Great news about skyliner....good bye to an annoyance..

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Considering there was/is an actual proposal, I don’t see how one could say it’s impossible.

Proposals don't mean they were ever seriously considered or even made it to a managerial meeting - WDI has tens of thousands of "proposals" sitting in files. Again, think about it logistically - You want to have consumers riding a gondola between Pop and MK? Throw in weather concerns during the summer, plus wind issues.

I propose a WEDWay loop between all the parks. See? That was now proposed as well. Off to start a thread about it, since it's been proposed.
 

fgmnt

Well-Known Member
Something like that was rumored by our Trusted Insider as on the table a few years ago. The final form was yet to be decided. Also at the time there was hype for advances in self-driving vehicles, but that seems to still be a bit away in the future.

Anyway, the likely plan was all about dedicated roads/rails that didn't have to mingle with or stop for traffic.

I wouldn't mind a train making a route that has several stops if it could eat 300 people at once and quick-load wheel chairs and ECVs.
Can’t even get the dedicated bus lanes to run the length of Buena Vista Drive. In my opinion that would be the fulcrum of establishing stronger transit operations, building out a universal Bus Rapid Transit system that would establish the bus stops for the hotels just off Buena Vista Drive in the median of Buena Vista Drive, and run shuttle trams from the roadside to the front of the park. That would cover All Stars, Coronado, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin, Riviera, the water parks, Studios, Springs, with potential extensions out to AK and AKL, and up through OKW and POR to EPCOT. Can use connecting services to get them aligned with Y&B as well.


At the end of the day Eisner era hotel expansion + the general design of the resorts make it difficult to sell anything above the existing bus service. I think it’s a hard sell to get guests to hoof it out to the main road to make the service significantly faster.
 
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gerarar

Premium Member
Back in 2019, I was asked before boarding the Skyliner if I wanted to ride alone or if I was fine sharing with another party. It was around 7pm-ish and I was hopping from Epcot to HS to catch my ROTR BG, then Fantasmic!.

I opted to share because I didn't really mind and there was a decent line behind me. But still weird they allowed solo-riding, but maybe it depends on the CM that's assigning parties to the cabins?

I was paired with another party of 5, they talked amongst themselves while I just watched out the windows of the views. Really pretty at night being up there.
 

mikejs78

Premium Member
Proposals don't mean they were ever seriously considered or even made it to a managerial meeting - WDI has tens of thousands of "proposals" sitting in files. Again, think about it logistically - You want to have consumers riding a gondola between Pop and MK? Throw in weather concerns during the summer, plus wind issues.

I propose a WEDWay loop between all the parks. See? That was now proposed as well. Off to start a thread about it, since it's been proposed.

No one is proposing connecting up MK. I agree that would be logistically impossible. But AK isn't out of the realm of feasibility.
 

Andrew C

You know what's funny?
Proposals don't mean they were ever seriously considered or even made it to a managerial meeting - WDI has tens of thousands of "proposals" sitting in files. Again, think about it logistically - You want to have consumers riding a gondola between Pop and MK? Throw in weather concerns during the summer, plus wind issues.

I propose a WEDWay loop between all the parks. See? That was now proposed as well. Off to start a thread about it, since it's been proposed.
Nothing you’re stating would make me think an expansion is impossible. Or logistically impossible. Those are just concerns to consider.

Could it be deemed impractical? Maybe.
 

bhg469

Well-Known Member
What? No. The skyliner travels at just over 11 miles per hour. AKL to MK by car is about 6.5 miles. Obviously "as the crow flies" they could do a skyliner route that is substantially more direct, about 3.5 miles. At that speed it would take just over 20 minutes.
What is the current longest route? 20 minutes seems like a pretty long trip. Would that be a good idea since they have to clear the whole line in bad weather?
 

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
You wouldn’t believe how many people for whatever folly reason ask to ride alone. Or with just thier family of say 4. When it would easily hold another family….there is STILL people that won’t get in a cabin on the monorail if someone is in it. Just nuts.

