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

[TreAntDeu]

Since there is some discussion about new Skyliner lines:

How realistic would a line connecting Animal Kingdom Lodge(1 station serving both Jambo and Kidani, seems like plenty of room across the main street from both buildings) to Animal Kingdom.

Then have the Animal Kingdom station connect to Coronado Springs.

Finally, you connect Coronado to the current line(maybe at Hollywood Studios?)

Would that make sense logistically? It would basically connect 3 out of the 4 parks by Skyliner and add 3 more large resorts.

Then you pick one station(maybe Riviera) and connect it to Disney Springs. That would be like my dream scenario for further expansion.

 

[sommergirl25]

Here is our rundown from tonight’s ride! We absolutely loved it and feel so happy that we got to be here on opening day!


9:08- Epcot. 8 people roomy!
9:17 Riviera
9:18 stopped for 1 minute breezy
9:20- CBR
9: 23 leave to pop! Only ones on!!!
9:27 Arrive At pop!!!

 

[CarolynFH]

Our evening was purposefully all about the Skyliner today. We rode from DHS to Epcot, entered Epcot (mostly to get another day toward the AP freebie), had fish and chips then took the Skyliner back to DHS to catch a bus to OKW. DW was using a wheelchair this trip due to a hip issue that makes walking long distances very painful. But she can transfer and walk quickly.

Here are my observations: (long)

• We arrived at DHS and got in the Skyliner line at 5:56. The line was ot of the station and partway back towards the bus stops. It looked long, but was moving - until the Skyliner stopped. I counted the number of people actually in line - 58. The Skyliner stopped 3 times while we were in that line, but even with the stops, we would've been on a gondola in under 6 minutes if not for...
• CMs that provided incorrect information and insisted that since DW was in the wheelchair, we absolutely had to use the secondary loop. There were 5 other parties in the ECV/Wheelchair line. Apparently, gondolas from the secondary line cannot be dispatched any quicker than 90 seconds apart, and the CM doing the loading there was in no hurry. It took over 20 minutes for us to get on a gondola. This same CM would not let DW get out of the wheelchair and transfer by herself. I had to push her in (no biggie) and then wait for the CM to put chocks behind the wheels.
• The trip from DHS to CBR was 5 mins 30 secs.
• Getting off at CBR took time as well, since CM had to remove the chocks.
• When we said we wanted to go to Epcot, we're were escorted by a very nice CM to the correct line - the ECV line, of course. That line had at least a dozen ECVs in it. The regular line was quite long as well, with maybe 300 people in it.
• It became apparent that not all the CMs know the procedures (no surprise there) when a female suit came over to us and asked DW if she could transfer. We said yes, and she said we could/should go on the regular line and have DW get out of the chair, fold up the chair and just get on as normal. I told her what the CMs assay DHS had told us. She sighed a heavy sigh, asked if I remember their names (I did), and then told us that the ECV line can take a very long time and it is not their policy to make everyone in a wheelchair use the ECV loop.
• The Skyliner stopped A LOT while we were on it. I have to assume it was mostly due to self-absorption and/or general stupidity but guests. I saw 2 instances myself where parents weren't paying attention to where the children were, got separated from them, and then stood inside a gondola telling at Johnny to hurry up. CM has to stop the line. CMs I talked to were pretty frustrated with how things were going on opening day.
• Talked to lots of people in line - nearly everyone was just making the trip on the Skyliner because it was opening day (like us)
• The trip from CBR to Epcot was over 20 minutes due to easy to many stops of the line.
• Left Epcot at 8:10. Skyliner line was not bad - took about 10 min. We were not required to use the ECV line. In fact, we were encouraged not to.
• That ECV line had at least 30 parties in it - and some of those folks were getting a tad belligerent at the wait.
• Way fewer stops going back to CBR - only 1, in fact.
• No queue heading to DHS - walked right on.
• The airflow on the gondolas is quite pleasant - IF the line is moving. When stationary, it gets a tad stuffy, rather than hot. It was very pleasant after the sun went down.
• Gondolas are very quiet. Lots of kids (and a few adults as well) will fall asleep during from Epcot to CBR.

It's apparent to me that there are more than a few kinks yet to be worked out with the Skyliner procedures and CM training. I'm not sure how they're going to cure guest stupidity though.

