Puzzled over Skyliner

[ChimCher-ee]

Just gotta vent. I’m puzzled and a little annoyed! Any explanations you care to give could take the sting away, maybe!

I know this must have been long discussed in the years since Skyliner opened, but this is my first time back and I didn’t do my research. So I was very excited to stay at a Skyliner resort. Until I got here.

I was surprised to find that there are no buses to Skyliner resorts—until it rains. Then there are buses, whenever they get them up and running. And since it’s rained several times a day, every day of my trip, this has been such a big inconvenience that I may never stay at a Skyliner resort again.

Now, I live in a place where we rely on skyliner service as a daily part of our commute (we call ours The Tram). And the only time the Tram doesn’t run is when there are winds greater than 35 mph. Not when it rains. Not even when there’s a thunderstorm. So I know this type of transportation works.

I would have thought Disney would invest in a reliable version of this transportation, given the frequency of wet Florida weather. Or at least to maintain steady bus service as a parallel mode, so we could avoid 1 the tremendously long Skyliner lines prepark openings and 2 the annoyingly long wet slog to a location to wait for service to boot up.

That said, I love the Skyliner when I take it in the off peak hours. The off peak, dry hours.

 

[mjr0483]

I feel your pain. It’s been down all day and they don’t have an efficient alternative. I would never stay at a skyliner resort for the skyliner. It’s a joke and not reliable.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

I feel your pain. It’s been down all day and they don’t have an efficient alternative. I would never stay at a skyliner resort for the skyliner. It’s a joke and not reliable.

I love Art of Animation and Pop Century, for their own character—I have such good memories from all the vacations spent at both, solo and with my family. But I may have to give them up because of this!

I’ve stayed a few times at All Stars and Port Orleans, and I’d take the bus trouble there (not much, that I ever experienced) over this.

So sad!

 

[Adventureland]

Whaat I had no clue that there are NO buses! I could imagine that's incredibly inconvenient.

 

[StageTek]

Another big flaw I ran into:

Leaving Epcot and a thunderstorm picks up. No Skyliner so we walked all the way to the main entrance. By the time we got there the storm was gone (Florida in September, go figure) and the last bus to POP had left. Walked all the way back to the Skyliner just as a thunder... No, not really, but can you imagine?

Several time during that September visit we were in line for the Skyliner at POP when the shut it down due to storm activity so everyone rushed to the bus stop and waits for Disney to get a couple of buses there.

 

[EACarlson]

Another big flaw I ran into:

Leaving Epcot and a thunderstorm picks up. No Skyliner so we walked all the way to the main entrance. By the time we got there the storm was gone (Florida in September, go figure) and the last bus to POP had left. Walked all the way back to the Skyliner just as a thunder... No, not really, but can you imagine?

Several time during that September visit we were in line for the Skyliner at POP when the shut it down due to storm activity so everyone rushed to the bus stop and waits for Disney to get a couple of buses there.

This is the biggest issue, there is no reason Disney should be expecting a guest to walk from one end of EPCOT to the other because they shut down the only mode of transportation back to one of their resorts. IIRC when the Skyliner first opened they had buses at BW or YC that took people to CBR and POP when the line was down.

 

[Wishescouple]

We are headed to AoA next month and I was told by several CMs that buses indeed go to/from resorts in ADDITION to the Skyliner, not just when it rains. I also saw others that stayed at AoA recommending using buses for RD at EP and HS because they start running earlier than the Skyliner. I guess it's changing! Reading this post changes everything for us. Perhaps I should book another resort because relying solely as a means to get us back and forth a gamble at best. Thanks for sharing your experiences! I rather know this going into the trip than being disappointed when we get there.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are headed to AoA next month and I was told by several CMs that buses indeed go to/from resorts in ADDITION to the Skyliner, not just when it rains. I also saw others that stayed at AoA recommending using buses for RD at EP and HS because they start running earlier than the Skyliner. I guess it's changing! Reading this post changes everything for us. Perhaps I should book another resort because relying solely as a means to get us back and forth a gamble at best. Thanks for sharing your experiences! I rather know this going into the trip than being disappointed when we get there.

AoA has regular bus service to/from Epcot and DHS, regardless of the weather. It is the only Skyliner resort that offers regular bus service to these parks (although Pop guests can of course walk across the lake to utilize them too).

