News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[CLEtoWDW]

Count me on the side of this being a bad idea for several reasons. 1) it drives me crazy that the drop off for EPCOT is at the International Gateway. This enterance was on of the major perks of staying at an EPCOT area resort but now it’s going to be a cluster as the enterence is not constructed to handle heavy crowds of people. 2) where they positioned the station at HS is literally right on top of what used to be the walkway to HS from the resorts. Now you have to walk all the way around the bus stops to get to HS... horrible placement. 3) it’s going to ruin several viewpoints inside EPCOT 4) so what happens in 15-20 years when this thing becomes outdated... deconstruction is going to be a disaster. 5) so you connect all the value resorts to this system... just the pure volume of people that will use this system will cause severe backups and long lines.

 

[peter11435]

Count me on the side of this being a bad idea for several reasons. 1) it drives me crazy that the drop off for EPCOT is at the International Gateway. This enterance was on of the major perks of staying at an EPCOT area resort but now it’s going to be a cluster as the enterence is not constructed to handle heavy crowds of people. 2) where they positioned the station at HS is literally right on top of what used to be the walkway to HS from the resorts. Now you have to walk all the way around the bus stops to get to HS... horrible placement. 3) it’s going to ruin several viewpoints inside EPCOT 4) so what happens in 15-20 years when this thing becomes outdated... deconstruction is going to be a disaster. 5) so you connect all the value resorts to this system... just the pure volume of people that will use this system will cause severe backups and long lines.

The studios bus loop is still under major construction. The current configuration of the Epcot resort walkway is just temporary. The final version will be very similar to how it has always been.

The international gateway can be enhanced and expanded to handle the increased crowds.

There is no reason to believe that this system will become outdated in 15 years and require removal

 

[cosmicgirl]

And it only serves two out of five value resorts... It would help if you did a little research before complaining.

 

[danlb_2000]

Count me on the side of this being a bad idea for several reasons. 1) it drives me crazy that the drop off for EPCOT is at the International Gateway. This enterance was on of the major perks of staying at an EPCOT area resort but now it’s going to be a cluster as the enterence is not constructed to handle heavy crowds of people. 2) where they positioned the station at HS is literally right on top of what used to be the walkway to HS from the resorts. Now you have to walk all the way around the bus stops to get to HS... horrible placement. 3) it’s going to ruin several viewpoints inside EPCOT 4) so what happens in 15-20 years when this thing becomes outdated... deconstruction is going to be a disaster. 5) so you connect all the value resorts to this system... just the pure volume of people that will use this system will cause severe backups and long lines.

The system will have huge capacity, something compatable to 50 or 60 buses an hour at least. There shouldnt be long lines except at the peak times, and even if there is, it will be better then the bus since the line will move continously.

 

[CLEtoWDW]

And it only serves two out of five value resorts... It would help if you did a little research before complaining.

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

 

[MaximumEd]

Because they load at multiple points to and from every few seconds all day long?

 

[peter11435]

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

Because it is continually loading.

 

[Beacon Joe]

More steel at two of the IG line stations.

A Disney bus driver told me they're finally building Mt. Fuji, and the gondolas will ride through it, just like they used to at the Matterhorn.

 

[Next Big Thing]

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

The same way that the People Mover is made efficient.

 

[Goofyernmost]

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

And of all those 6000 rooms, how many of those people are all going to go to Epcot or DHS? There are two other parks to choose from, one being the most popular. How many of them are going to go at the same time in the morning? Even if they all come back to the resorts at the same time (which they won't) the fact that it just keeps running gondola after gondola, no stopping to load, no fighting traffic, no stop signs or accidents to avoid. Those things will seem empty just about all the time except at closing and that will only be for a very brief time. It seems simple to me to see how well this can work.

 

[MisterPenguin]

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

It has a dispatch rate faster than the buses.

So... we should get rid of all the buses because they can't keep up with demand?

All your concerns have been addressed in this thread if you care to read it.

 

[Amused to Death]

so what happens in 15-20 years when this thing becomes outdated... deconstruction is going to be a disaster.

You're referring to the monorail, right?

