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

[lanejudy]

I haven't read anything about "securing" mobility devices, presumably they will just drive onboard. The bench seats do fold up to make space. There is a second line through the stations which has been speculated to be used to pull cars off for stationary boarding of those with mobility devices. However, to my knowledge, WDW has not officially commented about that aspect. It is expected, but remains to be seen exactly how that will work.

 

[cmwade77]

I haven't read anything about "securing" mobility devices, presumably they will just drive onboard. The bench seats do fold up to make space. There is a second line through the stations which has been speculated to be used to pull cars off for stationary boarding of those with mobility devices. However, to my knowledge, WDW has not officially commented about that aspect. It is expected, but remains to be seen exactly how that will work.

I saw a youtube video where someone from Disney was saying that was how it would work, so I figure that should be good enough to go off of. I would assume the devices would have to be secured, similar to how they are secured on Mickey's Funwheel, which is basically wheel blocks, not tie downs. After all the gondolas still have the potential to swing back and forth some.

 

[SueM in MN]

I’ve watched a lot of videos from the company that makes the gondolas Disney is using.
Many are in urban areas and show boarding of strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs. I have not seen any with any type of tiedown, wheelblocks or securement.
Interesting piece of trivia - in the early days of the monorail, they had hooks that were used to secure wheelchairs. I don’t remember exactly when they stopped using them, but it was at least 20 years ago.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm not doubting you saw a video or the accuracy of it, but I'd be highly surprised if the person in the video had authority to speak on behalf of WDW. Disney simply has not released much in the way of specifics at all about the operations of the gondola system. Most information has been gleaned via inside contacts or knowledge of other (similar) systems. Rteetz on the Rumors & News Forum has been following this topic very closely for over 2 years now. There has been nothing indicating wheel blocks or tie downs; it is speculated to be similar to the monorail - drive on, park, drive off. I'm not an engineer and don't understand all the dynamics, but these are not expected to have much "swing" despite hanging from a wire.

 

[cmwade77]

I’ve watched a lot of videos from the company that makes the gondolas Disney is using.
Many are in urban areas and show boarding of strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs. I have not seen any with any type of tiedown, wheelblocks or securement.
Interesting piece of trivia - in the early days of the monorail, they had hooks that were used to secure wheelchairs. I don’t remember exactly when they stopped using them, but it was at least 20 years ago.

Interesting, I would have expected there to be at least wheel blocks for safety, of course Disney may still opt to use such even if others don't.

 

[KPeterso]

I’ve watched a lot of videos from the company that makes the gondolas Disney is using.
Many are in urban areas and show boarding of strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs. I have not seen any with any type of tiedown, wheelblocks or securement.
Interesting piece of trivia - in the early days of the monorail, they had hooks that were used to secure wheelchairs. I don’t remember exactly when they stopped using them, but it was at least 20 years ago.

That is interesting about the monorail and now that I think about it true. At Disneyland though on the Monorail, they do still put wheelblocks on wheelchairs on the monorail. I have ridden with my Mom in a wheelchair a lot of time and that is the case. Wonder why the difference. Sorry - did not mean to derail. No idea on the gondolas!

 

[bearybubba]

I'm excited to hear that I may be able to use the Skyliner now! I thought for sure that they would not be wheelchair accessible since it would take some time to load and unload them. If it's a separate loading/unloading area and doesn't stop others from continuing on, that makes me feel even better.

 

[RaySharpton]

I keep looking for official Disney info about their gondola and accessibility statements, but I haven't found any written verifiable info from Google.

Here is a similar gondola video with a manual wheelchair user rolling into another gondola with both gondola seats folded up.

It shows him entering the gondola and turning around 180 degrees to face the gondola door.

https://media.giphy.com/media/hGbBZ6697Esx2/giphy.gif

I would imagine a mobility scooter would drive straight on and exit backward like on some of the Disney Monorail station stops.

Some of the monorail stops allow you to drive on forward and drive off forward like getting on at the Polynesian and getting off at the Magic Kingdom.

But depending where you get on and where you get off, you would have to back up on a ramp from the monorail.

The gondola does not use a ramp.

The video doesn't show any way to tie it down, but I assume that the wheelchair user locks his wheelchair as a mobility scooter turns of his unit locking the rear wheels.

