Walt Disney World Skyliner Gondola cabin video, photos, info.

Does anyone know whether the gondolas are large enough so that more than one ECV/wheelchair can fit per gondola?

Nobody knows for sure. If 1 fits with a bench folded up, 2 should fit with both benches folded. But that might mean no other passengers. It’s been discussed on the big thread on the Rumors board, but nothing official from WDW.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
If ECVs have to turn after entering, say to let another on, then that will greatly impede unloading.

Given the number of people who have a hard time backing up in a straight line, it is going to be a slow process regardless of whether you back in when loading or unloading 🤷‍♀️

Personally, in situations like that, I prefer to back in, so that I can drive out when unloading. I do this regularly with elevators, especially ones that I know are smaller; that way I don't have to worry about the (inevitably) impatient people waiting for me to vacate the elevator when I reach my floor.
 
Anyone else visiting WDW in September?

Hey @RaySharpton - new here, but I'll be going next week with a friend. He uses a wheelchair and I use a cane and have trouble standing or walking for long periods (I have a nervous system condition). This has been really useful information.

Unfortunately it looks like we'll be there barely too soon to use the Skyliner, although I did see that they're doing cast member previews next week while we're there. Have you heard of any possibility of getting in on a preview period like that as a guest, on the basis of disability? Either as an accommodation need, or even to provide feedback? I figure it's a long shot, but I'm eager to check it out and avoid a fair amount of walking.
 
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Castmembers will be able to bring one invited guest for previews.
Need to find a cast friend .... For your trip.
 
Have you heard of any possibility of getting in on a preview period like that as a guest, on the basis of disability? Either as an accommodation need, or even to provide feedback?

You can always ask, but I would say this is highly unlikely; it won't be considered an accommodation for a disability because they already offer accessible transportation. As PP mentions, if you know a cast member you may get to ride during the preview -- but next week's preview days are only for HS CMs so I'd be highly surprised if it opened to regular guests next week. Lots of folks are still holding out hope for a soft-opening after the All Cast Member preview days (Sept. 23rd-26th), so depending on the length of your vacation that may be possible.

Enjoy your vacation!
 
Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought. If it soft-opens the following week we'll just miss it! All good - was curious about that but would be very pleasantly surprised for a chance to use it.
 


I hope to be able to get our party on this for an afternoon ride not really for transportation, but just to ride it. I think it will be relaxing if not in a busy time. Maybe we will have lunch on the Boardwalk near Epcot and just do a loop for the fun of it. If crowds are too much, we're out, but I want to try it because the autistic adult in my party will enjoy it, and it seems relaxing to me. No A/C in January may be OK.
 
Disney just released a video of guests riding the gondolas, including showing how someone in a wheelchair/scooter gets on. (Although, I really wish that they showed a scooter boarding) It seems that the black bumper located underneath the opening doors act as a gap reducer so that a mobility device can board with no difficulty. And depending on the width of the mobility device, either one or both benches can be left down, but this might not be possible for larger devices/scooters.

 
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Thanks for the share! I have to admit that the cynic in me came out as I watched it. When was the last time you saw a stroller that small at WDW?! Also, they used a transport chair instead of a wheelchair as an example?!

Looking forward to my trip in a year to try it out for myself.
 
Groot beat me to it.

I do see a lot of umbrella strollers at WDW. Not everyone uses a huge one.
The transport wheelchair they showed in the video looks about the same size as my daughter’s regular wheelchair. They have shown in other things that the seats can fold up, which might be necessary for larger devices.
It does show that there is a flat, roll in entry, which is really helpful information.
 
Groot beat me to it.

I do see a lot of umbrella strollers at WDW. Not everyone uses a huge one.
The transport wheelchair they showed in the video looks about the same size as my daughter’s regular wheelchair. They have shown in other things that the seats can fold up, which might be necessary for larger devices.
It does show that there is a flat, roll in entry, which is really helpful information.

Yeah, they should’ve shown a family using a stroller that you’re more likely to see in the parks with TWO kids in it to show that you can get a larger stroller inside.

As for the mobility part, they should’ve shown someone using a scooter as an example because you see a lot of people using scooters more than any other mobility device in Disney. (Either rented or personally owned).

