News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[begood524]

From Bioreconstruct

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Are they repainting the Yo-yo's at Pop?

 

[SirWillow]

Electricity takes the path of least resistance to ground.. The cabin isn't the path to ground when out on the line. It's possible (but unlikely) that a bolt would hit the cabin itself or very near causing immediate burn or material failure issues.. but getting electrocuted isn't the real concern. It's more about a holistic approach to safety. No one in cabins means no risk of stranding if power fails... no risk of cabins+guests out on the line if a strike damaged something or fouled the line itself.. no concerns about where cabins are relative to other paths to ground, etc. Basically a cleared system doesn't risk guests being out on a system that could be harmed/fouled before the system has passed its checks again.

yes, there's also the entire mechanical side that I left out. I won't argue with you there. Between all of that, I'm honestly surprised that it's taken this long for the, "whoops, oh, uh, maybe we can't run these things if there is lightning in the area after all" reaction, when so many of us were saying all along that wouldn't be a smart or practical idea.

and then the whole idea that Disney is "twitchy" about lightning that the other poster said really got under my skin. the guy I knew who got struck is genuinely twitchy if he even hears of a possibility of thunderstorms because he management wasn't "twitchy" enough about them and safety.

 

[flynnibus]

Between all of that, I'm honestly surprised that it's taken this long for the, "whoops, oh, uh, maybe we can't run these things if there is lightning in the area after all" reaction, when so many of us were saying all along that wouldn't be a smart or practical idea.

I don't think it's a matter of awareness - but likely something like other stakeholders finally get their shot at calling out their budget needs and operational needs in the post-skyline era and making conclusions that may not mesh with prior conclusions. I'm sure everyone fully discussed the weather... but maybe some people felt it was 'ok to do nothing' or that the dynamic flex in the system could take the load.. while other voices now say 'doing nothing is not acceptable and we need more dedicated resources for this contingency'

TL: DR - probably not new ideas, but maybe new acceptance of what the commitments should be

Honestly... transportation options are so dynamic and Disney can change their operational mode so easily since all this infrastructure already exists.. I don't think its a big topic either way. If Disney gets caught with their pants down... they'll change their ops model to tidy it up. If they overcommit, they'll realize it soon enough and redeploy or reduce the wasted resources.

 

[MisterPenguin]

@Lift Blog: Is the turning station at the BoardWalk Inn parking lot constructed such that it can be a load/unload station?

 

[Lift Blog]

@Lift Blog: Is the turning station at the BoardWalk Inn parking lot constructed such that it can be a load/unload station?

Not really. It’s too short.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Not really. It’s too short.

Thanks. The speculators are saying to just build a platform underneath it.

Of course, that would have made it the only elevated station.

 

[sndral]

The weather downtime issue has been re-evaluated. There’s a possibility of a bare bones bus service to take up some of the slack given the realisation (!) the system will probably close down for several hours a day in the summer. Not the most elegant solution but better than nothing.

Well, that’s fascinating - I assume the hours the system would be down was a known number before Disney signed on the dotted line to install the system, so I’m curious to know what the original back up plan was - tell people to catch a bus to MK or AK and then grab the bus to their resort there? Set up stanchions @ the IG for the gondola sb queue w/ a sign posting the wait @ 60…90…120…180 minutes?

 

[JoeCamel]

Well, that’s fascinating - I assume the hours the system would be down was a known number before Disney signed on the dotted line to install the system, so I’m curious to know what the original back up plan was - tell people to catch a bus to MK or AK and then grab the bus to their resort there? Set up stanchions @ the IG for the gondola sb queue w/ a sign posting the wait @ 60…90…120…180 minutes?

Lock them in a gift shop til the weather clears.......

 

[danlb_2000]

That probably wouldn't work as it'd run right thru the parking for the Swan\Dolphin addition...

The current lines run right through parking lots, so I don't see that as a limiting factor.

 

[danlb_2000]

Here is a video of a car moving from the main loop to the extended loop at the DHS station.

 

[kurtk]

Here is a video of a car moving from the main loop to the extended loop at the DHS station.

I assume that is for guests that need more time to board the gondola?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I assume that is for guests that need more time to board the gondola?

Yep.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

and then the whole idea that Disney is "twitchy" about lightning that the other poster said really got under my skin. the guy I knew who got struck is genuinely twitchy if he even hears of a possibility of thunderstorms because he management wasn't "twitchy" enough about them and safety.

I think taking that comment personally is a bit much. If we ALL lived by the rule of taking shelter every time lightning was within TEN MILES of our location what would that look like? While a lightning strike is tragic and dangerous, it’s obviously exceedingly rare or we WOULD all live by that 10 mile rule.

My question is largely around whether 10 miles is a reasonable cutoff or overly conservative if you’re going to run a system like this in FL in the summer. Given how unreliable this made their express bus transportation, I’m surprised they’d put in a system that would be as unreliable for a chunk of the year. Unless they’re going to use something LESS than the 10 mile cutoff??

The bottom line to me — as someone who visits WDW every August when this is a near-daily occurrence — is that the gondolas are now a nonstarter for me. I don’t want to count on that and then have to be diverted frequently (like exactly what happened with the defunct express bus transportation) so we’ll skip them altogether. And this puts the nail in the coffin of any consideration of buying at Riviera (we were not likely to do it but were considering if point cost wasn’t ridiculous).

And I’d love confirmation from someone who knows that gondola systems elsewhere actually observe a 10 mile rule wrt lightning.

 

[begood524]

I noticed in bioreconstruct's most recent pic of the Caribbean Beach station, there is a gondola that appears to have just left the station on the Epcot-Riviera line. Should I get excited and assume this is the beginning of testing for that line?

 

[Lavelle]

What if that gondola shuts down while you're en route from, let's say, Epcot to Pop Century... and you get abandoned at Riviera ... I guess you would have to take a bus back to Epcot then a bus to Pop? O M G

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

What if that gondola shuts down while you're en route from, let's say, Epcot to Pop Century... and you get abandoned at Riviera ... I guess you would have to take a bus back to Epcot then a bus to Pop? O M G

I can imagine all the complaint threads now...

 

[joelkfla]

What if that gondola shuts down while you're en route from, let's say, Epcot to Pop Century... and you get abandoned at Riviera ... I guess you would have to take a bus back to Epcot then a bus to Pop? O M G

I would think there'd be a replacement bus running the route of the Skyliner. That's what they do for the Monorail, and essentially for the Friendship boats, though not necessarily in the same stop order. Which may or may not be in addition to buses running direct resort-to-park.

 

[_caleb]

Here is a video of a car moving from the main loop to the extended loop at the DHS station.

What I find confusing about this video is the fact that the person shooting the video is wearing flip-flops to the parks. Sounds uncomfortable to me!

 

[TiggerDad]

What if that gondola shuts down while you're en route from, let's say, Epcot to Pop Century... and you get abandoned at Riviera ... I guess you would have to take a bus back to Epcot then a bus to Pop? O M G

A shut down would mean they stop loading new passengers but continue circulating the line to clear everyone who is already on board. They're not going to leave you hanging. I doubt they would make people get off at Riviera. It's only a couple more minutes to the end of the line.

 

[Lavelle]

A shut down would mean they stop loading new passengers but continue circulating the line to clear everyone who is already on board. They're not going to leave you hanging. I doubt they would make people get off at Riviera. It's only a couple more minutes to the end of the line.

Ah! Ok. It was my understanding that at Riviera you had to transfer also. I should have said at "Caribbean Beach", when you have to transfer ... will they allow guests continue to their final destinations or will you have to ... find your way.