News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[SLUSHIE]

@Lift Blog A somewhat unrelated question, I've just always wondered what these silver things you see on towers sometimes are for.

 

[Lift Blog]

@Lift Blog A somewhat unrelated question, I've just always wondered what these silver things you see on towers sometimes are for.

Precise alignment of towers is really important, especially on ones immediately adjacent to stations. The sun can sometimes cause towers to warp slightly out of alignment. Especially on dark colored towers, these shields help prevent that.

 

[Lensman]

What!? Using a theoretical mode of transportation as ACTUAL transportation? Preposterous!

I think the IAH airport has a WEDway, so it's not purely theoretical.

I kinda like the self-driving bus idea.

 

[Rob562]

I think the IAH airport has a WEDway, so it's not purely theoretical.

I kinda like the self-driving bus idea.

Yup. IAH has the only WEDWay outside Disney.



-Rob

 

[larryz]

Yup. IAH has the only WEDWay outside Disney.



-Rob

They've taken the people mover and made it boring.

 

[Creathir]

They've taken the people mover and made it boring.

It’s really an amazing technology, but part of the reason this is so seemingly boring is because it is slow compared to what we are used to. Tack on the boring decor of an airport utility corridor and you get this...

 

[Cesar R M]

They've taken the people mover and made it boring.

The lower train is definitively boring, but almost always empty.. the top one in the other hand...
good views, but always full to the seams

 

[Skibum1970]

Another interesting option were the single car Personal Rapid Transport. Imagine, you get into the car at your resort and push a button as to which park you're going to. Then, it flies off (with you inside, hopefully) and goes to the selected destination. Some airports use these. WDW would have to scale up but it would be a really awesome way to get around.

 

[_caleb]

Another interesting option were the single car Personal Rapid Transport. Imagine, you get into the car at your resort and push a button as to which park you're going to. Then, it flies off (with you inside, hopefully) and goes to the selected destination. Some airports use these. WDW would have to scale up but it would be a really awesome way to get around.

We need this!

 

[trainplane3]

Another interesting option were the single car Personal Rapid Transport. Imagine, you get into the car at your resort and push a button as to which park you're going to. Then, it flies off (with you inside, hopefully) and goes to the selected destination. Some airports use these. WDW would have to scale up but it would be a really awesome way to get around.

Two notable locations that use this tech are Heathrow and WVU. Go on Google Maps and take a look at WVUs system, it's pretty impressive. Even more impressive is it's age and how it's still reliable to this day (but undergoing major upgrades after 35+ years of service). There are some pretty good videos covering these systems online.

 

[Creathir]

Definitely agree, as I’ve mentioned numerous times before, PRT really would be an amazing technology for Disney to incorporate.

Walt would have had the computing power existed in his time like it does now.

 

[hokielutz]

Hopefully the footings & foundations are sound for these towers. Color me a little nervous because of how close some of these towers are being constructed to bodies of water & whether they can remain in alignment.
Does anyone know what would happen to these gondolas when the next hurricane comes through central FL? Will they be able to pull the cars off the lines, or are they supposed to just 'hand in there?'

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hopefully the footings & foundations are sound for these towers. Color me a little nervous because of how close some of these towers are being constructed to bodies of water & whether they can remain in alignment.
Does anyone know what would happen to these gondolas when the next hurricane comes through central FL? Will they be able to pull the cars off the lines, or are they supposed to just 'hand in there?'

There are pictures above in this thread that show where the outdoor storage bay will be. And a picture of an outdoors storage bay for a gondola lift at a ski resort. Probably one of the reasons that there are three lines all ending at one transfer station is so that all the gondolas can be taken on and off as needed in one place.

 

[lightguy]

I took this this morning, 4/9/18. It was taken just out (toward the lake) from the sorcerer Mickey topiary. DHS station in the forground, towers in the background going through the parking lot. I did use the 2x zoom on my note 8 in the first one (no zoom in the 2nd), but this gives a better perspective shot than I've seen. The hotel is really far away. I really didn't notice it standing there taking the pic. The towers are pretty tall, they just don't look it in the middle of 50 acres of flat parking lots. I'll be back later this week of theresa anything specific someone wants to see.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I did use the 2x zoom on my note 8 in the first one (no zoom in the 2nd), but this gives a better perspective shot than I've seen. The hotel is really far away. I really didn't notice it standing there taking the pic.

You mean all those zoom shots across World Showcase Lagoon don't actually show that the Swan was built inside Epcot immediately behind the France pavilion?!

 

[Rob562]

Hopefully the footings & foundations are sound for these towers. Color me a little nervous because of how close some of these towers are being constructed to bodies of water & whether they can remain in alignment.

Because there are absolutely no other buildings, structures or monorail footings that are anywhere near or in water on Disney property.... These gondola towers will be the first in WDW...

-Rob

 

[GlacierGlacier]

Because there are absolutely no other buildings, structures or monorail footings that are anywhere near or in water on Disney property.... These gondola towers will be the first in WDW...

-Rob

Don't you know all of world showcase is going to slide into world showcase lagoon? That Contemporary is going to slip under the water surface of Bay lake? It's all a giant sinkhole, which Disney must sacrifice buildings into or it'll eat the entire state of Florida.

 

[BryanM]

I believe this is my first or second post, so don't eat me alive as this may have already been discussed. Where the Skyliner passes behind the scenes of Epcot, will they clean up the backside facade of the buildings? I assume the new Ratatouille building will block a majority of the view, but I would find it odd if we can see the behind the scenes trailers, dumpsters, and un-themed buildings.

 

[larryz]

Don't you know all of world showcase is going to slide into world showcase lagoon? That Contemporary is going to slip under the water surface of Bay lake? It's all a giant sinkhole, which Disney must sacrifice buildings into or it'll eat the entire state of Florida.

Hmmm. A lexan bubble and Disney will have the Underwater Contemporary Resort... that'll be an upcharge, for sure!

 

[DisneyJeff]

I believe this is my first or second post, so don't eat me alive as this may have already been discussed. Where the Skyliner passes behind the scenes of Epcot, will they clean up the backside facade of the buildings? I assume the new Ratatouille building will block a majority of the view, but I would find it odd if we can see the behind the scenes trailers, dumpsters, and un-themed buildings.

You are correct, the RAT building will block most of the backstage area. I am thinking that the gondolas will run low enough in this area that the trees will block most anything else from view.