News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

rocketraccoon

Well-Known Member
I have a solution: Just wrap the gondolas in highly reflective mirrors! It'll reduce heat, be a spectacle, and will confuse the average roaming diverse park-goer into not using them!
 

SLUSHIE

Well-Known Member
I highly doubt even a single one of those 116 is marginally comparable to the diverse amount of people and the physical health of said people in enclosed passively vented gondolas in the Florida summer sun. This move is purely financially economical for Disney. No other reason. The pro’s are simply financial. To spin it any other way is just silly. It will be fine- but they don’t care about your convenience or comfort here. It just had to be good enough for the cost savings they will sow. Personally I don’t stay at these resorts regardless but I would avoid this thing like the plague. It certainly isn’t looking into the future at all. This is going back to old technology that will save them a fortune. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s anything other than that.

I absolutely agree and you are clearly a specialist in transportation systems. I expect at least 15,000 fatalities in just it's first year of operation. Don't less anyone tell you it's going to be any less.

Disney has no clue what they are doing. The lawyers are going to be working overtime on this one
 
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GeneralKnowledge

Well-Known Member
I highly doubt even a single one of those 116 is marginally comparable to the diverse amount of people and the physical health of said people in enclosed passively vented gondolas in the Florida summer sun. This move is purely financially economical for Disney. No other reason. The pro’s are simply financial. To spin it any other way is just silly. It will be fine- but they don’t care about your convenience or comfort here. It just had to be good enough for the cost savings they will sow. Personally I don’t stay at these resorts regardless but I would avoid this thing like the plague. It certainly isn’t looking into the future at all. This is going back to old technology that will save them a fortune. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s anything other than that.

I actually think you might be on to something. Maybe this is a plan to increase guest satisfaction while maintaining current revenue levels. The people that will suffer and die on the gondolas have already paid for the majority of their vacation, why not eliminate them and shorten the lines for everyone else. Plus the ones who are more susceptible to gondola borne heat stroke are also the ones who are clogging up the guest areas with their ECVs. We could possibly return to October 2001 crowd levels while only seeing a slight dip in overall revenue. That dip I might add will probably be made up by increased guest spending by the survivors. They may not have died on the gondola, but they’re going to be overheated enough to warrant the purchase of a misting fan bottle.
 

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
Premium Member
I highly doubt even a single one of those 116 is marginally comparable to the diverse amount of people and the physical health of said people in enclosed passively vented gondolas in the Florida summer sun. This move is purely financially economical for Disney. No other reason. The pro’s are simply financial. To spin it any other way is just silly. It will be fine- but they don’t care about your convenience or comfort here. It just had to be good enough for the cost savings they will sow. Personally I don’t stay at these resorts regardless but I would avoid this thing like the plague. It certainly isn’t looking into the future at all. This is going back to old technology that will save them a fortune. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s anything other than that.

DFCD6352-7784-4DCB-8987-D6E97DF3FC9A.png

P.S. Welcome to the Forums anyway.
 

Creathir

Well-Known Member
The cost savings model was do nothing. Use the buses that you already use everyday and will never get rid of Entirely.
That’s not entirely accurate.

I’d just about guarantee there are actuaries out there or some report indicating the long term cost savings of the Skyliner vs the bus system.

The bus system isn’t free. It’s fuel, maintenance, wear and tear on the roadway, clogging of the roadway.

Almost guaranteed they have reports on the overall cost per guest and how, even with the capital outlay, this project will save them money in the long run, likely thru a combined cost savings along with improved profits at the connected resorts due to the assumed rate hikes which will be coming.
 

Sull1102

Member
Lift towers are going up real quick it seems. It was mentioned earlier and I think you might be on to something in regards to Dopp moving crews around in about six weeks or so to other projects. They might be seeing a lot of orders for new lifts which I really hope is the case or resorts can sometimes, although rarely do, build new lifts in time for summer use and open around July 4th if they start construction towards the end of March. Of course when they spin those gondis in the summer people are dying in droves! Ya just see bodies littering the lift lines everywhere ya go, the horror! I can't believe some people are so silly but oh well ...
 

