News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[ImperfectPixie]

Actually no, that happened earlier while the resorts were both still open.

I doubt it was before 9/11 because we were there in October/November (22nd-2nd) of 2000, and it was still Dixie Landings and had zero signs of changing at that point. It was our honeymoon, and we stayed there with our room overlooking the front lawn of one of the mansions.

 

[peter11435]

I doubt it was before 9/11 because we were there in October of 2000, and it was still Dixie Landings and had zero signs of changing at that point. It was our honeymoon, and we stayed at there with our room overlooking the front lawn of one of the mansions.

It was in April of 2001. Signs of the change began to slowly appear in early 2001.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I doubt it was before 9/11 because we were there in October of 2000, and it was still Dixie Landings and had zero signs of changing at that point. It was our honeymoon, and we stayed at there with our room overlooking the front lawn of one of the mansions.

April 1, 2001 is when the resorts officially merged.

 

[allgiggles]

The crash in tourism after 9/12 affected all resorts, not just Pop century. It wasn’t a problem with pop century it was a problem with tourism in general. They even closed an entire moderate resort. They had trouble filling all room and offered discounts at all properties not just Pop Century.

Rack rate at Pop was never identical to the All-Stars. It has always been slightly higher than the All-Stars and remains that way today.

I swore I wasn't going to join this conversation (and I hope I don't regret it) but here goes... I was 100% sure that Pop was always more expensive than All Stars and I started pulling out my trip notes to prove it (or at least confirm it for myself). We've stayed at Pop in 2004, 2009, and 2011. We also have considered staying there on our trips in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and our upcoming trip in 2020. I have trip planning notes for every trip -- particularly the cost of various resorts and their logistical options (we travel with several kids so we've always needed 2 rooms or a suite). It pains me to say this, but according to my notes, the rack rate price at Pop and All Stars was the same when I was researching pricing for the 2004, 2009, and 2011 trips. Pop was ~$10/night more expensive than All Stars in 2013 and has been more expensive every trip since then...topping out at ~$35/night more for the 2020 trip. So up until about 2013 (possibly 2012..didn't plan a trip that year so I don't have notes), the price at the 2 resorts was the same..at least the rack rate for the dates we were looking at booking.

Just to keep this post on topic.... Personally, I wouldn't pay $35/night more at Pop just because of Skyliner. But I would pay that much more because I like the atmosphere better than All Stars (where we stayed before Pop opened).

Hoping I don't regret hitting the "post reply" button....

 

[natatomic]

The site that shall not be named is reporting that the Epcot line is experiencing total shutdowns quite a bit. I've also seen people on Twitter saying the same thing - what is going on with it?

I have heard the same from some sources. I mean, I don’t have any juicy details, just that Epcot is the problem line so far, and that it often goes down for hours at a time (which I have personally experienced when trying to get between the two parks).

 

[TiggerDad]

I swore I wasn't going to join this conversation (and I hope I don't regret it) but here goes... I was 100% sure that Pop was always more expensive than All Stars and I started pulling out my trip notes to prove it (or at least confirm it for myself). We've stayed at Pop in 2004, 2009, and 2011. We also have considered staying there on our trips in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and our upcoming trip in 2020. I have trip planning notes for every trip -- particularly the cost of various resorts and their logistical options (we travel with several kids so we've always needed 2 rooms or a suite). It pains me to say this, but according to my notes, the rack rate price at Pop and All Stars was the same when I was researching pricing for the 2004, 2009, and 2011 trips. Pop was ~$10/night more expensive than All Stars in 2013 and has been more expensive every trip since then...topping out at ~$35/night more for the 2020 trip. So up until about 2013 (possibly 2012..didn't plan a trip that year so I don't have notes), the price at the 2 resorts was the same..at least the rack rate for the dates we were looking at booking.

Just to keep this post on topic.... Personally, I wouldn't pay $35/night more at Pop just because of Skyliner. But I would pay that much more because I like the atmosphere better than All Stars (where we stayed before Pop opened).

Hoping I don't regret hitting the "post reply" button....

Shame on you for bringing data to this thread. It's supposed to just be irrational complaints and ways to die.

 

[matt9112]

So how often is epcot line running smoothly? Imho if stops are more than say 5 minutes and occuring daily thats a fundamental problem/system flaw. Hope they get it under control. Hopefully nobody plans there entire resort choice around riding this thing.

 

[Disone]

I have heard the same from some sources. I mean, I don’t have any juicy details, just that Epcot is the problem line so far, and that it often goes down for hours at a time (which I have personally experienced when trying to get between the two parks).

Don't tell @tissandtully or be accused of making up facts. though honestly wish I was and you were, truth to be said I wish it was the case. Disney needs to fix this. I am sure they can with the help of dopplemyer.

 

[Victor Kelly]

Question is why and where are the issues? Upper management make the wrong calls? Fire them.

 

[marni1971]

The site that shall not be named is reporting that the Epcot line is experiencing total shutdowns quite a bit. I've also seen people on Twitter saying the same thing - what is going on with it?

Technical issues. Little things that needed changing.

 

[Horizons78]

Little things that needed changing.

I bet it's the font.

