News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[GoofGoof]

If I'm not mistaken, when the Skyliner goes down at Epcot, guests at the International Gateway are directed to the Boardwalk to catch a bus that's put into service running at least to CBR central station (and I presume to Riviera now that it's open).

-Rob

That is closer than backtracking through the park and BW is probably laid out much better than BC for adding busses.

 

[Gabe1]

If I'm not mistaken, when the Skyliner goes down at Epcot, guests at the International Gateway are directed to the Boardwalk to catch a bus that's put into service running at least to CBR central station (and I presume to Riviera now that it's open).

-Rob

It wasn’t consistent. And was down frequently in both of my December trips 2 weeks apart. I planned on gondola-ing from studios to Epcot. Met with this.

Given 3 choices at Studios. Boat which line was at least 3 boatloads long or bus to front of Epcot and I was heading to WS. Others option pointed us to side walk. I walked to Epcot.

When I finally approached the Gateway there was different signage for Epcot guests.

So if the Epcot line is down and you are going from the Studios to Epcot your choices are limited and different than those exiting the World Showcase. If they added more boats during Epcot line being down it would be a better backup for park hopping.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The bus I got on from the carribean beach skyliner station when the Epcot line was down said it was going to boardwalk, but then took us to the front of the park cause the driver said he would be nice to us. :-/

 

[nickys]

It wasn’t consistent. And was down frequently in both of my December trips 2 weeks apart. I planned on gondola-ing from studios to Epcot. Met with this.

View attachment 438715

Given 3 choices at Studios. Boat which line was at least 3 boatloads long or bus to front of Epcot and I was heading to WS. Others option pointed us to side walk. I walked to Epcot.

When I finally approached the Gateway there was different signage for Epcot guests.

View attachment 438716

So if the Epcot line is down and you are going from the Studios to Epcot your choices are limited and different than those exiting the World Showcase. If they added more boats during Epcot line being down it would be a better backup for park hopping.

No the options were the same: bus, boat or walk.

There isn’t a handy resort next to DHS to add a bus, but there is the normal bus service.

Boat and walk options were the same.

 

[Gabe1]

No the options were the same: bus, boat or walk.

There isn’t a handy resort next to DHS to add a bus, but there is the normal bus service.

Boat and walk options were the same.

Blurg.

I believe you understood my post as I explained why the bus option put Studio hoppers guests in Future World not at Gateway I was heading and to why I planned to Gondola. I stand by my opinion that the options are better for those exiting Epcot than those hopping from the Studios to Epcot.

 

[mmascari]

I stand by my opinion that the options are better for those exiting Epcot than those hopping from the Studios to Epcot.

I wonder if they really are better, or if it's just a poorly designed sign. The missing option at DHS is bus service to Boardwalk, with the Gateway sign showing bus service from Boardwalk to DHS.

Does that route really exist? And, if it did, why not show it going the other way too?
Or, is there really supplemental bus service from Boardwalk to the resorts, and then you could board a gondola to continue on to DHS.
Which then leads to the question, where does the supplemental bus service from the gondola hub to EPCOT go, to Boardwalk or the front?

If that supplemental bus goes to Boardwalk, then you could take the gondola from DHS to the extra bus and get the same experience leaving DHS. It's just not advertised. If it goes to the front, the supplemental route isn't a circle.

Remember, the gondola isn't about park to park transit. It's primarily a resort to park system. It's a side effect that it's useful park to park via a resort.

 

[Gabe1]

I wonder if they really are better, or if it's just a poorly designed sign. The missing option at DHS is bus service to Boardwalk, with the Gateway sign showing bus service from Boardwalk to DHS.

Does that route really exist? And, if it did, why not show it going the other way too?
Or, is there really supplemental bus service from Boardwalk to the resorts, and then you could board a gondola to continue on to DHS.
Which then leads to the question, where does the supplemental bus service from the gondola hub to EPCOT go, to Boardwalk or the front?

If that supplemental bus goes to Boardwalk, then you could take the gondola from DHS to the extra bus and get the same experience leaving DHS. It's just not advertised. If it goes to the front, the supplemental route isn't a circle.

Remember, the gondola isn't about park to park transit. It's primarily a resort to park system. It's a side effect that it's useful park to park via a resort.