NormC

Well-Known Member
I highly doubt even a single one of those 116 is marginally comparable to the diverse amount of people and the physical health of said people in enclosed passively vented gondolas in the Florida summer sun. This move is purely financially economical for Disney. No other reason. The pro’s are simply financial. To spin it any other way is just silly. It will be fine- but they don’t care about your convenience or comfort here. It just had to be good enough for the cost savings they will sow. Personally I don’t stay at these resorts regardless but I would avoid this thing like the plague. It certainly isn’t looking into the future at all. This is going back to old technology that will save them a fortune. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s anything other than that.
:banghead:
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Original Poster
Lift towers are going up real quick it seems. It was mentioned earlier and I think you might be on to something in regards to Dopp moving crews around in about six weeks or so to other projects. They might be seeing a lot of orders for new lifts which I really hope is the case or resorts can sometimes, although rarely do, build new lifts in time for summer use and open around July 4th if they start construction towards the end of March. Of course when they spin those gondis in the summer people are dying in droves! Ya just see bodies littering the lift lines everywhere ya go, the horror! I can't believe some people are so silly but oh well ...

It's not clear that Dopp crews are even involved in the tower setup. This is a piece of the project that a local contractor could be doing.
 
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danlb_2000

Premium Member
Original Poster
That’s not entirely accurate.

I’d just about guarantee there are actuaries out there or some report indicating the long term cost savings of the Skyliner vs the bus system.

The bus system isn’t free. It’s fuel, maintenance, wear and tear on the roadway, clogging of the roadway.

Almost guaranteed they have reports on the overall cost per guest and how, even with the capital outlay, this project will save them money in the long run, likely thru a combined cost savings along with improved profits at the connected resorts due to the assumed rate hikes which will be coming.

I totally agree with this. I don't think they would be doing this project if they didn't plan to see a long term cost savings.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
That’s not entirely accurate.

I’d just about guarantee there are actuaries out there or some report indicating the long term cost savings of the Skyliner vs the bus system.

The bus system isn’t free. It’s fuel, maintenance, wear and tear on the roadway, clogging of the roadway.

Almost guaranteed they have reports on the overall cost per guest and how, even with the capital outlay, this project will save them money in the long run, likely thru a combined cost savings along with improved profits at the connected resorts due to the assumed rate hikes which will be coming.

Im sure it will be.... in the lomg run.

The point here tho is.... lomg term thinking really isnt the stromg point. Outlaying hundreds of millions now... isnt being cheap when the old system worked and wasnt a unqiue burden.

Status quo is cheap when it works and has plenty of air cover from shared uses. The cheap route was the lazy one... do nothing
 

Creathir

Well-Known Member
Im sure it will be.... in the lomg run.

The point here tho is.... lomg term thinking really isnt the stromg point. Outlaying hundreds of millions now... isnt being cheap when the old system worked and wasnt a unqiue burden.

Status quo is cheap when it works and has plenty of air cover from shared uses. The cheap route was the lazy one... do nothing
I suppose?

The bus system is already overtaxed in my honest opinion. They are trying to alleviate it with the Skyliner.

But we know they looked into other options, including at least researching the feasibility of a second IG and expanding the water service. I personally like Marni's proposal of Peoplemovers connecting everything ;) or even expanding the monorail system, but this is what we're getting.

They are very much aware of the increased burden SWGE is going to bring, they selected the most cost effective option almost guaranteed.
 

Lift Blog

Well-Known Member
Lift Blog, thank you for the knowledge you provide on this and other lifts.
When able, can you describe the early work foundations at the hub shown in this pic...thanks again!View attachment 263612
Just the construction shown in this picture is way beyond that for any ski lift ever built in the US so it's a little tough to compare. Also these are the first D-Line models so the foundations will be different from any other lift we are used to seeing in North America.

