My husband and I rode the skyliner for the first time this evening. I was a bit apprehensive about going on it, but once we were on, I enjoyed it for the most part. When leaving and entering a station, the gondolas go at a higher rate of speed than when they're in the air, and we noticed how closely the gondolas behind us seemed to come up on us as we were slowing down to exit the car. Our last ride was on the same line as the one where the accident happened a few hours later. It was the line from Epcot to the Caribbean Resort, with a stop at the Riviera. Nobody gets off or on at the Riviera station since the hotel isn't open yet, but the gondolas slowly glide through and the doors open and close. Cast members are there to tell you to stay seated as you continue on your way to the Caribbean Resort station.
Our ride was pretty smooth, but I did notice our gondola swaying when the wind was blowing. On the flip side, we found the inside of the gondola to be very breezy and not at all hot. After hearing about the accident, though, I'm not too crazy about riding them again.
I was so surprised (and sad) to hear about the accident and I feel for all the people who were (and maybe still are) stuck on the skyliner. I know not all the details are in yet, but hopefully, nobody was hurt.