News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

[jt04]

We have not seen any full line testing on Epcot yet, we have only seen testing in the turn station.

And the Epcot station. Each line has followed this same pattern sequentially. I do think the new construction in France is impacting testing though.

 

[Lensman]

Besides getting the system mechanically operational and stations built out, there's cast training and contingency/line evacuation testing and training. I wonder how long they plan for those to last? Also, where are maintenance staff being trained?

I was thinking about how they might do a soft opening, since you don't really want guests to start to depend on it and then have, say, CBR guests be disappointed that they've taken the bus to the CBR station only to find it closed. I'm thinking that they'll initially soft open with one-way service from the parks. That way if there's a problem they'll just send guests over to the bus stops as usual.

 

[Ripken10]

Besides getting the system mechanically operational and stations built out, there's cast training and contingency/line evacuation testing and training. I wonder how long they plan for those to last? Also, where are maintenance staff being trained?

I was thinking about how they might do a soft opening, since you don't really want guests to start to depend on it and then have, say, CBR guests be disappointed that they've taken the bus to the CBR station only to find it closed. I'm thinking that they'll initially soft open with one-way service from the parks. That way if there's a problem they'll just send guests over to the bus stops as usual.

Well as @Lift Blog has said, all that testing doesn't take very long at the other places these have been implemented (even with new staff). Well aware that Disney will take longer, but it really should not take but a very short time period for all that staff to learn (again, it will obviously will take Disney longer than any other location just because it is Disney, I realize that...it will like be 10 times longer than locations that are far greater obstacles in regards to the gondolas).

 

[Lensman]

Well as @Lift Blog has said, all that testing doesn't take very long at the other places these have been implemented (even with new staff). Well aware that Disney will take longer, but it really should not take but a very short time period for all that staff to learn (again, it will obviously will take Disney longer than any other location just because it is Disney, I realize that...it will like be 10 times longer than locations that are far greater obstacles in regards to the gondolas).

To be fair to Disney, they also have no experience with any kind of rope system so their training will be from the bottom up. They'll also be training for line evacuations from the bottom up as well as practicing over-water evacuations. I don't recall @Lift Blog saying that training of urban gondola staff and line evacuation staff only takes a few days (my definition of a "short time period", as I said in my original post, I'd be happy to take input on whether this training typically takes a few days, a week, or a month. My hope was that for the line control operations, that Doppelmayr would have online training simulators so they wouldn't have to train on the live system. This would make sense because once the system is operational, you wouldn't want to have to run the line overnight or do "shadow training". The latter is also typically poor at training people on fault conditions or contingency operations.

 

[Ripken10]

To be fair to Disney, they also have no experience with any kind of rope system so their training will be from the bottom up. They'll also be training for line evacuations from the bottom up as well as practicing over-water evacuations. I don't recall @Lift Blog saying that training of urban gondola staff and line evacuation staff only takes a few days (my definition of a "short time period", as I said in my original post, I'd be happy to take input on whether this training typically takes a few days, a week, or a month. My hope was that for the line control operations, that Doppelmayr would have online training simulators so they wouldn't have to train on the live system. This would make sense because once the system is operational, you wouldn't want to have to run the line overnight or do "shadow training". The latter is also typically poor at training people on fault conditions or contingency operations.

I agree to an extent and I am not criticizing Disney for doing their due diligence. I personally can understand why they do, they are Disney, are expected to have things run better than everybody else. It comes with the territory, and thus they will always get criticism for how long it takes them to do anything. But I don't think at the ski resorts they do as much training for the evacuation as they will do at Disney, not anywhere close.

 

[marni1971]

And the Epcot station. Each line has followed this same pattern sequentially. I do think the new construction in France is impacting testing though.

No relation.

As you quoted, small scale Epcot line testing has taken place.

 

[matt9112]

To be fair, some would view EVERY outdoor ride as uncomfortable May through September. SSE manages to be uncomfortable 365 days of the year. I was shocked to be sweating past cave men in February.

cost savings silly AC is a massive expense.

 

[matt9112]

Its nothing personal about you or your question...

My issue is that this thread would be about 10 pages long if we took out all the speculation about things that are already documented in the spec sheets of virtually identical systems from around the world.

Realistically, the only thing new to this system is the second bull wheel and slow load area. This actually IS a pretty big change from other systems that are in operation and it will be interesting, from an engineering stance, to see how they function.

Based on how fast they can clear the line into the yard, this system will, likely, be pretty impressive.

i think humidity and lack of a natural breeze in orlando are unique. most ogher systems even ones in hog climates are on the water and at higher heights where wind and less humidity might make it much more. comfortable.

