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

[TheMaxRebo]

We go every August and do a split stay at one of the boardwalk hotels and one of the monorail hotels. What is everyone's guess for wait times at the Skyliner's at the boardwalk area? I am sure my children will just want to ride them for the heck of it. Maybe during mid-day the wait won't be too bad or at dinner time?
PS-I hope at least they have fans inside them. Something to move that nice Florida air around

Agree with @skier_pete that wait will normally be pretty minimal other than first thing in morning (from resorts) and at closing (from parks)

Just to be clear though when you say (Boardwalk area) the closest station will be the EPCOT one by International gateway

 

[Spartan86]

I agree as well, as the estimated throughput is 4-5000 passengers per hour per Lift Blog. 20 busloads or so every 15 minutes? Double the throughput of the highest capacity omnimover attractions on property?

 

[kandb]

Agree with @skier_pete that wait will normally be pretty minimal other than first thing in morning (from resorts) and at closing (from parks)

Just to be clear though when you say (Boardwalk area) the closest station will be the EPCOT one by International gateway

OK, thanks. Have to look more into it. Maybe we can take it to Caribbean Beach for a nice sit down dinner??? Think a new restaurant is going in there. Just think it will be cool to ride it to a destination. Thanks

 

[kandb]

My experience with gondolas have been the smaller ones where only 4 people max can get on them and it seems like they are continuously moving and you all have to hurry to jump on them, no slowing down. With these gondolas, how will they get 8 people on fast, while the bucket is moving and especially if people are going to bring strollers on them. Will these cages stop to load people onto them??? Sorry, really confused about these.

 

[dina444444]

My experience with gondolas have been the smaller ones where only 4 people max can get on them and it seems like they are continuously moving and you all have to hurry to jump on them, no slowing down. With these gondolas, how will they get 8 people on fast, while the bucket is moving and especially if people are going to bring strollers on them. Will these cages stop to load people onto them??? Sorry, really confused about these.

They won't stop but they will slow down to a crawl in the station as they come off of the "rope" and are moved by tires through the station.

 

[Planogirl]

How big are the station areas? I wonder about peak times at the two parks and the central station that everyone will have to go through. Where will people line up where they won't block others? Also, do all of the stations have side lines to load those in wheelchairs and ECV's?

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

From what I have read on Lift Blog, the dual turnarounds will let a cabin go around and just slow down for those that do not have strollers, wheelchairs or EVC's. The other turnaround will stop for loading / unloading. Also this is the description of the actual cars. "CWA Omega IV 10 passenger D-Line model with extra ventilation and reflective windows."

 

[Katie & Glen]

How big are the station areas? I wonder about peak times at the two parks and the central station that everyone will have to go through. Where will people line up where they won't block others? Also, do all of the stations have side lines to load those in wheelchairs and ECV's?

Take a look at the videos and pics posted in the OP and past few pages. It appears that Each station will have side "lines" where a gondola can be stopped to allow loading / unloading of those who need extra time(pretty much confirmed by the pics and insiders, but not yet by Disney).

Through specific layouts have not been shown, concept art and similar gondola systems located elsewhere indicate there will be queues of some form. CBR will be a little more complex, as everyone will disembark and re-load these to transfer, but we have not seen the actual configuration an how Disney will manage the traffic there.

Physical station size is. Not really a great indication of how many people the system can handle at peak load. Cable speed and gondola spacing will be the indication. Given the projected throughput suggested by LiftBlog and others, it will be far more efficient than busses (something on the order of a bus load every few minutes). Plus, the line will be constantly moving, giving the perception that you are "making progress" vs sitting there and waiting for the next bus in 30min.

 

[Katie & Glen]

My experience with gondolas have been the smaller ones where only 4 people max can get on them and it seems like they are continuously moving and you all have to hurry to jump on them, no slowing down. With these gondolas, how will they get 8 people on fast, while the bucket is moving and especially if people are going to bring strollers on them. Will these cages stop to load people onto them??? Sorry, really confused about these.

Many of the small systems were attached to the cable and did not disconnect for loading / unloading - are as chairlifts.

as noted, these will detach from the high speed travel cable and will move slowly through the station to provide plenty of time for loading and unloading.

These are NOT the "bucket" style sky ride systems. They are a highly efficient mass transit system used in multiple places around the world in a variety of environments.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I'm sure this has been mentioned in this huge thread, but will we be able to take to gondolas from HS to EP instead of the bus?