Both of these examples could’ve given Disney the opportunity to show that the seats do flip up and how.
 
Disney just released a video of guests riding the gondolas, including showing how someone in a wheelchair/scooter gets on. (Although, I really wish that they showed a scooter boarding) It seems that the black bumper located underneath the opening doors act as a gap reducer so that a mobility device can board with no difficulty. And depending on the width of the mobility device, either one or both benches can be left down, but this might not be possible for larger devices/scooters.

Thanks for the share! I have to admit that the cynic in me came out as I watched it. When was the last time you saw a stroller that small at WDW?! Also, they used a transport chair instead of a wheelchair as an example?!

Looking forward to my trip in a year to try it out for myself.
Groot beat me to it.

I do see a lot of umbrella strollers at WDW. Not everyone uses a huge one.
The transport wheelchair they showed in the video looks about the same size as my daughter’s regular wheelchair. They have shown in other things that the seats can fold up, which might be necessary for larger devices.
It does show that there is a flat, roll in entry, which is really helpful information.
Yeah, they should’ve shown a family using a stroller that you’re more likely to see in the parks with TWO kids in it to show that you can get a larger stroller inside.

As for the mobility part, they should’ve shown someone using a scooter as an example because you see a lot of people using scooters more than any other mobility device in Disney. (Either rented or personally owned).

Both of these examples could’ve given Disney the opportunity to show that the seats do flip up and how.

Thank you for link Groot. I wish they had added the other info that everyone mentioned

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 BY THARIN WHITE
We rode the Disney Skyliner in the hot Florida sun; here’s what you need to know

by Attractions Magazine

https://attractionsmagazine.com/we-...4b9979d511151e5104669c5702a686#comment-806469

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 BY THARIN WHITE4 COMMENTS
We rode the Disney Skyliner in the hot Florida sun; here’s what you need to know


SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 BY THARIN WHITE4 COMMENTS

We rode the Disney Skyliner in the hot Florida sun; here’s what you need to know

The Disney Skyliner gondola is a brand new form of transportation for the Walt Disney World Resort. The Skyliner gondolas take up to 10 guests per cabin high above the Disney property on an expedited trip to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and some nearby resorts.

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Temperature

As soon as it was revealed the gondolas don’t have air conditioning on board, everyone has been wondering how hot they will get. We took this to the test. The outdoor temperature today at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was 91 degrees Fahrenheit, with a real feel of 104 degrees in the direct sunlight. So, can these wind-cooled hanging glass boxes keep you relatively cool? The answer is yes!

We took a thermometer into the gondolas while riding them and saw 91 degrees as the average cabin temperature, the exact same as the exterior temperature. But, the real feel was significantly cooler, as the thermometer could not account for the strong breeze inside the cabin. These gondolas were built with lots of ventilation ports and windows. The best way to compare the real feel would be standing in full shade with a medium-to-strong wind blowing. For as hot of a day as it was, the gondola was honestly very comfortable for its temperature which was a relief to me. It isn’t as cool as AC, but it is certainly cool enough for the relatively short trip times.

But, what if you happen to get stuck in the air for a technical delay? On one trip, we were held in the air without movement for six minutes and 12 seconds and had one degree of temperature increase. But, this number also fluctuated from 91 degrees to 92 degrees in that time, and quickly went back to 91 degrees when the movement began again.

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Sizing and Safety
While the gondolas don’t appear very large from the ground, they are actually pretty roomy upon boarding. They are sized for a maximum of 10 guests, or six guests with a wheelchair or ECV onboard. Ten full-sized guests would fully fill the cabin, but the advantage of the gondolas are their capacity. The cabins are constantly loading and unloading, allowing for less cramped space and more privacy for families. That is a significant improvement over the monorail system, which could have numerous families taking up the same area.

As with all things Disney, safety is a huge concern that is clearly the forefront of this project. All cabins are equipped with an emergency call box and a speaker system to relay messages from the cast members to the guests onboard. Other than entering and exiting stations the gondola was very smooth and didn’t appear very affected by the wind. The wind speed during out trip today was 10 miles per hour on ground level. The cabins do have some tilting that happens when they enter and leave a station and get fully attached to the wires.

