News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
The problem with making it a terminus adds another transfer to the route.

To those staying at the new deluxe accommodation of Riviera, they wouldn't notice it. Plus it would give their EVC users more time.

Only those staying at the cheapo value resorts would need a double transfer, and only on the way to Epcot.
 

Creathir

Well-Known Member
To those staying at the new deluxe accommodation of Riviera, they wouldn't notice it. Plus it would give their EVC users more time.

Only those staying at the cheapo value resorts would need a double transfer, and only on the way to Epcot.
I’m going to assume costs was a major decision factor here.

it also means an additional drive motor, control systems, etc.
 

halltd

Well-Known Member
The problem with making it a terminus adds another transfer to the route.
Why? How’s it different than what’s there now? The cabins disconnect from the cable and are guided through the station on a rail with drive tires. Then they reconnect on the other side. Why couldn’t they just connect to another cable and or be spurred off to wait, then reconnect again?

Wasn’t there talk early in the thread that they could have actually switched between lines automatically to avoid transferring, but Disney opted out of that?

The Riviera station just perplexes me because of the stopping required for Wheelchairs and ECVs.
 

joelkfla

Well-Known Member
Why? How’s it different than what’s there now? The cabins disconnect from the cable and are guided through the station on a rail with drive tires. Then they reconnect on the other side. Why couldn’t they just connect to another cable and or be spurred off to wait, then reconnect again?

Wasn’t there talk early in the thread that they could have actually switched between lines automatically to avoid transferring, but Disney opted out of that?

The Riviera station just perplexes me because of the stopping required for Wheelchairs and ECVs.
You couldn't have the cabins ride thru on a rail if you had 2 WAV load areas in the way.
 

halltd

Well-Known Member
You couldn't have the cabins ride thru on a rail if you had 2 WAV load areas in the way.
You'd only have one. One on the left. One on the right. Cabin comes in from CBR, detaches, rides on a rail with tires as in every other station, there's a spur for ADA, it either keeps going or is spurred off, then joins up with a new rope and heads off to Epcot.

Same on the reverse.

I'm not a gondola expert, but that's seemingly exactly what's in every other station. Once the cabins enter a station, they're not touching the haul rope anymore. So, theoretically you could do anything you want with the cabin, including sending it off on another rope, right?
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
I haven't thought through the timings... but I wonder if they could have done something like this for riviera. It's the same ECV concept.. just put to the side rather than at the 'end' of the line. Use the same concept to take cabins off, insert back in, etc like they have now. Would use the similar switching they already have in the stations.

Green is your unload.. blue is your load. Passengers enter the correct side of the station based on which direction they are heading. Walkways would be outside under the skyliner path.

View attachment 416524
napkin sketch.jpg
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Original Poster
Why? How’s it different than what’s there now? The cabins disconnect from the cable and are guided through the station on a rail with drive tires. Then they reconnect on the other side. Why couldn’t they just connect to another cable and or be spurred off to wait, then reconnect again?

Wasn’t there talk early in the thread that they could have actually switched between lines automatically to avoid transferring, but Disney opted out of that?

The Riviera station just perplexes me because of the stopping required for Wheelchairs and ECVs.

Even if you split it into two lines it is still difficult to have the ECV loops unless people get off and re-board on the other line. I believe auto-switching is possible but would really complicate the system. There is a limit to how many cars can be on each line, so if you try to auto switch you run into a problem if more cars are entering a line then leaving it.
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Original Poster
I haven't thought through the timings... but I wonder if they could have done something like this for riviera. It's the same ECV concept.. just put to the side rather than at the 'end' of the line. Use the same concept to take cabins off, insert back in, etc like they have now. Would use the similar switching they already have in the stations.

Green is your unload.. blue is your load. Passengers enter the correct side of the station based on which direction they are heading. Walkways would be outside under the skyliner path.

View attachment 416524View attachment 416526

That makes a lot of sense.
 

halltd

Well-Known Member
Even if you split it into two lines it is still difficult to have the ECV loops unless people get off and re-board on the other line. I believe auto-switching is possible but would really complicate the system. There is a limit to how many cars can be on each line, so if you try to auto switch you run into a problem if more cars are entering a line then leaving it.
I don't see why. It's literally the same station design we already have except there's a spur line on the Riviera side and another on the Aruba (or whatever island that is). Guests already need to enter one side to go to Epcot and another to go to CBR.

