Skyliner down at EP tonight. Crash?

[Smiley/OCD]

Totally disagree. Stayed at Caribbean Beach rode the Skyliner multiple times daily No Issues. Actually it was very enjoyable. At times the gondolas would stop because one of the gondolas from the handicap load area is being merged back in. Absolutely minimal stoppage time. This is absolutely the correct transportation for the area! Reduces the need for road vehicle transport (i.e. buses) hence reducing carbon foot print and traffic congestion, safe and fun. I am looking forward and hoping the lightbulb will come on in managements head to run a Skyliner line to AK.

We stayed at POP 2 weeks ago...YES, the actual travel time (in the air) is very good, even with high 80's temps, the gondolas were cool. My problem is that we waited a total of 90 minutes to travel from POP to Epcot. Even if you are traveling via bus for rope drop, the wait is never that long...even at the end of the night getting a bus to POP has never taken longer than 40 minutes. The other problem is if you are staying at those resorts, there are no bus options. I've been told that you can request a bus at the main desk, but we never saw a bus there for HWD or Epcot. If you want to cut down on the emissions, fine, but run a bus to those parks every 30 minutes. That would be a fair compromise and give guests a choice.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

too bad it was not customized to run in thunderstorms....
It is very cute and a lovely ride during optimum conditions...
and I wish they would take the stickers off the cabins..... If you are lucky enough to get a gondola that has no sticker, you will enjoy a clear glaucoma-free view.

Isn't that the same wrap/graphics that are on the buses?

 

[GimpYancIent]

We stayed at POP 2 weeks ago...YES, the actual travel time (in the air) is very good, even with high 80's temps, the gondolas were cool. My problem is that we waited a total of 90 minutes to travel from POP to Epcot. Even if you are traveling for rope drop, the wait is never that long...even at the end of the night getting a bus to POP has never taken longer than 40 minutes. The other problem is if you are staying at those resorts, there are no bus options. I've been told that you can request a bus at the main desk, but we never saw a bus there for HWD or Epcot. If you want to cut down on the emissions, fine, but run a bus to those parks every 30 minutes. That would be a fair compromise and give guests a choice.

Hey! Yes the ground transport option needs to be there. The Skyway should not be a replacement for ground transportation but rather an augmentation to it. Just like some resorts have the availability of water transport to and from different venues or monorail in addition to ground transport. Options, the more options the better. Just don't need to run as many buses at the same time.

 

[zann285]

This does seem bizarre that Disney has had these incidents occur so frequently in its short time operating. With the way it is engineered you would think it would be nearly impossible to have these types of collisions. But I don’t really have much context with gondola systems overall. Does @Lift Blog come around at all any more?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Isn't that the same wrap/graphics that are on the buses?

Yes. I don’t like it on the monorails or buses either.

 

[lightguy]

This does seem bizarre that Disney has had these incidents occur so frequently in its short time operating. With the way it is engineered you would think it would be nearly impossible to have these types of collisions. But I don’t really have much context with gondola systems overall. Does @Lift Blog come around at all any more?

The cars detach from the haul cable in each station. Once they detach, they move slowly around to the other side where they reattach. They can be stopped for loading if needed. A low speed bump isn't really an issue. Look at a picture of them stored off the line- pushed up right against each other dozens deep. These systems are used in just about every major big mountain ski resort in conditions far harsher than FL. The main difference is probably that Disney's system runs more hours per day, 365 days a year and at basically maximum capacity most of the time. If they didn't run at max capacity there would be less cars on the line, which means more space between them on the line and as a result more time and less cars in the station and that would probably eliminate bumps/fender benders.

I really want them to put in a skyliner from AKL to AK- maybe with stops at both the main entrance to the lodge and Kidani village.

 

[castlecake2.0]

They really need to look at the solution for when the Epcot line goes down right now it’s
A) walk to front of the park for a bus
Or
B) walk to boardwalk and wait for “skyliner bus”

I experienced this the other night and it was a disaster at The boardwalk bus stop.

solutions?

Sending guests to the boardwalk doesn’t seem like a great idea. There’s backstage bus access points right behind the IG station. Could they not send busses there to pick people up? Or have a bus take people from there to the front to take busses there? Boardwalk bus stop is not a guest friendly option.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

They really need to look at the solution for when the Epcot line goes down right now it’s
A) walk to front of the park for a bus
Or
B) walk to boardwalk and wait for “skyliner bus”

I experienced this the other night and it was a disaster at The boardwalk bus stop.

solutions?

Sending guests to the boardwalk doesn’t seem like a great idea. There’s backstage bus access points right behind the IG station. Could they not send busses there to pick people up? Or have a bus take people from there to the front to take busses there? Boardwalk bus stop is not a guest friendly option.

Agreed. I’ve been there too when staying at Pop and Art.

They really need to build a bridge to connect Epcot Resorts blvd. with backstage at Epcot so they can run dedicated busses when needed.

 

[TrojanUSC]

These systems are used in just about every major big mountain ski resort in conditions far harsher than FL. The main difference is probably that Disney's system runs more hours per day, 365 days a year and at basically maximum capacity most of the time.

Also keep in mind that there's a few other differences:

1) Any "accident" at Disney is newsworthy to fans and makes its way far further on the internet than the same incident at a local ski resort. The Disney fan echo chamber makes things far louder than what a ski resort has to deal with.

2) People at ski resorts may not be on their phones nearly as much as they are at Disney or feel the need to post a minor collision as if it happens in the most magical place on earth.

