News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[englanddg]

And cable monorail would not necessary be more efficient as you would be limited in the number of trains that could operate on the line.

Since this was marni-firmed I have been reading up on proposals for civic gondola applications, and this is one of the primary advantages over a gondola system vs a cable car / aerial trams. The other advantage, related to that the cars can "disconnect" from the drive cable, is station placement along the track.

Given the two, and the standard operation, time and again these proposals conclude that gondola systems are superior.

Here is one of the analysis blogs as an example...

https://www.seattletransitblog.com/2012/03/07/aerial-trams-and-gondolas/

 

[MaryJaneP]

If this "new transportation" is ADA complaint (as it must be), there is no way it is gonna be efficient. Kinda hard to see how this gondola talk is going to work. How often does every ride in WDW stop to load mobility-challenged individuals? Not saying at all that everyone shouldn't be accommodated. Wheeled vehicles that can drive around delayed departing vehicles would avoid this problem. However, based upon what information we have, headaches with gondolas seem to be in our future.

 

[peter11435]

No, no- I'm talking about the top right "turn" area by the north loop of sea breeze. Not the station just south of the south loop of sea breeze where the permits were filed for CBBR

Here is my 4th grade microsoft paint version:

Why are they even going to the top right and not just following the red line? Is this a transportation system or a novelty item? If the grass area is still permitted for wetlands- they are going to need permits here regardless with the DHS-CBBR route.

The top right is the the one i was referring to. That would be the station for the new property.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

And what if you had moving load platforms akin to Rip Ride Rockit?

Just a thought.

Hi Marni.........that is a idea,.... but you want to keep the main wires running and if like Spaceship earth, someone trips or there is problems loading a wheelchair or scooter, you would have to stop the whole line. The side track lets you stop the car on the side rail and keep the main line going.

the small old style bucket rides, you were only loading 2 or 3 people and you could keep things moving as 2 or 3 were easily loaded.............but 20 or so..its more likely a issue could stop things..........

Just a though!

I really think most here are underestimating the problems and costs in building and operating a system of this size and capacity

 

[Sachilles]

Being a closed car, there is likely a failsafe for when the door opens to E-stop the gondola. They could then jump. However, there are about a gazillion different places on property where someone could take a desperate leap if they were determined to. I'm not sure that is a reason not to build the thing.
That being said the normal height of these things isn't any higher than the monorail. However, it can be any height they want.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

If this "new transportation" is ADA complaint (as it must be), there is no way it is gonna be efficient. Kinda hard to see how this gondola talk is work. How often does every ride in WDW stop to load mobility-challenged individuals? Not saying at all that everyone shouldn't be accommodated. Wheeled vehicles that can drive around delayed departing vehicles would avoid this problem. However, based upon what information we have, headaches with gondolas seem to be in our future.

Umm, since the gondola will be at the same level as the platform, there is no need to stop. Just wheel right on and off you go.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Good Point, but it still will take time, with the help of CMs to get people on in a orderly manner..that is not a big deal, but I person was saying a 20 person gondola unloaded and loaded in 15 to 20 secounds.............no way.

Read. The. Thread.

It includes links. Click. On. The. Links.

You'd read that the gondolas unhook from the rapidly moving rope. They then can move slowly. That gives people time to get off and on. You'd see an example of that in one of the linked videos. The cars line up in a slow moving queue. This gives people plenty of time for loading and unloading.

At no time is a car giving people only 15 to 20 seconds to unload and reload. Every 15 to 20 seconds a car arrives and gets in the slow moving queue. Every 15 to 20 seconds a car leaves the slow moving queue and zooms away.

It's even easier with a revolving platform (like at the People Mover in Tommorowland) as Martin indicates will be the case. (See below.)

And what if you had moving load platforms akin to Rip Ride Rockit?

Just a thought.

 

[peter11435]

If this "new transportation" is ADA complaint (as it must be), there is no way it is gonna be efficient. Kinda hard to see how this gondola talk is going to work. How often does every ride in WDW stop to load mobility-challenged individuals? Not saying at all that everyone shouldn't be accommodated. Wheeled vehicles that can drive around delayed departing vehicles would avoid this problem. However, based upon what information we have, headaches with gondolas seem to be in our future.

No reason gondola couldn't work similar to Toy Story Mania. Vehicle can be removed from the line to give guests in need as much time as necessary without impacting anyone else.

 

[MisterPenguin]

So youre thinking it's a loading station there too and not a simple turn around?

How, again, do we not believe this simply can't be a cable monorail?

