Not the end of the world as we know it! Just like when you get on the wrong bus, turn around and go back to the beginning, do not pass Go !
We should start a pool. When will Disney actually make an official announcement, or when will this be 'shovel ready'?
It depends a lot on the buildings Disney chooses to build at the stations, if any. An educated guess: $40-60 million.Any guestimate on what the proposed Disney system would cost?
We should start a pool. When will Disney actually make an official announcement, or when will this be 'shovel ready'?
The term "shovel ready" is rather pointless with a lot of big Disney projects. It assumes a traditional design-bid-build process in which all design work is done and then a contractor is hired. Disney very often utilizes a fast-track process in which certain aspects of the design are locked in early so that construction can begin before the design is completely finished.Since they have filed permits they are probably pretty close to being shovel ready. The CBR permit has been approved, and we know they are setting up construction trailers and a staging yard there, so the south building could in theory start any day.
A system where a cabin could come off and people would be able to load at their leisure just ins't very feasible. But actually now that I think about it, while I'm not sure its ever been done, they could potentially include a parallel conveyor to help with loading similar to how they do on some attractions like Haunted Mansion.
Which is why I'm surprised Disney would design a system that requires transfers! Ha.
I imagine the system like the raft rides have (Grizzy Peak, Rafts at DAK, etc) where you have a turntable that allows vehicles to pass through... or the system at the PeopleMover and SSE have similar circular platforms with the same benefit.
It's not really all that much different from the transfers at the TTC. We aren't talking a Station with half a dozen different train lines coming through like you'd have in a major hub in a subway system.
Choices are limited... dispatches are quick... loading is continuous.
People can figure out the TTC.. and the Haunted Mansion load after the elevators hasn't caused meltdowns... so people will be able to figure it out easy enough.
There is a curved conveyor in the Magic Kingdom at the WEDway PeopleMover.I'm unaware of any curved conveyors in use carrying people
I believe the platform at the PeopleMover, like Kali, is just a continuously rotating disk. This would conflict with a gondola unless it was specially designed, and I doubt they would bother. A gondola would require a 1/2 circle. Material conveyors accomplish this with curved belts and tapered rollers.There is a curved conveyor in the Magic Kingdom at the WEDway PeopleMover.
Most, if not all small gondolas have the doors on the outside, which makes it difficult to use a central turntable loading platform. The turntable style would also require a ramp or elevator up to the loading level, as you would have to cross under the path of the cable. Finally, gondolas usually have a central support column fight where the turntable would have to be.
This is a huge consideration for this type of system as the transfer penalty is virtually eliminated. Disney knows people don't want to transfer, which is why almost all buses don't require transfers. With cabins departing every few seconds continuously, guests won't have to wonder how long their transfer will take, though I don't know how they will handle lineups at the transfer station. Would transferring guests be prioritized over guests just arriving at the station, or would transferring guests have to line up again? A mixed system might be the answer.
Uhh... you enter the platform from the OUTSIDE of the circle if you want to solve that problem.
Conveyors allows you longer load times without having to slow the vehicles as much
When waits are minor... no one cares who is in front of who. You guys are overthinking this transfer thing WAY too much. Transfers are a consequence of this kind of fixed line system.. the majority of the penalty of transfers is the waiting for the next vehicle.. which is why Bus transfers suck and everyone hates waiting for a bus for 20mins, then having to wait again after a transfer. But when waits are minimal or less stressful due to steady movement... the burden is lessened. (hence the comment about the Haunted Mansion...)
You don't seem to understand that there is no way to implement a circular rotating platform with a gondola system that has level boarding, regardless of where the rider steps onto the platform. If the disk were on the outside of the cabins, they would conflict as the cabins enter and leave the station.
The conveyor has little effect on the amount of time the cabin spends in the station, as a faster moving cabin would need to be loaded faster.
Disney usually groups people in advance in a "stand on the marker" system, so it will be interesting to see what system is implemented.
Just because you can't imagine the system doesn't make it impossible. The cabins change heights and drop into the load zone... they don't need to move without any elevation change into the station and load area.
The point of the conveyor is to elminate the relative speed difference between the guest and the ride vehicle.. just like every other moving loading platform. It allows the guests to load without slowing the vehicle to a stop or lower speed... because the relative speed between the guest and vehicle has been eliminated. You can load without having to slow the vehicle more... and yes, the disabled are part of that.
This problem is already solved... at every continous loading attraction. They tell you which vehicle to enter as you approach the platform. Disney can always pull special needs parties out of the queue before the platform and load them with CM's assistance as a gondola comes into the station.
Here's a very very very very rough idea of what to expect, from Alton Towers theme park here in the U.K. It's a transit system to get around 3 places in the park. At 3:30 you'll see a mid course turn station where you can also alight and board.
This isn't meant to give an example of height of cable, length of runs, amount of gondolas, style of gondolas (though I believe it's pretty close) or choice of lightbulb in the station roof. The valley crossing isn't really happening either.
There would be solutions that would permit a circular loading platform to be used. They would all cost money and would limit the number of off-the-shelf designs that can be used
Belts certainly help when loading omnimover attractions, as they take a step up into a moving vehicle and make it a step onto a moving belt followed by a step up into the vehicle. Gondolas are level boarding, so the belt doesn't make as much of a difference as they do at a ride like TTA with a step
What makes me hesitate most about belts is that I'm unaware of any Disney rides with belts that don't still stop to load a wheelchair or ECV
A gondola's primary goal is transportation, the goal is to fill every seat but you also don't want to split parties unnecessarily.
I've worked at a ski resort as the person in line making groups to fill chairs, and it's a very dynamic and busy process, that only works when everyone has the same goal of trying to fit as many people on. There are a lot of factors to consider, and though the stakes are pretty low, if you're bad at the job throughput will fall. We know that at WDW, no matter how big the lineup is, there are going to be entitled parties of 4 that want the entire cabin to themselves, or people who just don't care. This is the situation where we expect Disney to excel, maximizing the number of people in each cabin without detracting from the overall experience.
Yes.So will these gondolas be fully enclosed?
Peter here from Lift Blog. I see someone linked to my article a few posts above. You guys can probably tell I've never been to Walt Disney World! However if anyone has technical lift questions I'd be happy to answer them. In addition to my blog about lifts I run a gondola operation at a major ski resort.
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