster than buses, when considering wait times and loading times), and faster than the boats/motor launches. I think cooling will be handled by the airflow system. Heating WiLL NOT be necessary.

Because of all of that, I think it will make the Riviera into a very attractive option, from the point of view of Transportation, and Disney seems to be doing an exemplary job in planing for the luxury and deluxe features. So Disney will undoubtedly have no problem at all in selling the Rivera DVC units.

 

[Frederic Civish]

I am getting paranoid about the "Skyliner" now. I don't like real tight places, and now everyone is saying it is enclosed, in glass, and would be Hot and no A/C. So.. question, how long will it be if someone passes out due to heat exhaustion or faints? Lawsuits will be happening then... What if one has diabetes and the heat affects them? How do "service Animals" work inside the gondolas and might bite someone? What if one of the "Service Animals" gets heat exhaustion from the heat? LOTS of questions yet to unfold.....

They WON'T be that hot.

Obviously, not everyone likes heights, enclosed spaces, gondolas, or alternate means of transportation. So what? PEOPLE CAN SELF SELECT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. Not everyone likes Roller Coasters or Boats or Dark Rides, but that hasn't stopped Disney from using them. Clearly, if someone has a problem with Gondolas, then they will choose a resort where that isn't a problem. Riviera just won't be for them. But that is probably a relatively small portion of the population.

If this system works out as Disney is hoping it will, then I think you could see it extended within the next 5 years to the All-Star Resorts, Coronado Springs, Animal Kingdom Park and Animal Kingdom Lodges, Port Orleans, the Disney Springs areas and maybe even all the way to the Magic Kingdom. By some calculations, the current plans will result in about 3 to 3 1/2 miles of gondola transport, and Disney could add another 15 miles, which is enough for almost all of Disney World, for less than $50 million. A drop in the bucket compared to the Disney budget.

 

[Ben E N]

Actually, when I need to cool my car down, I open a window in the front and the opposite window in the back as that helps the air to move through. Otherwise you get that weird air wuffle sound. Well, the BEST way to cool my car down is use satellite to start my car and set my A/C. Didn't mean that to be smart. It's just true.

Oh I'm a big AC fan too, especially in Florida. I just can kind of understand the reasoning for not having it in the gondolas.

 

[southerngirl528]

Oh I'm a big AC fan too, especially in Florida. I just can kind of understand the reasoning for not having it in the gondolas.

That makes 2 of us on both counts, then!

 

[southerngirl528]

I don't like real tight places,

I agree with the others that these are NOT going to be tiny gondolas. In all practicality they could not be. This new system will need to move large numbers of people in a manner that is at minimum, fairly efficient. So please don't worry about that. I think between the size and all the glass, you would enjoy the ride as opposed to feeling claustrophobic.

There are a number of posts in this thread from folks much more knowledgeable than myself about gondola systems that are either the same or very similar elsewhere. They are saying they do not think the gondolas will have a/c, and that they will not be hot. I'm just a skeptic on how that's going to be pulled off w/o A/C, but that hardly means it won't be done! Disney is no dummy. And they've been operating here in so-hot-folks-can-scarcely-stand-it central FL for a looooooong time. No doubt they have looked into both your concerns and mine.

I think I am just a little too analytical, as I like to know the mechanics of HOW things are going to work. I just have to leave it in Disney's capable hands and will check it out firsthand once the Skyliners are up and running!

 

[southerngirl528]

I'd pay extra to ride that!

Oh ScubaCat! I laughed right out loud when I read that!!! You and I must be related. I'm one of those people that actually likes some turbulence on a plane (too boring otherwise, right?), and enjoys a cruise where we have a bit of rough seas. I don't want to go through a monsoon or anything, but just like a little "E ticket" experience sometimes.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They are confirmed to be using Doppelmayr D-Line OMega IV-10 cabins, which have wider seats, good floor space (ECV or stroller), and 7-foot ceilings. They are also fast, and can detach from the cable for load and unload.

This is a spec video so it is not actual cars, but you can slide a full pallet into one of these:

 

[Matty B13]

The detachable cabin, might make loading for ECV and disabled people a lot safer and quicker. Wonder if they will have a separate line for them and their family or just stretch the line out so that loading isn't a problem.

 

[kboo]

The detachable cabin, might make loading for ECV and disabled people a lot safer and quicker. Wonder if they will have a separate line for them and their family or just stretch the line out so that loading isn't a problem.

This seems like it would be similar to how detachable ski lifts/gondolas work, which they can slow down easily (imagine a bunch of little kids in ski school who have to carry their own stuff and are dropping it all over the place) and still keep up a pretty good clip.

 

[bwvBound]

What are your thoughts?

My interest in this new property is quite low. Unless the Point chart shows some super cheap bargain reservations (not particularly expected?), Riviera has no draw for us.

EDITED to add clarification:

• Interest level in buying Riviera: ZERO.
• Interest in staying in Riviera using existing DVC points: Mild. We'll book at least one stay to "check it off the list someday" but I don't yet have any real interest in staying there other than ticking off a "been there, done that" category.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I actually have medium interest in Riviera to try it, conditional on either the studio or 1BR natively sleeping 5. My kids love ski gondolas.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

I can remember when it took a D ticket to ride the Skyway to Fantasyland. Happy to see Gondolas back.

 

[zavandor]

If the point chart is right, I will certainly use my points to stay there. I like the Skyline (shouldn't it be called, Tree-high line, really?) as it's almost an attraction in itself and having another resort with easy access to Epcot and DHS could help a lot the system.
As far as buying there is concerned, zero interest: nothing against Riviera in itself, but I own more than enough points already, no interest in buying any other resort.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

So that looks like they will "hold" 10 people but, realistically, how's that gonna work? Let's say a family of 5 with a couple of backpacks and a stroller get on there..... is someone going to be standing there looking for 2 riders (or however many they think they can add) or do they just get on, close the door and go? What about a group of "pooh sized" people? Are they going to allow them to leave a space between, etc or cram 10 bodies in no matter what?

How long is the ride going to be (time-wise)?

I will only ride them if I'm not forced to share. I've been on busses with kids crying their eyes out and a "puker" and the oh so many "coughers"..... but something about being so up close and personal with just another family or whatever staring right across at you.....eh..... seems awkward.

But if they don't force everyone to share, they are not going to move nearly the number of people they think they are.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

But if they don't force everyone to share, they are not going to move nearly the number of people they think they are.

I don't think they're assuming full carriages internally. Doppelmayr numbers always assume full, but the reality at ski resorts is rarely full, especially with carriages like these, where skiers typically will bring their skis and poles in with them. (This is as opposed to a chairlift, where they sometimes latch to the chair back.)

 

[BillPA]

These will be in "constant' motion, I would not think they will hold up one to make sure it's full.