 

[DanBoris]

I'm sure this has been mentioned in this huge thread, but will we be able to take to gondolas from HS to EP instead of the bus?

Yes, you can go from DHS to EP, but you will have to transfer at the CBR station.

 

[DanBoris]

How big are the station areas? I wonder about peak times at the two parks and the central station that everyone will have to go through. Where will people line up where they won't block others? Also, do all of the stations have side lines to load those in wheelchairs and ECV's?

The central station at CBR is pretty big so I assume they will have a well organized set of queues to handle guests coming to and from CBR along with the people transferring between lines.

Take a look at the videos and pics posted in the OP and past few pages. It appears that Each station will have side "lines" where a gondola can be stopped to allow loading / unloading of those who need extra time(pretty much confirmed by the pics and insiders, but not yet by Disney).

It's not clear if cars will actually stop in the additional loading area or not. It may just be an extra area for loading where they can bring in one car at a time to load wheel chair's and ECVs.

 

[Weedy]

I'm sure this has been mentioned in this huge thread, but will we be able to take to gondolas from HS to EP instead of the bus?

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

We've never park hopped before. Would it just be as easy to take a bus from HS to Epcot? Do the buses make stops at the resorts along the way as well? Or do they just go direct from park-to-park?

 

[DanBoris]

We've never park hopped before. Would it just be as easy to take a bus from HS to Epcot? Do the buses make stops at the resorts along the way as well? Or do they just go direct from park-to-park?

Maybe some one else can confirm, but I don't know if there are buses from DHS to Epcot since you can either walk or take a boat. If there are buses I wouldn't be surprised if they got cut when the Skyliner opens since there will then be three other ways from DHS to Epcot.

 

[OSUZorba]

We've never park hopped before. Would it just be as easy to take a bus from HS to Epcot? Do the buses make stops at the resorts along the way as well? Or do they just go direct from park-to-park?

The busses are direct, but only run about once every 20 minutes. There is also a chance the gondolas will be completely behind the security bubble so you wouldn't have to be rescreened.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

The busses are direct, but only run about once every 20 minutes. There is also a chance the gondolas will be completely behind the security bubble so you wouldn't have to be rescreened.

That would be a nice perk. The gondola drops you off at the IG entrance at Epcot, correct?

 

[CarolynFH]

We've never park hopped before. Would it just be as easy to take a bus from HS to Epcot? Do the buses make stops at the resorts along the way as well? Or do they just go direct from park-to-park?

The busses are direct, but only run about once every 20 minutes. There is also a chance the gondolas will be completely behind the security bubble so you wouldn't have to be rescreened.

That would be a nice perk. The gondola drops you off at the IG entrance at Epcot, correct?

FYI buses travel between the front of Epcot (where the resort buses drop off) and DHS. Friendship boats travel between IG and DHS.

Something I believe we’ll have to wait and see is whether taking the gondola from IG to CBR and then transferring to the CBR to DHS gondola will be faster or the same as taking the boat, which makes 3 stops (BW, Y&B, Swolphin) between IG & DHS. I suspect the gondola could be faster! (But yes, walking might be faster than either one!)

 

[joelkfla]

FYI buses travel between the front of Epcot (where the resort buses drop off) and DHS. Friendship boats travel between IG and DHS.

Something I believe we’ll have to wait and see is whether taking the gondola from IG to CBR and then transferring to the CBR to DHS gondola will be faster or the same as taking the boat, which makes 3 stops (BW, Y&B, Swolphin) between IG & DHS. I suspect the gondola could be faster! (But yes, walking might be faster than either one!)

The boats take at least 25 minutes from departure at IG to DHS, not including waiting for a boat and waiting your turn to deboard. I think the Skyliner will beat that easily.

 

[OSUZorba]

FYI buses travel between the front of Epcot (where the resort buses drop off) and DHS. Friendship boats travel between IG and DHS.

Something I believe we’ll have to wait and see is whether taking the gondola from IG to CBR and then transferring to the CBR to DHS gondola will be faster or the same as taking the boat, which makes 3 stops (BW, Y&B, Swolphin) between IG & DHS. I suspect the gondola could be faster! (But yes, walking might be faster than either one!)

I don't see any way the gondolas will be slower than the boats. You can easily beat the boats walking. Then add in that you don't have to wait for the gondolas to show up.