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

[rteetz]

This image (taken from this blogmickey.com video:

) shows the 2 areas inside the DHS station.

View attachment 385273

I believe the gondola furthest to the left is on the track that will allow gondolas to come to a complete stop to allow easier entrance/exit for those on ECVs.

Correct.

 

[eliseisawkward]

My apologies, I'm new to potentially staying onsite (we've done 1 trip to WDW and stayed offsite) I was just looking at a booking for mid-may, and it lists the skyliner as one of the modes of transportation available to Pop, however, reading on here, it isn't scheduled to actually start running till fall still, correct?

I think it’s scheduled for opening this summer, but not sure exactly when. I heard June at one point but I’m not sure if that is still true.

 

[rteetz]

I think it’s scheduled for opening this summer, but not sure exactly when. I heard June at one point but I’m. It sure if that is still true.

Disney announced Fall however it should be open before that.

 

[Spaceguy55]

Has there been any info on whether the character wraps are factory installed or done at WDW.
On a related note, has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station ? Will the ones without characters be the ones...if so that would be a shame.

 

[DnA2010]

Yes I want to lose another 40 which can be done.. I’m giving myself until July to do it losing 2 pounds a week.

I think it’s scheduled for opening this summer, but not sure exactly when. I heard June at one point but I’m not sure if that is still true.

Disney announced Fall however it should be open before that.

Thank you both. It's a bit miss-leading when you playing around with reservations as it does list it as a transportation method..good think I checked on here

 

[scrappinginontario]

Has there been any info on whether the character wraps are factory installed or done at WDW.
On a related note, has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station ? Will the ones without characters be the ones...if so that would be a shame.

This is still an unknown at this time.

 

[Tigger's ally]

On a related note, has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station ? Will the ones without characters be the ones...if so that would be a shame.

This is still an unknown at this time.

I thought every gondola was able to flip the seats up and carry a ECV? Just depends on which ones they take off the line to the ECV load area.

 

[crvetter]

This is what you are referring to? The second curve on the right end of the system? For that to work, there needs to be a curved "slot" or void in the floor so the cabin can be flush with the floor as it makes its way around to the end curve. Not sure how all this will work. That also means people have to get in and out of the cabins on the straight sections of the station

The way I assume this will work is that stationary Gondolas (multiple) will be "stacked" up in the secondary load/unload area. As someone boards/loads in the secondary area a gondola will be pulled off the primary line into the secondary load/unload area on the upside of the cable (entry point). Then as that "opening" comes around the loaded gondola will slide right into the empty spot.

This allows peak efficiency for the system (leaving stacked empty cabins for secondary loading, keep gondolas at perfect spacing). I assume if a gondola comes in loaded with an ECV and needs to go to the secondary area they will go into the area and just fill the empty space with an empty gondola. The only issue I see to this "peak" efficiency is that a Gondola comes in that needs to be unloaded at the exact moment they are loading up an ECV. However, the system should know where ECV loaded gondolas are and can hold off on filling in those in the secondary a few moments to avoid this issue.

I would assume this requires a "load" and "unload" side of the station because they can't walk around the entire station. But I don't know that for sure; however, crossing issues aside, from a flow of people too that would make sense.

 

[Spaceguy55]

I assume they will have operators at each station and they will need to know which ones to send to the second load area...and to make sure there will be unoccupied ones available for that load area ready to use when needed...

 

[scrappinginontario]

I thought every gondola was able to flip the seats up and carry a ECV? Just depends on which ones they take off the line to the ECV load area.

I'm not saying that they're not all able to be flipped up to carry an ECV. The question I responded to was, 'has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station?' My response was that at this time we don't know how gondola's carrying an ECV will be identified.

 

[Tigger's ally]

The way I assume this will work is that stationary Gondolas (multiple) will be "stacked" up in the secondary load/unload area. As someone boards/loads in the secondary area a gondola will be pulled off the primary line into the secondary load/unload area on the upside of the cable (entry point). Then as that "opening" comes around the loaded gondola will slide right into the empty spot.

This allows peak efficiency for the system (leaving stacked empty cabins for secondary loading, keep gondolas at perfect spacing). I assume if a gondola comes in loaded with an ECV and needs to go to the secondary area they will go into the area and just fill the empty space with an empty gondola. The only issue I see to this "peak" efficiency is that a Gondola comes in that needs to be unloaded at the exact moment they are loading up an ECV. However, the system should know where ECV loaded gondolas are and can hold off on filling in those in the secondary a few moments to avoid this issue.

I would assume this requires a "load" and "unload" side of the station because they can't walk around the entire station. But I don't know that for sure; however, crossing issues aside, from a flow of people too that would make sense.

My guess is when a seat is folded up (which will be necessary for an ECV) the people working at the station will know it has an ECV in it by what that folded up seat triggers (a light, transponder, something that lets them know from just looking at the incoming cars, or it will automatically trigger the car to go to the secondary loading station itself) Perhaps the seat being up overrides the door opening which sends it to the secondary load?

