News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[GhostHost1000]

Here is an example of a mixed speed, multi load system...

https://www.doppelmayr.com/uploads/tx_vcs/Kombibahnen2013_ENG-Doppelmayr.pdf

the specific/separate turn area for wheel chairs and strollers, etc. is interesting - whether or not we are certain this is what is coming... the possibilities do seem more doable.

I have heard discussion before about looking into other modes of transportation...but nothing recently.. so i'm watching this like the rest of us

 

[articos]

Maybe this is a test area to see not only how well it performs, but also how well it is received by the public. Performs well plus public approval = expansion to other areas.

It's a way to alleviate crowding on the the other transportation systems. These are large resorts with large numbers of rooms, so it makes sense to try to take some capacity from these resorts to start with.

 

[danlb_2000]

The question now is what Disney does.

The cat is now out of the bag. Once a story breaks, it immediately makes others more comfortable about talking and sharing their own information. The trickle became a flow and is now on track to become a tidal wave.

So Disney has just been placed in an uncomfortable situation. They now have to either wait and let news sites put out stories in ever greater numbers, or get ahead of the story and announce very soon. It would have made some sense to announce at D23, but the rate of permit fillings suggested an announcement sooner.

Either way, the guys on here have just uncovered a pretty significant project that will end up costing tens of millions. Not bad...

I will be interesting to see if this pushes Disney to make an announcement sooner then later.

 

[Andrew C]

I will be interesting to see if this pushes Disney to make an announcement sooner then later.

Hope so...with some fun concept art!

 

[TiggerDad]

Agreed! Stuff like this is what makes this website great.

And you know there are a bunch of Disney execs in Orlando right now furious at the darn Internet Machine for figuring this out, all from publicly available information. That makes me laugh. Especially because of the top-secret pomposity and self-importance some of those Disney execs bathe in each day. It's just really funny!

If they're reading this, I can be bribed to keep quiet in the future. My wife would love to visit Aulani. Just saying.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

It's a way to alleviate crowding on the the other transportation systems. These are large hotels, so it makes sense to try to take some capacity from these resorts to start with.

Very true. I would love it as an option from EPCOT to HS as well. The boat is a nice relaxing ride, but sometimes you just want something different. Walking is NOT an option for us.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I will be interesting to see if this pushes Disney to make an announcement sooner then later.

You can bet the marketing wheels in Burbank are turning already with how to come up with someone good on short notice.

 

[danlb_2000]

You can bet the marketing wheels in Burbank are turning already with how to come up with someone good on short notice.

The tricky part might be if this ties in with DVC coming to CBR since DVC seems to be the one thing they prefer to announce later instead of sooner.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Wow, he really house cleaned the comments which fortunately also included the post that was falsely using my name.

Such a grown up response to being called out for outright lifting information, maps, and the work of others from a competing Disney site.

 

[peter11435]

Gondolas are the speculation. Even if the gondolas are cheap or the nicest gondolas in existence, they both need support posts which aren't shown in the permit.
So a future permit will need to exist if a gondola were to exist.
After speaking with a friend and @danlb_2000 - I don't believe it will be a gondola at all. I believe it will be a cable driven monorail similar to MCO or Hogwarts express- just a smaller version of them. It would require minimal metal support structures as the cable is what "powers" it- not the vehicle itself. This would be a more stable and higher capacity and faster transportation system vs any gondola system you can come up with. All at a very similar cost.

That would not work with the angles seen at the boardwalk and E4 locations and would not require the straight lines seen from point to point.

We can debate weather or not gondola is the best option for WDW but at the moment the plan is for gondola.

 

[TiggerDad]

Hope so...with some fun concept art!

Here's your concept art of how it will look approaching the International Gateway behind France:

 

[LuvtheGoof]

The tricky part might be if this ties in with DVC coming to CBR since DVC seems to be the one thing they prefer to announce later instead of sooner.

I'd be OK with that.

 

[DrewmanS]

Some questions for our resident engineers:

• How much would Florida's water table and need to withstand hurricane force winds add to the budget for a gondola system like the one proposed?
• Is the reduced cost of the gondola system worth it compared to building a new monorail line that serves the same area with fewer, larger capacity cabs?
• Speaking of monorails, has the lack of a monorail gauge standard stymied their adoption across Disney's theme park properties where they may be useful, but the economies of scale aren't there to make the endeavor cost effective?

There are many systems in place that have to meet safety standards and weather related risks. The height of towers, spacing between towers, and tower design can all be modified to optimize the system for design requirements. The design of a system in FLA might be very different than one in a mountain region, but that does not necessarily mean higher costs.

A gondola system is a fraction the cost of a monorail system by any metric (total cost to build, cost per mile, cost per passenger mile). A monorail requires beams to support the weight of the train which requires more support structures and more right of way. Operating costs of a gondola are lower. Infrastructure maintenance of a gondola system might be higher (replacement of cables and guide wheels) but the simplicity of the system and interchangeability of parts likely keep relative costs low.

For those wanting an PRT system, you either need to build "roads" or elevated guideways which pushes the cost of the infrastructure to the point of a monorail. With smaller cars, they have lower capacity and higher operating costs.

The idea of a hybrid gondola/PRT system is interesting. It would create a highway in the sky. The problem is, you have to maintain a balanced load on the cable system for it to work efficiently. If a bunch of gondolas transferred between lines it could cause weight and logistics issues.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

I see some other Disney fan sites have started to run with this story. Waiting to see how long before the main stream media picks it up.

Thumbs up to the site that did acknowledge us, and thumbs down to the one that didn't (you can guess which one that was).

Like he just figured this out himself? Yet he won't even let us show the banshee image. Ridiculous.

 

[P_Radden]

If they're reading this, I can be bribed to keep quiet in the future. My wife would love to visit Aulani. Just saying.

Disney if you are reading this and want me to shut up about future projects, I would like the following:

5 years AP for my wife and I
2wks/yr free stay at Boardwalk for the next 5 years
Unlimited nacho cheese
And to be personally consulted for all future WDW projects and expansions

That is all.

 

[ElreTigo]

Heat won't be a problem for the Florida climate

But lightning & wind would be.

 

[danlb_2000]

That is already possible without tapping via the long range radios in the MagicBands.


It's a gondola.


It's a gondola.

 

[englanddg]

the specific/separate turn area for wheel chairs and strollers, etc. is interesting - whether or not we are certain this is what is coming... the possibilities do seem more doable.

I have heard discussion before about looking into other modes of transportation...but nothing recently.. so i'm watching this like the rest of us

The Doppelmayr systems, if you look into their civic projects, actually can disconnect from the drive cable and "sit" queued up in isolated (and switched, meaning multiple loading tracks) queues. It is really quite flexible.

The link I posted shows a system running two types of isolated load systems (one gondola, one six seater lift chair) on the same propulsion cable...but I found some other things googling around...specifically the Seattle proposal.

It is also worth noting that Doppelmayr has done theme park work recently over at Universal.

 

[Disorbust]

Wouldn't this Gondola theory also bolister the arguement that the CBR DVC can't be a deluxe because it doesn't have "direct park access" as the others do. Wouldn't this solve that?

 

[TiggerDad]

Disney if you are reading this and want me to shut up about future projects, I would like the following:

5 years AP for my wife and I
2wks/yr free stay at Boardwalk for the next 5 years
Unlimited nacho cheese
And to be personally consulted for all future WDW projects and expansions

That is all.

I need to up my demands....