Having never been to WDW, I think this picture is looking North with Sea Breeze Drive at the top? If so, the top right looks to be the spread footer for the line from Riviera/Epcot. The very top of the photo looks to be a tower location for that line. It could also be oriented the other way for the line to Pop/AoA.

The red columns in the center look to be further along for the station from Hollywood Studios. The shorter red column to the left is probably for the first tower for that line. The bottom right may be the third terminal foundation for Pop/AoA but it looks to be the very early stages. Take this with a grain of salt. Another week or two and should become clearer what's what.

The grids to the left look like foundations for the cabin parking facilities. For the nerds on here, I just did a write up about the new cabin parking where I work, which opened just a few weeks ago. Ours is mostly hung from the ceiling of a new building but it looks like Disney's parking rails may be supported by columns from the ground.
https://liftblog.com/2018/01/27/inside-the-sweetest-parking-around/
 
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lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
The grids to the left look like foundations for the cabin parking facilities. For the nerds on here, I just did a write up about the new cabin parking where I work, which opened just a few weeks ago. Ours is mostly hung from the ceiling but it looks like Disney's parking rails may be supported by columns from the ground.
https://liftblog.com/2018/01/27/inside-the-sweetest-parking-around/
Your new cabin parking is not hung from the ceiling, which is a roof-ceiling assembly composed of rigid insulation sandwiched between metal panels. The system appears to be mostly hung from the purlins which span between the beams. In typical use cases those beams are more than capable of providing a clear span from wall-to-wall. All of the square columns are additional and there to support the weight of the cabin parking. Draw lines from wall-to-wall through the columns and you would also have a grid. The concrete between the columns in Florida that is not seen in your photos are strap footings that help spread the load from these columns. It really doesn’t make sense to cantilever such a heavy system from columns when you could easily suspend it.
 

SLUSHIE

Well-Known Member
Just the construction shown in this picture is way beyond that for any ski lift ever built in the US so it's a little tough to compare. Also these are the first D-Line models so the foundations will be different from any other lift we are used to seeing in North America.

Having never been to WDW, I think this picture is looking North with Sea Breeze Drive at the top? If so, the top right looks to be the spread footer for the line from Riviera/Epcot. The very top of the photo looks to be a tower location for that line. It could also be oriented the other way for the line to Pop/AoA.

The red columns in the center look to be further along for the station from Hollywood Studios. The shorter red column to the left is probably for the first tower for that line. The bottom right may be the third terminal foundation for Pop/AoA but it looks to be the very early stages. Take this with a grain of salt. Another week or two and should become clearer what's what.

The grids to the left look like foundations for the cabin parking facilities. For the nerds on here, I just did a write up about the new cabin parking where I work, which opened just a few weeks ago. Ours is mostly hung from the ceiling of a new building but it looks like Disney's parking rails may be supported by columns from the ground.
https://liftblog.com/2018/01/27/inside-the-sweetest-parking-around/

disneygondola.jpg


I think its pretty clear where the stations will be. I highlighted the stations in red and the cabin parking in green. The other major foundation in the photo is roughly where the bell tower thingy will be based on the concept art.

skyliner-concept-art-cbr-station.jpg
 

mm121

Well-Known Member
View attachment 263664

I think its pretty clear where the stations will be. I highlighted the stations in red and the cabin parking in green. The other major foundation in the photo is roughly where the bell tower thingy will be based on the concept art.

skyliner-concept-art-cbr-station.jpg
that concept art is nothing like what i was imagining, i was thinking the loading area would be up on a second level with cabin storage or other amenties like restrooms or bus stop below.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
that concept art is nothing like what i was imagining, i was thinking the loading area would be up on a second level with cabin storage or other amenties like restrooms or bus stop below.

All stations have ground level loading/unloading. Kinda makes sense to let the system elevate the people rather than the stations with elevators and complicated ramp systems. The bus stop is a short walk away for the CBR station.
 

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