Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Now Open!

[rteetz]

So just barely in time SWGE.

Before SWGE.

 

[Irish_Mike]

Disney is officially saying Fall 2019.

Disappointing, but I suppose they want Riviera opened alongside it as opposed to having the gondolas travel through a construction zone.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

That’s a shame about it being so late, I was secretly hoping for the spring even if it sounded unrealistic

 

[TheMaxRebo]

What a big bummer. We just got back last night and i was impressed with the progress. We're booked for June at Pop, mainly because of this. I detest how bad the transportation at Disney has gotten, was really looking forward to this being open when we are there.

similar for us - though we are booked for August and at the time I felt pretty safe that this would be open in time

Obviously I underestimates the snail's pace of Disney construction

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Very disappointing. We were hoping for the beginning of July.

 

[jhoannam]

So just barely in time SWGE.

If SWGE doesn’t get delayed.

That's very disappointing.

Yup. Was really hoping for summer. Wonder if this has to do with Riviera.

 

[jhoannam]

Disappointing, but I suppose they want Riviera opened alongside it as opposed to having the gondolas travel through a construction zone.

I wonder if they will keep delaying the gondolas if riviera falls behind schedule.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Obviously the Skyliner system will drastically increase traffic coming to Epcot's International Gateway. Is it safe to assume the security checkpoint will be before you board the system so you don't have all these extra guests needing to be checked at the International Gateway? Also where will park passes be checked?

 

[gorkt]

Hmmmm...hope that it opens by early November when we stay at CBR. I booked that resort partly due to the Gondolas.

 

[danikoski]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...EuFmoDN-Prma6SGbQ5i-l04Ja8O7njcpZD2sUzJzgosQs

Dang...I was hoping summer too. I'm surprised they wouldn't open it sooner to ensure they get out the kinks in the system before SWGE opens. It makes me a little concerned that they are underestimating just how massive SWGE is going to be, and how much they need this system to be working flawlessly when SWGE opens.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Obviously the Skyliner system will drastically increase traffic coming to Epcot's International Gateway. Is it safe to assume the security checkpoint will be before you board the system so you don't have all these extra guests needing to be checked at the International Gateway? Also where will park passes be checked?

There is speculation both ways - but no one knows for sure. One way to do it would be for security to be at the CBR station and everyone go through it when they enter or change lines there (would just also need it at Riviera for those going right to EPCOT)

Park passes would still be at the IG - they could just add more tapstyles and others have reported the machines there have tapstyles on both ends so could increase capacity pretty quickly

Plus the Skyliers will be more continuous vs like a dump of people from a bus ... so I don't think the impact will be as noticable as you might expect (especially if they do security before boarding)

 

[sachilles]

I had suggested earlier in the thread that they wouldn't run it until the riviera was more presentable. Still, fall seems very late. As others mentioned I could see them at least running the AOA to CBR and the CBR to DHS lines at least.

 

[PolyRob]

I know its a major transportation system and not just an attraction, but could Disney still be gunshy about promising things on a timeline and not delivering so its playing it safe and allowing for a delay whether that be the actual skyliner, IG construction, Riviera delays, etc?

 

[rteetz]

I know its a major transportation system and not just an attraction, but could Disney still be gunshy about promising things on a timeline and not delivering so its playing it safe and allowing for a delay whether that be the actual skyliner, IG construction, Riviera delays, etc?

Possible but unlikely.

 

[Iowamomof4]

It sure doesn't seem as if they will need that long to complete construction and training. I have a feeling this is going to be completed as expected (April or so) and then sit idle until Riviera is done and then they'll open both at the same time. What a waste that would be!

 

[sachilles]

The thing is, it's sort of linked with the Riviera. That is one of the big selling points of the resort. Wondering if it's financed with it, an therefore linked somehow that way?

 

[rteetz]

The thing is, it's sort of linked with the Riviera. That is one of the big selling points of the resort. Wondering if it's financed with it, an therefore linked somehow that way?

Transportation and resorts are typically different things. Sure they all fall under the parks/resorts umbrella but in terms of financing it shouldn’t be that way.

Riviera will of course pay for the transportation in the dues of DVC but they aren’t selling it yet.

 

[umichigan10]

I had suggested earlier in the thread that they wouldn't run it until the riviera was more presentable. Still, fall seems very late. As others mentioned I could see them at least running the AOA to CBR and the CBR to DHS lines at least.

I think you’re right on this point but it’s not consistent with their past actions on things. They ran the monorail while the new GF villas were being built, and to go even further back, there’s video of the monorail running through a framework GF station back when the resort was under construction

 

[sachilles]

The Floridian is a bit different.
The monorail had existed long before GF, and therefore had already been running. Shutting it down long term would impact the poly and Contemporary guests, and the sale of rooms in those resorts.

 

[OSUZorba]

It sure doesn't seem as if they will need that long to complete construction and training. I have a feeling this is going to be completed as expected (April or so) and then sit idle until Riviera is done and then they'll open both at the same time. What a waste that would be!

That is what it seems like to me. From looking at the construction it looks like they couldbe wrapped up in a couple of months. I can't believe a corporation wants to sit on that massive of an investment without getting any payback for that long.