 

[joelkfla]

AoA has regular bus service to/from Epcot and DHS, regardless of the weather. It is the only Skyliner resort that offers regular bus service to these parks (although Pop guests can of course walk across the lake to utilize them too).

Is that still true? I thought it was started to compensate for the reduced Skyliner capacity during the pandemic restrictions.

 

[Disneylover99]

Is that still true? I thought it was started to compensate for the reduced Skyliner capacity during the pandemic restrictions.

Buses have been running between AofA and HS/Epcot since the skyliner began, long before the pandemic.

 

[joelkfla]

Buses have been running between AofA and HS/Epcot since the skyliner began, long before the pandemic.

Thanks. Guess my memory failed me.

 

[Disneylover99]

Thanks. Guess my memory failed me.

I’m happily surprised they continue to be an option.

 

[DisLiss]

I'm sorry it was an annoyance for you on your trip. I can definitely see how it would be aggravating.

Your story (and some of the responses here) definitely remind me that researching things right before a trip is very important because things change so rapidly at Disney---especially these days! You think you've got everything figured out---and then--Poof!---and things are very different than you thought they would be.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Buses have been running between AofA and HS/Epcot since the skyliner began, long before the pandemic.

Although I need to refresh my memory as well, hadn’t they gone to a “one bus per hour” setup for all of the Skyliner resorts (including AoA) just prior to the pandemic? I seem to recall some kind of reduced setup had been rolled out, I think, need to go remind myself of the details.

 

[Disneylover99]

Although I need to refresh my memory as well, hadn’t they gone to a “one bus per hour” setup for all of the Skyliner resorts (including AoA) just prior to the pandemic? I seem to recall some kind of reduced setup had been rolled out, I think, need to go remind myself of the details.

I don’t know about CBR but I *think* both Pop and AofA had buses running super early in the morning, before the pandemic, when parks opened super early, because the skyliner didn’t open in time to get people to Epcot/HS for rope drop back then.They were running hourly, mid day from AofA at the time. They probably run hourly or almost hourly now mid day from AofA. I’m not really sure of the frequency these days. Not sure, if they were running mid day from Pop, pre-pandemic. But I don’t think so? Seems like a lifetime ago.

 

[Leigh L]

This is a little off-topic but wanted to mention it in case anyone runs into a similar situation and can look at alternative options.

We were at WDW the last week in June and learned the Skyliner resorts had a "Skyliner" bus that was circling those resorts when the EP Skyliner line was down (the other ones were running). We had bussed from Coronado to DHS to take the Skyliner to Riviera for dinner, but learned could only get as far as CBR. The CM at DHS said we'd have to walk between CBR and Riviera or take a bus directly from DHS to RIV so, at that time, they were running a direct bus.

One member of our party opted for the latter while everyone else wanted to try the Skyliner since 2 of the group had never ridden it. When we got to CBR, a CM said we didn't have to walk to Riviera and directed us to a nearby bus stop. Here WDW had buses running guests to Epcot and a separate bus for the Skyliner resorts.

Not sure if this is normal or only when Skyliner is down, but it was awfully convenient! Especially if they do this frequently or as a part of normal operations. It was called the "Skyliner resort bus loop" or something like that.

(When we were at Pop in February, far as I could tell, there were no buses for Epcot and DHS. AoA had busses running to those parks. )

 

[EACarlson]

Thanks. Guess my memory failed me.

POP had buses to HS and EP in Dec. 2019 when I was there. It was a very reduced service unless the Skyliner was down. What I believe you are remembering is that when POP re-opened but AoA had not, there was no bus service to HS or EP unless the Skyliner wasn't running. Bus service to that end of the line didn't come back until AoA reopened.

 

[joelkfla]

POP had buses to HS and EP in Dec. 2019 when I was there. It was a very reduced service unless the Skyliner was down. What I believe you are remembering is that when POP re-opened but AoA had not, there was no bus service to HS or EP unless the Skyliner wasn't running. Bus service to that end of the line didn't come back until AoA reopened.

I was aware of the hourly service pre-pandemic, but I thought they were running buses from AoA at normal frequency after it opened while Skyliner capacity was restricted, and encouraging AoA guests to use the buses rather than Skyliner. That's what I was wondering whether it was still going on now that Skyliner is back to full capacity.