 

[danlb_2000]

That’s still over 6,000 guests rooms to serve between the resort it services. And it doesn’t seem like the vehicles will hold more than a family at a time so how exactly will this be efficient?

This system can move 4000 to 5000 people per hour per leg in each direction.

 

[note2001]

The system will have huge capacity, something compatable to 50 or 60 buses an hour at least. There shouldnt be long lines except at the peak times, and even if there is, it will be better then the bus since the line will move continously.

This word escapes meaning for those who complain about the additional guests added to the lines.
To help:

This means under a perfect, full load the system will at worst be dropping passengers off at a constant rate making it far easier for security to keep up with than multiple buses and boats all dropping off at the same time with dead points in the time between.

I believe that the gondola system is the dream solution for industrial engineers looking to improve guest flow and backups.

 

[Amused to Death]

dropping passengers off at a constant rate making it far easier for security to keep up

Good point! The International Gateway entrance is at its worst when you have the bad timing of getting there right as a Friendship boat is unloading. Smaller groups of people trickling in off of the gondolas should be easier for security to keep up with.

As an aside... When did security decide to become so intrusive? I witnessed them looking inside of women's wallets at the MK yesterday. Not purses, but small wallets inside of bags and purses. Are they expecting to find a weapon behind someone's drivers license? If it's gotten to where they feel they need to examine each item like this, which is very time consuming, it's probably time to install conveyers with x-ray equipment. And, meanwhile, still zero security at Disney Springs, where the crowds are often shoulder to shoulder.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled great gondola debate...

 

[note2001]

This system can move 4000 to 5000 people per hour per leg in each direction.

I think 4000 people an hour is a bit optimistic. If my math is right, that would mean 1.11 people debarking the gondola system every second. Although that may work with the haunted mansion, people don't move that fast getting on and off enclosed vehicles containing 4 or more people. But still, the rate will be more than acceptable.

 

[Tom P.]

You could remove the 11,000 posts having to do with air-conditioning, lightning strikes, alligators, and persons who are afraid of heights but don't mind being 65 feet off the ground on the monorail, and you'd be down to about eight pages.

I know, I know, I'm going to derail this again. I'm sorry. But...

I am one of those who has a fear of heights, who rides the monorail, and who anticipates being hesitant to ride the gondolas. Yes, both take you up in the air. But there is a big difference, at least perceptually, in being suspended from above and having a stable platform beneath you. If there wasn't, you might as well say that someone who is willing to be on the top floor of a skyscraper shouldn't have any problem skydiving. But I think you'd find very different reactions to those two things from the average person.

 

[Lensman]

I think 4000 people an hour is a bit optimistic. If my math is right, that would mean 1.11 people debarking the gondola system every second. Although that may work with the haunted mansion, people don't move that fast getting on and off enclosed vehicles containing 4 or more people. But still, the rate will be more than acceptable.

It may be an optimistic figure, but "up to 4,500 passengers per hour and direction" is what Doppelmayr publishes as their capacity/throughput. The actual average number of passengers will be lower because of EMVs and the fact that it's inevitable that some seats will go out empty even at peak periods.

 

[Lensman]

I know, I know, I'm going to derail this again. I'm sorry. But...

I am one of those who has a fear of heights, who rides the monorail, and who anticipates being hesitant to ride the gondolas. Yes, both take you up in the air. But there is a big difference, at least perceptually, in being suspended from above and having a stable platform beneath you. If there wasn't, you might as well say that someone who is willing to be on the top floor of a skyscraper shouldn't have any problem skydiving. But I think you'd find very different reactions to those two things from the average person.

@FlamingMonkey created a thread for that very discussion!

Please repost there or maybe request that a mod move your post?

We're doing our best to keep this thread for actual construction updates and speculation, but of course are failing miserably!

 

[note2001]

It may be an optimistic figure, but "up to 4,500 passengers per hour and direction" is what Doppelmayr publishes as their capacity/throughput. The actual average number of passengers will be lower because of EMVs and the fact that it's inevitable that some seats will go out empty even at peak periods.

So that's where the number comes from, TY!
Human capability will be the constraint, mostly those folk getting off/on, but also the operators who "catch" the cars to stabilize them (* is this even a thing anymore?) and encourage those onboard to get a move on.