Steve

Thanks for the detailed report! Sorry to hear about the ECV line snafu y’all encountered and hope that will work out soon.

For the parties waiting in the ECV line at Epcot closing, I hope they were reminded that the bus would only take 2 ECVs at a time, and then they’d have to wait 20 minutes or more for the next bus. Hopefully the gondola will load faster than that even with the 90 second limitation.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I read only one place that there are emergency kits in each car. Has anyone else seen or heard this information anywhere?

https://notesfromneverland.com/news...ude-instant-ice-and-emergency-drinking-water/

The kit includes a glow stick, lots of packs of drinking water, a notebook, and some, uh… waste disposal bags. So, the necessities, but hopefully nothing you’ll be needing to use on your next flight!

 

[Mikey15]

Since there is some discussion about new Skyliner lines:

How realistic would a line connecting Animal Kingdom Lodge(1 station serving both Jambo and Kidani, seems like plenty of room across the main street from both buildings) to Animal Kingdom.

Then have the Animal Kingdom station connect to Coronado Springs.

Finally, you connect Coronado to the current line(maybe at Hollywood Studios?)

Would that make sense logistically? It would basically connect 3 out of the 4 parks by Skyliner and add 3 more large resorts.

Then you pick one station(maybe Riviera) and connect it to Disney Springs. That would be like my dream scenario for further expansion.

This kind of system seems to favor straight lines. Rough aerials seem to make sense for Blizzard Beach as a hub, with connections to All Stars to the south, Animal Kingdom to the west (with a turn or two), Coronado to the north, and Hollywood with a couple turns to the east.

Another line from AK to AKL is possible but I don’t see how it’d be high up the priority list. The distance is a little long and it’s access to one park from one(-two depending on your perspective) resort.

Glad to see all the day 1 interest! Can’t wait to try it out and hoping it’s the first phase of more implementations.

 

[KBoopaloo]

I posted this on the transportation board not realizing this was the more robust discussion about the Skyliner.

I rode from DHS to Epcot today.

- in line at DHS at 4:17
- saw two complete stops while in line on the DHS line, stopped once while I was on board
- lines at the CBR station were confusing and long
- Epcot line stopped at least twice while I was in line and for longer than the stops on the DHS line
- Epcot line felt warmer than DHS line but not bad. Warmest part of the ride was the passage through the Riviera station
- Stepped off the Epcot line at 5:13

So just under an hour to go from DHS to Epcot which seemed long. Worst part was the disorganization of the long lines at the CBR station.

I have a fear of dangling at a height and had planned to never ride the system but I talked myself into it since it was the first day. It was not as scary as I expected so if you have a mild fear of heights you might still be okay. Worst part was when we stopped for a couple of minutes. We were at a high point in the journey so we were way up there. It was also dead silent as it was a mix of 3-4 different groups/pairings which made it feel like it was longer than it was. Maybe some nice background music they could play in a stop would be nice to help with that?

 

[Bing Showei]

Maybe some nice background music they could play in a stop would be nice to help with that?

Or they could pipe in the guy from the Living with the Land ride.

Skyliner stops mid-air, narrator guy comes on, next thing you know you wake up refreshed at the IG, ready to enjoy the rest of what Epcot has to offer.

 

[sndral]

...Update again: Watched a large family with double stroller and EVC board. Struggled with space even when stroller was broken down. Half of family was moved to front of regulr line then put in a car beside the EVC car with the rest of their family

In other words one of those groups that would board first and take several seats on a bus? At least with the Skyliner if you get on, you get a seat!
I often see groups at WDW with multiple ECVs, has anyone seen any of those groups load, I assume only 1 ECV will fit per cabin, so I guess each ECV person will get their own gondola?

Thought this was an interesting post and showing the "board by this point" red tape on the ground

https://twitter.com/x/status/1178379134919163905

...Here are my observations: (long)
...we would've been on a gondola in under 6 minutes if not for...There were 5 other parties in the ECV/Wheelchair line...It took over 20 minutes for us to get on a gondola...
...The Skyliner stopped A LOT while we were on it. I have to assume it was mostly due to self-absorption and/or general stupidity but guests. I saw 2 instances myself where parents weren't paying attention to where the children were, got separated from them, and then stood inside a gondola telling at Johnny to hurry up. CM has to stop the line. CMs I talked to were pretty frustrated with how things were going on opening day.
...That ECV line had at least 30 parties in it - and some of those folks were getting a tad belligerent at the wait...

