News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[GeneralKnowledge]

Earlier in this thread, someone (I believe it may have been @Lift Blog) said that these systems normally have backup drive systems in the case of an emergency or failure. If the main drive system would malfunction, they could use the backup system to safely cycle through occupied cabins to remove passengers.

Absolutely, an evacuation event for this system is going to be very rare, like a once in the life of the system level of rare. In almost any breakdown scenario they will be able to run the backup drive to offload people.

 

[rle4lunch]

I can't wait to see all the complaints from the wheel chair "bound" people that think they're being discriminated against.

Cuz if 100%of the world can't ride them, then no one can! Lol

 

[MisterPenguin]

I can't wait to see all the complaints from the wheel chair "bound" people that think they're being discriminated against.

Cuz if 100%of the world can't ride them, then no one can! Lol

But they can ride the gondola. Or are you saying they think they can't?

 

[rle4lunch]

But they can ride the gondola. Or are you saying they think they can't?

They'll think they can't. They'll be something wrong with the load system, or the securing mechanism or something. There always is.... someone looking for a quick buck thru litigation.

 

[HauntedPirate]

But they can ride the gondola. Or are you saying they think they can't?

I know a wheelchair-dependent person who is also heat-sensitive who may have a problem riding the gondola in the summer, but until the Skyliner is up and running and this person is down there, it's impossible to know what will happen. And Pop is their favorite resort to stay at.

They can't be the only one in that situation, I'm sure, it's just worth noting that there are always going to be a few who won't be able to ride for one reason or another, and I hope Disney has accounted for that. (And a Minnie Van isn't an option, either, unless one has a wheelchair lift and can handle a 1000lb motorized wheelchair with a ventilator on it. )

 

[larryz]

Earlier in this thread, someone (I believe it may have been @Lift Blog) said that these systems normally have backup drive systems in the case of an emergency or failure. If the main drive system would malfunction, they could use the backup system to safely cycle through occupied cabins to remove passengers.

This being Disney, I expect the backup drive system Will look something like this...

 

[truecoat]

I know a wheelchair-dependent person who is also heat-sensitive who may have a problem riding the gondola in the summer, but until the Skyliner is up and running and this person is down there, it's impossible to know what will happen. And Pop is their favorite resort to stay at.

They can't be the only one in that situation, I'm sure, it's just worth noting that there are always going to be a few who won't be able to ride for one reason or another, and I hope Disney has accounted for that. (And a Minnie Van isn't an option, either, unless one has a wheelchair lift and can handle a 1000lb motorized wheelchair with a ventilator on it. )

He must weight alot. A typical power wheelchair weighs 250 lbs and one with a tilt and or recline adds a little more weight but 1000 pounds? He must weigh at least 400 lbs.

 

[danlb_2000]

They'll think they can't. They'll be something wrong with the load system, or the securing mechanism or something. There always is.... someone looking for a quick buck thru litigation.

The cars level load, so there really isn't anything that can go wrong there, and I also don't believe there will need to be a securing mechanism.

 

[rle4lunch]

The cars level load, so there really isn't anything that can go wrong there, and I also don't believe there will need to be a securing mechanism.

I'm sure someone will figure out some way to sue Disney. It's funny the lengths some people will go to "earn" money without working.

That said, have you been over to the Tron thread? There were people complaining last summer that it was discriminatory since it wasn't ADA (Shanghai version) compliant and that they were insensitive for not making a train car handicap accessible. lol.

As the Rolling Stones once sang, "You can't always get what you want..."

 

[Ripken10]

Oh no, I am sure it will work perfectly. Sorry, but I am from the Northeast and an avid skier. Do you know how often chairlifts
and gondolas stop. I used the example of the old skyliner, because it happen at WDW. I have mentioned previously, this year
alone, at least 3 ski areas here had breakdowns that required the people be removed by rescue equipment. You can "fluff" it off
as much as you want, but I guarantee there will be days when this system will breakdown and on the day, I can only hope, you
are out there, hanging over the trees between CBR and Epcot.

While I don't have the exact numbers to back it up (but I know people here do that aren't just relying on personal memory to relay safety issues), I do know that you are trying to group two completely different systems - ski chair lifts and gondolas. You can't do that. I too am an avid skier, and there is a huge difference in the reliability of a chair lift and a gondola. By grouping the number of evacuations on both chair lifts and gondolas you will always increase the total number of evacuations then if you only talked about gondolas. Not that my research was very thorough, but on a search I did I could only find one evacuation of a gondola (in the French alps) in 2017. Now I am not an expert (that's @LiftBlog's territory), but you perception of how many incidents there are is not correct.

 

[flynnibus]

I know a wheelchair-dependent person who is also heat-sensitive who may have a problem riding the gondola in the summer, but until the Skyliner is up and running and this person is down there, it's impossible to know what will happen. And Pop is their favorite resort to stay at.

