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

[scrappinginontario]

All of the construction walls have been removed from the Skyliner Turn Station near Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

This station is not a boarding station but does have stairs to be used in the case of an emergency evacuation.

A big step in preparing for the Skyliner to open! I believe this is the first ‘station’ that appears ready to go! Let’s hope this means the others are not far behind.

 

[DanBoris]

Has anyone seen the latest timing expectations? Will be at WDW the week of Oct 13 this year. Hoping Skyliner will be open!

I would be shocked if it wasn't open by then.

 

[hdrolfe]

I hope they announce when it will open before July 24. I have a trip booked August 23 to 31 and we are staying at POP just in case they open Skyliner. If I knew it wasnt going to be open we would probably change to All Star Movies to try a new resort. Just knowing one way or the other would be nice.

 

[Mikey15]

I hope they announce when it will open before July 24. I have a trip booked August 23 to 31 and we are staying at POP just in case they open Skyliner. If I knew it wasnt going to be open we would probably change to All Star Movies to try a new resort. Just knowing one way or the other would be nice.

I’d bet money it’d be open by August 23rd. I think heads will roll internally if it’s not for sure by the 29th.

 

[joelkfla]

They only need to pay the drivers when they're called into work.

Drivers can't just be "called in" for a couple of hours. I've seen bus managers literally spend hours on the phone trying to find a driver to replace one who called sick. Yes, drivers can indicate that they're available for call-in, but even when one is available, it will still take an hour or longer for a driver to arrive and be in the driver's seat. By the time they arrive, the crisis will have passed, and Disney is stuck paying them for a minimum shift time.

A driver who has made himself available for call-in has the right to decline a call-in. Call-ins usually happen the night before or at the start of a shift, and are for an entire shift. Very few drivers would volunteer to come in for a couple of hours, even if it were offered and practical.

 

[PatMcDuck]

focusondisney: YEARS ago, we had a similar nightmare at Studios when a storm hit. We were soaked, headed to Friendship boats. NO SIGN, NO CM. We waited and waited, only a few other guests joined us. Finally we headed back, still pouring. (we were staying at BCV and had a dinner reservation that night). We had no idea what to do, where to go. We first went to the outside guest relations window. They had no idea the boats were not running. We asked some random security guards. no idea. Finally one said, "you can walk". I said, along a canal? With lightning dangerous enough to shut down the boats? "Take a cab" he suggested. (this was pre UBER). This went on for at least 45 minutes of chaos. FINALLY we began to join other stranded guests from Epcot resorts. And finally we were pointed to a bus. Of course, it was freezing inside and everyone was drenched. I complained because there was no communication and no system. Security was cIueless on the procedure. And that bus was not dispatched quickly once the boats shut down. And they were down well over an hour. Maybe about 2 hours (which I completely understand).

I drove to Studios as much as possible after this. I would assume because of the volume of guests using the Skyliner, they would have a quicker response to a bad storm, but where would all those drivers and buses come from that would be needed? On short notice.

 

[joelkfla]

All of the construction walls have been removed from the Skyliner Turn Station near Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

This station is not a boarding station but does have stairs to be used in the case of an emergency evacuation.

A big step in preparing for the Skyliner to open! I believe this is the first ‘station’ that appears ready to go! Let’s hope this means the others are not far behind.

The stairs are believed to be for maintenance access, not rider evacuation. They go up to the loft area above the roofs of the gondolas. The stairs are between the 2 travel paths, not on the outside to where the cabin doors are located.

 

[joelkfla]

focusondisney: YEARS ago, we had a similar nightmare at Studios when a storm hit. We were soaked, headed to Friendship boats. NO SIGN, NO CM. We waited and waited, only a few other guests joined us. Finally we headed back, still pouring. (we were staying at BCV and had a dinner reservation that night). We had no idea what to do, where to go. We first went to the outside guest relations window. They had no idea the boats were not running. We asked some random security guards. no idea. Finally one said, "you can walk". I said, along a canal? With lightning dangerous enough to shut down the boats? "Take a cab" he suggested. (this was pre UBER). This went on for at least 45 minutes of chaos. FINALLY we began to join other stranded guests from Epcot resorts. And finally we were pointed to a bus. Of course, it was freezing inside and everyone was drenched. I complained because there was no communication and no system. Security was cIueless on the procedure. And that bus was not dispatched quickly once the boats shut down. And they were down well over an hour. Maybe about 2 hours (which I completely understand).

I drove to Studios as much as possible after this. I would assume because of the volume of guests using the Skyliner, they would have a quicker response to a bad storm, but where would all those drivers and buses come from that would be needed? On short notice.

When I was a driver at DHS several years ago, the main problem was communication. The Friendship Boats were in a separate department, which didn't generally notify the bus managers when they went down. It was usually a driver who happened to notice they weren't running, and told a coordinator.

At that point, the problem was allocating buses and drivers to run the routes. Although there are usually buses parked and available in the afternoon, drivers are another matter. Disney is loathe to keep drivers around who are not driving. So the coordinators had to figure out which routes to delay to serve the Epcot resorts, without incurring the wrath of their managers by getting too far behind on the schedule.