I disliked being close to strangers PRE-covid. Covid exacerbated it. I had a panic attack in the Jungle Cruise queue because I felt trapped, close to strangers, with no escape. I can imagine people feel that way about the skyliner and monorail.

I understand that in a theme park you're going to get close to people no matter what - however - try to show maybe SOME empathy for others? What does it matter to you if people don't want to be close to other people? Calling them "nuts" is ablest.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
I disliked being close to strangers PRE-covid. Covid exacerbated it. I had a panic attack in the Jungle Cruise queue because I felt trapped, close to strangers, with no escape. I can imagine people feel that way about the skyliner and monorail.

I understand that in a theme park you're going to get close to people no matter what - however - try to show maybe SOME empathy for others? What does it matter to you if people don't want to be close to other people? Calling them "nuts" is ablest.
If one feels trapped , then bringing the person to Epcot or MK on NYE would not be a good idea.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Nothing you’re stating would make me think an expansion is impossible. Or logistically impossible. Those are just concerns to consider.

Could it be deemed impractical? Maybe.

You're on a gondola between Pop and MK, on a hot July afternoon. How far in advance of a potential thunderstorm does Disney have to be to safely shut the line down, vs. the length of time to get from Pop to MK? What happens when a storm bringing lightning and high winds pops up 5 miles off-property and moves in, which, I think, has happened a time or two in the history of the resort? It's a far cry to shut down lines that are 5-8 minutes in length vs. something 2x, 3x, or even longer than that. Now link up two dozen resorts, and have backup buses and drivers at the ready.

This topic has been brought up, discredited, beaten to death, and then resurrected and beaten like a dead horse again by the same people so many times now I've lost count. Expansion of the existing line to other parks is NOT happening.
 

doctornick

Well-Known Member
No one is proposing connecting up MK. I agree that would be logistically impossible. But AK isn't out of the realm of feasibility.
Yeah, no one is expecting or suggesting a comprehensive connect all of WDW system with Skyliner. But smaller sections, whether independent or connected to the current routes could certainly work.

In particular, I think some sort of DAK/AKL/Coronado +/- Blizzard Beach would make a ton of sense.
 

Andrew C

You know what's funny?
You're on a gondola between Pop and MK, on a hot July afternoon. How far in advance of a potential thunderstorm does Disney have to be to safely shut the line down, vs. the length of time to get from Pop to MK? What happens when a storm bringing lightning and high winds pops up 5 miles off-property and moves in, which, I think, has happened a time or two in the history of the resort? It's a far cry to shut down lines that are 5-8 minutes in length vs. something 2x, 3x, or even longer than that. Now link up two dozen resorts, and have backup buses and drivers at the ready.

This topic has been brought up, discredited, beaten to death, and then resurrected and beaten like a dead horse again by the same people so many times now I've lost count. Expansion of the existing line to other parks is NOT happening.
I never said any expansion was happening. But to say it’s logistically impossible is just a close minded opinion.

Some people think in terms of why something can’t be achieved; and list those reasons. That’s what you’re doing here. Others think in terms of making things happen even when it looks difficult.

They could find ways to expand. But that decision is going to be based on things like what new routes would actually be beneficial and/or necessary based on the data they have on guest flow, etc., whether it is worth the cost, if other modes of transportation can do a better job, and on and on…
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
I never said it was happening. But to say it’s logistically impossible is just a close minded opinion.

Some people think in terms of why something can’t be achieved; and list those reasons. That’s what you’re doing here. Others think in terms of making things happen even when it looks difficult.

They could find ways to expand. But that decision is going to be based on things like what new routes would actually be beneficial and/necessary based on the data they have on guest flow, etc., whether it is worth the cost, if other modes of transportation can do a better job, and on and on…
20 years ago, I could have probably brainstormed with people to come up with many ways to make something like this happen. Thank the Bob's for jading me into changing my thinking from there's nothing they can't do into there's little they will do.