They can't be the only one in that situation, I'm sure, it's just worth noting that there are always going to be a few who won't be able to ride for one reason or another, and I hope Disney has accounted for that. (And a Minnie Van isn't an option, either, unless one has a wheelchair lift and can handle a 1000lb motorized wheelchair with a ventilator on it. )

"An edge case is a problem or situation that occurs only at an extreme (maximum or minimum) operating parameter"

"In engineering, a corner case (or pathological case) involves a problem or situation that occurs only outside of normal operating parameters—specifically one that manifests itself when multiple environmental variables or conditions are simultaneously at extreme levels, even though each parameter is within the specified range for that parameter."

Your friend is the corner case. She doesn't represent a significant portion of your audience. You don't design your system around the corner case.. you deal with them.

If you can't ride in a gondola for a few minutes.. I'm not sure how one motors around the miles of outdoor tarmac at the parks.. but that's just me.

 

[mmascari]

I can't wait to see all the complaints from the wheel chair "bound" people that think they're being discriminated against.

Cuz if 100%of the world can't ride them, then no one can! Lol

They'll think they can't. They'll be something wrong with the load system, or the securing mechanism or something. There always is.... someone looking for a quick buck thru litigation.

It's effectively the same as riding an elevator. If you can ride an elevator, you'll be able to ride the gondola.

There isn't really a "load system" and there's no securing mechanism. Instead, picture an elevator with a bench seat on each side. Probably a bench seat that folds up to create more floor space when needed. Walk/Roll right over the small gap between the floor and the car at the same height. Technically, the car is moving while you cross the gap, but it'll be moving so slow to feel like it's stopped.

So, it's like a glass elevator on the side of a building that gives a view as you ride it. If you don't like riding in this type of elevator, you'll probably have an issue with the gondola. If you can ride in this type of elevator without fear, you'll probably be fine.

 

[...it's a yungle]

It's effectively the same as riding an elevator. If you can ride an elevator, you'll be able to ride the gondola.

There isn't really a "load system" and there's no securing mechanism. Instead, picture an elevator with a bench seat on each side. Probably a bench seat that folds up to create more floor space when needed. Walk/Roll right over the small gap between the floor and the car at the same height. Technically, the car is moving while you cross the gap, but it'll be moving so slow to feel like it's stopped.

So, it's like a glass elevator on the side of a building that gives a view as you ride it. If you don't like riding in this type of elevator, you'll probably have an issue with the gondola. If you can ride in this type of elevator without fear, you'll probably be fine.

A great analogy. Additionally, a glass elevator not on a sky scraper, but on a 4 story building.
Any new pics out there in the You-Twit-Face-verse?

 

[Mainahman]

Can I just get a wonkavator?

 

[...it's a yungle]

Can I just get a wonkavator?

 

[Creathir]

It's effectively the same as riding an elevator. If you can ride an elevator, you'll be able to ride the gondola.

There isn't really a "load system" and there's no securing mechanism. Instead, picture an elevator with a bench seat on each side. Probably a bench seat that folds up to create more floor space when needed. Walk/Roll right over the small gap between the floor and the car at the same height. Technically, the car is moving while you cross the gap, but it'll be moving so slow to feel like it's stopped.

So, it's like a glass elevator on the side of a building that gives a view as you ride it. If you don't like riding in this type of elevator, you'll probably have an issue with the gondola. If you can ride in this type of elevator without fear, you'll probably be fine.

Very good analogy, though it’s more like a paternoster, it’s always moving, it never stops.

 

[mmascari]

Very good analogy, though it’s more like a paternoster, it’s always moving, it never stops.

I had to look that up. Those look way cool. Totally dangerous, but way cool.

While the gondola systems is always moving like a paternoster, it's probably still closer to riding a regular elevator.

The gondolas in the station will be barely moving when boarding.

Hence, boarding the gondola will be more like boarding a stationary elevator than a paternoster where the floors are only level for a split second.

• For people in an ECV or wheelchair, it'll clearly be perceived as moving and not stationary. Probably with a little thought the first time.
• For people pushing strollers, it'll be perceived as moving slightly. Probably with no thought. Way slower than getting on an escalator at the mall or a moving walkway at the airport.
• For people walking, it'll be perceived as stationary. Probably with a wish that it would just move along faster and what's the hold up.

Way slower than that paternoster which looks super cool but also deadly.

 

[larryz]

I had to look that up. Those look way cool. Totally dangerous, but way cool.
...
Way slower than that paternoster which looks super cool but also deadly.

OSHA definitely wouldn't approve a paternoster, but they're not all that deadly. I've only heard of a couple of incidents surrounding them. One was a DB found at the bottom of the shaft (later determined to be a homicide and the DB was put there to delay discovery), and the time someone tried to move a file cabinet from one floor to the other...

It actually became somewhat of an art and challenge to see how long you could delay entering the cabin without hurting yourself and other riders.

 

[Grimley1968]

I want a paternoster. Guess I'll have to settle for the gondolas.

 

[MrHappy]

@MisterPenguin , I think you posted the route about a few hundred pages ago. Do you mind reposting? I want to look at it from an aesthetics standpoint, as some are complaining that the wires will give an appearance of high voltage wires strung around the resort. My memory is that the wiring will hardly be seen from inside a park, and maybe not as apparent as some may think standing in a resort due to the approaches and angles. Thanks!