 

[joelkfla]

I assume they will have operators at each station and they will need to know which ones to send to the second load area...and to make sure there will be unoccupied ones available for that load area ready to use when needed...

I'm not saying that they're not all able to be flipped up to carry an ECV. The question I responded to was, 'has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station?' My response was that at this time we don't know how gondola's carrying an ECV will be identified.

The system is run and monitored by computer. I assume all of this will be built into the software.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I'm not saying that they're not all able to be flipped up to carry an ECV. The question I responded to was, 'has there been any info on how the gondala's will be identified as a ECV unit when coming into a station?' My response was that at this time we don't know how gondola's carrying an ECV will be identified.

I don't know how your quote ended up in there as I thought I was only quoting the original question. I actually hadn't read you quote till after. I think I traveled through time for a second there. Sorry.

 

[Iowamomof4]

RE: How will a gondola containing an ecv be identified so they know it needs to go to the stationary part of the station?

Hmm... isn't it possible that it's as simple as this?
Gondola comes into the unload area of the station and the door automatically opens, station attendant sees a person on an ECV and instructs the occupants to remain where they are, attendant directs the gondola to the secondary load/unload zone, ECV and other occupants are then able to exit from a stationary gondola.

Why wouldn't that work?

 

[joelkfla]

That also means people have to get in and out of the cabins on the straight sections of the station

Yes, in fact the cabins speed up slightly going around the turn, and slow down again when they reach the straight section on the departure side. That's also the way the Mi Teleferico system in La Paz, Bolivia, loads. That is a system very similar to Disney's Skyliner: urban transit, same manufacturer, same hardware, throughput up to 4,000 pphpd on the newest lines. It does not have the double turnarounds, though.

At Riviera, where the cabins turn about 100 degrees, all the unloading and loading may be done on one side of the curve. There is no double track there. It's unknown how ecv's will be handled at that station.

 

[RRB]

The way I assume this will work is that stationary Gondolas (multiple) will be "stacked" up in the secondary load/unload area. As someone boards/loads in the secondary area a gondola will be pulled off the primary line into the secondary load/unload area on the upside of the cable (entry point). Then as that "opening" comes around the loaded gondola will slide right into the empty spot.

This allows peak efficiency for the system (leaving stacked empty cabins for secondary loading, keep gondolas at perfect spacing). I assume if a gondola comes in loaded with an ECV and needs to go to the secondary area they will go into the area and just fill the empty space with an empty gondola. The only issue I see to this "peak" efficiency is that a Gondola comes in that needs to be unloaded at the exact moment they are loading up an ECV. However, the system should know where ECV loaded gondolas are and can hold off on filling in those in the secondary a few moments to avoid this issue.

I would assume this requires a "load" and "unload" side of the station because they can't walk around the entire station. But I don't know that for sure; however, crossing issues aside, from a flow of people too that would make sense.

This all makes sense

 

[RRB]

My guess is when a seat is folded up (which will be necessary for an ECV) the people working at the station will know it has an ECV in it by what that folded up seat triggers (a light, transponder, something that lets them know from just looking at the incoming cars, or it will automatically trigger the car to go to the secondary loading station itself) Perhaps the seat being up overrides the door opening which sends it to the secondary load?

So this will be at every station, correct?

 

[rteetz]

So this will be at every station, correct?

Yes

 

[JaxDad]

RE: How will a gondola containing an ecv be identified so they know it needs to go to the stationary part of the station?

Hmm... isn't it possible that it's as simple as this?
Gondola comes into the unload area of the station and the door automatically opens, station attendant sees a person on an ECV and instructs the occupants to remain where they are, attendant directs the gondola to the secondary load/unload zone, ECV and other occupants are then able to exit from a stationary gondola.

Why wouldn't that work?

The doors would have to be closed again. When designing any equipment or system you have to assume the users will do the dumbest things possible, like rolling out a moving gondola.

 

[joelkfla]

RE: How will a gondola containing an ecv be identified so they know it needs to go to the stationary part of the station?

Hmm... isn't it possible that it's as simple as this?
Gondola comes into the unload area of the station and the door automatically opens, station attendant sees a person on an ECV and instructs the occupants to remain where they are, attendant directs the gondola to the secondary load/unload zone, ECV and other occupants are then able to exit from a stationary gondola.

Why wouldn't that work?

Because capacity of the secondary load area is limited. There needs to be space for the arriving cabin to enter it. Conversely, a hole needs to be opened up on the mainline for a cabin to exit the secondary loop. That's why I think this all has to be tracked and managed by computer. I've seen images of a screen that shows the location of each cabin by its number. CM interaction may be limited to pushing a button saying, "OK, we have a cabin loaded and ready to go online," which would then allow the software to make sure there is space and switch the cabin into the secondary loop when it arrives at the far terminal.