Park attractions are now quite a bit less than that now. Ten is a ball park when they begin to take notice. The gondolas sit within the current outdoor attractions closing threshold for central Florida parks.
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News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -
- Thread starter danlb_2000
- Start date
note2001
Well-Known Member
I understand the way the extended loop works in terms of boarding, but how will they flag the gondolas for that outside loop when there are folk riding who need that loop for exiting? Do you think those cars are coded to automatically go into that loop, or is there more of a visual/manual process to switch them over?
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halltd
Well-Known Member
I thought the same....and then realized it was on the back of a semi-truck.
IMO, the system will track that automatically. The controls are fully computerized, and I think it may track the location of each specific cabin. If they need to move a cabin out of the side track to make room for one arriving, by the time it's coming into the station it's probably too late.
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For a car to enter the loop, one has to leave it to make a space so if a car needs to the loop for unloading, so I don't think they need to know in advance that a car needs the loop to unload. When the car to be unloaded reaches the end of the main loop, they would move it on to the outside loop, and then as it's gap comes around a car waiting on the outside loop would be dispatched into the gap. So, conceivably, the CM working the unload could signal when a car needs to be pulled to the outside loop.
But why rely on an error-prone human to activate the switch when the computer can do it automatically? If the control system doesn't know the location of each cabin on the line, it does at least know the id's and positions of the cabins in the station; that's shown in the video I posted. Doppelmayr says they're identified by RFID as they enter the station. It's a trivial programming task to flag cabins as they leave the other station with a chair on board. And the system should also be smart enough to stop the wire if the 1st position on the outer loop is occupied.
ETA: And I just think the logic of where to position cabins on the outer loop and when to advance them would be better handled by computer, subject to the cast saying when a cabin is in process of unloading or loading.
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Sometime a simple solution is the best one, this is coming from some who programs a computers for a living. I can't say for sure how it will work, just providing an alternative to a full automated solution. No matter how automated it is, there is likely to be human intervention at some point, probably to identify which outgoing cabins will need the special loop to unload on the other end.
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
Still got that big red button in case the computer goes all HAL on you.
There is no way it won't be automatic.
Based on that video there probably will always be 2-3 cabins in the loop at all times on both sides.
I'm sure there will be some visuall identification so the operator can tell it's a cabin that will get routed to the outer turnaround but I highly doubt they will need to press any buttons. I didn't watch the video that closely but it could be as simple as them being a certain color or it could be the cabins without the character graphics or something.
Based on that video there probably will always be 2-3 cabins in the loop at all times on both sides.
I'm sure there will be some visuall identification so the operator can tell it's a cabin that will get routed to the outer turnaround but I highly doubt they will need to press any buttons. I didn't watch the video that closely but it could be as simple as them being a certain color or it could be the cabins without the character graphics or something.
Maybe it is something as simple as every 6th car gets routed to the outside loop whether it actually needs to or not.
Rich Brownn
Well-Known Member
Really? It was still yen when I worked at Universal 3 years ago. Guess it would depend on cycle time.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Wondering if the cars with character overlays are designated to be outer loop only so they can put guests who need more time in those and the cms won't have any guess work.
flynnibus
Premium Member
if the guy on the extra loop can simply press a dispatch ready button...the station could handle automatically diverting the next unloaded car to the outer loop (verse making the turn itself) which would open a gap in the feed to the loading side... without interfering with normal dispatch intervals.
Basically just ondemand send one out.
Where it gets harder is having to unload on the outer loop. Doing that means constraints on how many vehicles can be coming... how much buffer you leave on the outer loop... or doing just a fixed ratio.
I have to think their system will be able to dispatch on demand... but it will be interesting to see!
Which is exactly why I think it should be tracked by computer. If it knows how far out the next cabin to unload is, it can decide whether to take in an empty cabin and dispatch the loaded car immediately, or wait until the next unload arrives. If an empty car is taken in when an unload car is too close, there may not be enough time for cast to finish loading the cabin ahead of it and move it forward before the next unload cabin arrives. IMO, there are too many variables and situations to be managed by a cm.
A fixed interval would greatly simplify things, but it would have to be long enough to allow the slowest loaders to board, which could cause long lines for the outer loop at peak times. I think there can be a lot of variance in the time actually needed to load wheelchairs, ecv users of various skill levels, and slow movers using rollators or canes. (I'm picturing Arte Johnson's or Tim Conway's old man character trying to board a moving gondola.
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toolsnspools
Well-Known Member
The solution is as simple as it needs to be. There are 3-4 cabins in queue all the time on the outer loop. That gives passengers 3-4 "cycles" in the outer loop to load and/or unload, which will be plenty for any need. You load in the next cabin to launch, so whenever the passengers are ready to launch, you pull the next cabin off the line into the loop. It can be any type of passenger. Each cabin that enters the system from the outer loop is automatically tagged to exit via the loop as well.
The only time you would need to slow the process is if someone is attempting to board the next cabin while someone also needs to exit the system. This could be prevented by identifying passengers that may need a lot more time to load, and loading them into the second or third cabin that's waiting in the loop. If you need to launch a cabin in front of them, it can be filled in the regular station prior to jumping on the line.
The only time you would need to slow the process is if someone is attempting to board the next cabin while someone also needs to exit the system. This could be prevented by identifying passengers that may need a lot more time to load, and loading them into the second or third cabin that's waiting in the loop. If you need to launch a cabin in front of them, it can be filled in the regular station prior to jumping on the line.
bUU
Well-Known Member
I agree. Something as simple as a mailbox flag will do the trick.
mmssbrg2
Active Member
Pulling cabins off the main turn at regular, pre-determined intervals would solve this as well. This would prevent cabins stacking on the alternate turn. The interval would need to be an integer of the total number of cabins on the line so that the same cabins get pulled to the alternate turn on both ends of the line. This will ensure that someone needing more time to load also has more time to unload.
The target is 4.
They’ll now start paying attention at ten, prepare to cycle out, and announce the attraction may close soon, but will still load.