I have been on the monorail plenty of times when I have had to hold onto the metal poles because of the shaking on some occasions.

Even though I haven't found any official writing from Disney about wheelchair accessibility, I saw several websites commenting what they heard from a Disney event introducing the Disney Skyliner Gondola, but no one quotes the name of the person saying what they quoted. I'll keep looking.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/tra...y-skyliner-update-gondola-20181120-story.html

https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando...liner-gondolas-will-not-have-air-conditioning

https://www.laughingplace.com/w/new...-video-shows-disney-skyliner-gondola-testing/

.

 

[DisneyOma]

If you watch the videos there's a lot of swing at departure - people unsteady on their feet would want to make sure they are seated well before the gondola leaves the platform. It might not be safe for a person to sit on an ECV either.

 

[danikoski]

If you watch the videos there's a lot of swing at departure - people unsteady on their feet would want to make sure they are seated well before the gondola leaves the platform. It might not be safe for a person to sit on an ECV either.

I've watched a lot of videos of the Doppelmayr gondolas, and they don't really swing at departure. Here's a link that has videos of gondolas very similar to the ones Disney has.
https://www.doppelmayr.com/en/products/detachable-gondola-lift/

 

[danikoski]

I'm with you on this. For well over half the year the humidity in Orlando makes even a good breeze moot. I don't tolerate heat well anyway and this looks to be a real problem.

Just out of curiosity, do you wait 20 minutes for the bus transportation in the heat? The gondolas will be much faster than that, with the expected travel time 2-5 minutes between the Pop/CBR and CBR/DHS stations and around 8-9 minutes for CBR/Epcot stations. The line to load will be constantly moving, and waits to board should be minimal except maybe right at park open and close. If you can wait in the heat for a bus, you'll probably be fine on the gondolas.

 

[gap2368]

ECV wheelchair should be loaded so that you travel sideways and if you have the break on the wheelchair and are not moving the ECV the slight sway at the beginning should not effect the ECV or wheelchair in side. I can not see them doing any type of tie down. And with the weight of people the swaying should be less.

 

[Starwind]

I'm excited to hear that I may be able to use the Skyliner now! I thought for sure that they would not be wheelchair accessible since it would take some time to load and unload them. If it's a separate loading/unloading area and doesn't stop others from continuing on, that makes me feel even better.

All the stations except Riviera appear to have the double loops that are what is expected to be used for slower loading needs [eg wheelchairs, ECVs] because the slow loop can actually be stopped to allow loading.

For Riviera, it doesn't appear there is a second loop, so on the large threat about the gondolas they aren't sure how ECV/wheelchair/etc loading would happen there. IT is entirely possible they have a way to do it there that just isn't immediately obvious like the second loops are.

SW

 

[Starwind]

I'll be down in December and I hope that they will all be running. I am really looking forward to using them as I usually stay that the Pop Century resort.

We will be staying in December and part of our plan is to bus or Uber to Pop Century, eat there, and then do a Gondola Hop and visit resorts on the Gondola trail, ending with visiting BC/YC/BW. It will be a nice compliment to our Monorail Hop elsewhere in the trip.

SW

 

[SueM in MN]

All the stations except Riviera appear to have the double loops that are what is expected to be used for slower loading needs [eg wheelchairs, ECVs] because the slow loop can actually be stopped to allow loading.

For Riviera, it doesn't appear there is a second loop, so on the large threat about the gondolas they aren't sure how ECV/wheelchair/etc loading would happen there. IT is entirely possible they have a way to do it there that just isn't immediately obvious like the second loops are.

SW

Or the second loop is just not visible from the pictures that are available

 

[cobright]

Just out of curiosity, do you wait 20 minutes for the bus transportation in the heat? The gondolas will be much faster than that, with the expected travel time 2-5 minutes between the Pop/CBR and CBR/DHS stations and around 8-9 minutes for CBR/Epcot stations. The line to load will be constantly moving, and waits to board should be minimal except maybe right at park open and close. If you can wait in the heat for a bus, you'll probably be fine on the gondolas.