Not to mention, the system in and of itself removes some of the magic due to OSHA requirements. It's a bid off-putting to be able to look out of DHS and see a resort through the trees that was never able to be seen in the past.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
What? No. The skyliner travels at just over 11 miles per hour. AKL to MK by car is about 6.5 miles. Obviously "as the crow flies" they could do a skyliner route that is substantially more direct, about 3.5 miles. At that speed it would take just over 20 minutes.

The Skyliner doesn't go at a consistent rate of 11 mph. That's the max speed. Every time it comes to any turn station it slows down to a couple of miles an hour, not to mention boarding stations -- the average speed isn't 11 mph.

If they could build a direct line from AKL to MK, then yes, it could probably be a 25 minute trip. There's no way they would ever do that, though -- it would be a huge waste of money. It's not cost efficient to spend millions and millions of dollars to solely take people directly from AKL to MK and back. It would need to stop at several other places on the way to make it worth the investment, and then you're looking at much longer trips -- as I said, if it stops several times on the way and has to make a few turns (and it absolutely would), it could easily be 45+ minutes (60 is probably a stretch). It's never going to happen for something that has other operational issues.

This is why the trip from Caribbean Beach to EPCOT takes 10-11 minutes -- it's roughly 1.5 miles of line because they couldn't do a direct route, and the fact it has to slow down for turns means what would be about an 8 minute trip if it was actually going 11 mph the whole time ends up taking longer.
 
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Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I disliked being close to strangers PRE-covid. Covid exacerbated it. I had a panic attack in the Jungle Cruise queue because I felt trapped, close to strangers, with no escape. I can imagine people feel that way about the skyliner and monorail.

I understand that in a theme park you're going to get close to people no matter what - however - try to show maybe SOME empathy for others? What does it matter to you if people don't want to be close to other people? Calling them "nuts" is ablest.
Calling people nuts is certainly uncalled for. It really isn't a lack of empathy from others it is more an expected accommodation for someone with a problem like that. Years ago I worked for a school system and a family had a child that was deathly allergic to peanut products. It was more then just serving food that had a peanut connection, it was so severe that the child couldn't even be close to another child had even eaten something connected to peanuts. I mean even if peanuts were on the breath of another child it could be fatal.

Everyone had empathy and felt bad for anyone child or adult with that affliction, but they were insisting that the entire school building and every other child in the elementary school not eat or touch or even be near peanut products. It was ruled to be unrealistic accommodations. How could the school be able to control the children and their families outside the school building itself. Sometimes people just expect to much accommodation then is realistically possible. So for people to expect that paths can be cleared like Moses parting the red sea to make it comfortable for people with issues of closeness to others when in a theme park filled with people it is unreasonable to expect. If they are expecting an unusual degree of cooperation from everyone else then a very popular theme park is probably not the best place for that person unless they are attempting to work their way through the problem.
 

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Calling people nuts is certainly uncalled for. It really isn't a lack of empathy from others it is more an expected accommodation for someone with a problem like that. Years ago I worked for a school system and a family had a child that was deathly allergic to peanut products. It was more then just serving food that had a peanut connection, it was so severe that the child couldn't even be close to another child had even eaten something connected to peanuts. I mean even if peanuts were on the breath of another child it could be fatal.

Everyone had empathy and felt bad for anyone child or adult with that affliction, but they were insisting that the entire school building and every other child in the elementary school not eat or touch or even be near peanut products. It was ruled to be unrealistic accommodations. How could the school be able to control the children and their families outside the school building itself. Sometimes people just expect to much accommodation then is realistically possible. So for people to expect that paths can be cleared like Moses parting the red sea to make it comfortable for people with issues of closeness to others when in a theme park filled with people it is unreasonable to expect. If they are expecting an unusual degree of cooperation from everyone else then a very popular theme park is probably not the best place for that person unless they are attempting to work their way through the problem.

That's one very EXTREME, extreme.

Disney offers DAS for situations like what I described at JC and thankfully when I've been placed with other parties in the skyliner it's been with only 2-3 additional people. The accommodation isn't expected but people are certainly free to ask for a solo cabin. Knowing they don't PACK the skyliner like the monorails or busses, I'm ok sharing my space with others.
 

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