Respectfully I am loosing your pattern of thought on buses and gondolas. From studio it goes to Caribbean the hub and you transfer to Epcot line which goes through only the riviera.

The same road our Uber took us to the Studios from our resort one morning where the gas station is by the Boardwalk would be the road that service both.

I wouldn’t be putting so much thought into this transportation fix working better if the Epcot gondola run wasn’t down so frequently. My fix would be to have 2 boats doing the studio-resorts-Epcot run and one or two boats being an express non stop Epcot-Studios when the Epcot gondola is down. Ultimately I hope they get a handle on the Epcot gondola. I love the system when working. It is fast and charming. I am a fan.

 

[Heppenheimer]

It is, but not having to get there at any particular time at all was even more fair. When you were next, you were next. No large mobs of people legally cutting in front of you. An frankly you didn't spend as much time in that line with everyone using the same line then you do now, because that fairness you talked about was actually pure back then. Absolute first come, first served. No exceptions or what ifs. If FP were so great they would be using it on the new attractions. As it is they can, without it, get more people in to it with no cutting or stopping. With the group thing when it is your turn it is your turn, no guessing. The ride can only be as complete as its capacity, but, if you are assigned a group or in a single group line, you are always going to be part of that daily capacity.

There are real ways to have the first come, first serve work. I don't remember how many years the mine train has been operating and try as I might I have never been able to get a FP for it, yet I have ridden it 4 times with no delays or even more then 10 minutes in line. In theme parks, as in life, planned timing is everything.

Remember the rope-drop "Space Mountain Marathon"? Things weren't so pure in the olden days of yore.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Remember the rope-drop "Space Mountain Marathon"? Things weren't so pure in the olden days of yore.

The fastest runners got on SM first, those of us that weren't foolish enough to do that turned left at the castle and made our way around in a clockwise direction. Those that ran the SM Marathon would show up somewhere around the middle depending on if they stayed in Tomorrowland or dispersed via the south side or north side of the park. There would be a minor crowding in the center, around Small World/Haunted Mansion and then it would thin out as the runners headed west and we headed east and a reasonable line at space mtn. if we really cared to ride it. It was absolutely pure and relied only on individual priorities. If the lines were too long we would pass by them and come back later when a parade was running or fireworks where booming. You were never forced to get in a hardly moving line because if you didn't you would never get to see it. Now you stand in a long line because you have no choice without a FP.

The only real question was if you planned on getting a ride on SM early or later. Otherwise we all made it at some point or the other. The lines seemed long, but they moved constantly and as I have said, about a million times, when you were next you were next. No group of artificially favored people got to go ahead of you. There was no fighting in the lines at all, now there is anger and/or swearing that came about as soon as FP was established. Before that it was just a fun day at a theme park. No special eating times to get to or other attractions demanding that you show up at a specified time. Just a busy, happy time and you made all your own decisions about what schedule to keep.

 

[Victor Kelly]

The fastest runners got on SM first, those of us that weren't foolish enough to do that turned left at the castle and made our way around in a clockwise direction. Those that ran the SM Marathon would show up somewhere around the middle depending on if they stayed in Tomorrowland or dispersed via the south side or north side of the park. There would be a minor crowding in the center, around Small World/Haunted Mansion and then it would thin out as the runners headed west and we headed east and a reasonable line at space mtn. if we really cared to ride it. It was absolutely pure and relied only on individual priorities. If the lines were too long we would pass by them and come back later when a parade was running or fireworks where booming. You were never forced to get in a hardly moving line because if you didn't you would never get to see it. Now you stand in a long line because you have no choice without a FP.

The only real question was if you planned on getting a ride on SM early or later. Otherwise we all made it at some point or the other. The lines seemed long, but they moved constantly and as I have said, about a million times, when you were next you were next. No group of artificially favored people got to go ahead of you. There was no fighting in the lines at all, now there is anger and/or swearing that came about as soon as FP was established. Before that it was just a fun day at a theme park. No special eating times to get to or other attractions demanding that you show up at a specified time. Just a busy, happy time and you made all your own decisions about what schedule to keep.

You must have toured with my family at some point because we did the same thing. Thunder Mountain, Splash, then POTC and HM. Then Small World and Pan. Then the skyride to Tomorrowland. Lunch was either Columbia Harbor house or Cosmic Rays.

