News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[CanadianGordon]

I'm not one for heights but I can't wait for all the picture opportunities this will give. Assuming I don't pass out from being up high. The fear of heights is real. Somehow I overcame it to ride at Disney. I know it won't be too high, based on this thread and YES I DO HAVE THE T SHIRT.
It's just one of those things in the back of my mind.

 

[LovePop]

Here's the good news: if you read the thread you'll see that all of your concerns have been addressed multiple times. The capacity of the system is much higher than six busloads, the system moves continually so there's no build-up like there is at the bus stops, and the travel time will be lower than your estimate. In addition, you will not have to wait 20 minutes for a bus to show up.

And here's the bad news: yes, there will be no A/C and as of now we don't know if they will charge a premium for gondola resorts, nor how high it would be. If those are issues you cannot overcome then fortunately there are many other resorts for you to choose from.

I've read a lot of the post but not all of them. And in any case I just want to express my personal pain. There are not many other value resorts for me except for All Stars, which is basically one resort. But most importantly, I love Pop Century! I almost never wait more than 5-10 minutes for a bus, any time during the day. About a quarter of the time, the bus is there waiting for me when I get there.

My biggest concern is the NO A/C downgrade. In Florida! Just like the boats! I don't want to be like those poor suckers in Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin! I used to look down my nose at those people, and now I'm going to be just like them!

I just don't want to give up Pop. Please! I don't want to give up Pop! I guess I can take the Minnievan. That will cost me another $500 per trip. (I spend 2 weeks there.) And if Pop increases its prices, that'll be about another $700. Fine, I'll pay. Who cares about money when it comes to true love?

 

[LovePop]

1). I have to admit that in the heat of summer that blast of cool AC on the bus is very refreshing. Standing in a crowd waiting for the bus is not fun. If you drive it’s also refreshing when the parking tram starts moving and you get a nice breeze even without AC. I know it’s been talked about quite a bit on this thread, but to summarize don’t think of the gondola like getting into a parked car in the summer. The system is in constant motion so you won’t get that same heated stale air you get from a parked car that’s sealed up and baking in the sun.

2). Your math is off. The bus ride itself may be 10 minutes but you could have to wait 20 minutes or more for the bus to come. On average it’s likely more like 20 to 30 mins by bus. In most cases the gondola will likely be about the same or faster than the bus. For EPCOT you will get dropped off at the other end of the park so in theory getting to Spaceship Earth will take longer than the bus did, but it will be quicker to get to WS for dinner or a drink.

3) The gondola has high capacity. It should reduce or eliminate the wait times except maybe at peak times like park open and close. Even then most people will wait on average 10 mins for the bus to come. As @MisterPenguin said the system eats 200 people every 6 minutes so roughly 400 people get on in the time you would be waiting for that bus to come. There would be multiple buses serving CBR, AoA/Pop and Riviera but even if there were 4 to 6 buses coming to those 2 parks for those 2 or 3 resort areas (not sure if Riviera will get its own bus or be lumped in with someone else) that’s way less capacity than the 400 people who boarded the gondola and if you don’t fit on the bus you wait an additional 20 minutes for the next one while the gondola is continuous loading.

4). Yep, the price will go up, but you gain a unique and easier transport method to 2 parks plus it gives guests at Pop/AoA and CBR a much more convenient trip to the boardwalk area for meals and entertainment. No more taking 2 buses to get to a popular restaurant or Jellyrolls. It also makes for a pleasant return from Illuminations at night by ducking out the back entrance and hopping on the gondola. No need to trek to the front of the park and fight the crowds waiting for a bus.

My math is not off. I'm a mathematician.

 

[larryz]

I don't want to be like those poor suckers in Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin! I used to look down my nose at those people, and now I'm going to be just like them!

Well, if staying at the YC/BC makes me a sucker, then...

HERE I AM!

 

[GoofGoof]

The gondola is much worse than waiting in the sun at the bus stop because of the enclosure. It gets extremely stuffy in there, even with vents, fast, because of the enclosure and the number of people stuffed in. I know because I rode gondolas in Hong Kong, where I come from. And that's why I'm freaking out about it. Even if it's no worse than waiting in the hot sun, it is majorly horrible that instead of the powerful air conditioning, one get to "wait in the hot sun" all the way to HS and Epcot. We lost the air conditioning, and in Florida!!!!! That is the worst downgrade ever.
The travel time by bus from Pop to DHS used to be 8 minutes. I know because I timed it many times. Google map says 2.5 miles, 8 minutes. Last summer, it took longer because of a big long wait at some intersection due to construction (probably of the gondola.) Sometimes we waited 5 minutes just at one intersection. But that should be done by now. However, Disney may be redesigning the roads so that you can only go the long way now because last summer, we took a different way to HS. Even then, it was 10 minutes, same as Epcot.
The buses do not come every 20 minutes. In the morning and evenings, it comes about every 7 or fewer minutes. Otherwise, it would never be able to haul the whole crowd out of there. Furthermore, being that there is a computer board announcing the arrival of the bus, during the day people often relax in the air conditioned lobby and only go out to the bus stop when the bus is getting close. During our last summer trip, I counted 8 times when the bus was already there and we ran after it and caught it!
The gondola will also have to load scooters. If the gondola loads faster than your average gondola, than at least we don't have to wait long to get on it. In Hong Kong, the wait for the gondola is often 45 minutes, and that crowd doesn't even compare to Disney.