• Boarding at AoA, one source estimates a travel time of 12 minutes to DHS and 17 minutes to Epcot. Compared to 12min and 12 min respectively, so either the same or slower than the bus travel time.
• Boarding at CBR, the same site estimates about a 4 minute ride to DHS and 9 minutes to Epcot. Saving 8 minutes and 3 minutes travel time respectively.

So there is potential for some modest travel time savings. But, I would not be so quick to equate standing in an open line and sitting in a 6x8 glass and metal pod, even considering a vent on the front.

Watching the video of it running it looks like 2 or 3 gondolas come into the station every minute. If they plan to keep up with the loading of cabins then they will likely load single parties in each unless two small parties happen to be right there ready to go. It will not be like at the front of a ride where they are calling out for singles or doubles to fill ride seats. These things come in steady and don't stop. But they don't come in very often, so I'm dubious that there will be no line to get on this. It will just be a line that you have to constantly shuffle forward in. If the fact that it loads constantly means there's no line then the same would be said for Spaceship Earth.

But if the Skyliner is added to the transportation network and the existing bus routes are left in place, then there is some real opportunity to improve the WDW transit experience. I suspect that bus routes will be dropped and the lines to get on the skyliner will resemble the wait times for the buses. I hope not. I'm hopeful for the skyliner system and anything that might make getting around easier.

 

[cmwade77]

• Boarding at AoA, one source estimates a travel time of 12 minutes to DHS and 17 minutes to Epcot. Compared to 12min and 12 min respectively, so either the same or slower than the bus travel time.
• Boarding at CBR, the same site estimates about a 4 minute ride to DHS and 9 minutes to Epcot. Saving 8 minutes and 3 minutes travel time respectively.

So there is potential for some modest travel time savings. But, I would not be so quick to equate standing in an open line and sitting in a 6x8 glass and metal pod, even considering a vent on the front.

Watching the video of it running it looks like 2 or 3 gondolas come into the station every minute. If they plan to keep up with the loading of cabins then they will likely load single parties in each unless two small parties happen to be right there ready to go. It will not be like at the front of a ride where they are calling out for singles or doubles to fill ride seats. These things come in steady and don't stop. But they don't come in very often, so I'm dubious that there will be no line to get on this. It will just be a line that you have to constantly shuffle forward in. If the fact that it loads constantly means there's no line then the same would be said for Spaceship Earth.

But if the Skyliner is added to the transportation network and the existing bus routes are left in place, then there is some real opportunity to improve the WDW transit experience. I suspect that bus routes will be dropped and the lines to get on the skyliner will resemble the wait times for the buses. I hope not. I'm hopeful for the skyliner system and anything that might make getting around easier.

Well, if it is indeed true that wheelchairs and ECVs will have a separate load spot, I could see them having their own line, but I could also seem them being integrated.

As for time savings, the other fact that you are ignoring is how long you have to wait for a bus to come, sometimes 15 to 20 minutes, so actively moving in a queue, even if the wait is the same may be better for some.

I think Disney will end up having to figure out how to add AC of some form to these, but hopefully I am proven wrong.

Spaceship Earth has a line because of FP, otherwise the line would be very minimal there. Omnimover systems are one type of attraction where FP really does increase the standby lines dramatically due to the nature of the continuous loading, they wouldn't normally have more than a 10 minute queue at most.

As for bus routes being dropped, I don't really see how they can, there are ECVs that would fit the buses and within the park rules that will not fit on the Gondolas by all accounts. Additionally, you have people who are afraid of heights that will not use these no matter what and that would be problematic for Disney. I could see it reducing the frequency of buses on those routes, but I don't see them dropping them entirely.

 

[Weedy]

I wouldn’t think it would be a separate line because any car can be pulled off. So when the wheelchairs/EVC arrives at the loading area that cabin will be pulled off and loaded. Or they may have a few waiting and when one is loaded they can replace it with another

 

[SueM in MN]

I merged the thread that was started yesterday with the one that had been started previously.

 

[cmwade77]

I wouldn’t think it would be a separate line because any car can be pulled off. So when the wheelchairs/EVC arrives at the loading area that cabin will be pulled off and loaded. Or they may have a few waiting and when one is loaded they can replace it with another

I only say that because they may only be allowed to load so many on the line at once due to evacuation procedures and may need a separate queue as a result. Honestly I can see it going either way, especially if they can put as many ECVs on the line as they want at once.