Because three people with inside knowledge you don't have and which they can't publicly disclose have said it's a gondola?

 

[DisneyJoe]

Kind of like the ones used for the omnimovers?

Yes, but a little more resilient.

FYI - Omnimovers aren't very handicapped accessible.

(posted at the same time as others...)

 

[DrewmanS]

And what if you had moving load platforms akin to Rip Ride Rockit?

Just a thought.

And if the gondola comes off cable, then you can queue several of them to allow more load and unload time. Its not like a chair lift where you better be in place when the next chair arrives. The gondola slows at the transition, unloads, reloads, then gets back in the queue to hook back onto the cable. A 5 gondola queue gives you a minute and a half cycle time.

 

[marni1971]

Hi Marni.........that is a idea,.... but you want to keep the main wires running and if like Spaceship earth, someone trips or there is problems loading a wheelchair or scooter, you would have to stop the whole line...

What if the lines between each station were all independent, and the station areas were also independent of each other and of the main lines?

 

[marni1971]

FYI - Omnimovers aren't very handicapped accessible.

The Omni quote was about a speed ramp style loading system but with zero step into the vehicle. Nothing more.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

What if the lines between each station were all independent, and the station areas were also independent of each other and of the main lines?

^^^This exactly!

 

[Princess Leia]

Are bus/boat/monorail arrival times a part of the WDW app? If not, it should be something that Disney should look into alongside the gondolas.

 

[peter11435]

So youre thinking it's a loading station there too and not a simple turn around?

How, again, do we not believe this simply can't be a cable monorail?


Or... maybe they're going over CBBR as their new DVC tour

Why wouldn't it be a loading station. It's directly adjacent to a large new hotel building that they will want to market.

Cable monorail would cost significantly more than gondola and would have a far greater impact on surrounding areas. And again all evidence points to gondola because that is what it is.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Umm, since the gondola will be at the same level as the platform, there is no need to stop. Just wheel right on and off you go.

Yes, that should work, I have done the same on the MCO train, I just had to remember lock the wheelchair wheels!

 

[Master Yoda]

If this "new transportation" is ADA complaint (as it must be), there is no way it is gonna be efficient. Kinda hard to see how this gondola talk is going to work. How often does every ride in WDW stop to load mobility-challenged individuals? Not saying at all that everyone shouldn't be accommodated. Wheeled vehicles that can drive around delayed departing vehicles would avoid this problem. However, based upon what information we have, headaches with gondolas seem to be in our future.

There have been several videos posted in this thread showing modern gondolas where the floor of the cabin is the same height as the loading platform. Loading a wheel chair, ECV, stroller, etc will be as easy as pushing one down a sidewalk.

EDIT: Here is a video from earlier in the thread. The loading is seen around the 30 second mark.

 

[Sachilles]

Hi Marni.........that is a idea,.... but you want to keep the main wires running and if like Spaceship earth, someone trips or there is problems loading a wheelchair or scooter, you would have to stop the whole line. The side track lets you stop the car on the side rail and keep the main line going.

the small old style bucket rides, you were only loading 2 or 3 people and you could keep things moving as 2 or 3 were easily loaded.............but 20 or so..its more likely a issue could stop things..........

Just a though!

These are detachable. The wire called a haulrope moves at a constant pace, though that can be changed by the operator. When the gondola comes into the lift shack, it detatches from the haul rope, and moves at it's own much slower pace, until people are seated, it then moves back out of the shack and falls onto the haulrope where it clamps on, and resumes normal lift speed. They are spaced adequately so there is opportunities to recover from loading issues. If sufficiently bad, the operator can slow the haul rope to give them further time. A moving walkway is highly likely to load these, but it's case where smaller is actually better in my opinion. The operators would certainly want to take due diligence to load somebody with ambulatory issues, but it is doable. It's just a matter of having a large enough loading area.

 

[flynnibus]

If this "new transportation" is ADA complaint (as it must be), there is no way it is gonna be efficient. Kinda hard to see how this gondola talk is going to work. How often does every ride in WDW stop to load mobility-challenged individuals?

Attractions rarely allow the disabled to ride IN their chair - it's the need to TRANSFER that slows things down more than anything.

If you have a 'roll in, roll out' cabin... that guests can stay in their chairs... the impact is very minor. Add in moving load platforms and you cut down impacts further (if they are deemed safe for this).

And it's already been described multiple times that these systems allow a cabin to detach from the main line to allow for loading without needing to move at the speed of the main line.

The problem with the monorail and buses is there is no 'roll on, roll off'.