Conclusion: the gondola is NOT better transportation, at least not for us. It will be the new sauna style of getting to HS and EP, just like the boats that go from EP to HS. I hate those boats! I only take them in the mornings and evenings when it's not near as hot, and even then, I hate them because they are hot and stuffy and dingy, like some cheap public transportation. But, the people in the 5 deluxe resorts along the way sure don't seem to mind! My kids refuse to even ride taxis because their air conditioning is often weak compared to the buses. Therefore, I agree with you on this: Disney will have not trouble marketing the idea that the gondola is "a better transportation amenity." People will be happy to pay more to stay at Pop (and AofA and CBR) and cook themselves all the way to EPCOT while enjoying the "bird's eye view."

Just as a point of reference, if the gondola eats 200 people every 6 minutes that means over 1,500 people would need to be in line waiting to board to make the wait 45 mins. That’s 30 bus loads of people. It would take a lot more than 45 mins to clear those people by bus.

 

[LovePop]

If that's what you have chosen to believe, despite the fact the system is still a year out from being operational, and your experience of the gondola system in Hong Kong has very little (if any) relevance to a purpose designed and built system for WDW, then don't stay at one of those resorts.

It's really quite simple!

Of course, you could decide that you'll try it and see for yourself. Knowing that as a last resort there's always Uber, Minnie Vans or other similar modes of transport should the gondolas not be to your liking.

I'm not choosing to believe anything. We are talking about facts here!

 

[LovePop]

Passing judgment on a mode of transportation that they have not even experienced yet...

View attachment 282164

I'm not passing judgement, I'm making plans. I don't like stuff with no AC, like the boats.

 

[LovePop]

Well, if staying at the YC/BC makes me a sucker, then...View attachment 282166
HERE I AM!

To each his own.

 

[GoofGoof]

My math is not off. I'm a mathematician.

It may be more of an underestimate of wait times for the bus. You are the luckiest person alive if you stayed at any Disney resort and only waited 7 minutes for a bus. I’ve gotten lucky and walked up when it arrives and I’ve also waited over 30 minutes. I would say on average it’s 15 to 20 minutes between buses except maybe at park closing when they run more for the huge crowds.

 

[LovePop]

Don't get me wrong, @LovePop , I'm not laughing at your points, I'm laughing that you posted them apparently without reading any of the thread. As others have said, we've been there, done that, got the T-shirt many times over... in fact, we've got a whole drawerfull of Gondola T-shirts.View attachment 282144

I've read some of the thread, just not all. I know it's been said, and I'm just venting. I know if I'm right about my predictions there's nothing to be done except to suck it up.

 

[trainplane3]

That's a nice Eiffel Tower you have there...it'd be a shame if something ruined the perspective....

 

[Mouse3268]

That's a nice Eiffel Tower you have there...it'd be a shame if something ruined the perspective....

Uh oh

 

[LovePop]

It may be more of an underestimate of wait times for the bus. You are the luckiest person alive if you stayed at any Disney resort and only waited 7 minutes for a bus. I’ve gotten lucky and walked up when it arrives and I’ve also waited over 30 minutes. I would say on average it’s 15 to 20 minutes between buses except maybe at park closing when they run more for the huge crowds.

I do not underestimate. I often take the either/or approach to the bus. For example, At 4 p.m. I head out to the park. I can go to either Epcot or Hollywood studios, and I take the first bus that shows up. In the morning, if I go to the water park, I take either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. When I come back to the hotel, I take either the Pop bus or the AofA bus, whichever one comes first. That's why I almost never wait for more than 5 minutes.

 

[nickys]

I'm not choosing to believe anything. We are talking about facts here!

I know if I'm right about my predictions there's nothing to be done except to suck it up.

So which is it, facts or predictions? The only fact you have is the increase in prices. Let's take a look:

1. Without AC, it will be too hot.

2. The gondola will take too long from Pop to go to the 2 parks, I'm guessing about 15 minutes to HS and 22 minutes to Epcot, counting the transfer at Caribbean Beach and the stop at Rivera. (5 minutes each section, 5 minutes transfer, 2 minute stop at Rivera.) The buses currently take only 10 minutes.

