News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[cosmicgirl]

Given the intensity of sunlight in FL I'm wondering if they'll add those reflectors to counteract bending/warping of the towers as @LiftBlog explained a few pages ago. It wouldn't make the towers much prettier but there would be a functional reason behind the bare look. Although I'm not too sure that adding reflectors on a parking lot is a good idea.

The galvanized towers don't bother me, personally. The boring grey blends in more than just about any paint job and the colored cabins will distract you from the towers. I'm curious to see what'll happen with the cabin wraps because I'm not a fan of the cheap-looking ones that were presented at D23.

 

[Lord Pheonix]

is it my imagination, or are these alot lower then they should be? seem to be only approx 14 feet off the ground.

 

[MaximumEd]

They could put low volt active cathodic protection on it.

For cathodic protection to work, you need the structure being protected to be in an electrolyte, such as the soil or sea water. It doesn’t work for above ground structures. Sacrificial coatings, like galvanization, or some other coating like paint would be used. It would work for the part that is below the ground, but that’s it.

 

[nickys]

is it my imagination, or are these alot lower then they should be? seem to be only approx 14 feet off the ground.

Did you see the vans parked next to one of them? If a van is 5 feet tall, then the towers are at least 35 feet high. Almost certainly more than that, once you allow for distance, perspective ......

 

[djkidkaz]

Is the work being done next to the firehouse on BVD related to the gondolas? They’ve cleared out a large row of trees and land.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Yep, that is some butt ugly infrastructure. Don't know what they could have done about it but......

I took that picture to show the view of Tower of Terror that we will see at the parking lot.

 

[JoeCamel]

I took that picture to show the view of Tower of Terror that we will see at the parking lot.

ToT is not exactly a comely building either.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yep. Corrosion is a big and expensive long term problem for any infrastructure. Espescially in a place like FL. Mitigating it is what I do for a living, mostly limited to steel gas mains, but the same principles apply. Galvanizing them, although the least pleasing choice to the eye, is the smart move from the standpoint of protecting the towers for a long period of time for the least amount of O&M cost.

I cannot speak for anyone else, but, honestly, the last thing I would ever notice either riding the gondola's or even observing them from the outside would be the towers that hold them up. I can't think of a single reason to care about that. The things that will draw attention are the gondolas themselves. Did anyone ever notice what the towers looked like (detailed) with Skyway. These like the buses are utility's, not part of the show (like Skyway was) whose sole purpose is to get you to the show. My feeling is one would have to have a major case of OCD to even notice, much less care.

There is nothing, painting, leaving them galvanized, whatever that will make them disappear anyway. Sorry I just don't understand why anyone would focus on that. I know people do, but, I don't know why. It even seems to me that to be left unpainted like so many things in our regular lives are, would actually make them less visible to us. How much of that do you notice outside of a theme park. Check it out and see how much you have never seen in plain sight.

 

[larryz]

is it my imagination, or are these alot lower then they should be? seem to be only approx 14 feet off the ground.

The towers in the parking lots are at least as tall, if not slightly taller, than the palm trees nearby... and those palms are anywhere from 30 to 50 feet tall.

 

[danlb_2000]

is it my imagination, or are these alot lower then they should be? seem to be only approx 14 feet off the ground.

They are definitely higher then that, but are lower then some people expected. They appear to be making them only as high as need to provide clearance for whatever is underneath.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

I cannot speak for anyone else, but, honestly, the last thing I would ever notice either riding the gondola's or even observing them from the outside would be the towers that hold them up. I can't think of a single reason to care about that. The things that will draw attention are the gondolas themselves. Did anyone ever notice what the towers looked like (detailed) with Skyway. These like the buses are utility's, not part of the show (like Skyway was) whose sole purpose is to get you to the show. My feeling is one would have to have a major case of OCD to even notice, much less care.

