JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Jetson cars, this is the 21st century....
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Interesting new transportation Option: Whoosh - Autonomous Elevated Cable & Rail System
- Thread starter tonymu
- Start date
Aries1975
Well-Known Member
Texas and Florida are warm all year. Jersey is not. It is my understanding snow and ice were major contributing factors to the deterioration of the airtrain at Newark. If the cable is not moving constantly, like a ski lift, ice will be an issue.
Back on topic, if a similar stationary cable system was successfully implemented at WDW and proved to be substantially less maintenance, how difficult would it be to modify the existing skyliner system? Could the existing towers carry the heavier “motor on board” vehicles? The existing stations would need to be retrofitted but could be reused. The Boardwalk parking lot turn could become a full hub. An intriguing idea.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I'll that your word for that because I don't know how far it is in a straight like. How does it compare to the furthest point on the current skyway to Epcot (if that is the furthest). I think it is safe to rule out any further addition to the Monorails system and a Peoplemover would require either a different vehicle to protect it from the elements or a covered track so that seems unlikely and to me a light rail for that comparatively short distance seem like something that would rank right up there with a Monorail cost. I'm just speculating. I am familiar with bus costs, but not the rest.
DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
Definitely an interesting concept. Like a gondola but moving the propulsion to the cabs instead of the cable being driven. It's going to be A LOT cheaper to deploy than any kind of light rail since it's stringing cables and not constructing track. It will have to be more expensive than the same network done with gondolas since the cabs have a lot more on them. However, you get the benefits of independent propulsion and the ability go around issues.
I don't know if Disney really needs something like this at WDW. Most passengers are going roughly to/from the same places so it can be efficiently handled by a more traditional mass transit setup. In a downtown area there will be much more variation in origins and destinations.
I don't know if Disney really needs something like this at WDW. Most passengers are going roughly to/from the same places so it can be efficiently handled by a more traditional mass transit setup. In a downtown area there will be much more variation in origins and destinations.
DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
I don't see how the maintenance will be less since now each vehicle needs more than just inspecting the springs. I don't know how much regular maintenance there is to the vehicles since the system checks the spring tension at the station on every deployment.
Basil of Baker Street
Well-Known Member
It is my understanding that the immobile cab will detach from the cable and air bags will deploy from beneath for a nice safe landing
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
The line from Caribbean Beach to Epcot travels about 1.5 miles total. A complete straight line from TTC to the back of DAK (conservation station) is 3 miles and 3.5 to the parking lot.
Kevin_W
Well-Known Member
This is a pretty neat system. How are the cars powered? It seems like a solar cell/battery wouldn't be enough energy. do these pick up power from the stationary line?
Not sure why people are saying these can “go around issues”. They can’t. It’s still a single line system that if a car were to break down for whatever reason, the line is blocked. Unless there’s some Transformers-level propulsion machinery capable of moving a car around a stopped one we aren’t seeing.
Neat concept that I’d love to see in the real world somewhere to better evaluate.
Neat concept that I’d love to see in the real world somewhere to better evaluate.
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
What happens in the everyday thunderstorms and stronger weather? Everybody find a parking spot and stay there?
danlb_2000
Premium Member
I would assume it's powered through the cables.
If it's a mesh system then it could. For example if lines went between Epcot, CBR and DHS and the Epcot to CBR line got blocked, then cars could go Epcot to DHS to CBR.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Unless something like this has no government involvement, it will be a complete failure like all public transport in the US.
That's the kind of system Walt would have jumped on with both feet.
Smiley/OCD
Well-Known Member
Agreed…EVERY rumble of thunder, EVERY bolt of lightning, EVERY TIME the wind picks up, they stop…THAT won’t change no matter how autonomous the gondolas are…it’s a different shade of lipstick on the same pig…
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DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
It seems to me like if a concept like this was ever implemented in a place like WDW, some kind of ground based system would make more sense. Something like the peoplemover but with individual enclosed vehicles that are able to go around each other and take different paths. The track/roadway would be more expensive to build out but you wouldn't have the operational issues of a Gondola.
Or, Disney can just buy a fleet of robotaxis from Tesla and use the existing roads. I'm half joking so please don't derail this thread into a discussion about the delivery and viability of robotaxis.
Or Elon Mush can buy Disney resorts from TWDC and install REAL "Rocket Rods" and Robo-Taxis...
Imagine Space 220, but with a REAL tethered-orbit restaurant.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I think the Skyliner is too expensive and too inefficient (mainly due to speed) for what it offers, which is why they haven't expanded it.
It's okay for shorter routes (I think a couple of short expansions are possible), but it would not be an effective way to get people around all of WDW.
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JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Imagine Test Track going from 8.8 seconds down to 2.9.......
There were plans. I personally doubt they come to fruition, but I have zero information, it's just my gut feeling.