Your maths is wrong her for a start. How do you get 22 minutes to get to Epcot? 5 mins to Hub, 5 mins transfer, 5 mins to Epcot, 2 mins stop at Riviera. That's 17 isn't it?

3. The transfer is too crowded.

Those are all your opinions, not facts. How can they be, it isn't running yet.

 

[nickys]

I do not underestimate. I often take the either/or approach to the bus. For example, At 4 p.m. I head out to the park. I can go to either Epcot or Hollywood studios, and I take the first bus that shows up. In the morning, if I go to the water park, I take either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. When I come back to the hotel, I take either the Pop bus or the AofA bus, whichever one comes first. That's why I almost never wait for more than 5 minutes.

So you wing it each day whether to go to Epcot or DHS? Most people don't, they plan which to go to and make FPs at 60 days + out. So then you have to wait for the right bus, or factor in a 20 minute walk on top of the bus journey.

 

[cosmicgirl]

I've read a lot of the post but not all of them. And in any case I just want to express my personal pain. There are not many other value resorts for me except for All Stars, which is basically one resort. But most importantly, I love Pop Century! I almost never wait more than 5-10 minutes for a bus, any time during the day. About a quarter of the time, the bus is there waiting for me when I get there.

My biggest concern is the NO A/C downgrade. In Florida! Just like the boats! I don't want to be like those poor suckers in Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin! I used to look down my nose at those people, and now I'm going to be just like them!

I just don't want to give up Pop. Please! I don't want to give up Pop! I guess I can take the Minnievan. That will cost me another $500 per trip. (I spend 2 weeks there.) And if Pop increases its prices, that'll be about another $700. Fine, I'll pay. Who cares about money when it comes to true love?

If you're not willing to let go of Pop then there are other means of transportation available, as other have mentioned. Renting a car would also add to the expenses but it's still an option. The question you can ask yourself is whether having to bear a few minutes without A/C is worth hundreds of dollars. The gondola in HK was closed when I was there, so unfortunately I cannot share my thoughts on that experience. What I can say, however, is that the ride in HK is 25 minutes and the segments in WDW will be much shorter, so you would spend less time in the cabin. It's up to you to decide if it's worth the money.

I understand that you do not want to lose your favorite resort or pay more for it but you win some, you lose some. I love AoA but their lack of designated dog rooms is the reason I won't be back. I'm sad about not returning there, but it is what it is. Luckily there are alternatives, as there are for your situation.

2. The travel time by bus from Pop to DHS or Epcot is 15 minutes. Not 10. With buses coming every 20 minutes, your average wait is 10 minutes. Unless the bus is full, then the average wait for the second bus is 30 minutes. Not to mention the delay if there are any ECVs to load. So, at best, 25 minutes by bus. And if there is a big crowd in line for the gondola? The gondolas eat 200 people every 6 minutes.
3. Did I mention the gondolas eat 200 people every 6 minutes?

Out of curiosity, where did the 200/6min come from? I seem to recall an hourly capacity of 4-5000 people in each direction for each line based on info in this thread, as well as @Lift Blog's blog. Even on the low end of that you end up with 400 people every 6 minutes.

 

[nickys]

I'm not passing judgement, I'm making plans. I don't like stuff with no AC, like the boats.

No one makes you take the boats if you stay at the BC, YC, BW, Swan or Dolphin. They are not compulsory forms of transport, because you can walk to two parks. That does not make people suckers.

 

[GoofGoof]

I do not underestimate. I often take the either/or approach to the bus. For example, At 4 p.m. I head out to the park. I can go to either Epcot or Hollywood studios, and I take the first bus that shows up. In the morning, if I go to the water park, I take either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. When I come back to the hotel, I take either the Pop bus or the AofA bus, whichever one comes first. That's why I almost never wait for more than 5 minutes.

I guess you don’t use FP. In that case the bus is probably faster then the gondolas will be, but how many guests tour the parks that way? Before FP+ it was probably more common and definitely before DDP but in today’s WDW it’s not very practical anymore.

 

[FigmentForver96]

This thread truly is the thread from hell.


On the other hand, sucks about the view from France.

 

[cosmicgirl]

@LovePop, here's my final attempt to ease your concerns. As a mathematician you may appreciate the numbers.

The manufacturer of the system lists a maximum speed of 7m/s for the model that is being built. A more conservative guess would be 6m/s. Based on the approximate distances the gondolas will travel, the estimated travel times will be:
Pop to CBR: 1000m in 2:46 (2:23 at max speed);
CBR to DHS: 1000m in 2:46 (2:23 at max speed);
CBR to Riviera: 700m in 1:57 (1:40 at max speed);
and Riviera to Epcot: 1700m in 4:43 (4:03 at max speed) + a little more because of the bend.

So you're looking at a maximum of a little over 7 minutes in the same cabin when taking into account the pass through Riviera and the bend.