 

[joelkfla]

Tried out getting off and on at Riviera with my scooter this afternoon for the 1st time. I boarded normally in the WAV area at CBR. The cm radioed ahead to Riviera to warn them I was on the way. When I arrived at Riviera, the line was slowed but not stopped, and I backed off with no issues.

Boarding again at Riviera, I was directed into a separate waiting pen. Within seconds, they slowed the line and I rolled on with no problem. The cm positioned me a foot or so ahead of the approaching cabin, and directed me to drive on when the doorway reached me. Again, no stopping required. It looked like an empty WAV just happened to be coming along because traffic was light, so I still don't know how they're accommodating ecv's boarding at Riviera during heavy traffic times. I did notice the Mickey sticker on the door this time, so they may indeed be using that to let Riviera cm's recognize empty WAV's.

I rode the entire system, DHS-CBR, CBR-Pop, Pop-CBR, CBR-Riviera, Riviera-Epcot. There were no stops at all, and just a couple of slow-downs.

 

[Goofyernmost]

You must have toured with my family at some point because we did the same thing. Thunder Mountain, Splash, then POTC and HM. Then Small World and Pan. Then the skyride to Tomorrowland. Lunch was either Columbia Harbor house or Cosmic Rays.

Somewhat, but I was 35 years old then and we just went to the attractions one after the other. Jungle Cruise, Swiss Family, POTC, Tiki Room, Splash, Big thunder, Country Bears, HM, Liberty Square Riverboat , HoP, SW, Peter Pan, Only went to Mr. Toad once because I thought it was to cardboardy, and so on. somewhere in there we would take the Skyway and then to the longest line... 20K Leagues. When we first went there Splash didn't exist. I let the kids ride the tea cups and rode with them on the raceway then we hit Space Mtn. and a must being, CoP, then the people mover, If I had wings, the 360 movie (replaced by another of my favorites, Timekeeper) and others that I have probably forgotten by now.

To clarify, we didn't spend endless hours in any park. We never intentionally did rope drop, but, got there a number of times just as it was ending. We took two days because my wife wasn't an evening person. On the second day, we just started wherever we left off the time before. Heck, back then we didn't even know that there was a night parade. We did know that there were fireworks but none of us were really big fans of them. We got to every single standing attraction in those two days. Took our time and enjoyed every moment of it. We had no place to be so we never got frustrated or upset about anything. If the line was to long, we just went back to it later. We ate in the location closest to us when we got hungry. Those were the days before Type A personalities that had to be in the front of the line for everything, ruined the ambiance. But, it is what it is. I still enjoy it but nowhere near the level that I once did. Maybe that is just aging. Who knows? That first year was 1983 and EPCOT Ctr. had just opened a few months before. We went there, but, the lines were way to long, there were many places that either weren't open yet, or hadn't even been built yet. Lines stretched out from Imagination to SSE and all that was operating in Imagination was the 3D movie. Because of that we went back to the car and drove to the Kennedy Space Ctr. that day instead. EPCOT improved greatly by our next visit. All in all, it was a much different type of experience. I was hooked just as soon as I entered World Drive.

We did a lot of things in those early years. Things like Gatorland, The sunken gardens in St. Petersburg, Space Center, SeaWorld, Cyprus Gardens. A habit that I have continued, to varying degrees ever since at least to the ones that still exist.

 

[Victor Kelly]

Somewhat, but I was 35 years old then and we just went to the attractions one after the other. Jungle Cruise, Swiss Family, POTC, Tiki Room, Splash, Big thunder, Country Bears, HM, Liberty Square Riverboat , HoP, SW, Peter Pan, Only went to Mr. Toad once because I thought it was to cardboardy, and so on. somewhere in there we would take the Skyway and then to the longest line... 20K Leagues. When we first went there Splash didn't exist. I let the kids ride the tea cups and rode with them on the raceway then we hit Space Mtn. and a must being, CoP, then the people mover, If I had wings, the 360 movie (replaced by another of my favorites, Timekeeper) and others that I have probably forgotten by now.