 

[zann285]

The cars detach from the haul cable in each station. Once they detach, they move slowly around to the other side where they reattach. They can be stopped for loading if needed. A low speed bump isn't really an issue. Look at a picture of them stored off the line- pushed up right against each other dozens deep. These systems are used in just about every major big mountain ski resort in conditions far harsher than FL. The main difference is probably that Disney's system runs more hours per day, 365 days a year and at basically maximum capacity most of the time. If they didn't run at max capacity there would be less cars on the line, which means more space between them on the line and as a result more time and less cars in the station and that would probably eliminate bumps/fender benders.

I really want them to put in a skyliner from AKL to AK- maybe with stops at both the main entrance to the lodge and Kidani village.

Sure, as they come into the station they decelerate and compensate for that deceleration by reducing distancing between the gondolas. It is effectively a huge omnimover that includes a speed differential. But in this case it seems a gondola got stuck in the deceleration phase, causing another to collide with it. And in that portion they can be doing a good speed. Add in that the passengers in the gondolas have no restraints and may have had other loose luggage with them they probably did not have a great experience in the two that collided.

I get that Disney of course gets more attention than a random ski resort, but I cant quickly find many references of how often these things would get stuck or collide or anything. Most reports of course focus on events involving death etc. I just find it odd that a system installed in the 21st century would consider two collisions in a matter of months to be totally fine.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Agreed. I’ve been there too when staying at Pop and Art.

They really need to build a bridge to connect Epcot Resorts blvd. with backstage at Epcot so they can run dedicated busses when needed. View attachment 562982

That’s a great solution also. I’m going to send out an email (I know they must hate me). There’s gotta be a better option. Even a sorry would have been nice.

 

[Lilofan]

Agreed. I’ve been there too when staying at Pop and Art.

They really need to build a bridge to connect Epcot Resorts blvd. with backstage at Epcot so they can run dedicated busses when needed. View attachment 562982

Across the street from Caribbean Beach on Epcot Resorts Blvd is a red building ( WDW firehouse ). In the back of the firehouse is a bridge that takes you directly to backstage Epcot Ave of the Stars. If Epcot had a fire, the fire dept can be there in a matter of minutes .

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Across the street from Caribbean Beach on Epcot Resorts Blvd is a red building ( WDW firehouse ). In the back of the firehouse is a bridge that takes you directly to backstage Epcot Ave of the Stars.

Ah that’s true! That would work well for the bus route to the skyliner resorts.

Now they just need to install a bus loop... too bad there isn’t an old tram station just outside international gateway.....

 

[castlecake2.0]

Ah that’s true! That would work well for the bus route to the skyliner resorts.

Now they just need to install a bus loop... too bad there isn’t an old tram station just outside international gateway.....

There’s also a bus loop behind the international gateway building for the cast bus. Would be easy to make that guest accessible, they already use it for events at world showplace. Pick up guests there, go over the fire station bridge, and be done with it. Then it’s an easy switch to have guests start boarding thé skyliner again when it resumes operation of having a giant line of people at boardwalk still

 

[montyz81]

Ok but the skyliner incidents have been essentially fender benders with no injuries. You can’t say that about the monorail

The fact that incidents are happening so frequently scars me.

 

[Lilofan]

There’s also a bus loop behind the international gateway building for the cast bus. Would be easy to make that guest accessible, they already use it for events at world showplace. Pick up guests there, go over the fire station bridge, and be done with it. Then it’s an easy switch to have guests start boarding thé skyliner again when it resumes operation of having a giant line of people at boardwalk still

If this set up happens, then guests will get the true backstage viewing experience for free. Other backstage tours like going to tour the MK cast tunnel is not free.

 

[montyz81]

How many times did the Skyway crash when it was running inside the parks? It sort of makes you wonder about Doppelmayr.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

Have the skyline crashes/incedents been all on one segment?

Total "crashes" I am aware of for Skyliner.

Riviera Resort Station
Hollywood Studios Station
Epcot Station

At least they are spreading them out.

 

[Monorail_Red_77]

Isn't that the same wrap/graphics that are on the buses?

yes same wrap. I used to have my work vehicle wrapped and they used 50/50 perforated wrap over the windows. Same situation here. You can see out of it but it is not ideal viewing and horrible for pictures. If it rains forget about viewing anything. Water ends up getting into the small holes in the vinyl. then its just a blurry mess of light. I am sure they could change the theme wraps to something different that does not put any vinyl on the windows. Same issue with some of the wrapped bus themes.

 

[natatomic]

Fire Alarms E-Stop the rides and bring up house lights. If there was a fire at splash mountain, they aren’t waiting a 11 minutes for a ride to cycle to get guests off.

Due to past tragedies regarding fire and theme park attractions , the national fire code, which all state and local codes are based off of, have multiple sections dedicated towards amusement parks and attractions. They are also classified as their own specific use group in the code.

An 11 minute cycle is still quicker than how long it would take to get everyone evacuated in an e-stop.
For what it’s worth, no ride (even splash mountain), as far as I know e-stops with a fire alarm. It usually ride stops (which is resettable) as part of the warning system), but most rides cycle through in the event of a fire. When I worked Splash, we often got fire alarms during the fireworks if the smoke blew a certain direction (particularly when there were perimeter fireworks), but we just cycled the ride without loading until we could confirm there was no fire. But the alarm itself did not trigger an e-stop.