 

[jhoannam]

48 more days until we arrive at Pop, any chance the CBR station is complete by then?

 

[DanBoris]

The stairs are believed to be for maintenance access, not rider evacuation. They go up to the loft area above the roofs of the gondolas. The stairs are between the 2 travel paths, not on the outside to where the cabin doors are located.

Correct, they are for maintenance. The doors on the cars face out, opposite the stairs so there is no way they could be used for evacuation.

 

[ksromack]

focusondisney: YEARS ago, we had a similar nightmare at Studios when a storm hit. We were soaked, headed to Friendship boats. NO SIGN, NO CM. We waited and waited, only a few other guests joined us. Finally we headed back, still pouring. (we were staying at BCV and had a dinner reservation that night). We had no idea what to do, where to go. We first went to the outside guest relations window. They had no idea the boats were not running. We asked some random security guards. no idea. Finally one said, "you can walk". I said, along a canal? With lightning dangerous enough to shut down the boats? "Take a cab" he suggested. (this was pre UBER). This went on for at least 45 minutes of chaos. FINALLY we began to join other stranded guests from Epcot resorts. And finally we were pointed to a bus. Of course, it was freezing inside and everyone was drenched. I complained because there was no communication and no system. Security was cIueless on the procedure. And that bus was not dispatched quickly once the boats shut down. And they were down well over an hour. Maybe about 2 hours (which I completely understand).

I drove to Studios as much as possible after this. I would assume because of the volume of guests using the Skyliner, they would have a quicker response to a bad storm, but where would all those drivers and buses come from that would be needed? On short notice.

Last December (or maybe it was October) there was something similar. We were at DHS and the line for the Friendship Boats was already spilling out of the queue there. It wasn't raining at the time so no one thought anything of it. Finally after waiting for over 40 minutes I called a number I had for transportation. I was told that the boats were not running. NO SIGN anywhere stating this. I told the people that were in line around us that the boat would not be coming.....I could tell people didn't believe me and my dh said that I had just gotten off the phone and that it was true. We left the line to find a bus (the walk would have been tremendous as all the construction was going on and everything was a mess). Hm......of course there wasn't a bus listing for BW. Finally after close to 1.5 hours we were back, soaking wet by this time. We finally found a CM at the make-shift bus lanes and caught a bus back.

 

[vacationer1954]

Very few drivers would volunteer to come in for a couple of hours, even if it were offered and practical.

We'll have to agree to disagree about the cost savings from not running buses full time. Have a good day.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yikes on those horrible storm/transit stories! Nowadays Minnie Vans must see a heck of a spike for demand when EP resort transportation goes down! I would totally have gone wandering for a bus if I found myself in that situation but after your stories now I know try for a Minnie Van asap.

 

[chinarider]

Any recent updates on opening dates? Hoping for beginning of Sept

 

[rteetz]

Any recent updates on opening dates? Hoping for beginning of Sept

Nothing announced.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I’d bet money it’d be open by August 23rd. I think heads will roll internally if it’s not for sure by the 29th.

It's possible they will open the CBR to DHS line by Aug 29, but not the CBR to Pop/AoA or the CBR to Epcot. I suspect they will open the line to Epcot last.

 

[rteetz]

It's possible they will open the CBR to DHS line by Aug 29, but not the CBR to Pop/AoA or the CBR to Epcot. I suspect they will open the line to Epcot last.

I don’t know why they would open only one at a time. They are all testing the same currently.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I don’t know why they would open only one at a time. They are all testing the same currently.

Two reasons. First is manpower. I think it will be easier and more economical to train one crew on one line and start operating it then start training more people to work on the other lines. The second is that the Epcot line is currently passing over two construction zones. Opening it last will allow them to get those areas more complete before guests are traveling over them. And the Studios has a new attraction opening in the fall but nothing new is opening in Epcot until next year.

While they are currently doing test and adjust on all three lines, I thought they started on the Studio line, and are farther along on that.

 

[Tallis]

focusondisney: YEARS ago, we had a similar nightmare at Studios when a storm hit. We were soaked, headed to Friendship boats. NO SIGN, NO CM. We waited and waited,

And they haven't learned a darn thing from the experience. We had the same thing happen to us a year or so ago with the boat from MK to Fort Wilderness.

 

[rteetz]

Two reasons. First is manpower. I think it will be easier and more economical to train one crew on one line and start operating it then start training more people to work on the other lines. The second is that the Epcot line is currently passing over two construction zones. Opening it last will allow them to get those areas more complete before guests are traveling over them. And the Studios has a new attraction opening in the fall but nothing new is opening in Epcot until next year.

While they are currently doing test and adjust on all three lines, I thought they started on the Studio line, and are farther along on that.

I understand your first point but disagree with the second. I don’t think construction has anything to do with it. If it did the Epcot line wouldn’t open until Spring 2020 when Ratatouille opens.