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

[unbanshee]

The gondola system is definitely less costs than the monorail but it won't move more people. The monorail system moves almost 7,000 per hour.

Has anyone estimated the time it will take to get from the IG to DHS including changing lines?

Without changing lines you're looking at about 10 minutes if you can travel 14 mph. Obviously turns will add a little bit of time and getting up to speed will take some time. So say 12 minutes, not counting switching

 

[beer dave]

The cables keep running at speed. Cabins entering the station switch off from the cable to a track, and are propelled and decelerated by the tires you see in the close-ups of the DHS station. As the cabins decelerate, the spacing between them naturally shrinks, until they're virtually adjacent. The cabins do not stop (normally), they move thru the load area at crawl speed with constant spacing being maintained. At the end of the load area, the cabins are accelerated back to cable speed and the spacing increases to the on-cable space.

So loading and unloading does not cause the system to slow down, unless a rider has a problem boarding in the time the cabin passes thru the load area and the operator has to manually slow or stop it. Which is why many of us are thinking that the unprecedented 2nd turnaround at the terminal stations is to allow cabins to be stopped offline for extended loading time. But they would only be needed for the few cabins to accommodate wheelchairs or other slow loaders.

So Disney & Doppelmayr may be planning some similar arrangement at Riviera, but it would only be for slow loaders, not for everyone getting on or off there.

Yes.. sounds good. two through tracks in each direction-- one regular running at very slow speed that runs the "regular" track -- maybe loading and unloading on the first straight leg as entering the station (from either direction)--- then a spur or after the turn and before the bull wheel where the cars can be completely stopped and staged for slow loading. they would load / unload from both sides of the station-- depending on direction of travel, and each side would have access before the turn for regular load and after the turn for handicap... or vice versa....

 

[ChipnDale79]

It's probably been asked, but well, we're on page 130 so......

Has anyone heard any rumors about this system expanding resort wide after this first phase is completed?

 

[skier_pete]

It's probably been asked, but well, we're on page 130 so......

Has anyone heard any rumors about this system expanding resort wide after this first phase is completed?

Nothing of substance. Mostly just "wouldn't it be a great idea if..."

 

[Q-man]

The gondola system is definitely less costs than the monorail but it won't move more people. The monorail system moves almost 7,000 per hour.

Has anyone estimated the time it will take to get from the IG to DHS including changing lines?

Is that each loop or all 3 loops combined?

The skyliner's 4000-5000 an hour is in each direction and for each park thus each loop can handle 8-10K per hour; making the total combined skyliner capacity in the 16-20K per hour range.

 

[skier_pete]

Is that each loop or both loops combined?

The skyliner's 4000-5000 an hour is in each direction and for each park. So the total combined skyliner capacity would be in the 16-20K per hour range.

It should be around 3000 people each way on all the legs. I think those that are saying 5000 per hour are not being realistic, or at least that might be a "maximum capacity" number, but it will never run that high.

There's no bloody way the monorail is moving 7,000 people an hour each way.

So I looked it up - there are 6 cars, FULL capacity per car is 20 seated and 40 standing - so that is 360 people per monorail. 7,000 people is TWENTY monorail loads, which means a monorail leaving every THREE minutes. Anyone that's ridden the monorail knows this isn't the case. So I would say that is BOTH rails, and even that is generous to say a monorail every 6 minutes it's probably more like 6-8 per hour, and rarely are there 60 people crammed in each cabin, so figure 85% capacity we are talking 1800 - 2500 per loop.

 

[RRB]

It should be around 3000 people each way on all the legs. I think those that are saying 5000 per hour are not being realistic, or at least that might be a "maximum capacity" number, but it will never run that high.

There's no bloody way the monorail is moving 7,000 people an hour each way.

So I looked it up - there are 6 cars, FULL capacity per car is 20 seated and 40 standing - so that is 360 people per monorail. 7,000 people is TWENTY monorail loads, which means a monorail leaving every THREE minutes. Anyone that's ridden the monorail knows this isn't the case. So I would say that is BOTH rails, and even that is generous to say a monorail every 6 minutes it's probably more like 6-8 per hour, and rarely are there 60 people crammed in each cabin, so figure 85% capacity we are talking 1800 - 2500 per loop.

Here's where I got the monorail info.....
http://wdwnews.com/releases/highway-in-the-sky-walt-disney-world-resort-monorail-fact-sheet/
I too think that 5,000 for the gondola is unrealistic. I'm not saying the gondola is a bad idea, I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

[joelkfla]

It should be around 3000 people each way on all the legs. I think those that are saying 5000 per hour are not being realistic, or at least that might be a "maximum capacity" number, but it will never run that high.

There's no bloody way the monorail is moving 7,000 people an hour each way.

So I looked it up - there are 6 cars, FULL capacity per car is 20 seated and 40 standing - so that is 360 people per monorail. 7,000 people is TWENTY monorail loads, which means a monorail leaving every THREE minutes. Anyone that's ridden the monorail knows this isn't the case. So I would say that is BOTH rails, and even that is generous to say a monorail every 6 minutes it's probably more like 6-8 per hour, and rarely are there 60 people crammed in each cabin, so figure 85% capacity we are talking 1800 - 2500 per loop.

I think the Express loop does get headway below 5 minutes when it's running maximum trains.

