News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[englanddg]

Another consideration (and I can post a link when I get settled) is that staging and queuing for these cars joining and parting the drive cables can be done in three dimensions (meaning...up!). There are several systems I have read about today that use a second story car "queue", if you will, that the station operator uses to pace load / unload.

 

[Bob]

Cities to look at for the way proposals have handled things like loading / car storage and queuing in system (and even in station) are Austin and Vancouver.

I would link the proposals, but I am on an iPad...trickier...

Commentary: Austin’s sky might hold answer to traffic congestion

 

[marni1971]

Articles I have seen say 60 million pounds, which would have easily been 100 million USD when it was built. Of course a chunk of that was for land acquisition which Disney would not need to spend.

Around 55 for the build. As you say the rest was for legal that's not needed here.

Don't talk to me about exchange rates. Makes me cry.

 

[andysol]

This week!? I think in the last 24hrs most of us have taken a crash course in Gondolas! I know I have anyway...

Just think- this time last year we only knew about theme parks. Now we're ready to take on the world's alligators and mass transportation.

 

[Sachilles]

Hmm... I've been wondering why there isn't a line from the Boardwalk elbow right down to DHS...

Maybe its more a matter of all routes head to the "TTC2" by CBR, with two lines ahead of you two choose between. Coming from Epcot, you choose between DHS or Pop. Coming from Pop you choose between DHS or Epcot. And coming from DHS, you choose Epcot or Pop.

This simplifies the options, but still makes it a choice. This means those elbows can't be terminals.

The routing seems odd to me as well, that's why I suspect there are more loading stations than we've figured out to date. There has to be more than one line, and I suspect several.
My gut tells me that you have to connect Disney springs as well as the water park between cbr and the springs. The buena vista corridor is a huge opportunity.

 

[MisterPenguin]

This week!? I think in the last 24hrs most of us have taken a crash course in Gondolas! I know I have anyway...

I had to read the Wiki articles four times to finally understand the difference between an aerial lift and an aerial tram.

 

[Audrey77]

The thing I love about this as a transportation option is that it would be fluid, the queue always moving. There's a reason people still hop on the Wedway People Mover- it's a quick wait and always moving even with ADA adaptations.

No bus crashes. Moving billboards in the sky ;-)

 

[fngoofy]

It could if you are right, it depends on the size of the cars. But keep in mind, the larger the car, the longer it takes to load. Just think how long it takes to load and unload a bus? Now imagine doing the same thing on a system which is perpetually in motion. Just because it is detachable, doesn't mean you can't ignore the car behind.

The ones you see at European ski resorts look to hold 20-30 people standing, and you just walk on.

 

[britain]

The routing seems odd to me as well, that's why I suspect there are more loading stations than we've figured out to date. There has to be more than one line, and I suspect several.
My gut tells me that you have to connect Disney springs as well as the water park between cbr and the springs. The buena vista corridor is a huge opportunity.

Yes but my point is that I don't think they can really make a sophisticated "Choose a Destination" type of offer when you start throwing in Disney Springs, or Blizzard Beach or even DAK. With only 3 terminals, what they can do is essentially say "Choose to go left or right".

 

[TimeTrip]

The cars can transfer on their own, between propulsion cables independently run between the stations...which, is what I think Marni is implying.

You can have, on the same "propulsion line system", "local" and "express" gondolas.

One of the links I posted earlier referred to a system in Europe (Alps?) that is doing just that. There are others, like at Brekenridge here in the US.

It should be noted, these are NOT ski lifts as most people would think of them...far beyond that.

Yeah, I get the scenario where two different routes meet (each with in/out cables) though Marni seemed to be implying that there would be quite the physical separation between load/unload locations.

Have you found a working example where 3 lines come together and can be transferred from one to the other?
Or maybe just one where 2 lines together, and one cabin could "make a u-turn" rather than passing onto the next segment?

 

[coasterphil]

Around 55 for the build. As you say the rest was for legal that's not needed here.

Don't talk to me about exchange rates. Makes me cry.

Exactly, these systems are not that costly. Again, look to the ski areas that already have gondolas in place and you can easily see what their stated costs were. Also, WDW's isn't going to require a helicopter install on the side of a mountain in a very limited weather window so it would presumably be even cheaper.

 

[britain]

And if you're talking pre-determined, you need a smaller group, that means small capacity vehicles...

 

[peter11435]

And if you're talking pre-determined, you need a smaller group, that means small capacity vehicles...

Not necessarily

 

[lobelia]

Planning my next Disney Vacation....Do you think it'll be ready?


Oh and I bet the Reedy Creek FD will be getting a new fancy ladder truck soon.

 

[bunnyman]

Works in NYC:

 

[Sachilles]

Yes but my point is that I don't think they can really make a sophisticated "Choose a Destination" type of offer when you start throwing in Disney Springs, or Blizzard Beach or even DAK. With only 3 terminals, what they can do is essentially say "Choose to go left or right".

I agree with you there. That being said, you still have to make a network that makes sense for a guest to use. The scope of this project may only be epcot, CBR and DHS. However, the routing may make it convenient to add another line from CBR to the water park and DS. Completely separate gondola. No smart switching. Just a network of lines.
So my point is the routes might be a little of a head scratcher, but might be setting the table for something else in the future.

 

[britain]

I'd doubt anything but pre determined.

Wait a sec, when you say Pre-Determined, do you mean pre-determined by Disney because they built the lines, and the passengers get no say once on their gondola.

Or do you mean a passenger boards and then pushes a button to pre-determine which terminal to go to?

I'm starting to think it's obviously the former, not the latter. The former is pre-determining. The later is determining.

EDIT: I more closely read the original question about "plugging in" - I misread Martin's answer.

 

[marni1971]

Wait a sec, when you say Pre-Determined, do you mean pre-determined by Disney because they built the lines, and the passengers get no say once on their gondola.

Or do you mean a passenger boards and then pushes a button to pre-determine which terminal to go to?

I'm starting to think it's obviously the former, not the latter. The former is pre-determining. The later is determining.

I'd very very surprised if guests could choose their destination once aboard.

 

[Sachilles]

My opinion on that is you get on the gondola car and your ride it. You might have an option to get off before reaching the end of the line, but you will not have a choice to go left or go right. Your options will be to stay on it, or get off.

Any change in direction would require getting off, and loading on to a new line(circuit).

 

[britain]

I'd very very surprised if guests could choose their destination once aboard.

Right, thanks. It would be mighty futuristic, but yeah it doesn't make sense.