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

[jhoannam]

We stay at Pop and like to go on Spaceship Earth first when we head to Epcot. I’d imagine the bus could be faster, especially since we check bus arrival times on the app. So we might only need to wait a minute or two for the bus at Pop.

But if you have ECVs loading it might take 10 minutes to load those. Or at least it feels like it take 10 minutes to load.

 

[Disneylover99]

But if you have ECVs loading it might take 10 minutes to load those. Or at least it feels like it take 10 minutes to load.

For sure. That’s why I said, the bus could be, not would be faster. There are lots of variables to consider.

 

[Disneylover99]

Since there seems to be many who think the buses will not run as they do now when the Skyway opens then the comparison of the times will not matter..the gondola's will always be faster under that scenario...at any speed

I think it depends on how you utilize it.

My family will take the gondola, but I’ll take the bus. In that scenario, I’ll check the bus arrival time and head out to the bus a few minutes from when it’s scheduled to arrive while my family will head towards the gondola, so that we’re roughly leaving at the same time.

 

[writerguyfl]

But if you have ECVs loading it might take 10 minutes to load those. Or at least it feels like it take 10 minutes to load.

Much of the time it takes to load an ECV is lowering the ramp and securing the vehicle to the bus with the straps/belts. Neither of those things will happen with a gondola.

The gondola floor will be basically flush with the station floor. And there aren't any laws that require straps/belts in a gondola like there are in a bus.

 

[mom2reese]

Are they still looking at fall 2019 for opening date?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Are they still looking at fall 2019 for opening date?

Nothing different has been announced by Disney but we’re all hoping earlier!

 

[jade1]

Much of the time it takes to load an ECV is lowering the ramp and securing the vehicle to the bus with the straps/belts. Neither of those things will happen with a gondola.

The gondola floor will be basically flush with the station floor. And there aren't any laws that require straps/belts in a gondola like there are in a bus.

Plus the rest of the gondolas are not effected even if they did load as slow. So nobody else will be waiting, like in a bus.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I think it depends on how you utilize it.

My family will take the gondola, but I’ll take the bus. In that scenario, I’ll check the bus arrival time and head out to the bus a few minutes from when it’s scheduled to arrive while my family will head towards the gondola, so that we’re roughly leaving at the same time.

I'm taking the gondola and then taking the bus and time each from the moment I leave the room to the moment I arrive at Epcot to see which takes less time. I will leave the room 10 minutes before bus's estimated arrival.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Plus the rest of the gondolas are not effected even if they did load as slow. So nobody else will be waiting, like in a bus.

Some people say that the ECVs require special gondola loading, but I don't see why. They can just be parked at a marked spot on the moving platform before general loading area, then drive on as soon as the gondola door opens, while everybody else can go in the gondolas before or after them. In that way, they load just like anybody else.
Although I do wonder if the gondola system is going to allow ECVs. Disney has only mentioned "wheelchairs and other assistive devices." Hardly anybody uses wheelchairs in WDW. I wonder if this is just an oversight, or they won't allow ECVs? But that would be strange, wouldn't it? Unless there's some law against it due to safety or whatever?

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Sounds like this plan is highly contingent on there being absolutely zero line ups or wait when transferring to different gondolas at each station. Maybe that will be true, but I'm imagining is will take 5-10 minutes by the time you unload, walk to the correct line up for the next gondola, and reload again. Guess we won't know until the system is actually in use and we hear reports back...

I know, there better be zero lines waiting or transferring, or I will be VERY disappointed! And it should not take 5-10 minutes to tranfer, for heaven's sake. The gondola station at CBR isn't even that big based on videos on youtube. I should absolutely be able to jump out of one and jump into another one in under 30 seconds. My plan will be shot if there is a line.

During park opening/closing, however, they is more likelihood of having a line. Then the gondola just might take longer than the bus. It would still be very neat, though.

 

[sndral]

Am I the only one who’s experienced bus wait times being unreliable? They’ll promise that the bus will arrive at X o’clock, then the arrival time will change to X+5 min., then after X+5 min. comes but no bus yet, it’ll update to X+5+5, etc..
Waiting in your room to go down to the bus stop until right before the bus arrives is still waiting, and IMO only ups your chances of standing once you are on the bus (or having to wait for the next bus.) Whereas w/ the gondola you just go when you’re ready, so no waiting to head to the gondola station based on app. arrival times.

Plus the rest of the gondolas are not effected even if they did load as slow. So nobody else will be waiting, like in a bus.

Well, except for going to Epcot, when the line has to stop/really slow down for an unskilled ECV driver trying to board/deboard at the Riviera station.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Since there seems to be many who think the buses will not run as they do now when the Skyway opens then the comparison of the times will not matter..the gondola's will always be faster under that scenario...at any speed

It really depends on how many people still want to ride the bus. But, most people agree that Disney will run the bus in the beginning of gondola opening at least, so one can still compare buses with gondolas. I really hope the gondola opens soon so that we know the answers to all these questions!

