Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Now Open!

[Mikey15]

I just found a leaked photo of the layout of the CBR station walkways:

Hopefully a bit more like a train station, just all on one level.

For the merge point, I was thinking about the lines where standard, Fastpass, and single rider come together, sometimes with a castmember playing stoplight.

 

[joelkfla]

Clear enough. Basically exactly what was discussed here, as soon as one transfers on to the second loop, one on the loop transfer back. It is interesting the middle one did not advice at all. I'm guess it stays put either for a fixed amount of time or until a CM releases it. The door are also closed when it re-enters the main line.

I would think they have to somehow release, just to acknowledge that it's not in the process of being loaded. But whatever algorithm Doppelmayr is using has to account for 2 situations: someone needing to load, and someone needing to unload.

So apparently there's room for 3 cabins on the outer loop: unload, load, and dispatch. IMO, the manual procedure would be to release an empty cabin sitting in the load position ASAP after a cabin leaves the dispatch position, so that there is room for an incoming cabin to unload. Then the empty cabin would sit in the dispatch position until an incoming cabin came in to unload, or the cabin in the load position was loaded and ready to go. Or maybe some signal alerts them that a cabin needing to unload is approaching on the line, and they need to hurry up and finish loading, or release the cabin empty within a certain number of seconds. But that's just my thought; Doppelmayr may have come up with something completely different.

 

[skier_pete]

So last weekend we were at Whistler, BC and rode the gondolas several times. I took the following video that shows how a mid-station load will work. Imagine this is how the Riviera station would work. These Gondolas are Dopplemeyer gondolas, and are very similar is design except they are an 8 person, not a 10 person. We rode these gondolas with 8 people with all their ski/snowboard gear and poles and they did not feel crowded. In this video we loaded just two of us on the gondola, but you can see how quickly the loading process goes.

Obviously their is still going to be the handling of ECVs and maybe strollers coming on at Riviera, I don't think anyone has determined how they are going to swing gondolas off line, but you can see that there are about 5-6 gondolas in the station in each direction, and each one stays in the station for about a minute. Loading takes mere seconds for 2 people, and that includes racking your skis outside the doors. 8 people maybe takes 20 seconds to load or unload.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

So last weekend we were at Whistler, BC and rode the gondolas several times. I took the following video that shows how a mid-station load will work. Imagine this is how the Riviera station would work. These Gondolas are Dopplemeyer gondolas, and are very similar is design except they are an 8 person, not a 10 person. We rode these gondolas with 8 people with all their ski/snowboard gear and poles and they did not feel crowded. In this video we loaded just two of us on the gondola, but you can see how quickly the loading process goes.

Obviously their is still going to be the handling of ECVs and maybe strollers coming on at Riviera, I don't think anyone has determined how they are going to swing gondolas off line, but you can see that there are about 5-6 gondolas in the station in each direction, and each one stays in the station for about a minute. Loading takes mere seconds for 2 people, and that includes racking your skis outside the doors. 8 people maybe takes 20 seconds to load or unload.

Thanks for posting ..... did they have A/C?


Definitely will be interesting to see if/how they handle ECVs at Riviera - wonder if way to full stop the loading area for a bit to load those or not

 

[skier_pete]

Thanks for posting ..... did they have A/C?


Definitely will be interesting to see if/how they handle ECVs at Riviera - wonder if way to full stop the loading area for a bit to load those or not

No A/C - but I notice no one ever asks of Gondolas at ski-areas - "Do they have heat?" We rode up one morning it was like 5 degrees F out (-13 C) and the gondolas were NOT cold.

 

[The Pho]

No A/C - but I notice no one ever asks of Gondolas at ski-areas - "Do they have heat?" We rode up one morning it was like 5 degrees F out (-13 C) and the gondolas were NOT cold.

Some gondolas are heated, even some chairlifts have heated seats.

 

[Spartan86]

@skier_pete did you ride the Peak tram? That looks nuts!

 

[skier_pete]

@skier_pete did you ride the Peak tram? That looks nuts!

Peak to Peak? We didn't ride it this trip. I have in the past. It's pretty nuts. Much larger than the Disney stuff, but the several thousand foot drop is not to be sneezed at...

 

[Spartan86]

Peak to Peak? We didn't ride it this trip. I have in the past. It's pretty nuts. Much larger than the Disney stuff, but the several thousand foot drop is not to be sneezed at...

Yes, Peak to Peak

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[mousefan73]

I would think they have to somehow release, just to acknowledge that it's not in the process of being loaded. But whatever algorithm Doppelmayr is using has to account for 2 situations: someone needing to load, and someone needing to unload.

So apparently there's room for 3 cabins on the outer loop: unload, load, and dispatch. IMO, the manual procedure would be to release an empty cabin sitting in the load position ASAP after a cabin leaves the dispatch position, so that there is room for an incoming cabin to unload. Then the empty cabin would sit in the dispatch position until an incoming cabin came in to unload, or the cabin in the load position was loaded and ready to go. Or maybe some signal alerts them that a cabin needing to unload is approaching on the line, and they need to hurry up and finish loading, or release the cabin empty within a certain number of seconds. But that's just my thought; Doppelmayr may have come up with something completely different.

