News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[DisAl]

Last week while getting on one (forget the color) at the Contemporary, lady gets in and says it smells like a horse barn, girl says it smells like goats...lol

Considering a few people I have been near on busses or in line, you have now insulted horses and goats.

 

[monothingie]

I've pulled out my personal fan on both buses and ferries.

You make your own comfort!

Security had a problem with mine.

 

[monothingie]

No AC means they won't. Thats where the monorail smell comes from - mold/mildew in the AC system.

You need working AC in a monorail car to get the mold smell. I take it you’ve never experienced the aroma of a non-airconditioned monorail cab.

Spoiler Alert- it is much worse.

 

[Incomudro]

I think we need to wait to see if that proves out. Similar systems in warm climates seem to work fine around the world. It may be the case that the anticipation of an unpleasant experience is way worse than the actual experience. I think most guests won’t be bothered because they won’t even know there is no AC until they board the gondolas and with the motion and moving air it won’t seem like an issue. Only a very small fraction of actual system users obsess over everything Disney like we do. There are some people here who have already decided it’s going to be too hot. When you go in looking for a problem you are sure to find one.

I have no doubts that the system will be a success, and I look forward to riding it.
I simply take some issue when some people dismiss comfort concerns out of hand.

 

[peter11435]

You need working AC in a monorail car to get the mold smell. I take it you’ve never experienced the aroma of a non-airconditioned monorail cab.

Spoiler Alert- it is much worse.

Even if it’s not working the mold/mildew is still there.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Even if it’s not working the mold/mildew is still there.

The unearthly odor of the monorail we rode in last month was decidedly not mold/mildew... I shudder to think of the origin and the explanation for its staying power...

 

[Amused to Death]

You need working AC in a monorail car to get the mold smell.

Not entirely true. You can still smell a non-running AC unit filled with mold. The real problem, though, is that all of the odors, not just mold and mildew, but also the odors from countless loads of smelly, sweaty, and often soaking wet from rain passengers, have soaked into the upholstery and carpeting.

I’ve been on the trains with and without working AC and I’ve yet to determine which is actually worse!

If I can help it, I’ll take the little boat from the Poly to the MK. Or even the ferry. No foul odors. I don’t have to worry all that much about tooting ten-year-olds, either. Open air!

 

[peter11435]

I still can't get past the fact that these Skyliner cars.....are not air conditioned.

I would hate to be the people stuck in those when the Skyliner breaks down....which is inevitable on occasion.

When the monorail breaks down and guests get stuck in them there is generally no air conditioning.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

When the monorail breaks down and guests get stuck in them there is generally no air conditioning.

This is where the psychological component that @Incomudro mentions comes into play the most, IMO. Monorails are not this small, nor are they dangling above the ground. When you're stuck, that will be more problematic for more people than monorails are.

 

[peter11435]

This is where the psychological component that @Incomudro mentions comes into play the most, IMO. Monorails are not this small, nor are they dangling above the ground. When you're stuck, that will be more problematic for more people than monorails are.

Agreed.

Although you will have less chance of getting stuck.

 

[Incomudro]

When the monorail breaks down and guests get stuck in them there is generally no air conditioning.

Yes, but the monorail cars are a larger container.
A larger vessel that is hot has a different psychological effect on a person than a smaller one of the same temperature and humidity.

 

[Bender123]

I still can't get past the fact that these Skyliner cars.....are not air conditioned.

I would hate to be the people stuck in those when the Skyliner breaks down....which is inevitable on occasion.

There is very little chance of that...these systems are built with multiple redundancies. You may not be going the full speed on a backup motor, but you will still be moving. Even lack of power isn't going to stop it, as they have on site generators for emergency situations.

In the event everything fails, its likely you should be calling your loved ones, because something really bad happened.

 

[GoofGoof]

I have no doubts that the system will be a success, and I look forward to riding it.
I simply take some issue when some people dismiss comfort concerns out of hand.

There are real concerns that can’t be dismissed. People who have fears of heights or claustrophobia for example may have real anxiety when considering a ride. The average guest should be fine. If someone has a panic attack or severe anxiety the temperature may become more of an issue for them since sweating and rapid breathing are often part of the physical reaction. I think a lot of people that have these types of issues will look to stay somewhere else or just drive/rent a car to get around. If the temperature gets to the point where it’s severely impacting the average guest Disney will have to step in and figure out a solution. As long as the system is in motion I don’t see that being an issue. If for some reason some people get caught in an extended downtime and get uncomfortable I’m sure a few extra fast passes over in a galaxy far, far away will go a long way towards satisfying them

 

[monothingie]

Even if it’s not working the mold/mildew is still there.

Yes it’s smell is drowned out by the distinct odorof sweaty armpit.

 

[mikejs78]

I think this is a valid point. It’s not just cheaper it’s a lack of appetite to take a real risk. More innovative and less proven transportation would have been way more risky.

Or, as in the case of self driving cars, the technology just isn't ready yet.

 

[Disney4family]

Yes it’s smell is drowned out by the distinct odorof sweaty armpit.

Mike: Can I borrow your odorant?
Sulley: Yeah, I got, uh, Smelly Garbage or Old Dumpster.
Mike: You got, uh, Low Tide?
Sulley: No.
Mike: How about Wet Dog?
Sulley: Yep. Stink it up.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Mike: Can I borrow your odorant?
Sulley: Yeah, I got, uh, Smelly Garbage or Old Dumpster.
Mike: You got, uh, Low Tide?
Sulley: No.
Mike: How about Wet Dog?
Sulley: Yep. Stink it up.

Got anything worse? None of these come close to that monorail ride we had earlier this month...

 

[Disney4family]

Got anything worse? None of these come close to that monorail ride we had earlier this month...

Well, I think my director smells, but I digress...

 

[trainplane3]

Agreed.

Although you will have less chance of getting stuck.

Isn't this why they have backup generators for this system? With the monorail you have to wait to be towed but with this, it's "only" a matter of getting the generators up and then you're moving again but at a slower pace.

I do wonder how quickly they can failover over to backup power during a random event.

 

[GoofGoof]

Or, as in the case of self driving cars, the technology just isn't ready yet.

Yes...to the scale they would need. Heathrow airport for example has self driving pods but they run in segregated lanes and on a fixed route.

That type of system would be possible now at WDW. Having autonomous cars that move freely around the property isn’t quite ready yet. That would be high risk for sure.