News New Gondola Transportation - Disney Skyliner -

HiJe

Well-Known Member
Has anyone ever ridden an elevator? It is short, there are other people, you might get stuck. Life.

The Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier in Chicago is similar and I believe is a longer trip than the Gondola's are supposed to be. I may be wrong there. But when they make you share the Ferris Wheel car, people generally enjoy the view and don't bother each other. As a side note, I don't believe they are air conditioned either and it can get hot in Chicago in the summer.
 

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
I did a solo trip back in January. I talk to people for a living, and made a few attempts to engage people in conversation as we were standing around waiting for rope drop. Got nada.

I dunno, maybe it is on me.
It's not you...some people legitimately don't know how to handle friendliness. My family LOVES talking to people while we're on vacation - especially at Disney. I find most people are pretty nice if you can get them past being surprised that you actually want to talk to them.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Indeed, when people apologize for not reading the thread and politely ask for information... they've never been scolded, and they received prompt info and help. E.g., "Sorry for not reading this really long thread, but, can someone please let me know what's being done about how hot these things can possibly get?"

My favorite... "I cant be bothered to look, so can someone just tell me what I need?"

Its like the people who post on facebook "does anyone know what the weather will be at the beach this weekend?"
 

RobWDW1971

Well-Known Member
It's not you...some people legitimately don't know how to handle friendliness. My family LOVES talking to people while we're on vacation - especially at Disney. I find most people are pretty nice if you can get them past being surprised that you actually want to talk to them.

Uh....quite often it is not "don't know how to handle friendliness", it's more of simply not wanting to engage in conversation with strangers. It is not fear or awkwardness, it is just the blissful feeling of being alone or with a friend. I personally find it incredibly rude and boorish when someone just invades my space or personal conversation and just assumes I want to talk to them. Then I am confronted with two choices 1) engage against my will or 2) look like an anti-social jerk. I usually try to thread the needle with a polite smile, one word answers, and then go back to talking my friend or staring at my phone. Again, I'm not the one who bothered innocent people minding their own business, how am I the bad guy?

One of the most flagrant violations I see often, especially at DL, is the "bossy AP" who just answers questions from another person's private conversation. A couple in front of me, literally whispering to each other, "Hey, do you want to see Fantasmic or World of Color tonight" and the eavesdropping AP just jumps right in "Well, Fantasmic starts at 8, but if you want go see both, blah blah blah" - the look on their face was priceless.
 

ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
Uh....quite often it is not "don't know how to handle friendliness", it's more of simply not wanting to engage in conversation with strangers. It is not fear or awkwardness, it is just the blissful feeling of being alone or with a friend. I personally find it incredibly rude and boorish when someone just invades my space or personal conversation and just assumes I want to talk to them. Then I am confronted with two choices 1) engage against my will or 2) look like an anti-social jerk. I usually try to thread the needle with a polite smile, one word answers, and then go back to talking my friend or staring at my phone. Again, I'm not the one who bothered innocent people minding their own business, how am I the bad guy?

One of the most flagrant violations I see often, especially at DL, is the "bossy AP" who just answers questions from another person's private conversation. A couple in front of me, literally whispering to each other, "Hey, do you want to see Fantasmic or World of Color tonight" and the eavesdropping AP just jumps right in "Well, Fantasmic starts at 8, but if you want go see both, blah blah blah" - the look on their face was priceless.
Ummm...I don't go so far as to interrupt conversation or answer a question directed to someone else...because that IS rude.

I don't recall saying you were a bad guy...or that anyone was, for that matter? Saying that some people don't know how to handle friendliness isn't an insult or an attack, it's a fact...especially in an age in which so many of us have our faces buried in our phones and the media tries to keep us constantly on edge and scared if someone says "boo".

EDIT: If someone doesn't get that you don't want to talk to them, they may have difficulty reading body language or other social cues...not all disabilities are visible. As the mother of 2 autistic boys, I can say that teaching those skills certainly isn't always easy, either.
 
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TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
One of the things I like about Disney is how if someone approaches me, I’m not immediately worried that they are trying to scam me for money. Give people a break, In the real, non-Disney world, strangers trying to talk to you is usually bad news.

That being said I’ve met wonderful people when traveling on planes, trains, and cruises around the world. But let it happen naturally, don’t try to force it.
 

RobWDW1971

Well-Known Member
Ummm...I don't go so far as to interrupt conversation or answer a question directed to someone else...because that IS rude.

I don't recall saying you were a bad guy...or that anyone was, for that matter? Saying that some people don't know how to handle friendliness isn't an insult or an attack, it's a fact...especially in an age in which so many of us have our faces buried in our phones and the media tries to keep us constantly on edge and scared if someone says "boo".

Didn't mean to imply you did and I wasn't talking about you personally, I was making a broader societal point about how us "private non-talkers" are often perceived when the "friendly" people engage us against our will at theme parks. I have always found it fascinating that because they love to talk to others, they automatically assume we share that same desire and if we don't, we are the rude ones.
 
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durangojim

Well-Known Member
For people concerned about having to sit with others in the gondola, the same thing happens on Hogwart’s express. Most of the time you can tell if someone wants to engage in small talk. I’m more concerned about little kids running around the cabin smearing their booger’s on everything including me. ;)
 
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ImperfectPixie

Well-Known Member
Didn't mean to imply you did and I wasn't talking about you personally, I was making a broader societal point about how us "private non-talkers" are often perceived when the "friendly" people engage us against our will at theme parks.
I would call that pushy. ;)

For me, it's pretty easy to tell if someone is up for chatting or not. But as I said in my edit above, it's not an easy skill to teach. My oldest is a verbal-vomit-machine and will talk your ear off even if you aren't even listening. We're working on it...HARD...and I'm not very subtle with him if he tries to engage someone who clearly isn't interested.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
and one has a steel pole and cable above it and the other has air above it.

They are still small metal boxes suspended above ground level
Yes, and if one really wants to go into a really dark hole. The "track" that the the Monorails are riding on has been used for almost 50 years. Millions of miles ridden over them, Florida heat and humidity and the sun shining on them day after day for that same 50 years. If anything was going to give out it would be them, but, they are not likely to do so nor is there likely to be any problem with the Gondola's The Gondola's have a back up generating system, the likelihood of being stranded on the line is minuscule compare to the chance of being left in the sun until help can reach you on the Monorail. I really didn't think that there were that many people with that phobia. It must be a new one because I can't find a name for Gondola Phobia. Fear of heights is way to general for this one, but, my guess it is a big part of it. The good news is no one has to ride it. Even if you stay at the resorts that are serviced by the Gondola, there are alternatives. Those alternatives will cost some money, but, it is your phobia not everyone's and, after all, you decided to book a room at one of those resorts. I got a feeling that they will be a great addition to WDW. A non-attraction attraction.

BTW... I was not directing that at you @Jon81uk Your and you are general words directed at those with a problem.
 

easyrowrdw

Well-Known Member
One of the things I like about Disney is how if someone approaches me, I’m not immediately worried that they are trying to scam me for money. Give people a break, In the real, non-Disney world, strangers trying to talk to you is usually bad news.

That being said I’ve met wonderful people when traveling on planes, trains, and cruises around the world. But let it happen naturally, don’t try to force it.

I met a (likely) distant cousin on the monorail. He noticed our name on a sticker of our stroller. He had the same (uncommon) name and was from the same city as my grandfather. We didn't have time to trace our individual genealogies, but odds are we're related somewhere along the line. I'm usually not one to engage strangers in public, but Disney is an exception.
 

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