About the reported multiple stops due to guest idiocy - I guess you can’t fix stupid.
Maybe they should send any groups they have to stop the line for over to the back of the ECV line, since they aren’t up to walking on to a very slow moving gondola? I jest - but I hope this is a learning curve for the guests as well & that guest performance will improve with experience. I mean hopping on a gondola while juggling your skis and poles wearing ski boots isn’t simple, but I don’t recall gondolas at ski resorts stopping often.
W/ 30 ECVs to load & 90 seconds per gondola that line would take 45 minutes? And then if you have to transfer at CBR to another ECV line wait? I wonder what % of guests staying at the Skyliner resorts use ECVs...there could be some long waits at Epcot/DHS closing.

 

[KayMichigan]

Sounds like the CMs had to face a lot of situations that they just wouldn't encounter during training or soft opening when it was just CMs and their guests. Hopefully they'll be able to smooth out the kinks quickly.

Why is there a notebook in the emergency kit??

 

[vacationer1954]

It’s funny. I don’t notice the lack of airflow on those boats.

It's up to the captain. On our way back, the captain had the front window open.

 

[Fangorn]

Sounds like the CMs had to face a lot of situations that they just wouldn't encounter during training or soft opening when it was just CMs and their guests. Hopefully they'll be able to smooth out the kinks quickly.

Why is there a notebook in the emergency kit??

I think they'll work out the major kinks quickly. There were a ton of operations, security and guest experience management types at all the stations. Some were watching and taking notes, some were helping load the gondolas and many were giving the CMs some needed on the job training.

I'm hoping they logged every time the system was stopped and noted the reason for it. And that they will then be reviewing that data and figure out how to adjust operations.

Steve

 

[NWOhiogal]

Yeah, the notebook in the emergency kit is a poser. Do they think the Skyliner is going to break down for so long you're going to start a journal? "Dear Diary, we've been up here three days..."

I expect a lot of those emergency kits are going to get swiped, or broken into, and the water and glow sticks taken. People will think "Disney has money, they'll just replace them. Serves them right for overcharging!". I hope the CMs are checking the gondolas often to make sure the emergency kits are in place and intact (they're sealed with a zip line.) But of course if stuff is missing it's long gone.

I would have made those emergency kits locked with a 6-digit code like they have on locking briefcases. If you need to open the kit, you press the emergency button and the CM at the other end gives you the code to unlock the kit.

About dumb people: it's only a matter of time before a family gets in the gondola and someone's little kid gets left behind because the doors close before mom realizes Junior isn't with the group. Can the line be reversed? I wonder what will happen in those situations.

 

[Disneylover99]

Yeah, the notebook in the emergency kit is a poser. Do they think the Skyliner is going to break down for so long you're going to start a journal? "Dear Diary, we've been up here three days..."

 

[disneyjr77]

Our plan is to rent points (fingers crossed) and stay at BWV next September, the only reason to ride the skyliner would be to go to HS from IG and back, correct? I know we can walk but i really want to take the Skyliner at least once.

 

[ztbz]

I understand that the Epcot Line has to be Stopped when loading or Unloading ECV’s and Wheelchairs at the Riveria Station as they didn’t put in a Spur Line at this Station cause Riviera also is a Line Turning Point. This maybe why the Line was longer for Epcot

 

[bookgirl2632]

We just rode from Riviera to the IG. There was no wait for the Skyliner and the ride took 9 minutes. It was very nice and smooth and it was cool and comfortable the whole way. We were through bag check and park entry within another 5 minutes and are currently holding in the UK for park open.

 

[OSUZorba]

Why is there a notebook in the emergency kit??

How else are you going to write your final Will and Testament?

 

[DisLiss]

The kit includes a glow stick, lots of packs of drinking water, a notebook, and some, uh… waste disposal bags. So, the necessities, but hopefully nothing you’ll be needing to use on your next flight!

Thank you for the info!

Why is there a notebook in the emergency kit??

To help with communications if someone on board is non-verbal?

 

[Fangorn]

How else are you going to write you're final Will and Testament?

