News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[Disney Analyst]

I would assume it may be a case of, you don't load until you get your kid out of the stroller and fold it up? Do you think they'll allow people to just wheel it on?

 

[peter11435]

I still can't see how these things work at WDW with the continuous loading and unload. When I think of the clientele at WDW, this would not be the transportation system I would think of. It's a great way to move fit skiers in the French Alps though

There are at least 8 attractions currently at Walt Disney World that are continuously loading.

 

[peter11435]

I've found that most resorts have up to two ways to get to a park.

That’s really not true.

 

[Lets Respect]

I would assume it may be a case of, you don't load until you get your kid out of the stroller and fold it up? Do you think they'll allow people to just wheel it on?

I don't know which is going to be harder. Jumping on with a folded stroller isn't going to be easy, or jumping off. The door is also rather tight. I guess it's the width of a bus door but remember the car is continuously moving while you are doing all of this.

I don't know how they are going to deal with strollers. I think of the monorail and how long it takes for people with strollers to load

 

[Lets Respect]

There are at least 8 attractions currently at Walt Disney World that are continuously loading.

Yes. But you don't have your strollers and you aren't all jumping on together.

 

[BrerJon]

I missed the announcement that gondolas were going to become compulsory and replace buses.

My assumption was that ECVs, people with huge strollers, or anyone not fit enough to walk through a door in a few seconds can always just take the buses, like they do now. Nothing changes for them. The buses are happy to wait around forever while those things load.

The gondola is just an extra transport option available for those willing to take the risk. If it doesn't suit you and your family, then simply don't use it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

We went up to Vermont last week for a few days. We rode the gondola at Stowe up to the top of Mt Mansfield. It's a Doppelmayr, I believe an 8 seater

I brought my travel alarm clock which has a room thermometer. It was 70 outside and once we were in the gondola it was 80.

The biggest thing I cannot see working out is the continuous movement of the gondola cars for boarding and unloading. Unless there is a way to completely pull the cars off the line and let people load, I cannot see a way that an ECV can safely load, nor an open stroller. Even a family with little kids is going to be hard-pressed to jump on and off in time. As well as anyone who isn't physically nimble for whatever reason. I consider myself relatively fit and I almost flopped on my face getting off the first time.

They did stop the gondola to allow an older person to board. It stopped the whole line and everyone who was in the air was stopped. It took a while for it to stop and a while to power back up. With a million alarms going off as a warning. And everyone who was in a car was stuck there for a bit

Anyway, I do think the temps are going to be an issue, but more importantly, I think the loading and unloading is going to be a disaster unless Disney has built a system where cars can come completely off. Think how long the monorail, boats and buses sit there loading people.

I loved the gondola ride but I think this is an unwise choice for the clientele at WDW. Unless of course there is something that I am missing and cars can come completely off to load without interrupting the movement of the whole line

I used to work up there on Mt. Mansfield. The summer time ride you took were not designed for warm weather. They do the summer run for some additional income in the off season. It isn't vented to have a cooling airflow. They have plenty of cooling air in the middle of winter when the chill factor is -30 degree's F. They don't have heaters either. There are also very little, if any calls for ECV's to go on one of them, so perhaps we should compare things like this to something that is a little more like what WDW is likely to encounter. It appears the the gondola's in WDW are much bigger then the ski area gondola ever needed to be. There will also be a load and unload for those delaying types of situations. It is mentioned about a gazillion times in this thread alone.

 

[peter11435]

I missed the announcement that gondolas were going to become compulsory and replace buses.

My assumption was that ECVs, people with huge strollers, or anyone not fit enough to walk through a door in a few seconds can always just take the buses, like they do now. Nothing changes for them. The buses are happy to wait around forever while those things load.

The gondola is just an extra transport option available for those willing to take the risk. If it doesn't suit you and your family, then simply don't use it.

That is not the intent of the gondola or the current plan.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I missed the announcement that gondolas were going to become compulsory and replace buses.

My assumption was that ECVs, people with huge strollers, or anyone not fit enough to walk through a door in a few seconds can always just take the buses, like they do now. Nothing changes for them. The buses are happy to wait around forever while those things load.

The gondola is just an extra transport option available for those willing to take the risk. If it doesn't suit you and your family, then simply don't use it.

