News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[trainplane3]

Yes I know we all knew this ages ago. But Disney, or DVC, have now confirmed it, that's my point. To DVCers at least, but it is now "official".

The restaurant though, I'm not sure it will be. TOTWL is DVC exclusive, but I doubt DVC members can sustain an entire restaurant. TOTWL isn't full for most evenings until about 30 minutes before the fireworks. only at really busy times of the year is there any problem getting in, and the rest of the year they will sometimes let renters or cash guests at BLT up without a membership card.

To add to this, TOTWL was busier every other time EXCEPT when I was just down at WDW for Christmas. It was packed in August and September 2016 but Christmas weekend it was pretty empty. It certainly is random and I'm not sure a total DVC restaurant can be supported by only DVC'ers. And if they do go all DVC with it, I'd take a guess and say it would be a pretty standard menu and not California Grill tier.

 

[nickys]

To add to this, TOTWL was busier every other time EXCEPT when I was just down at WDW for Christmas. It was packed in August and September 2016 but Christmas weekend it was pretty empty. It certainly is random and I'm not sure a total DVC restaurant can be supported by only DVC'ers. And if they do go all DVC with it, I'd take a guess and say it would be a pretty standard menu and not California Grill tier.

The more I think about this, they may want it to be a resort TS restaurant akin to say Kona Cafe, to appeal to resort guests. So they might make it DVC members and any other resort guests. Unlike BLT, Riviera isn't a DVC part of another resort, so it won't have shared facilities. If they do that, then I agree, it won't be the "new Cali Grill".

At the very least I think the lounge will be for DVC members only, plus maybe those with restaurant reservations.

 

[Minnie1976]

Pictures from October of the building of the gondolas!
Sorry they aren’t good pictures. I tool them from the moving bus.

 

[HauntedPirate]

While looking for the photos, I read some of the "thoughts" posted about the gondolas on the other site. Here's some of the "highlights":

- "I don't think the gondolas will allow wheelchairs or ECVs..."
- "It looks like it will take 60-80 seconds for a gondola to load/unload..."
- "No place for a gondola to disconnect..."
- "The gondolas look like they'll hold 4-6 people..."

 

[danlb_2000]

Pictures from October of the building of the gondolas!
Sorry they aren’t good pictures. I tool them from the moving bus.

View attachment 252589 View attachment 252591

Where are these pictures from? They don't look like gondola construction, it looks like the new DHS entrance and the corner of Victory and Osceola.

 

[tirian]

While looking for the photos, I read some of the "thoughts" posted about the gondolas on the other site. Here's some of the "highlights":

- "I don't think the gondolas will allow wheelchairs or ECVs..."
- "It looks like it will take 60-80 seconds for a gondola to load/unload..."
- "No place for a gondola to disconnect..."
- "The gondolas look like they'll hold 4-6 people..."

LOL. This is the only site with trustworthy news, although I’ve mostly gone into lurker mode because I don’t have time to argue with self-styled police officers who think their singular opinions are the only legitimate ones. But hey, that describes the entire Internet!

 

[Minnie1976]

Where are these pictures from? They don't look like gondola construction, it looks like the new DHS entrance and the corner of Victory and Osceola.

I don’t know since I was on the bus and don’t remember where we were going or coming back from.

 

[danlb_2000]

Current progress on the CBR station. You can also see what looks like the foundations for two towers along the path the AOA/Pop.

You can see them better in this picture.

 

[DisneyJeff]

Where are these pictures from? They don't look like gondola construction, it looks like the new DHS entrance and the corner of Victory and Osceola.

I thought they looked like pictures of the new flyover ramps at the entrance to the MK parking lot.

 

[dolphinforces]

I thought they looked like pictures of the new flyover ramps at the entrance to the MK parking lot.

That's what it is

 

[Lift Blog]

Current progress on the CBR station. You can also see what looks like the foundations for two towers along the path the AOA/Pop.
View attachment 252677

You can see them better in this picture.

View attachment 252678

Those tower foundations look massive compared with ski area standards. I hear Disney wanted everything burlier for hurricane purposes.

 

[jt04]

Those tower foundations look massive compared with ski area standards. I hear Disney wanted everything burlier for hurricane purposes.

Yes, I have been amazed by how uber-engineered this project is. The timeline makes more sense seeing this. Far beyond the previous Disney skyway.

 

[danlb_2000]

Those tower foundations look massive compared with ski area standards. I hear Disney wanted everything burlier for hurricane purposes.

Might also have to do with the fact that they are going into much less stable ground then you probably have on a mountain.

Speaking of towers, are they normally installed by the contractor that is doing the station structures and foundations, or will that be done along with the lift equipment install?

 

[danlb_2000]

Yes, I have been amazed by how uber-engineered this project is. The timeline makes more sense seeing this. Far beyond the previous Disney skyway.

Where are you getting that this project is "uber-engineered", we have seen very little construction at this point that could lead to that could support that conclusion.

 

[jt04]

Where are you getting that this project is "uber-engineered", we have seen very little construction at this point that could lead to that could support that conclusion.

I am judging by the foundation work. And also the distances are far greater than I assumed.

 

[danlb_2000]

I am judging by the foundation work. And also the distances are far greater than I assumed.

Designing the tower foundations to hold up to hurricane force winds isn't really "Uber" engineering, it's just good engineering.

 

[Lift Blog]

Might also have to do with the fact that they are going into much less stable ground then you probably have on a mountain.

Speaking of towers, are they normally installed by the contractor that is doing the station structures and foundations, or will that be done along with the lift equipment install?

Doppelmayr normally does its own concrete for towers and terminals and installs the steel. This project isn’t normal though.

 

[MisterPenguin]

And also the distances are far greater than I assumed.

The distances of what? Between stations? That's been know for a year. Between towers? You don't know where the towers are going in.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Those tower foundations look massive compared with ski area standards. I hear Disney wanted everything burlier for hurricane purposes.

I would also assume that everything's burlier and more substantial because these lifts need to operate every single day up to 14-17 hours a day without a seasonal downtime for refurbishment like ski lifts.

Do you know if urban transports lifts build differently than ski lifts because they operate year round?

 

[marni1971]

Yes, I have been amazed by how uber-engineered this project is. The timeline makes more sense seeing this. Far beyond the previous Disney skyway.

Don’t be daft. The previous skyway also had to pass through a basement to reach its foundations.

This is kids play.

Did you ever see the size of the monorail pile foundations?