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

[Q-man]

Very expensive tires too.

Run flats, nitrogen filled, or both?

 

[BorderTenny]

Did the MN State Fair last week with 222,000 (one days attendance) of my closest friends, and rode the Skyliner simply because WDW is getting one. Hadn't riden in decades.

It opened 54 years ago and still running smooth. Not sure if they take it down or not.

Anyway, it is a wonderful way to get around and increased our anticipation for WDW. Very fun.

Your fairgrounds make the "Great" New York State Fair look like Dinoland U.S.A. And that's after millions of dollars of improvements over the past couple years, including installing a chairlift-style Skyride like they have at the FL state fairgrounds.

 

[WDW_Ding]

So....Jim Hill is reporting on the Disney Dish podcast that there will be AC onboard.

I just listened to this also and he seems pretty sure that the info leaked so far about these gondola is largely inaccurate. They will have onboard AC, they will seat 8 but be able to hold 16 if everyone stands, the seats will be "flip up/down" style, and it will go 16mph.

I know Len isn't always 100% right, but he quoted a source that seems legitimate.

Jim also stated that when the gondola comes in to the station it will disconnect from the 16 mph line and move along at about 1 mph until loaded. Then it reconnects to the 16 mph line.

 

[WDW_Ding]

… but he also stated that the cars would unload from one side and load from the other which is not possible, although this could have been a mis-interpretation of "unloading from one side of that station and loading from the other" which is how these normally work. I taking what was reported with a grain of salt for the moment.

I remember Jim saying that the loading was "like the monorail", which I took to mean unloading from one side and loading from the opposite side at the same time.

 

[The Pho]

Jim also stated that when the gondola comes in to the station it will disconnect from the 16 mph line and move along at about 1 mph until loaded. Then it reconnects to the 16 mph line.

Well that's just standard Gondola operation so he at least got that part right. Although there may be a little rounding for those exact speeds. Have to see about the other stuff.

 

[Katie & Glen]

I remember Jim saying that the loading was "like the monorail", which I took to mean unloading from one side and loading from the opposite side at the same time.

If that is accurate, it would be a first, as all other gondola systems with which I am familiar (multiple ski resorts in Colorado and NE USA) or have seen videos of have a single door. While he interpreted it that way, all other sources and experts (liftblog) have said the opposite. Loading will be on one side of the station adn unloading on the other side of the station.

 

[RRB]

I would like to know where Jim is getting his information. Some of the things he said just don't make sense.

 

[DanBoris]

If that is accurate, it would be a first, as all other gondola systems with which I am familiar (multiple ski resorts in Colorado and NE USA) or have seen videos of have a single door. While he interpreted it that way, all other sources and experts (liftblog) have said the opposite. Loading will be on one side of the station adn unloading on the other side of the station.

Loading/unloading from both sides of the car just isn't possible since there is no way to get people into the middle of the turn around without crossing the path of the cars.

 

[RRB]

Loading/unloading from both sides of the car just isn't possible since there is no way to get people into the middle of the turn around without crossing the path of the cars.

Agreed. Jim also said the system is "modular" as in being able to extend the line by adding towers to the existing system. That isn't correct. New lines can be built but you can't just add towers to existing systems. Also, where will the power come from to operate AC units on the cabs? they can't be solar.

 

[brianreitz23]

I always wanted a zip line from AKL to AK, but a gondola would work, too.

A gondola would be cool from the AKL to the park....travel over the safari's. That would be worth the view.

 

[rteetz]

A gondola would be cool from the AKL to the park....travel over the safari's. That would be worth the view.

And would then ruin the immersion of the savanna.

 

[The Pho]

Agreed. Jim also said the system is "modular" as in being able to extend the line by adding towers to the existing system. That isn't correct. New lines can be built but you can't just add towers to existing systems. Also, where will the power come from to operate AC units on the cabs? they can't be solar.

Modular doesn't really make sense, unless they make serious adjustments. At which point it would be cheaper and easier to just build a new line.

Individually powered cabins are a thing so that part isn't unreasonable. There are gondolas/ chair lifts that are heated, have tvs, have wifi, etc. There just isn't any indication of that from the pictures of the cabins. But that also doesn't mean they aren't adding it.

 

[rteetz]

Agreed. Jim also said the system is "modular" as in being able to extend the line by adding towers to the existing system. That isn't correct. New lines can be built but you can't just add towers to existing systems. Also, where will the power come from to operate AC units on the cabs? they can't be solar.

Lift Blog pointed out on WDWMagic that there is a system (I forget where located) that uses batteries. The batteries are charged overnight and get a quick charge as they pass through the station. Those cabins are reduced capacity though because of the added weight.

 

[brianreitz23]

And would then ruin the immersion of the savanna.

True....

 

[Tigger's ally]

Lift Blog pointed out on WDWMagic that there is a system (I forget where located) that uses batteries. The batteries are charged overnight and get a quick charge as they pass through the station. Those cabins are reduced capacity though because of the added weight.

Wonder if that system has the sheer number of Gondola's though?

 

[DanBoris]

Agreed. Jim also said the system is "modular" as in being able to extend the line by adding towers to the existing system. That isn't correct. New lines can be built but you can't just add towers to existing systems. Also, where will the power come from to operate AC units on the cabs? they can't be solar.

Yeah, the only station where you could easily "plug-in" another line is the CBR station, you can't just run another cable out the back of the other endpoint stations. The London system uses Ultra-capacitors which are charged in the stations. The can charge very quickly, but they also discharge quickly. As @rteetz mentioned, the other system with AC, the SkyCab at Wynn Palace (Macau), uses batteries that are charged overnight and also charged in the stations. This would probably require a pretty big battery which would add to weight of each car. They may also have the option to pull the cars off the line to be charged mid-day if needed.

Modular doesn't really make sense, unless they make serious adjustments. At which point it would be cheaper and easier to just build a new line.

Individually powered cabins are a thing so that part isn't unreasonable. There are gondolas/ chair lifts that are heated, have tvs, have wifi, etc. There just isn't any indication of that from the pictures of the cabins. But that also doesn't mean they aren't adding it.

Tv's and lighting are pretty low power so aren't a problem, and heat is also not to hard since you can heat the car while in the station and will stay warm enough until you get to the next station, I have read about chair lifts that work this way. A/C is a challenge because of the amount of power it requires.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I remember Jim saying that the loading was "like the monorail", which I took to mean unloading from one side and loading from the opposite side at the same time.

Wonder if he meant more entering and exiting the stations vs the actual cars .... b/c they could have people exit the gondolas and exit the stations on one side and then the cars come around the wheel and the people enter them coming in from the other side of the station, even though still same side of the actual cars

 

[Roxyfire]

I could see the cars having little screens in there with cartoons or rotating content like commercials or promos for upcoming things. But I wonder how many would zone out and possibly miss their stop.

 

[The Pho]

Tv's and lighting are pretty low power so aren't a problem, and heat is also not to hard since you can heat the car while in the station and will stay warm enough until you get to the next station, I have read about chair lifts that work this way. A/C is a challenge because of the amount of power it requires.

A lot of places do count on the warmth of the station warming the Gondolas and just the lack of wind to make them warmer. But there are ones that have heated seats and heated cabins in addition to that.

 

[DanBoris]

A lot of places do count on the warmth of the station warming the Gondolas and just the lack of wind to make them warmer. But there are ones that have heated seats and heated cabins in addition to that.

I wasn't talking about heating from the stations, what I meant was that the cars/seats would have heating elements in them that are only powered in the station but will stay hot long enough after the have left the station.