News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[Bender123]

Maybe an emergency intercom, via antennae or wi-fi on the towers.

I would guess an emergency intercom and speaker for a spiel/music (think the bus). Disney puts a ton of effort into theming the transportation and the music/experience of transportation. You may never notice it, but even the bus music changes depending on your point in the trip...if you are heading to the CBR, you get calypso music, if you are going to the MK you get calypso until you are on the main roads, where it turns to general Disney music and then to Disney "march" music if you are there in the morning.

I would be shocked if they don't follow through with this style of audio theming on the gondola. The most un-Disney thing ever would be to have guests just sit in silence.

 

[Bender123]

Can you imagine the excitement if they made private roadways for buses and or automated vehicles or even a monorail? If they tripled the fleet of transportation even using the current buses, I would be more excited.

We already know the cost of any of these situations would run well into the multiples of billions of dollars...Not going to happen.

 

[NormC]

Was the old Skyway storage area open as well?

Yes, right out in the open hanging on the cable.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Love the designs that we are seeing and all the characters that will be represented- including some lesser seen characters- Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle, Pete, etc. I foolishly thought the designs they showed originally (haunted mansion, Mickey and Minnie (new and old), etc) were the only ones. I love what this will add to the aesthetics and here's hoping they keep adding lesser represented characters (Robin Hood, Emperor's New Grove, Bolt, Hercules, etc).

 

[Disney Analyst]

Re: the exposed Bull Wheels. Isn’t one of the stations designed so that guests can see how it all works?

 

[Missing20K]

I don’t remember the exact criteria, but there is a point where gravel will be considered an impermeable surface.

Generally, if it can be compacted, it's considered impervious. If the aggregate is large and porous enough, and can't be compacted, it may be considered permeable. It's sorta fallen out of favor as far as pervious surfaces go. I'd be a bit surprised if they used that area in any sort of runoff calcs, but I've seen stranger things happen.

 

[Meeko77]

Love the designs that we are seeing and all the characters that will be represented- including some lesser seen characters- Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle, Pete, etc. I foolishly thought the designs they showed originally (haunted mansion, Mickey and Minnie (new and old), etc) were the only ones. I love what this will add to the aesthetics and here's hoping they keep adding lesser represented characters (Robin Hood, Emperor's New Grove, Bolt, Hercules, etc).

VERY excited that Clarabelle and Horace are being included!

 

[Lift Blog]

AoA seems to be behind compared to Epcot and DHS, and CBR is a technically complicated building. I'd assume they'll all get their appropriate coverings once the majority of electrical/systems work is complete.

I think the equipment that is exposed at this point is staying exposed. Would explain why AoA components are painted different colors such as green.

Yes, right out in the open hanging on the cable. It was not a detachable system.

It was a detachable system.

 

[NormC]

It was a detachable system.

Was it? It was a Von Roll 101 system.

 

[Movielover]

Yes, right out in the open hanging on the cable.

I could have sworn it was detachable. Can a third party set us straight?

 

[NormC]

I will defer to Lift Blog. He is the expert. I never saw any storage though other than hanging on the cables. I only rode it once back in 90.

 

[Kamikaze]

Re: the exposed Bull Wheels. Isn’t one of the stations designed so that guests can see how it all works?

The turn station outside of Boardwalk between Riviera and Epcot.

 

[joelkfla]

I will defer to Lift Blog. He is the expert. I never saw any storage though other than hanging on the cables. I only rode it once back in 90.

Storage was indoors at the Tomorrowland terminal. I remember peeking in there while waiting in the queue.

Cabins were pushed thru the stations by muscle power. CM's brought the cabins to a full stop for both unloading and loading. I'm pretty sure there was no raised platform, so boarding while in motion would have been difficult for many Guests. After loading, cabins were pushed onto a declining track to reattach.

Here's an image showing the cabins stacked up in the load area. If it was not a detachable system, they would be spaced as they were on the cable. https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net...neyland.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120201075136
(Sorry, looks like that image was actually of the Anaheim installation.)