To clarify, we didn't spend endless hours in any park. We never intentionally did rope drop, but, got there a number of times just as it was ending. We took two days because my wife wasn't an evening person. On the second day, we just started wherever we left off the time before. Heck, back then we didn't even know that there was a night parade. We did know that there were fireworks but none of us were really big fans of them. We got to every single standing attraction in those two days. Took our time and enjoyed every moment of it. We had no place to be so we never got frustrated or upset about anything. If the line was to long, we just went back to it later. We ate in the location closest to us when we got hungry. Those were the days before Type A personalities that had to be in the front of the line for everything, ruined the ambiance. But, it is what it is. I still enjoy it but nowhere near the level that I once did. Maybe that is just aging. Who knows? That first year was 1983 and EPCOT Ctr. had just opened a few months before. We went there, but, the lines were way to long, there were many places that either weren't open yet, or hadn't even been built yet. Lines stretched out from Imagination to SSE and all that was operating in Imagination was the 3D movie. Because of that we went back to the car and drove to the Kennedy Space Ctr. that day instead. EPCOT improved greatly by our next visit. All in all, it was a much different type of experience. I was hooked just as soon as I entered World Drive.

We did a lot of things in those early years. Things like Gatorland, The sunken gardens in St. Petersburg, Space Center, SeaWorld, Cyprus Gardens. A habit that I have continued, to varying degrees ever since at least to the ones that still exist.

Yep we are old. But I gotta say they old days were relaxing days even in the theme parks. Now, too much planning, too many people.

 

[Touchdown]

I have to admit you put an awful lot of faith in the system. I would never be without my wallet because it contains my whole life. What would you do for an ID if your magic wrist didn't work and something happened to you. There are some things that I just don't think that technology can completely cover.

I always carry in addition to my MB a lanyard with my ID, AP, and credit card; my wallet is locked in the safe in my room.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I always carry in addition to my MB a lanyard with my ID, AP, and credit card; my wallet is locked in the safe in my room.

That's fine, but then haven't you just traded your wallet for a lanyard, which really then becomes a, suspended from the neck, wallet. What you keep in your lanyard I keep in my wallet. Same thing, different location. Falls under the category of "whatever floats our individual boats". It's not really important what we carry them in, it's only important that we have them with us.

Back in the days of Travelers Checks (or cheques, if British) I used to divide them up. some in each pocket that I had available, some with my wife and even with my kids when they got older. That way unless we were pick-pocketed by an octopus, we would still have enough money to eat and get home. Very few hotels had safes back then. I almost never carry cash, even back then. My whole life is in my wallet. The connection to whatever wealth (not much) I have. It must always be where I can see it. That's probably some type of phobia, but if so, I can and have lived with it.

 

[Touchdown]

That's fine, but then haven't you just traded your wallet for a lanyard, which really then becomes a, suspended from the neck, wallet. What you keep in your lanyard I keep in my wallet. Same thing, different location.

my wallet trends more towards a “George Constanza wallet” I carry the bare minimum at Disney for connivence and comfort. I don’t need my reward club cards, insurance cards or cash in the parks. While it’s not a problem at Disney, this behavior stems from other theme parks where weither or not I have my wallet on me can mean the difference between me fitting on the ride or taking the walk of shame.

 

[Victor Kelly]

I made a belt that I call the BAT BELT. I know how to sew and protoype stuff. This belt can carry my ID, credit card, camera batteries, meds, water bottle, etc. Loaded it is less than a pound. It can be taken off for security pass through. It has velcro on the outside so I can add or subtract stuff as needed, like a tight rolled poncho for rain forecasts. The only thing that is not modular is what holds the ID and credit cards.

 

[Disone]

I made a belt that I call the BAT BELT. I know how to sew and protoype stuff. This belt can carry my ID, credit card, camera batteries, meds, water bottle, etc. Loaded it is less than a pound. It can be taken off for security pass through. It has velcro on the outside so I can add or subtract stuff as needed, like a tight rolled poncho for rain forecasts. The only thing that is not modular is what holds the ID and credit cards.

There might be a market for this. You should consider a patent and selling it.

Modularbelts.com ?

 

[WallyWorld]

Bet it would get A LOT more attention in its own thread....not the gondola thread

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Should have taken a picture - but I didn't. Rode it this past weekend and noticed a sign that said something to the effect of:

"Like other gondola systems around the world, gondolas are subject to disruptions from time to time that may cause the gondolas to briefly stop"

I don't remember that sign being there when it opened. But it might have. I just chuckled and thought of this thread.