 

[mm121]

I'm not sure if its been posted on this thread yet, sorry if it has, but i have a few questions:

1. how many people an hour can this system handle?
2. do the gondolas have AC?
3. How do they evacuate the gondolas in a stoppage emergency (over land and over water)?
4. Are the gators in the water?
5. what about the florida lightening?
6. will the gondola resorts still have bus service?

am i missing something?

For 3 I'd say a full evacuation would be highly unusual.

I'm sure there is some type of backup cable drive system even if it's slow it would be safer to evacuate at the stations. But like others have said it's pretty low to the ground.

I don't think they'd attempt an over water evacuation so that's another case where a backup motor would be handy to be able to move the cabins to land for unloading.

 

[nickys]

For 3 I'd say a full evacuation would be highly unusual.

I'm sure there is some type of backup cable drive system even if it's slow it would be safer to evacuate at the stations. But like others have said it's pretty low to the ground.

I don't think they'd attempt an over water evacuation so that's another case where a backup motor would be handy to be able to move the cabins to land for unloading.

Yes there will be a backup drive system.

But they also have to have a plan for a full evacuation. We can already see the new dock on Hourglass Lake.

 

[mm121]

Yes there will be a backup drive system.

But they also have to have a plan for a full evacuation. We can already see the new dock on Hourglass Lake.

Agreed no matter what there has to be a plan.

But the skyliner is kinda like the monorail where an evacuation from the beam is the option of last resort. Same for coasters where if at all possible they get the cars to the station or a designated evacuation point.

Evacuation could be a reason why the corner turn between Riviera and Epcot is a bit lower to the ground than the main gondola cable.

 

[Bender123]

i think humidity and lack of a natural breeze in orlando are unique. most ogher systems even ones in hog climates are on the water and at higher heights where wind and less humidity might make it much more. comfortable.

Its going to be moving at a constant speed, with passive vents opening in the direction of travel. There will be no issue with still air in the cabin, so long as they are moving.

 

[joelkfla]

Its going to be moving at a constant speed, with passive vents opening in the direction of travel. There will be no issue with still air in the cabin, so long as they are moving.

It also was recently discovered that there are powerful fans in the stations directed at the cabins' side vents, to keep air moving while loading.

 

[OG Runner]

Well, I am sure that will work. I mean they have fans in the queues, for rides, during the Summer and nobody ever gets too hot.
Right?

 

[larryz]

...most ogher systems even ones in hog climates are on the water...

I prefer my ogher systems in cow climates, myself...

Well, I am sure that will work. I mean they have fans in the queues, for rides, during the Summer and nobody ever gets too hot.
Right?

You forgot to put that in the <sarc> tags...

 

[joelkfla]

Well, I am sure that will work. I mean they have fans in the queues, for rides, during the Summer and nobody ever gets too hot.
Right?

Actually, I feel pretty comfortable when I'm standing in a queue directly in the path of a fan. But these are not your typical queue fans. They look like the type that directs a high volume of air in a fairly narrow column. They should be pretty effective at exchanging the air in a cabin.

 

[Bender123]

Well, I am sure that will work. I mean they have fans in the queues, for rides, during the Summer and nobody ever gets too hot.
Right?

Its the nature of the beast in Florida...most of the time, even AC isn't enough. Given the choice of 7 minutes in a gondola or sitting in the heat at a bus stop for 20+ minutes before getting AC in a bus. Ill take the short gondola ride and be in the AC of my room within 15 minutes over standing in a hot queue to get on a packed bus, to get dropped at the hotel.

The expected length of any gondola ride is shorter than the expected 15-20 minutes wait for a bus at any point on the system.

 

[OG Runner]

I prefer my ogher systems in cow climates, myself...

You forgot to put that in the <sarc> tags...

Have you ever known me to be sarcastic?

 

[Patcheslee]

Its the nature of the beast in Florida...most of the time, even AC isn't enough. Given the choice of 7 minutes in a gondola or sitting in the heat at a bus stop for 20+ minutes before getting AC in a bus. Ill take the short gondola ride and be in the AC of my room within 15 minutes over standing in a hot queue to get on a packed bus, to get dropped at the hotel.

The expected length of any gondola ride is shorter than the expected 15-20 minutes wait for a bus at any point on the system.

I'll take any transport that offers the most amount of shade while in line vs my ghost skin turning a shade of lobster.

 

[larryz]

Have you ever known me to be sarcastic?

Look. you've done it again!