In the Skyliner stations, guests are held in a waiting spot until an available cabin has entered the loading area. From here, they’re guided to the cabin and quickly reminded of the safety rules, like no rocking or standing while the vehicle is in motion. The cabin is also equipped with graphics that will allow the rules to be understood by people of all languages.

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Accessibility
The Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Caribbean Beach Resort stations each also have a section of runoff track specifically built for guests that may need more time to embark. The Riviera Resort station and the Pop Century and Art of Animation stations may also have this, but we were unable to see during testing to know for sure.

This track area allows the gondola cabins to leave the regular loading area to come to a complete stop. This allows guests plenty of time to board. The only negative would be for parties with numerous ECVs, which would then require numerous cabins to accommodate everyone. This special track has its own loading area with separate cast members and track controls to allow for an easy transition on-and-off the gondola cabin.

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The Views
What use is an elevated form of transportation without a good view? Today we were able to test ride the gondolas from Hollywood Studios to the Caribbean Beach Resort, and then over past the Riviera Station to Epcot and back. The only line not testing today was the route from the Caribbean Beach Resort to the Pop Century and Art of Animation station.

While we weren’t able to take any personal photos or videos of the experience, Disney provided sample footage of the experience and we hope to return soon for a full-ride POV video.

The views above the Caribbean Beach resort are stunning, with looks out towards Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Bonnet Creek, Riviera Resort and much more. This will soon become one of the best ways to watch a sunset on Disney property.

Our ride into Epcot was one of the highlights of the trip, as we flew directly over the construction for the upcoming Ratatouille attraction and expansion of the France pavilion. We also flew by the Boardwalk Resort and right over the waterway at the Epcot International Gateway.

One issue with the views is that they show everything, including areas that are usually cast member-only areas backstage. These areas may need to be modified to hide the workers backstage who could be on break, or doing work that is deemed less appealing to guests such as garbage disposal.

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The Speed
A new transportation system is safe, fun and offers good views, but is it actually a time-saver over buses, the Minnie Van service or driving yourself? The answer is a definitive yes. We timed our trips to each station and got around the Disney property in record time. The longest station-to-station trip was from the Riviera Resort to Epcot at six minutes and 16 seconds.

We stopped only once during our test for those six minutes and 12 seconds that we mentioned earlier. But, Disney is still testing this new system and therefore we will not add that to our times. Our exact times to each station are as follows.

  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – 2:33
  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort – 2:17
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort to Epcot – 6:16
  • Total time in the air from Epcot to Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 11:27
Guests must disembark at Caribbean Beach Resort to transfer lines to another location. But guests may stay on to bypass the Riviera Resort station and continue on towards Epcot. We also gauged our average speed on the gondolas, which was 11 miles per hour in the air and one mile an hour around turns or in a station.

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The Experience
We think this will quickly become a fan-favorite Disney transportation option. From sporadic themed character cabins (which offer a somewhat obstructed view) to unbeatable sights, the Disney Skyliner gondolas should be the first transportation choice for guests in any of the connected resorts. The privacy of the cabins allows for quiet time or for the kids to get some excited screams out on the way to the parks. The high capacity should allow for quick access and less waiting for the next bus or boat to arrive. And, fans of Disney facts will love to hear some of the quick tidbits that are talked about on the overhead speaker during the trip.

The Disney Skyliner Gondola system will be fully operational on Sept. 29, 2019. Keep an eye on our socials for more coverage leading up to the grand opening of this new transportation option at the Walt Disney World Resort.

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I don't think anyone needs instructions on how to flip up the seats. Just lift the edge, as with a seat in an auditorium or theater, and it flips up.

Right. But folks traveling with a mobility device (or even stroller) for the first time will probably be unaware of that option in the future, hence the need for signage. 🙂
 
Yeah, they should’ve shown a family using a stroller that you’re more likely to see in the parks with TWO kids in it to show that you can get a larger stroller inside.

(Sarcasm) They made the doors of the cabins just wide enough so people have to follow the stroller size rules😂😂
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