News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[Buried20KLeague]

When you read further down it seems that the company Disney is using didn't bid to build this track as it wasn't suitable. Management also decided to speed up the system beyond normal operating speeds.

Yes. Disney is the pinnacle of maintenance, and never operates their transportation systems outside of safety specs!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/05/u.s.disney.monorail/

 

[truecoat]

how do we know this when the ride system hasn't even been officially announced yet? Do we know the exact timing of the gondolas and exactly how fast they will travel?

No but all you have to do is look at similar systems. Its about half a mile to the transfer center which is a little shorter than the distance between the San Javier and Juan XXIII stations in Medellin Columbia. That trip takes about 3 minutes and shouldn't be much different.

 

[truecoat]

Sorry for the confusion, my post was concerning an emergency stop situation, where folks are extracted from the gondolas via a utility truck.

The longest I would think folks would have to wait in that type of situation is 2-3 hours.

Sitting for 3 hours on a summer afternoon in a glass room with only forced air ventilation with no shade under the hot Florida sun could lead to a very dangerous situation.

Right but I it would have to be catastrophic for this to happen.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I've ridden gondolas in Hong Kong. It's every bit as humid there. I promise you. AC-less units will not be saunas. It'll be fine.

Again. The Hong Kong gondolas are at times OVER 1000 FEET above the ground... And directly over the ocean. Comparing those to these makes no sense. It's not valid. Proof... Pics from my first trip there:

 

[flynnibus]

Like I said, I would use ultracaps for the normal day to day operations, with charging leads in the stations.

I would have several car batteries onboard for backup emergency use. A very simple circuit could jump between the two. You just need enough to keep it cool for 2-3 hours (or whatever the max time it should take to extract folks in an emergency situation)

When the system as a whole costs $60-80 million, the added cost to add onboard power systems for infotainment and emergency cooling should not be that much.

 

[flynnibus]

Oh absolutely.

So are monorail evacuations. Most mass transit systems today are very reliable, and I'm sure the gondola will be no exception.

It still does not change the fact that guests could be trapped in the gondolas for several hours awaiting evacuation. And environmental control design is as reported only a forced air system, they could get really hot really fast inside of them.

Things break. Gondolas will too. I'm just hoping Disney is being cognizant of the potential safety risk in a very rare situation, but still one which exists.

Know what turns off when the monorail shuts down? The AC... Know what the monorail doesn't have? Any open windows. Know what the monorail has? 2-3x the number of people per cabin than a gondola. Know what is the biggest generator of heat? People.

Now... how do you fears apply to the monorail system?

 

[larryz]

Know what turns off when the monorail shuts down? The AC... Know what the monorail doesn't have? Any open windows. Know what the monorail has? 2-3x the number of people per cabin than a gondola. Know what is the biggest generator of heat? People.

Now... how do you fears apply to the monorail system?

Well, apparently, somebody else has a similar situation... in Taiwan... hot cable car gondolas... and this patent is designed to fix that deficiency.

 

[larryz]

Again. The Hong Kong gondolas are at times OVER 1000 FEET above the ground... And directly over the ocean. Comparing those to these makes no sense. It's not valid. Proof... Pics from my first trip there:

Oh, hell no...

 

[Creathir]

Know what turns off when the monorail shuts down? The AC... Know what the monorail doesn't have? Any open windows. Know what the monorail has? 2-3x the number of people per cabin than a gondola. Know what is the biggest generator of heat? People.

Now... how do you fears apply to the monorail system?

And usually guests are seen popping the emergency windows open...

Hey, maybe that'll be enough (assuming they are present?) for these...

 

[Buried20KLeague]

Oh, hell no...

It's pretty crazy, I've gotta admit. But much faster than the 60 minute bus ride to get to the same place!!

 

[GoofGoof]

Solar power -- there's a lot of exposed roof area on "Mickey's Plexiglass Bubbles of Death."

Solar could possibly power a small fan or some LCD screens. It's not enough to power AC.

 

[flynnibus]

And usually guests are seen popping the emergency windows open...

They don't have windows that open... only the entire panel can come off... or the roof hatches.

 

[danlb_2000]

Oh absolutely.

So are monorail evacuations. Most mass transit systems today are very reliable, and I'm sure the gondola will be no exception.

It still does not change the fact that guests could be trapped in the gondolas for several hours awaiting evacuation. And environmental control design is as reported only a forced air system, they could get really hot really fast inside of them.

Things break. Gondolas will too. I'm just hoping Disney is being cognizant of the potential safety risk in a very rare situation, but still one which exists.

Do the monorails currently have a back up power system for the AC when the beam power fails?

 

[allgiggles]

Oh, hell no...

My thoughts exactly!

 

[peter11435]

Do the monorails currently have a back up power system for the AC when the beam power fails?

No

 

[danlb_2000]

No

I am like a lawyer, I never ask a question that I don't already know the answer to.

 

[Creathir]

Do the monorails currently have a back up power system for the AC when the beam power fails?

Do the monorails have emergency windows (panels) that guests pop open if it gets to hot?

 

[danlb_2000]

Do the monorails have emergency windows (panels) that guests pop open if it gets to hot?

If the monorails have this, then the gondolas could also have this.

 

[Creathir]

If the monorails have this, then the gondolas could also have this.

True.
And maybe they will?

I still am of the opinion AC, or at least a powered ventilation system via a small fan should be on these things.

To each his own though.

 

[BrianLo]

Again. The Hong Kong gondolas are at times OVER 1000 FEET above the ground... And directly over the ocean. Comparing those to these makes no sense. It's not valid. Proof... Pics from my first trip there:

The ambient temperatures on said stretch of water is consistently around 30 degrees. Tian Tan Buddha (where the cable cars decend from) also hovers around the same temp, maybe a degree or two below.

There is no magical benefit of being any higher than treeline for a cross breeze and distance from radiant ground temps - other than the views. The temperature outside the gondola in those photos are still 30 degrees.

If we're also being nit picky the total time the HK cable car spends over land will be in excess of WDW (the trip time and routing is quite a bit shorter).

(I work in Celsius)

If that's still not acceptable, I've been on Australian cable cars who hug the tree line more closely, again that was fine. HK cable cars are definitely one of the nicest trip in the world though!