Disney Skyliner shutdown and evacuation - October 6 2019

[Victor Kelly]

I would like to offer a possibility for the cause of the accident. The gandolas come in at a higher speed then slow down as they enter the station. Could it be that the cars in thr station backed up due to a failure of the over head trolly system which made that blue car impact the yellow?

I have my doubts of the system as far as ventilation is concerned given the tropical climate year round. The monorails could be outfitted with the air slides that airliners have to reduce time. The gandolas.......not so much.

My opinion, is that it takes far too long to evacuate the gandolas with so few emergency crews. This translates into higher risks for the recue crews. I am glad this was not moddle of the day in summer. Although any time, wven at night could be pretty bad.

 

[starri42]

If anyone wants to fund a trip for me during peak season, I'm willing to sit in a gondola stopped in the July sun for research purposes. I won't even make you spring for the Deluxes, Caribbean Beach is fine.

 

[HoldenC]

I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but...

“Amazing” and “new” don’t really apply to a gondola system. I don’t think.

Please give it a rest already. The gondolas are the best transport system at WDW. Better than the garbage monorails that continue to fail every week, more efficient than the slow poke boats, and quick than the overloaded busses. Nobody in this thread has given a legit reason as to why this system is a failure....its not. You all just have egg on your face

 

[lazyboy97o]

A member of my FB group brought up a really good question - do the cars swing at all when they are being evacuated? Specifically, how do they go about evacuating a guest who relies on a wheelchair and is unable to walk or stand?

Pretty much the same way they would evacuate them from a monorail, roller coaster, boat or anything else. They have to carry them out.

I would like to offer a possibility for the cause of the accident. The gandolas come in at a higher speed then slow down as they enter the station. Could it be that the cars in thr station backed up due to a failure of the over head trolly system which made that blue car impact the yellow?

You have the direction of travel reversed.

 

[xdan0920]

Please give it a rest already. The gondolas are the best transport system at WDW. Better than the garbage monorails that continue to fail every week, more efficient than the slow poke boats, and quick than the overloaded busses. Nobody in this thread has given a legit reason as to why this system is a failure....its not. You all just have egg on your face

Well...I actually like the Gondolas and think they were a smart system to use in WDW. Calling them “a new and amazing transport system” is kinda silly though. They are in use all over the world.

 

[xdan0920]

Well, you know what they say....Magic Happens. Nobody outside the rabid hater club will care about this minor incident in a few months. It'll fade into irrelevance.

 

[HoldenC]

Well...I actually like the Gondolas and think they were a smart system to use in WDW. Calling them “a new and amazing transport system” is kinda silly though. They are in use all over the world.

I guess it's more amazing to me than the ugly old busses. Perhaps I should have used a better adjective. "Nice" perhaps

 

[flynnibus]

A member of my FB group brought up a really good question - do the cars swing at all when they are being evacuated? Specifically, how do they go about evacuating a guest who relies on a wheelchair and is unable to walk or stand?

Probably the same way you deal with it on a boat... you use a ramp that provides a continuous surface while the others can move.

They could attach the lift to the gondola in some way, but that has its own design challenges because you don't want the free moving gondola system to risk damaging or compromising the fixed cherry picker lift.

 

[flynnibus]

Okay, so they won't heat up as quickly as a closed car. 100º outside and several bodies inside at 98.6º (adding more humidity). Still no picnic.

Correct. But yet.. everyone wants to talk about dogs parked in cars as if it applies here. It doesn't.

 

[Victor Kelly]

Pretty much the same way they would evacuate them from a monorail, roller coaster, boat or anything else. They have to carry them out.


You have the direction of travel reversed.

I know they go out pretty fast, but have seen on YT that they come in fairly fast as well. They reach the building and slow as the trolly system takes over after the cars are delinked from the cable.

If not, would you be willing to point me in the right direction for video. Not trying to start anything, just want clarification.

 

[flynnibus]

I would like to offer a possibility for the cause of the accident. The gandolas come in at a higher speed then slow down as they enter the station. Could it be that the cars in thr station backed up due to a failure of the over head trolly system which made that blue car impact the yellow?

No - it's already been established the incident happened on the dispatch side of the line. The blue cabin failed to transition properly from the direct driven part of the station to the haul cable.. and either rolled back or became stalled there when the yellow cabins fed into it.

 

[Tanna Eros]

Most people do not carry the theme park pro food kit with them. And, really, WDW guests should not be expected to prep for possible ride disasters by packing emergency supplies on their persons. This is a theme park visit, not a mountain climbing trip. It’s Disney’s responsibility to keep their guests safe and well. A bigger problem is the bathroom consideration. If I’d been stuck for a long time on Skyliner after a day of refillable drinks, hydration would be the least of my worries. Nothing new for gondola rides, which is why I usually avoid them if possible.

You are correct. I suspect I'm more used to hiking.

 

[AEfx]

Please give it a rest already.

Trying to slog through this thread, I'll be honest - this is the exact phrase I have thought should be said to you. Did your dad design this or something? The extreme hyperbole in your proclamations of this being a "fantastic" launch, along with your dismissal and vitriol against anyone who dares even suggest otherwise, is so over the top to almost be comical.

 

[Victor Kelly]

No - it's already been established the incident happened on the dispatch side of the line. The blue cabin failed to transition properly from the direct driven part of the station to the haul cable.. and either rolled back or became stalled there when the yellow cabins fed into it.

Awesome thank you. I thought it was a station issue just did not know many facts.

 

[gobstoper27]

Actually, I kind-of wish I had been one of those stuck. I know, I'm a weirdo...

I heard some folks got a $200 giftcard and multiple park passes! That would definitely make it worth it a bit, lol

 

[flynnibus]

Awesome thank you. I thought it was a station issue just did not know many facts.

Yes, we still don't know WHY or the specific events leading to the failure.. but we know the location and that blue was the blockage and others fed into it.

There are reports of a power failure or stoppage happening BEFORE the incident that may be related to how/why the blue cabin failed to transition to the haul rope.. or why the system failed to self-correct before the collision. But these are the details we don't know yet.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

For an interesting tidbit:

I was freezing my gorgeously toned behind off in the skyliner! I was considering making a fun post about how they ought to install a heater system! Those coolboxes are the coldest place in WDW...

 

[Victor Kelly]

Yes, we still don't know WHY or the specific events leading to the failure.. but we know the location and that blue was the blockage and others fed into it.

There are reports of a power failure or stoppage happening BEFORE the incident that may be related to how/why the blue cabin failed to transition to the haul rope.. or why the system failed to self-correct before the collision. But these are the details we don't know yet.

In a very old video I remember seeing big generators outside each station, i presumed they were for emergency backul to allow clearing the line in case of power failure. Maybe the failure was too short and the system burped and needed to be reset?

Any word if outside fire and rescue companies being deployed and how many?

 

[matt9112]

I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but...

“Amazing” and “new” don’t really apply to a gondola system. I don’t think.

Not defending the poster as it seems to be a poor character but i honestly find them pretty novel here. Amazing might be a stretch but pretty cool is fair game. I enjoyed riding them.

 

[matt9112]

Trying to slog through this thread, I'll be honest - this is the exact phrase I have thought should be said to you. Did your dad design this or something? The extreme hyperbole in your proclamations of this being a "fantastic" launch, along with your dismissal and vitriol against anyone who dares even suggest otherwise, is so over the top to almost be comical.

Slog is understatement i have been a member of this forum for a long time amd ALOT of threads go left and right but these last few pages have been pretty brutal.