News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
I imagine e-stops due to intrusions will actually be quite common. If someone does stupid human tricks like crossing into the path of gondolas... or people climb fences near the stations... they'll be forced to do an emergency stop.

Imagine someone getting stuck in a door.. someone not clearing the cabin in time... someone walking where they are not supposed to be. Lots of risks for guests to do stupid things..

The question will be is in the operating setup how much they can force a full stop of the cabins without requiring a safety reset.. vs incidents that require a full emergency stop. They should be able to slow/stop the cabins easily I would suspect.. but what conditions the Operating guide under Disney may require a panic stop could be more common..
OMG. You just made me think of all the idiots that will make a game of seeing if they can get the gondolas to stop.
 

Lift Blog

Well-Known Member
You guys are overthinking emergency stops. They happen all the time and can be reset in a matter of seconds. An emergency shutdown is slightly more involved but again the lift can be reset and running within seconds. On my Doppelmayr gondola, an E stop is mechanically the same as a normal stop, just less gradual.
 
Last edited:

Phil12

Well-Known Member
Lighting hitting an actual car would be very unlikely since there are wires strung above the line that are specifically designed to protect the cars from this. E-stops should also be very rare, if they happen it will probably be due to a pretty big mechanical failure.
Yes, the gondolas are actually Faraday cages so occupants are protected from lightning strikes. But a lightning pulse down the cable could induce mechanical mayhem.
 

Dole Whip Happy Hour

Active Member
I imagine e-stops due to intrusions will actually be quite common. If someone does stupid human tricks like crossing into the path of gondolas... or people climb fences near the stations... they'll be forced to do an emergency stop.

Imagine someone getting stuck in a door.. someone not clearing the cabin in time... someone walking where they are not supposed to be. Lots of risks for guests to do stupid things..

The question will be is in the operating setup how much they can force a full stop of the cabins without requiring a safety reset.. vs incidents that require a full emergency stop. They should be able to slow/stop the cabins easily I would suspect.. but what conditions the Operating guide under Disney may require a panic stop could be more common..
This makes me think how Disney is going to educate people on using the second track that is able to stop. There will be people that don't know or understand the system, and people that should take the second line that don't, causing a possible stop because they don't clear the doors fast enough. Will Disney just use signs and hope for the best? I assume there will cast members there to show them. What is the point where cast members point people to use the second track. Or just trust people will know their limits. Some many be obvious, but someone with a cane that moves fairly well but slow, or someone with a handful of small children? Will they push more people not to use the second track so that doesn't get backed up?
 

Phil12

Well-Known Member
I'm more worried about the idiots who will drop trash over guests or just in general out the windows
The mesh screens are there to prevent insects and lizards from getting in the cabin and also to prevent passengers from throwing objects out of the cabins. The screens will actually impede the breeze. However, I understand why Disney wants to put a good spin on the ventilation issue.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
You guys are overthinking emergency stops. They happen all the time and can be reset in a matter of seconds. An emergency shutdown is slightly more involved but again the lift can be reset and running within seconds. On my Doppelmayr gondola, an E stop is mechanically the same as a normal stop, just less gradual.

I don't doubt that at all - The delta here is DISNEY. In a transportation dept that has paranoia level policies on operations. Not helped by their near term history of accidents, both circumstantial and systematic.

Remember... this is a company where monorails can't be ran in reverse... and people can't ride in nose cones anymore.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
This makes me think how Disney is going to educate people on using the second track that is able to stop. There will be people that don't know or understand the system, and people that should take the second line that don't, causing a possible stop because they don't clear the doors fast enough. Will Disney just use signs and hope for the best? I assume there will cast members there to show them. What is the point where cast members point people to use the second track. Or just trust people will know their limits. Some many be obvious, but someone with a cane that moves fairly well but slow, or someone with a handful of small children? Will they push more people not to use the second track so that doesn't get backed up?

You limit access to the platform... and you have CMs there directing people when they step onto the platform and where they are actually loading.

My guess is they will have a second corral they put people into when they reach the front for those who need the second track... and then feed the second loading point from that corral.

They could have separate lines all together too.. but we don't know yet which tact they have taken.
 

Demarke

Have I told you lately that I 👍 you?
Premium Member
Do gondolas systems else where always shut down during lightning ? They run trains and trams during all weather . I would think wind would be a bigger worry

I posted this a couple of hundred pages back, but the concern over having to shut down for your typical central Florida thunderstorms and wind is way, way overblown (even though you see doom and gloom comments every few pages confidently stating that they will cause shutdowns and leave people stranded daily!). Studies have been thoroughly conducted on the impact of the weather in the area and I can't imagine that Disney would invest this kind of time, money, and effort into a project if they had any expectation that they would have to shut it down every time it rained! The main point is, it is not a danger for lightning strikes or any of the wind you'd receive in a normal storm.

There was an article posted in the gondola wait times thread that stated the following (it’s about the similar gondola system they were proposing in St Petersburg, but, I think the weather limitations wouldn't be terribly different than Orlando):

“St. Petersburg transportation director Evan Mory said the city worked with LeClair and his real estate company Echelon on the grant application. Mory said the city used years of research LeClair had done on gondola technology, which all points to a feasible transportation system in the Florida climate.

"It's not a danger for lightning strikes or any of the wind you'd receive in a normal storm," Mory said. "It would start swinging and become uncomfortable before it would become dangerous. Just like the highway patrol makes a decision when to close the (Sunshine Skyway) bridge in certain wind situations, there'd be a decision to close down that system."”

So, my interpretation is that it’s not likely a problem for your typical afternoon storms, probably only your much less frequent severe thunderstorms where not much else would be operating either.
 

SLUSHIE

Well-Known Member
If I recall correctly, an e-stop has the be reset with the reset button on the board itself, where a normal stop can be reset on any of the remote control panels. Unless there is an actual fault, reseting is literally just pressing one button (and also making sure they pulled the e-stop button back out).

Each control panel has an indicators to show wether it was a normal stop or an emergency stop
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom