News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

Monorail_Red_77

Well-Known Member
I believe this is regarding high volume times of year...
Its rare, but I have seen them adding busses to parks during peak seasons, even on the monorail line resorts. Anything to lesson the choke point that is the monorail stations, it seems.

The second part of the question is that there must be some type of contract with Mears and other bus companies, as I have been on an overflow Mears bus from FQ to various parks during various holidays. It was just a standard coach bus with a sign in the front window.
Yes they do request additional bus support from Mears during very busy times of year. I have seen them at Epcot before. We were getting into our Disney Transport bus and a plain white bus with Mears operations info on it showed up for the resort queue next to us. I even have a pic of it buried in my photos somewhere. Makes sense since they arleady contract with Mears for the Cruise Line and Magical Express services. Those bus services are owned by Mears and wrapped to look like Disney.
 

joelkfla

Well-Known Member
I believe this is regarding high volume times of year...
Its rare, but I have seen them adding busses to parks during peak seasons, even on the monorail line resorts. Anything to lesson the choke point that is the monorail stations, it seems.

The second part of the question is that there must be some type of contract with Mears and other bus companies, as I have been on an overflow Mears bus from FQ to various parks during various holidays. It was just a standard coach bus with a sign in the front window.
Disney routinely leases buses with drivers for days when they expect their own bus fleet to be inadequate -- usually holiday periods, and also to service the foot races. There are times when they bring in leased buses, but they end up not being needed, so they just sit in a parking lot until they're sent home around midday.

Mears is the primary contractor. They have a limited number of transit buses available, as well as their luxury coaches, including Disney Cruise Line and MME buses. When Mears doesn't have enough capacity, they bring in mostly independent operators on subcontract. I've seen buses from Alabama, Georgia, and even farther away doing resort runs. But they're all coordinated by Mears.

When I was driving a few years ago, there were a couple of leased buses assigned to each park almost every day during the summer, but I don't know whether that's still true since Disney's fleet has been expanded.
 
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gmajew

Premium Member
I was really worried how this would look and work and after my trip yes before it open but it did not bother me at all. Hopefully it frees up the bus transportation and people use.
 

DisneyCane

Well-Known Member
With the amount of testing they've done and the fact that this is hardly new technology I don't see why anything would go wrong on the first day(s) of operation. As long as their signage is in order (which I don't doubt) and they properly inform all guests staying at the relevant resorts of the change in transportation I don't see why anything would go wrong. Even if it's the day before GE's opening and the start of F&W. Not that I necessarily believe this will be the day.
^This

Why are people over complicating the skyliner? The base technology (detachable lift) dates back to 1961. Thousands of similar systems are running all around the world. Why would anyone expect problems?

This isn't a new ride system developed on a tight schedule by imagineering.
 

Lensman

Well-Known Member
The original remit was to open before Star Wars Land. Although there will be other additional transport for the opening period too.
That's what I was thinking would make sense (without any insider info) - have both Skyliner and buses running in parallel during the opening of SWGE. If something can't be done with X-S, then it probably shouldn't be done at all.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
The only thing that makes sense at this point as to why it's taking so long to open is that they are training a company battalion legion of CM's on how to operate this thing and be prepared for whatever contingencies they have come up with.

My gut/logic also tells me that they would want to have the gondola's up and running at least a few weeks before SW:GE opens, so they can have some of the operational kinks worked out before "The Big Day".
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Everyone freaking out about opening day..... It doesn't have to be ALL OR NOTHING.

Because the parks will be opening early... they could easily do the early morning hours with buses...and open the skyliner at normal operating hours. This means you could use bus overlap to handle the big peak, plus have an alternative already functioning and running in case for some reason skyliner were unable to handle the expected load.

No problem running the skyliner new during this period... what would be risky is 'putting all your eggs in one basket the day before the big opening'. Just run both... problem solved and benefits added.
 

jrhwdw

Well-Known Member
The original remit was to open before Star Wars Land. Although there will be other additional transport for the opening period too.
You mean Buses from Skyliner Resorts or more than that? How much added transportation are we talking? How much Transportation was there opening days of DHS TSL and/or DL SWGE?
 

Disone

Well-Known Member
Well here is hoping RC can evac faster then Vail does. Clearly they can break out and odds say they will eventually.

 

note2001

Well-Known Member
Disney's College Program kids don't arrive until August. I think once they're assigned and get through Traditions we'll start to see the system running with people. Disney will not wait until August 28th to get them running. Absolutely no need for that. If this announcement is from TC (I refuse to go to his page) he is simply throwing darts again, except this time he's standing 5 feet from the board hoping to get a bulls eye.
 

Disone

Well-Known Member
Disney's College Program kids don't arrive until August. I think once they're assigned and get through Traditions we'll start to see the system running with people. Disney will not wait until August 28th to get them running. Absolutely no need for that. If this announcement is from TC (I refuse to go to his page) he is simply throwing darts again, except this time he's standing 5 feet from the board hoping to get a bulls eye.
I'm pretty sure Disney Skyliner will not be very reliant on the college program. I know there's a different narrative and some other sites but ..... Like everything else I'm sure the college program will make a contribution but it'll be primarily staffed by full-time and part-time Walt Disney World cast members. They've already done the hiring as you can clearly see videos of cast members already working the system. The opening team has already been hired. They are not waiting for college program and the college program will not be a factor in the opening of Skyliner.
 

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