 

[BabybetterDisney]

2 thoughts on the time comparison between the buses and gondola's;
The time for buses is best case scenario, add walking up when one is just leaving, traffic, full or loading a scooter or two and the time can easily be more like 45-60 minutes. During mid day I've walked up and a bus was waiting and was able to hop on an get to DHS or Epcot in as little as 15-20 but still had to walk almost 10 minutes from the bus stop to the gate, DHS is now closer so that helps. Getting from the gondola station at either park is less than a minute at Epcot and maybe only a little over a minute to DHS.
As far as the gondola time, maybe they are planning on running them at a speed where they don't tilt on take off and landing as much, the faster speed test's we saw may have been top speed for evacuations. I would love that tilting but it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
The gondola's will always be faster even at peak times..does anyone think the buses will be any faster at peak times and everyone having a seat?

It's hard to tell how the gondola will be at peak times because of the wait time. Yes, theoretically, the gondola can pack more than buses. But will they be packed that full? If, say, the gondola end up being packed full with 8 or more people per cabin, then there will be little wait time even during peak hours. However, I can't imagine that happening. You'd have to have CMs constantly calling out "Party of 2? Party of 1?" like they do on rides. If they don't do that, then people will simply refuse to get on the half full gondolas but rather have a gondola to themselves. When 2 buses come next to each other, people often stop loading when there's only standing room, even when the line is long, and there's nothing that the driver can do about it but to drive away.
We will know the answer to all these theoretical conjectures when the gondola opens. I am dying to find out the answers! I hope they open at least by August, preferably in July, like before July 4th! That's a busy day, so we will know how long the gondola lines will be, if any!

 

[Starwind]

Some people say that the ECVs require special gondola loading, but I don't see why. They can just be parked at a marked spot on the moving platform before general loading area, then drive on as soon as the gondola door opens, while everybody else can go in the gondolas before or after them. In that way, they load just like anybody else.
Although I do wonder if the gondola system is going to allow ECVs. Disney has only mentioned "wheelchairs and other assistive devices." Hardly anybody uses wheelchairs in WDW. I wonder if this is just an oversight, or they won't allow ECVs? But that would be strange, wouldn't it? Unless there's some law against it due to safety or whatever?

An ECV is an assistive device. Why would they not be allowed as long as they are within the proper dimensions ?

An ECV could be difficult to load into a moving object even one moving slowly, particularly for inexperienced users. Among other things, an ECV has a chunk more mass than a wheelchair or stroller, that would need to passively pivot on its wheels as the gondola moves forward.

SW

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I got to thinking. I believe Disney will not allow ECVs because they are too heavy and need to be strapped in inside a moving vehicle, for safety's sake.

Look at this inside:


There's nothing to strap in the ECV. Disney must be planning to ban ECV on the gondola this whole time.

I could be reading too much into this and Disney is considering ECVs to be wheelchairs and doesn't care if it isn't strapped in as long as it is in park.

If, however, ECVs are banned on the gondola, then Disney will have to continue to run buses.

 

[Spartan86]

They can just be parked at a marked spot on the moving platform before general loading area,

I think you will find all the platforms are stationary, only the gondolas move. I think ECV’s will ride. How they handle them at Riviera remains to be seen.

 

[writerguyfl]

I got to thinking. I believe Disney will not allow ECVs because they are too heavy and need to be strapped in inside a moving vehicle, for safety's sake.

There's nothing to strap in the ECV. Disney must be planning to ban ECV on the gondola this whole time.

This is absolutely incorrect. ECVs do not need to be strapped in all moving vehicles...just buses by law. For proof, you just need to look at the monorail. ECVs use the monorail without any straps/belts.

As for weight, ECVs are not too heavy. Not even close. Frequent poster joelkfla did the research and found that each gondola has a weight limit of 1,800 kg which is 3,968 pounds.

That post includes the source for that fact: https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...pdated-4-23-19.3578988/page-321#post-60479912

To put that figure in perspective, a Jeep Wrangler 4x4 sports utility vehicle weighs about 3,900 pounds. These gondolas won't have any problem with an ECV and a few extra passengers.

Source for SUV weight: https://cars.lovetoknow.com/List_of_Car_Weights

 

[vacationer1954]

I know, there better be zero lines waiting or transferring, or I will be VERY disappointed! And it should not take 5-10 minutes to tranfer, for heaven's sake.

Sounds like you're priming yourself in advance to have complaints.

 

[Disneylover99]

Am I the only one who’s experienced bus wait times being unreliable? They’ll promise that the bus will arrive at X o’clock, then the arrival time will change to X+5 min., then after X+5 min. comes but no bus yet, it’ll update to X+5+5, etc..
Waiting in your room to go down to the bus stop until right before the bus arrives is still waiting, and IMO only ups your chances of standing once you are on the bus (or having to wait for the next bus.) Whereas w/ the gondola you just go when you’re ready, so no waiting to head to the gondola station based on app. arrival times.

Yes. Definitely bus wait times can and do go up by a few minutes here and there quite frequently. I just see the potential for buses to be faster from Pop to Epcot, with the prediction of 17 minutes by gondola and roughly 12 or 13 minutes by bus, once the bus is moving.

 

[karly05]

Not an ECV expert, but I'm guessing one reason for strapping down an ECV in a bus is so, if the bus collides with something, a "loose" ECV doesn't strike or fall on other passengers.