There is nothing, painting, leaving them galvanized, whatever that will make them disappear anyway. Sorry I just don't understand why anyone would focus on that. I know people do, but, I don't know why. It even seems to me that to be left unpainted like so many things in our regular lives are, would actually make them less visible to us. How much of that do you notice outside of a theme park. Check it out and see how much you have never seen in plain sight.

That should be CDO ....

 

[_caleb]

These like the buses are utility's, not part of the show (like Skyway was) whose sole purpose is to get you to the show.

You're right. But as a fan, I prefer when Disney takes the opportunity to make transportation (even outside the parks) MORE than just utilities. Because sure, the purpose is to "get you to the show," but in reality, it's also part of the show.

To your point, when people see a regular bus (even with the character wrap or Disney logo) pull to the curb of the resort to carry them to the parks, they probably aren't disappointed. But they aren't wowed, either. It's a missed opportunity for Disney to begin the experience (and set expectations!) before guests even enter the parks. If that bus was customized/modified to be special, I think it would improve the experience.

The Monorail is "to get you to the show," but when guests first see it, they begin to experience what Disney is about and what they might experience in the parks. But the Monorail isn't just a typical form of transportation for most people. And even though there aren't a lot of Monorail systems in the world, Disney even modified theirs so that it would look unique. Same with Minnie Vans, and Parking tractors/trams. This really helps make the utility feel fun, interesting, and different.

 

[Bender123]

They are definitely higher then that, but are lower then some people expected. They appear to be making them only as high as need to provide clearance for whatever is underneath.

That's generally the way you make something like this...The way some people are acting in this thread, you would think they were going to build the towers at the same height as ToT. If you can get by with a 30 ft tower, you use a 30 foot tower. Its going to get the job done in the same way as a 50 ft tower, cost less, be vastly more efficient and have easier access.

We tend to forget that Florida is basically flat, so the only real ground based thing to go up and down over is man made (vehicles/buildings/utilities) or can be removed without much impact (in WDW, that means trees).

 

[MaximumEd]

@Goofyernmost Not sure why you quoted me on that. I was speaking on the technical reasons why galvanizing was the right choice and gave no real opinion on how I thought they look.

 

[JoeCamel]

Yeah. I don't think it's the color/finish that makes it seem out of place to me. It's that I'd prefer Disney not use anything "off the shelf"– even when it comes to transportation outside the parks. Thoughtful, well-designed touches can really help make things feel more Disney. For example: the Monorail has a unique shape (nose cone) and the Minnie Vans, even though they're just vans, have the polka dots and bows. Even the parking lot trams have custom bodies and colors. These show that Disney is putting some effort into things. The buses, though, even with graphic wraps, are just buses. I know the gondolas are supposed to have character wraps, but they still come across as off the shelf.

For the record- I think the gondolas are beautiful in their own right. But I really prefer these towers!

If they made them look like miniatures of this I think everyone would be applauding

 

[larryz]

If they made them look like miniatures of this I think everyone would be applauding
View attachment 277279

My guess is that someone actually suggested that... and when Doppelmeyer gave their informal estimate of how much it would cost, they said the plain towers would work "just fine."

 

[danlb_2000]

I personally like when Disney goes the extra mile to make utilitarian things look nicer, even outside the parks. The fire stations are a good example. These are utilitarian and guests will never visit them, although they will drive by, but it's still nice that they added some themeing to them to make them look unique. It's all about feeling you are in the bubble when you are on property.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

My guess is that someone actually suggested that... and when Doppelmeyer gave their informal estimate of how much it would cost, they said the plain towers would work "just fine."

 

[mmascari]

Is the work being done next to the firehouse on BVD related to the gondolas? They’ve cleared out a large row of trees and land.

That should be the path from Riviera to the Boardwalk turn.

One of the earlier photos shows a good view.

 

[Minthorne]

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

Little know fact - the living seas in Epcot was the original Spaceship Earth. After it sank they filled it with water and built a new one.