Why spend billions of dollars to not gain anything. You talk about over-sized strollers, well I believe reading about the fact that Disney already has a limit on stroller sizes and I cannot think of a single scooter that wouldn't fit on the gondola's and they will have a way of stopping the individual gondola's to load a difficult one.

 

[Lets Respect]

I used to work up there on Mt. Mansfield. The summer time ride you took were not designed for warm weather. They do the summer run for some additional income in the off season. It isn't vented to have a cooling airflow. They have plenty of cooling air in the middle of winter when the chill factor is -30 degree's F. They don't have heaters either. There are also very little, if any calls for ETV's to go on one of them, so perhaps we should compare things like this to something that is a little more like what WDW is likely to encounter. It appears the the gondola's in WDW are much bigger then the ski area gondola ever need to be. There will also be a load and unload for those delaying types of situations. It is mentioned about a gazillion times in this thread alone.

Ok so forget about the ECVs who will need a complete stop to get on. People have said that there will be stationary loading for them and that's great.

I'm talking about the average WDW group during the loading and unloading during the continuous motion. The unloading will be the bigger problem IMO

 

[Lets Respect]

If anyone has a link to a video/pic of the Doppelmayr system that Disney is installing that has the version where they can pull cars off to load ECVs, can you please post it? I'm super curious to see it

The only one I could find was the Banff gondola

 

[EvilChameleon]

I can't wait for people to ride these with a "travel alarm clock thermometer", post the results, and go "see? this idea was a disaster!". Can't. Wait.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Ok so forget about the ECVs who will need a complete stop to get on. People have said that there will be stationary loading for them and that's great.

I'm talking about the average WDW group during the loading and unloading during the continuous motion. The unloading will be the bigger problem IMO

They go slow enough at load that you have to figure out what direction they are moving in. What WDW have you been going to where the average WDW group cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. And do we expect any place to be able to accommodate every single scenario that could possible come up?

Again, they will be telling people about what system will serve those resorts, if anyone cannot handle that situation they really shouldn't be reserving a room in them. They certainly can, no one is stopping them for staying there, but, what will be available there is what will be available there, choose another location or prepare for a possible hardship.

 

[MaximumEd]

We have stayed at all 3 classes of resorts, but pretty much stay at Pop exclusively for two reasons, that being we stay in the parks from rope drop until close and we have a pool at home, so taking a midday break to swim isn’t a priority for us. With all that said, I can’t wait for the gondolas to open. The only bad thing about Pop for us is the bus only travel option for now. All you gondola haters just leaves more room for us.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If anyone has a link to a video/pic of the Doppelmayr system that Disney is installing that has the version where they can pull cars off to load ECVs, can you please post it? I'm super curious to see it

The only one I could find was the Banff gondola

There are many photos in this very thread clearly showing the two loading stations being built.

 

[larryz]

I've found that most the deluxe resorts have up to two ways to get to a park.

FTFY

 

[Lets Respect]

There are many photos in this very thread clearly showing the two loading stations being built.

Two loading stations in each loading station, one of which is stationary? I believe you but I haven't seen them and I can't tackle going through this whole thread. But I'm glad to hear that. I still think some of the average guests are going to be an issue

 

[danlb_2000]

I missed the announcement that gondolas were going to become compulsory and replace buses.

My assumption was that ECVs, people with huge strollers, or anyone not fit enough to walk through a door in a few seconds can always just take the buses, like they do now. Nothing changes for them. The buses are happy to wait around forever while those things load.

The gondola is just an extra transport option available for those willing to take the risk. If it doesn't suit you and your family, then simply don't use it.

It was not announced, but insiders have said that the current plan is to eliminate bus service from the gondola resorts to Epcot and DHS. Even they decide not to cut them completely, you can be sure they will cut them back considerably.

 

[peter11435]

FTFY

Even that’s not really true.

Walking shouldn’t really count as a mode of transportation. The three Epcot resorts offer boats to two parks but no buses to those destinations. The only ones that offer double options are GF, Poly, and WL. And those are just to one park.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes. Single loading station but with an area where a cabin can be removed from the line, held stationary, and then put back on. Each station has this feature.

Riviera will not.