Normally at a loading, unloading station, multiple cabins are loading at the same time. It takes about 20-30 seconds for a cabin to go around the loading loop and a loading platform holds about 3 or 4. That is at least the way it's done by skiing. having only one avail to load at a time, will slow things down. But knowing Disney's anal retentive safety policies I can see them waiting for the doors for the one cabin closed and ready to launch before anyone gets in the next available one that has been sitting there with open doors to load for 20 seconds.. the whole loading process is fluid, where in NORMAL circumstances you have multiple cabins loading/unloading at the same time.

The links shows a loading platform. Keep in mind the loading is dead (no riders) but if you notice all the open door gondolas. Open door means hop in.. In normally rider traffic, all gondolas would have been loaded at the same time, so when the camera turns from that guy, the gondolas behind him would have been full or loading . Same thing with exiting.. once the gondolas turns on the platform all hop off. In most systems 3 or 4 gondolas fit the same time on a loading platform. they are scrunched while loading together; while on the line is when you have the distance between them.

oh I have been on about 15 different Austrian gondola lines.. Never been on one that fits 10.. standard is 8... Unless you have a different system that holds masses.. Like the Zugspitz. that one holds 20 or 30 but the line only has 2 gondolas. and standing room only. totally different system.

 

[skier_pete]

Yes, Peak to Peak

View attachment 387506 [

Wow, that's an awesome picture, but it's almost better that you can't see the ground. As I said, we didn't do peak to peak this trip and just stayed on our mountain. I've done it on past trips though. Not really comparable to the Disney system as much fewer gondolas.

 

[skier_pete]

Normally at a loading, unloading station, multiple cabins are loading at the same time. It takes about 20-30 seconds for a cabin to go around the loading loop and a loading platform holds about 3 or 4. That is at least the way it's done by skiing. having only one avail to load at a time, will slow things down. But knowing Disney's anal retentive safety policies I can see them waiting for the doors for the one cabin closed and ready to launch before anyone gets in the next available one that has been sitting there with open doors to load for 20 seconds.. the whole loading process is fluid, where in NORMAL circumstances you have multiple cabins loading/unloading at the same time..

I think Disney will be loading multiple gondolas at a time. It needs to be efficient.

 

[vacationer1954]

But knowing Disney's anal retentive safety policies I can see them waiting for the doors for the one cabin closed and ready to launch before anyone gets in the next available one that has been sitting there with open doors to load for 20 seconds.

Like the Peoplemover in Tomorrowland?

 

[mousefan73]

Like the Peoplemover in Tomorrowland?

God yes, I really have to bite my sarcastic tongue when riding that.

 

[joelkfla]

Normally at a loading, unloading station, multiple cabins are loading at the same time. It takes about 20-30 seconds for a cabin to go around the loading loop and a loading platform holds about 3 or 4. That is at least the way it's done by skiing. having only one avail to load at a time, will slow things down. But knowing Disney's anal retentive safety policies I can see them waiting for the doors for the one cabin closed and ready to launch before anyone gets in the next available one that has been sitting there with open doors to load for 20 seconds.. the whole loading process is fluid, where in NORMAL circumstances you have multiple cabins loading/unloading at the same time.

The links shows a loading platform. Keep in mind the loading is dead (no riders) but if you notice all the open door gondolas. Open door means hop in.. In normally rider traffic, all gondolas would have been loaded at the same time, so when the camera turns from that guy, the gondolas behind him would have been full or loading . Same thing with exiting.. once the gondolas turns on the platform all hop off. In most systems 3 or 4 gondolas fit the same time on a loading platform. they are scrunched while loading together; while on the line is when you have the distance between them.

oh I have been on about 15 different Austrian gondola lines.. Never been on one that fits 10.. standard is 8... Unless you have a different system that holds masses.. Like the Zugspitz. that one holds 20 or 30 but the line only has 2 gondolas. and standing room only. totally different system.

Agree that 2 or 3 cabins may be loading in the normal loading procedure, but here I was talking about the 2nd loop, which is unique to Disney's Skyliner. It is believed that some cabins will be switched onto the 2nd loop and stopped for wheelchair loading, while other cabins continue to circulate through the main unload and load areas. How cabins will be selected to go into the 2nd loop, and how they'll be managed within the loop, are under debate.

 

[rteetz]

Photo Update

photos-latest-look-at-international-gateway-construction-skyliner-bag-check-expansion-world-traveler

 

[mousefan73]

Photo Update

photos-latest-look-at-international-gateway-construction-skyliner-bag-check-expansion-world-traveler

So I assume they’re gonna be losing that one major path right at the end of the line? I believe it was the first picture.Or else those gondolas are gonna be hitting people in the head

 

[rteetz]

So I assume they’re gonna be losing that one major path right at the end of the line? I believe it was the first picture.Or else those gondolas are gonna be hitting people in the head

They won't be hitting anyone in the head lol.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I don’t follow this thread closely but just popping on to mention we had a Minnie Van ride this past weekend where the driver was all geeked out on the Skyliner and asked if we would mind if she took a small detour so we could see that one line being tested. My kids are young and they thought seeing them in the air was just about the coolest thing ever.

I thought it was kind of neat for the CM to offer. She was very into the details like many of you on this thread and had a lot of genuine excitement about it, which was refreshing.

Sorry, random post/moment but just felt like sharing!

 

[sachilles]

With the walls by the gift shop on the England side, wonder if folks will exit the park to the skyliner on the back side of that gift shop. Need to look at an overhead to see what is there, is it even possible?