 

[skier_pete]

Here's where I got the monorail info.....
http://wdwnews.com/releases/highway-in-the-sky-walt-disney-world-resort-monorail-fact-sheet/
I too think that 5,000 for the gondola is unrealistic. I'm not saying the gondola is a bad idea, I'm looking forward to trying it.

Well, they point out that there are 12 monorails total - and again each one holds only 360 people. So let's look at the Epcot loop - and let's say we have 3 monorails on the beam - each one takes ~20 minutes to travel the full loop - that's 9 loads or 3200 people. BUT - people are getting off and on on each end - so 3200 people one way - and 3200 DIFFERENT people the other way. That's 6400 people. At MK it's even more, because people are getting on and off the resort loop, so the actual # of people being service by the monorail could easily be 7000 people.

But the Skyliner is going to have the same situation. Because there we are talking about the one-way capacity as being 3000 people - but different people will be traveling each way - so yes, the overall capacity for the system will be 5000-6000 people if you consider BOTH directions, and then if you assume people will be getting on and off at the various intermediate stations, they could easily serve more like 10,000 people per hour at busy times.

All that said - the RIGHT way to compare is single directional capacity. Again, if we assume 360 people per monorail, and approximately say 8 loads per hour - that's 2880 bodies that could be transported from the TTC to MK on the express beam. Similarly - we would expect that the Skyliner will be able to deliver around the same number to or from the IG every hour.

 

[Q-man]

NM

 

[Lee Matthews]

The Skyliner needs to go to the Animal Kingdom area, which is so remote from the rest of WDW

 

[ChipnDale79]

The Skyliner needs to go to the Animal Kingdom area, which is so remote from the rest of WDW

I honestly hate the disney bus system, i hate how crowded the buses get and how long you have to wait for them. I really hope this is a success and disney does these things resort wide.

 

[Lee Matthews]

I really hope Animal Kingdom as a minimum.

After that I would love it to go through the Port Orleans resorts and through to Disney Springs.

If this is rolled out property wide then they would need some serious main hubs dotted around.

I don’t see it going to the monorail resorts

 

[SgtTibbs]

I honestly hate the disney bus system, i hate how crowded the buses get and how long you have to wait for them. I really hope this is a success and disney does these things resort wide.

I'm expecting that the Skyliner will bring a level of predictability to travel times that will be most welcome. I hate not knowing if I'll have to wait 2 or 20min for a bus.

 

[STLstone]

I honestly hate the disney bus system, i hate how crowded the buses get and how long you have to wait for them. I really hope this is a success and disney does these things resort wide.

I truly appreciate that they provide free (or cost-included, at least) buses throughout the property. But I really, really don't like to use them.

One of the main reasons is the inconsistent wait times. Also, the possibility of being affected by traffic.

These gondolas, if they function properly, would not be susceptible to either of those.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's probably been asked, but well, we're on page 130 so......

Has anyone heard any rumors about this system expanding resort wide after this first phase is completed?

Nothing of substance. Mostly just "wouldn't it be a great idea if..."

The Skyliner needs to go to the Animal Kingdom area, which is so remote from the rest of WDW

The only thing specific is that in the past there was chatter about some sort of transportation connecting the Animal Kingdom Lodge to Animal Kingdom (thought been around for a while) and the thinking if this is successful perhaps this could be the form of transportation chosen. They you have Coronado and the All Stars in that area

but definitely nothing concrete - I think it is more of a "wait and see"

 

[OKW Lover]

The Skyliner needs to go to the Animal Kingdom area, which is so remote from the rest of WDW

How about a route that covers All Star Resorts>AKL>AK>CSR? And of course once you get to CSR its a short hop to DHS & Epcot.

 

[joelkfla]

The Skyliner needs to go to the Animal Kingdom area, which is so remote from the rest of WDW

The Skyliner makes sense where they're putting it because you have 3 of the largest resorts and 2 theme parks all within close proximity. They're getting a lot of bang for their bucks.

It's also taking traffic out of one of the most congested areas on property (although that may change when the new DHS entrance opens.)

From a cost/benefit standpoint, I think it would be tough to justify putting one in to AK. Connecting Epcot with PO, OKW, SSR, and DS makes more sense.

 

[jade1]

I'm expecting that the Skyliner will bring a level of predictability to travel times that will be most welcome. I hate not knowing if I'll have to wait 2 or 20min for a bus.

Yea that will be nice.

For going to an EPCOT Resort it will amount to walking out of DHS and looking left at the boat line and if a boat is there, if so I think that will be faster at least to the BW-esp if you get off at S&D and walk over.

Or look right and see a short line for the skyliner-esp if there is no boat or that is a long line.

Obviously from EPCOT the skyliner is pointless if going to an EPCOT resort.

 

[skier_pete]

I honestly hate the disney bus system, i hate how crowded the buses get and how long you have to wait for them. I really hope this is a success and disney does these things resort wide.

I don't mind the buses. I wonder if it's because most people visiting Disney World never take public transportation, but really the bus system is not that bad. Most of the time you wait between 0 and 15 minutes for a bus and it takes you right where you want to be. There always seems to be once or twice a trip that you wait 20-30 minutes, and my wife gets all worked up about this...but I've become very zen about it.

That said, last trip we stay at Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge, and we only took the bus 5 times the whole trip, and like 21 times on boats, and it was pretty sweet.