Right now doors open, close, then open again anyways. When the doors are closed, just throw in the spur. Even without making it a separate haul rope, it doesn't make sense to me why the spur lines couldn't exist. So, I'm obviously missing something. @Lift Blog had been silent lately, but maybe he can at least comment on my theory....totally not even related to the incident. 😁
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Right now doors open, close, then open again anyways. When the doors are closed, just throw in the spur. Even without making it a separate haul rope, it doesn't make sense to me why the spur lines couldn't exist. So, I'm obviously missing something. @Lift Blog had been silent lately, but maybe he can at least comment on my theory....totally not even related to the incident. 😁

well.. reasons why you wouldn't do it off the top of my head...

- footprint needed (alot bigger space)
- extra staff needed
- extra costs in equipment

This may have been not a 'is it possible' constraint but simply a choice to balance cost vs gain. If someone has the thought that ECV needs for that station are low.. they could justify sacrificing line disruptions instead of investing in a bigger station.

I kinda get the impression that riviera was a bit of a compromise from the start. I mean, why not better service that huge CBR resort instead of just the new tower? Or maybe DVC is paying for it, and didn't want to fund the 'bigger, more expensive' option, etc.

I'm of the opinion this was about choice, not limitations. But based on this week's operations.. if they can't avoid these stoppages happening so frequently, I think they made a poor choice.
 

halltd

Well-Known Member
Q
well.. reasons why you wouldn't do it off the top of my head...

- footprint needed (alot bigger space)
- extra staff needed
- extra costs in equipment

This may have been not a 'is it possible' constraint but simply a choice to balance cost vs gain. If someone has the thought that ECV needs for that station are low.. they could justify sacrificing line disruptions instead of investing in a bigger station.

I kinda get the impression that riviera was a bit of a compromise from the start. I mean, why not better service that huge CBR resort instead of just the new tower? Or maybe DVC is paying for it, and didn't want to fund the 'bigger, more expensive' option, etc.

I'm of the opinion this was about choice, not limitations. But based on this week's operations.. if they can't avoid these stoppages happening so frequently, I think they made a poor choice.
I get it. But it still just seems odd. They invented a new loading system which was deemed important enough to use in six stations to avoid delays, and then in the middle of the line with the most capacity said, “meh, we can stop the line as needed”. I would also think DVCs are the most likely to have extended families with grand parents and the such. So, another weird omission as far as location. But, it’s what we have and must have been decided for good reasons. I was more questioning feasibility and it seems like it is possible. I’m still curious if having a different haul rope going to Epcot from Riviera would’ve helped with stoppages....or even been possible with the layout.
 

joelkfla

Well-Known Member
You'd only have one. One on the left. One on the right. Cabin comes in from CBR, detaches, rides on a rail with tires as in every other station, there's a spur for ADA, it either keeps going or is spurred off, then joins up with a new rope and heads off to Epcot.

Same on the reverse.

I'm not a gondola expert, but that's seemingly exactly what's in every other station. Once the cabins enter a station, they're not touching the haul rope anymore. So, theoretically you could do anything you want with the cabin, including sending it off on another rope, right?
Yes, it could be done, and there wouldn't be a need to have 2 separate cables to do it.

The main problem IMO would be the size of the station. Not only would it be several times wider than it is now, but it would also have to be longer to fit the side loops in between the regular load and unload areas. It might require demolition of at least one more Aruba lodging building.

Another problem is that all Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles would need to go through the secondary loops, because they are switched into the WAV loops automatically. So every wheelchair or ecv user traveling between Epcot & CBR would spend an extra 5-6 minutes just sitting in the station. That would generate a lot of Guest anger.

I use an ecv, and I rode from Epcot to Riviera last week. The cabin did not have to be stopped in the station, it was just slowed down. Maybe a few of the stops on the Epcot line have been caused by ecv users not getting off fast enough at Riviera, but the line does not have to be stopped for every wheelchair or ecv getting off or on there if the cm's are alert and doing their job properly.
 

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