 

[threvester]

I swore I wasn't going to join this conversation (and I hope I don't regret it) but here goes... I was 100% sure that Pop was always more expensive than All Stars and I started pulling out my trip notes to prove it (or at least confirm it for myself). We've stayed at Pop in 2004, 2009, and 2011. We also have considered staying there on our trips in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and our upcoming trip in 2020. I have trip planning notes for every trip -- particularly the cost of various resorts and their logistical options (we travel with several kids so we've always needed 2 rooms or a suite). It pains me to say this, but according to my notes, the rack rate price at Pop and All Stars was the same when I was researching pricing for the 2004, 2009, and 2011 trips. Pop was ~$10/night more expensive than All Stars in 2013 and has been more expensive every trip since then...topping out at ~$35/night more for the 2020 trip. So up until about 2013 (possibly 2012..didn't plan a trip that year so I don't have notes), the price at the 2 resorts was the same..at least the rack rate for the dates we were looking at booking.

Just to keep this post on topic.... Personally, I wouldn't pay $35/night more at Pop just because of Skyliner. But I would pay that much more because I like the atmosphere better than All Stars (where we stayed before Pop opened).

Hoping I don't regret hitting the "post reply" button....

We stayed at POP in sept 2011 and it was $10 more /night than the all-stars. I distinctly remember asking my son what we were getting for our $10

 

[allgiggles]

We stayed at POP in sept 2011 and it was $10 more /night than the all-stars. I distinctly remember asking my son what we were getting for our $10

We were there in June, so maybe the price increase happened some time after we booked. I think I booked that trip in Nov. or Dec. 2010. Or is it possible you were in a preferred room at Pop?

 

[Purduevian]

Regarding the possible expansion:
They will not directly connect DS to any themepark/waterpark. The free parking at DS prohibits this (no buses from DS to Theme Parks).

Personally my suggestion would be connect the other side of hourglass lake to BB. Make BB a Hub to connect to Animal Kingdom, Colorado springs, Pop/AoA, and the All Stars:
If I did math right, the following times would be:

	Riviera	Caribbean Beach	Pop/AoA	All Star (Music)	Coronado
Hollywood Studios	8 minutes	4 minutes	7 minutes	22.5 minutes	20.5 minutes
EPCOT	5.5 minutes	7.5 minutes	11 minutes	26.5 minutes	24.5 minutes
Animal Kingdom	21.25 minutes	19 minutes	15.75 minutes	10.25 minutes	8.25 minutes
Blizzard Beach	16 minutes	13.75 minutes	10.5 minutes	5 minutes	3 minutes

While it takes a fairly long time for some of the new routes (26.5 minutes for All Star to EPCOT). No Single line is longer than about 10.5 minutes (current longest is 7.5 minutes). I would expect to eliminate buses from:

Pop/AoA to AK and BB
Riviera to BB
Caribbean Beach to BB
All Star to BB and AK
Coronado to BB and AK

With reduced service from the other lines.

Spoiler: Map

 

[Disstevefan1]

Technical issues. Little things that needed changing.

Yup I read the same report:

https://.com/2019/11/photos-disney-skyliners-epcot-line-experiencing-frequent-downtime/

This will happen and will continue to happen. That's just the way it is.

Shutting down a line is MUCH MUCH better than having guests stuck in the sky.

 

[Touchdown]

The only way they connect DS to the parks is if they also place an admission gate that restricts non resort guests from accessing the line at that point without paying the parking fee or proof you paid it elsewhere. It would be a PR headache, and would require Customer Service rep/small office but it could be done.

 

[marni1971]

Yup I read the same report:

https://*****.com/2019/11/photos-disney-skyliners-epcot-line-experiencing-frequent-downtime/

This will happen and will continue to happen. That's just the way it is.

Shutting down a line is MUCH MUCH better than having guests stuck in the sky.

Ah. I didn’t see that.

No, this particular thing shouldn’t happen that much the future. Not when they’ve done what they’re doing.

 

[threvester]

We were there in June, so maybe the price increase happened some time after we booked. I think I booked that trip in Nov. or Dec. 2010. Or is it possible you were in a preferred room at Pop?

Definitely not a preferred room. You probably just missed the price increase, I would have booked in spring 2011

 

[flynnibus]

Regarding the possible expansion:
They will not directly connect DS to any themepark/waterpark. The free parking at DS prohibits this (no buses from DS to Theme Parks).

But that's a construct of today.. not necessarily the future.

In the spirit of potentials... we used to have the TTC as a hub of transportation. But today, that really only has a limited purpose and doesn't serve the wider resort. What if we had a TTCv2.0? What if you made Disney Springs that new hub? What better place to push people through as an interconnection point between points of interest than your dining/shopping complex?

I've not studied the mechanics... but in the spirit of what would you want... Inter-connecting resorts and parks to the concentration of shopping/dining is pretty lucrative.

The old 'hub' of the resort is no longer effective... maybe there should be a new one...

 

[Purduevian]

But that's a construct of today.. not necessarily the future.

In the spirit of potentials... we used to have the TTC as a hub of transportation. But today, that really only has a limited purpose and doesn't serve the wider resort. What if we had a TTCv2.0? What if you made Disney Springs that new hub? What better place to push people through as an interconnection point between points of interest than your dining/shopping complex?

I've not studied the mechanics... but in the spirit of what would you want... Inter-connecting resorts and parks to the concentration of shopping/dining is pretty lucrative.

The old 'hub' of the resort is no longer effective... maybe there should be a new one...

I just don't see them either forcing people to pay for parking at DS or connecting it to parks too easily do to financials.

I believe disney springs would struggle if they did force people to pay for parking. There are too many other options for high end malls and restaurants around the Orlando area and parking would make DS a lot less attractive.

If they left parking free AND allowed easy transportation to theme parks, too many people would use this as a "hack" in order to save the parking fee. There is a reason parking at DS is free AND there is no direct buses to and from theme parks.