 

[bhg469]

We already know the cost of any of these situations would run well into the multiples of billions of dollars...Not going to happen.

Buses? private roadways? Those were hardly billion dollar ideas... They were too short sighted to do any solution that would have been ideal so yes, gondolas are what they have now. Let's not pretend this company didn't squander every chance they had to extend the monorail system when they could, or come up with a ton of better options, buses included. The ONLY reason Buses aren't viable is because their infrastructure cannot support what it needs, and that is closed loops where the public cannot go.

 

[trainplane3]

Storage was indoors at the Tomorrowland terminal. I remember peeking in there while waiting in the queue.

Cabins were pushed thru the stations by muscle power. CM's brought the cabins to a full stop for both unloading and loading. I'm pretty sure there was no raised platform, so boarding while in motion would have been difficult for many Guests. After loading, cabins were pushed onto a declining track to reattach.

I think the old WDW system is what Cedar Point and the Busch Gardens park have (or similar). It's a good way to stay in shape for the employees. That "launch" still freaks me out every time.

 

[Bender123]

I hope they have a Petes Dragon themed one, where its just blank...

Buses? private roadways? Those were hardly billion dollar ideas... They were too short sighted to do any solution that would have been ideal so yes, gondolas are what they have now. Let's not pretend this company didn't squander every chance they had to extend the monorail system when they could, or come up with a ton of better options, buses included. The ONLY reason Buses aren't viable is because their infrastructure cannot support what it needs, and that is closed loops where the public cannot go.

In 2004, the Las Vegas Monorail was about $700 million for 4 miles. In order to link the hotels and parks needed at WDW would likely require upwards of 10 to 12 miles. Based on inflation, the current value would be about $980 million. The monorail to link the properties on the gondola would price out to somewhere between 2.5-3 billion dollars. Yes...that's billion...with a b. Roads are also extremely expensive and you still get problems with batch dispatch, waits, cost of drivers, cost of fuel, service weighting, etc...

From an urban planning aspect, the gondola is a bargain for what it delivers.

 

[joelkfla]

I hope they have a Petes Dragon themed one, where its just blank...

What would be cool for Pete's Dragon or Cheshire Cat would be a lenticular print where the character disappeared and reappeared as the cabin passed by. I don't know whether that's possible with a perforated wrap.

 

[bhg469]

I hope they have a Petes Dragon themed one, where its just blank...


In 2004, the Las Vegas Monorail was about $700 million for 4 miles. In order to link the hotels and parks needed at WDW would likely require upwards of 10 to 12 miles. Based on inflation, the current value would be about $980 million. The monorail to link the properties on the gondola would price out to somewhere between 2.5-3 billion dollars. Yes...that's billion...with a b. Roads are also extremely expensive and you still get problems with batch dispatch, waits, cost of drivers, cost of fuel, service weighting, etc...

From an urban planning aspect, the gondola is a bargain for what it delivers.

You cannot compare the vegas monorail project to WDW. Vegas is a city and that crossed into a lot of peoples property. Disney owns basically everywhere on preperty.. Besides, a monorail is not the only solution. Roads and buses are an added cost, but they are better than static transportation that goes to a few designated places. Also, automated vehicles are the future, with the one factor that would prevent their use being tourists driving. Lets be honest, gondolas are the cheapest way out and it was definitely not the best solution.

 

[Bender123]

What would be cool for Pete's Dragon or Cheshire Cat would be a lenticular print where the character disappeared and reappeared as the cabin passed by. I don't know whether that's possible with a perforated wrap.

I just want it blank, so people feel like they are insane when others say they see a dragon. Im a bit of a sadist.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Can you imagine the excitement if they made private roadways for buses and or automated vehicles or even a monorail? If they tripled the fleet of transportation even using the current buses, I would be more excited.

We already know the cost of any of these situations would run well into the multiples of billions of dollars...Not going to happen.

Excluding the monorail... let's just say it's worthwhile to read the rumor tracker.