Exactly! Remember, you are riding in one of the
FLYING DEATH OVENS THAT RANDOMLY FALL FROM THE SKY INTO MANEATING, GATOR-INFESTED SWAMP WATER WHERE YOUR BRAIN WILL BE TURNED TO MUSH BY DEADLY AMOEBAS.

(Sorry, I just couldn't resist)

Steve

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Our evening was purposefully all about the Skyliner today. We rode from DHS to Epcot, entered Epcot (mostly to get another day toward the AP freebie), had fish and chips then took the Skyliner back to DHS to catch a bus to OKW. DW was using a wheelchair this trip due to a hip issue that makes walking long distances very painful. But she can transfer and walk quickly.

Here are my observations: (long)

• We arrived at DHS and got in the Skyliner line at 5:56. The line was ot of the station and partway back towards the bus stops. It looked long, but was moving - until the Skyliner stopped. I counted the number of people actually in line - 58. The Skyliner stopped 3 times while we were in that line, but even with the stops, we would've been on a gondola in under 6 minutes if not for...
• CMs that provided incorrect information and insisted that since DW was in the wheelchair, we absolutely had to use the secondary loop. There were 5 other parties in the ECV/Wheelchair line. Apparently, gondolas from the secondary line cannot be dispatched any quicker than 90 seconds apart, and the CM doing the loading there was in no hurry. It took over 20 minutes for us to get on a gondola. This same CM would not let DW get out of the wheelchair and transfer by herself. I had to push her in (no biggie) and then wait for the CM to put chocks behind the wheels.
• The trip from DHS to CBR was 5 mins 30 secs.
• Getting off at CBR took time as well, since CM had to remove the chocks.
• When we said we wanted to go to Epcot, we're were escorted by a very nice CM to the correct line - the ECV line, of course. That line had at least a dozen ECVs in it. The regular line was quite long as well, with maybe 300 people in it.
• It became apparent that not all the CMs know the procedures (no surprise there) when a female suit came over to us and asked DW if she could transfer. We said yes, and she said we could/should go on the regular line and have DW get out of the chair, fold up the chair and just get on as normal. I told her what the CMs assay DHS had told us. She sighed a heavy sigh, asked if I remember their names (I did), and then told us that the ECV line can take a very long time and it is not their policy to make everyone in a wheelchair use the ECV loop.
• The Skyliner stopped A LOT while we were on it. I have to assume it was mostly due to self-absorption and/or general stupidity but guests. I saw 2 instances myself where parents weren't paying attention to where the children were, got separated from them, and then stood inside a gondola telling at Johnny to hurry up. CM has to stop the line. CMs I talked to were pretty frustrated with how things were going on opening day.
• Talked to lots of people in line - nearly everyone was just making the trip on the Skyliner because it was opening day (like us)
• The trip from CBR to Epcot was over 20 minutes due to easy to many stops of the line.
• Left Epcot at 8:10. Skyliner line was not bad - took about 10 min. We were not required to use the ECV line. In fact, we were encouraged not to.
• That ECV line had at least 30 parties in it - and some of those folks were getting a tad belligerent at the wait.
• Way fewer stops going back to CBR - only 1, in fact.
• No queue heading to DHS - walked right on.
• The airflow on the gondolas is quite pleasant - IF the line is moving. When stationary, it gets a tad stuffy, rather than hot. It was very pleasant after the sun went down.
• Gondolas are very quiet. Lots of kids (and a few adults as well) will fall asleep during from Epcot to CBR.

It's apparent to me that there are more than a few kinks yet to be worked out with the Skyliner procedures and CM training. I'm not sure how they're going to cure guest stupidity though.

Steve

Thank you for the detailed report

I had been wondering how much the 2nd loop would be used and if they would also allow those with larger strollers / sleeping kids to use that and it be heavily used. But if they are only sending them every 90 secs or so then it is definitely just for ECVs / where people can't transfer, etc. I can see that being annoying at times for those that have to use that 2nd loop but as others have mentioned, often times for buses you have to wait for multiple buses - so no system is going to be perfect

I think over time it will settle out and the different lines will get waits at different times - specifically with EPCOT getting a line in that mid/late afternoon time as people head there for dinner, and even more now with people going for Food and wine and then the end of Illuminations/start of EPCOT Forever