News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[Coaster Lover]

The system is not all that expensive. $10 to $15M per mile covered all in. A fraction of the cost of a monorail or even a surface level light rail.

Out of curiosity, where did you get that figure? According to the BBC, the London system cost 45 million GBP to build in 2012 (~$72.5 million at that time) and that system was only 1.1 km long (or roughly $106 million per mile). Granted the London system was built over water, built at a MUCH greater height than the WDW system will need to be, and was built in the middle of a major city (all of which would increase costs), but unless there were SEVER cost overruns on the London project, it's hard to imagine a system five years later could be built at 1/10th the cost per mile... then again, like I said, there could have been other factors that substantially increased the cost for the London project...

 

[marni1971]

Supposedly, this is the system they are using.

https://www.doppelmayr.com/en/products/3s-gondola-lift/

Each gondola holds 35 passengers.

Moves at 8.5m/sec

Detatchable gondolas for staged loading

10,000ppl/hr (5,000ppl/hour each direction)

Can operate in up to 50mph winds

Possibly not that high a capacity per gondola.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

I don't know the exact figures...or really much about it at all...but the practical side of me wonders if for all the screwing around they're going to do with these gondolas and the resort busses, if they couldn't have just expanded the darn monorail system?

I mean...even if they do these gondolas, once again, Animal Kingdom is only attached by bus...seems like half an attempt at fixing a problem... just my $.02. If they can overhaul whole theme parks they can expand a monorail system.

 

[JoeCamel]

Double bonus, they can stick cell antennas on top of the towers and they won't look any uglier than the towers themselves. No more hiding them in fake trees or buildings/flagpoles

 

[deWild]

Given the lines have been drawn in connecting the planned stations, Disney could easily have the line from CBR to the Studios follow the new roadway that's being planned for exiting the DHS parking area.

 

[Laketravis]

I knew I recognized this, and the "Austin Visitor Center" sign under the lamppost banner and street sign confirmed it.
Just concept art though, 'cause nothing like this currently exists here.
Funny how sometimes (or many times) what's "old" could become new again.

LOL! I haven't been down to 6th street in a few weeks so I had to do a double take when I saw that picture. As you pointed out, it's only concept art. There were some proposals for a like system a couple of years ago but we have so many more who would like to see a choo-choo running thru downtown that I doubt we'll ever get an innovative pod transport.

 

[rushtest4echo]

Sometimes I think WDWMagic's tagline should be "WDWMagic... Monorail News, Rumors, Info and Forum"

Anyway, I know everyone's getting whipped into a fervor over this, but has anyone thought about how this thing is going to look sticking up behind France?

Please excuse my 2 minute photoshop hack job.

 

[Hula Popper]

This system? I doubt it.

Something else? Maybe.

AA banshee drones?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Sometimes I think WDWMagic's tagline should be "WDWMagic... Monorail News, Rumors, Info and Forum"

Anyway, I know everyone's getting whipped into a fervor over this, but has anyone thought about how this thing is going to look sticking up behind France?

Please excuse my 2 minute photoshop hack job.

[/IMG]

What would cause you to believe they'd build it that high?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't know the exact figures...or really much about it at all...but the practical side of me wonders if for all the screwing around they're going to do with these gondolas and the resort busses, if they couldn't have just expanded the darn monorail system?

I mean...even if they do these gondolas, once again, Animal Kingdom is only attached by bus...seems like half an attempt at fixing a problem... just my $.02. If they can overhaul whole theme parks they can expand a monorail system.

No. This is cheaper by a factor of 10. And it's much more flexible than the monorail. And the monorail actually kind of sucks as a practical mode of transportation.

 

[King Panda 77]

Scooters can't go on chair lifts at ski resorts....No law suits there. I'm sure there are plenty of examples where they're just not able to board, as long as you provide the customer with a viable alternative.

In a sane world i would agree with you but ...

