News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

DisneyJeff

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Boat to DHS. Bus to AoA.

And if the weather has stopped the ferries, then what is the solution for someone right now going from Imagination to the Dolphin and they find out there's no ferry service because of weather when they get to the IG?

At least they wouldn't have to backtrack. They would just keep walking through the International Gateway, past the Friendship boats, and keep going to the Dolphin.
 

mmascari

Well-Known Member
...Until the scooters come along :-(

I keep reading comments about scooters, but I just don't see the issue.

These things move super slow in the load/unload part of the trip. It should be practically trivial for people to roll on/roll off anything on wheels.

But, if I was really paranoid about loading/unloading experience, or super concerned about some people needing extra time in a system where the system as a whole never stops, I would just design for this. We already know that it's trivial to pull a single gondola out of the line onto a secondary track and replace it with another gondola waiting on that secondary track. The complications in this procedure come when you do it automated for every other car or for large numbers. It's not a problem for manual one off exchanges that don't happen as often. See every ski resort that pulls a car and mixes in a cargo platform for supply delivery, and then pulls it out at the top lodge.

If I was designing the stations, I would simply include a second loading lane that is at a complete stop, not moving at all. Someone that needs extra time is directed to that second lane, they load in a stationary gondola. Once ready, the operator manually has a car pulled out of rotation and adds the loaded car in it's place. Hopefully with some indicator on the outside of the car. At the destination, the operator sees that indicator and pulls the car for unloading, replacing it with another, either empty for regular use or a slow loader if there is one.

Need some capacity in the "slow" unloading/loading area for a few cars, in case a bunch of guests show up at one time that all need it. Some thought about sequencing how of the slow vs normal areas, but all totally possible.

It's really no different than the procedure used to pull a car for maintenance. Say someone creates an "issue" in a car and it can no longer be used until corrected. They're not likely to slap some caution tape over the door and just let it run around the system all day. More likely, they pull it and move it into the maintenance area, replacing it with a spare car. It would still need to run around the system from discovery time until it get's back to the maintenance area, obviously. Probably with a similar indicator on the car that tells operators to not use it and to pull for maintenance.
 

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
One problem with having buses as a backup to the gondola system:

Say you are hanging out with Nemo and Friends at the Seas pavilion. It's late afternoon and your "precious angel" is starting to get a little cranky so you decide that you want to head back to your family suite at the Art of Animation resort. You pick up your stroller from the stroller junkyard and walk all the way through Future World and through Canada and Great Britain to get to the International Gateway Gondola Station. In the meantime, the skies decide they can't hold any more water and it starts to rain, and rain hard. You are getting aggravated because your $5.00 poncho isn't holding up to well and your "precious angel's" attitude has taken a turn for the worse. You finally get to the Gondola Station and you see a sign that says "Due to Inclement Weather, the WDW Gondola System is not operating. Please use bus transportation instead." Now is when you realize that the closest bus that is going to the Art of Animation Resort is at the front of Epcot.

@katiebug will not be happy!!!
Where did you get a $5 poncho?
 

TiggerDad

Well-Known Member
One problem with having buses as a backup to the gondola system:

Say you are hanging out with Nemo and Friends at the Seas pavilion. It's late afternoon and your "precious angel" is starting to get a little cranky so you decide that you want to head back to your family suite at the Art of Animation resort. You pick up your stroller from the stroller junkyard and walk all the way through Future World and through Canada and Great Britain to get to the International Gateway Gondola Station. In the meantime, the skies decide they can't hold any more water and it starts to rain, and rain hard. You are getting aggravated because your $5.00 poncho isn't holding up to well and your "precious angel's" attitude has taken a turn for the worse. You finally get to the Gondola Station and you see a sign that says "Due to Inclement Weather, the WDW Gondola System is not operating. Please use bus transportation instead." Now is when you realize that the closest bus that is going to the Art of Animation Resort is at the front of Epcot.

@katiebug will not be happy!!!
Loving the katiebug shoutout.
 

Minthorne

Well-Known Member
One problem with having buses as a backup to the gondola system:

Say you are hanging out with Nemo and Friends at the Seas pavilion. It's late afternoon and your "precious angel" is starting to get a little cranky so you decide that you want to head back to your family suite at the Art of Animation resort. You pick up your stroller from the stroller junkyard and walk all the way through Future World and through Canada and Great Britain to get to the International Gateway Gondola Station. In the meantime, the skies decide they can't hold any more water and it starts to rain, and rain hard. You are getting aggravated because your $5.00 poncho isn't holding up to well and your "precious angel's" attitude has taken a turn for the worse. You finally get to the Gondola Station and you see a sign that says "Due to Inclement Weather, the WDW Gondola System is not operating. Please use bus transportation instead." Now is when you realize that the closest bus that is going to the Art of Animation Resort is at the front of Epcot.

@katiebug will not be happy!!!

Precious angel can be taken to the Beach club and kept dry in the lobby while the Happy Parent gets an Uber!
 

flyerjab

Well-Known Member
I was at the International Gateway the other day and was trying to picture how the gondola system will enter here.

IMG_6792.JPG


IMG_6793.JPG


From the top photo there is obviously space with pretty much nothing in it for where the gondolas would approach a load/unload area.

The second photo is the one that interests me. I was standing there waiting for the family and was looking at that rise that has the really nice landscaping. I started wondering if any of that would need to be leveled or transformed at all.

This whole area is going to look very different after this system is added.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
I was at the International Gateway the other day and was trying to picture how the gondola system will enter here.

View attachment 194515

View attachment 194516

From the top photo there is obviously space with pretty much nothing in it for where the gondolas would approach a load/unload area.

The second photo is the one that interests me. I was standing there waiting for the family and was looking at that rise that has the really nice landscaping. I started wondering if any of that would need to be leveled or transformed at all.

This whole area is going to look very different after this system is added.
Wow, F&G and they didn't plant that island? Maybe they will tear it up sooner rather than later.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
I was at the International Gateway the other day and was trying to picture how the gondola system will enter here.

View attachment 194515

View attachment 194516

From the top photo there is obviously space with pretty much nothing in it for where the gondolas would approach a load/unload area.

The second photo is the one that interests me. I was standing there waiting for the family and was looking at that rise that has the really nice landscaping. I started wondering if any of that would need to be leveled or transformed at all.

This whole area is going to look very different after this system is added.
Pardon the crudeness. It's a quick iPad sketch whilst watching the Six Nations:

IMG_7552.JPG
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Original Poster
I was at the International Gateway the other day and was trying to picture how the gondola system will enter here.

View attachment 194515

View attachment 194516

From the top photo there is obviously space with pretty much nothing in it for where the gondolas would approach a load/unload area.

The second photo is the one that interests me. I was standing there waiting for the family and was looking at that rise that has the really nice landscaping. I started wondering if any of that would need to be leveled or transformed at all.

This whole area is going to look very different after this system is added.

The landscaped area should be ok, but they may have to move some trees. Here is a direct line from the turn station to where the IG station will be. They could change the angle somewhat with some intervening towers.

upload_2017-3-18_10-10-27.png
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
The landscaped area should be ok, but they may have to move some trees. Here is a direct line from the turn station to where the IG station will be. They could change the angle somewhat with some intervening towers.

View attachment 194525
The angle will be changed. The cable line will run parallel with the grass island / backstage road.
 
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