News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

Kamikaze

Kamikaze

Well-Known Member
TheDad said:
Thanks!

Is it possible for this type of system to function in a thunderstorm? It sounded like maybe it could be a possibility.
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Yes, it is a possibility. It will probably follow the same rule as the other outdoor attractions at WDW. If lightning is detected within x miles (pretty sure its 10) then it stops operating until it passes.
 
Unplugged

Unplugged

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
It has been discussed earlier; consensus is it'll take a very localised storm to stop operations for a short while.
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Kamikaze said:
Yes, it is a possibility. It will probably follow the same rule as the other outdoor attractions at WDW. If lightning is detected within x miles (pretty sure its 10) then it stops operating until it passes.
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The curious thing, and I apologize if I overlooked this part of the prior discussion, is the unload to pause time requirement. The ride time determines how long they must anticipate a pause as once they stop loading, they must allow time for the already loaded gondolas to unload at the destination. The longest of the 3 independent runs is Epcot to Riviera (CBR) appears to be about 2km total length, or about 8 minutes assuming a 16kph gondola speed. So for safety margin they may need a 10-12 minute window to handle multiple ECV/wheelchair unloads (clear the platform) which is less than 4km and well within the 10mi policy. Though this is in the air, so winds must be taken into account and not just lightning.

So is the ~10 miles the "first indication" to start the shutdown procedure, or is that the actual stop/pause time requiring additional 10 minutes advance notice? Asking as 8-10 minutes on a gondola can be a big difference from a typical ride stop with regards to Florida weather.
 
Coaster Lover

Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
BuzzLIghtYear2010 said:
Can you say "Phase I?"
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I'm certainly no insider, but I believe the consensus was that there were no immediate plans to expand this system to other resorts/parks... basically that this was just a means of alleviating some of the congestion on the other transportation methods in this area of the property. I believe that many of the insiders suggested that other means of transportation were being looked at for other areas on the property, but not to expect Gondola transportation to ever be a way to completely connect the property.
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
Coaster Lover said:
I'm certainly no insider, but I believe the consensus was that there were no immediate plans to expand this system to other resorts/parks... basically that this was just a means of alleviating some of the congestion on the other transportation methods in this area of the property. I believe that many of the insiders suggested that other means of transportation were being looked at for other areas on the property, but not to expect Gondola transportation to ever be a way to completely connect the property.
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Just reading this made me think of Monsters Inc with the different lines of doors whizzing around.......

The all new gondola experience. Choose your line, colour coded for each park. Watch others as you criss cross across WDW heading for the park of your choice. Express transportation at it's best. All the thrills of a coaster ride before you even enter the parks. Enjoy Disney's Skyliner today!

Sorry, just a small flight of fancy there for a moment!
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
TheDad said:
Thoughts?
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Yup!
IMG_3644.jpg
 
Lord_Vader

Lord_Vader

Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
Bender123 said:
Nope. Two weeks ago, when I was there, the entire monorail system was considered behind security. It may be recent or testing, but I did not get checked at Epcot after leaving the monorail during my stay.
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We just left WDW last Friday, each trip from MK resorts resulted in double security checks over a two week period.
 
englanddg

englanddg

One Little Spark...
peter11435 said:
Guests won't really have much or a choice
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There's plenty of choice. As I said, the Friendship Boats. They stay active, but far more guests still drive/use busses than use it to traverse between MGM and EPCOT, for example...

Mind you, I like the concepts being tossed around, I just wonder how effective they will be...
 
englanddg

englanddg

One Little Spark...
orky8 said:
Your analogy is severely flawed. The proper comparison would be more akin to the monorail is Universe of Energy, with huge capacity but slower load and dispatch times vs Haunted Mansion for the gondolas. Moreover, unlike gondolas which are pretty much fixed capacity at all times, with investment and planning, the monorails can have variable capacity, reducing the number of trains or dispatch interval during slower periods and increasing during peak periods. With enough trains, the monorail could always having a train ready to pull into the station when the next one leaves. This is similar to how mass transit works across the country - more trains and shorter dispatch periods during peak times.

Assume the gondola holds 8 people and dispatches 5 gondolas per minute. Maximum capacity for 30 minutes after park close is only 1200 people. In fact, that is the constant and only capacity. Now, compare that to a monorail which holds 300 people and assume a dispatch rate of 1 every 3 minutes. Maximum capacity for 30 minutes after park close is 3,000 people. Add more trains and you can dispatch every 2 minutes with a maximum capacity for those 30 minutes of 4,500 people. During the middle of the day, take some trains off the beam for cleaning and maintenance.

Unfortunately, if my analogy is true, and the monorail is UOE, well then we may be in trouble...
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Well...sortof. And, mind you, if this was addressed in the last 11 pages of the thread, ignore me...

But, modern gondola systems have the capacity to separate from the drive cable, and to detach and reattach from it...meaning, more or less can be added.

It isn't like a ski lift, and is actually very similar to a train system, just with smaller cars.

In fact, it's quite similar to a very advanced people mover, with two primary benefits for the rider.

1) The illusion of decreased travel time
What I mean by this is that the actual travel time for a larger transit solution (bus/monorail/train) could be equal, but the illusion of movement...both in line/wait as well as smaller group transit...gives the impression, unconsciously, of speed to the end user, even when there is no real time savings in practice. The perception...is everything.

2) "On Demand"
Building off my first point, and they really could be the same...but...through this perception, it is seen as far more "on demand", eliminating the "bus waits"...and the conversations that come with it. "Where is the (insert mass transit medium)" goes away in the waiting area, and instead, people just wait for their turn, as they can see it churning, and the line constantly moves.

And, going to the first point the other person made, this is exactly why the omnimover system worked so surprisingly well. The lines may or may not be any better or worse (though they were better, with throughput, vs other systems), but the impression of the always moving lines made them seem even shorter.
 
peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
englanddg said:
There's plenty of choice. As I said, the Friendship Boats. They stay active, but far more guests still drive/use busses than use it to traverse between MGM and EPCOT, for example...

Mind you, I like the concepts being tossed around, I just wonder how effective they will be...
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The friendship boats will be a choice when traveling between Epcot and the studios. However they won't be an option when traveling from the serviced resorts and those parks.
 
Creathir

Creathir

Well-Known Member
peter11435 said:
The friendship boats will be a choice when traveling between Epcot and the studios. However they won't be an option when traveling from the serviced resorts and those parks.
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To clarify: there are no Skyliner/Friendship boat resorts either. There never have been Friendship boats to any of the Skyliner resorts.
 
larryz

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
creathir said:
To clarify: there are no Skyliner/Friendship boat resorts either. There never have been Friendship boats to any of the Skyliner resorts.
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peter11435 said:
Correct.
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Since YC/BC is a mere 5 minute walk from the Epcot terminus, once the Skyliner is operational, YC/BC and perhaps even BW can properly be classified as "Skyliner/Friendship boat resorts"...
 

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