 

[EricPZ]

My last visit, when leaving Hollywood Studios traffic was backed up. Busses couldn't get in or out. It took more than 2 hours, after finally getting on the bus, to get back to Coronado Springs. While this wouldn't be an alternative to the bus that night, it certainly would have reduced the amount of traffic that evening.

 

[DrewmanS]

Possibly not that high a capacity per gondola.

So more like this:

https://www.doppelmayr.com/en/products/detachable-gondola-lift/

 

[ford91exploder]

"Busses" are kisses.
"Buses" are a mode of transportation.

I'm very surprised at your reaction. You are usually much more enthusiastic ... "can't see the cabanas for the pixie dust" enthusiastic. Conversely, the folks who are usually down on everything the Mouse does, are applauding this possibility.

"Opposite Day" was weeks ago. Very interesting thread indeed.

For one those of us who have criticized Disneys recent moves because in many cases Disney has been doing things which are substandard or 'good enough'.

This project represents a return to the Disney philosophy of creating innovattive solutions for everyday problems

This also eliminates the impact of buses on local traffic and conversely the effect local traffic has on buses and the guest will get a better experience at the same time with transit to destination every few minutes not 3x hour at best

 

[GhostHost1000]

I wonder if each cabin will be shaped like a mickey?

I just hope that do something unique with them decoratively (style, paint scheme, color, etc.) so it's not too generic

 

[King Panda 77]

Sometimes I think WDWMagic's tagline should be "WDWMagic... Monorail News, Rumors, Info and Forum"

Anyway, I know everyone's getting whipped into a fervor over this, but has anyone thought about how this thing is going to look sticking up behind France?

Please excuse my 2 minute photoshop hack job.

It will look quite apt if this report comes to fruition.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2016/09/29/paris-cable-cars-traffic-jams/

 

[FigmentFan3]

At least some of the news outlets ran viable maps
EDIT: For clarity's sake this isn't a possible route. Just a map posted by a news site that I thought was funny.

 

[NYwdwfan]

I was thinking...the resorts with alternate transportation to parks do not bus guests to those parks unless there are issues with that alternate transportation. BC/YC/BW/S/D don't have buses to Epcot or DHS - you walk or take the boat. Poly/CR/GF don't have buses to MK - you take the monorail or the boat (or walk from CR). Would they still have buses running from the gondola resorts since the gondola is a single form of transportation and those other resorts have two methods of accessing the parks? Several people I've discussed the gondola plan with have mentioned a fear of heights and that they would never step foot in a gondola (actually my daughter said,"no way - didn't you see Spiderman?"). Obviously if a person has a fear of heights/gondolas they could opt to stay at a different resort, but I was curious if they would keep the buses as well.

 

[ford91exploder]

Out of curiosity, where did you get that figure? According to the BBC, the London system cost 45 million GBP to build in 2012 (~$72.5 million at that time) and that system was only 1.1 km long (or roughly $106 million per mile). Granted the London system was built over water, built at a MUCH greater height than the WDW system will need to be, and was built in the middle of a major city (all of which would increase costs), but unless there were SEVER cost overruns on the London project, it's hard to imagine a system five years later could be built at 1/10th the cost per mile... then again, like I said, there could have been other factors that substantially increased the cost for the London project...

The fact that Disney owns all the land and air rights in the proposed area reduces cost because in a city like London every square inch and air right belongs to someone who needs to be paid. Plus labor costs are much higher and the general challenge of building and working in the city

 

[GhostHost1000]

For one those of us who have criticized Disneys recent moves because in many cases Disney has been doing things which are substandard or 'good enough'.

This project represents a return to the Disney philosophy of creating innovattive solutions for everyday problems

This also eliminates the impact of buses on local traffic and conversely the effect local traffic has on buses and the guest will get a better experience at the same time with transit to destination every few minutes not 3x hour at best

if they pull this off well and thematically it looks good throughout (as well as if they end up expanding it to all parks and resorts) this could be a really positive thing