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

[rteetz]

The AC debate is tired and old. We have discussed it for years at this point. Its not going to change. Let's move on and get back to discussion of the Skyliner system that was built, not what could have been.

 

[cranbiz]

I do think Disney will look into ways to make the emergency kits more difficult to tamper with. They should have realized that in this day and age people will help themselves to anything that’s not nailed down. I wonder how many kits have shown up on eBay . . .

Well, at this point, none. But subject to change as more people know where they are and once back in operation, my guess is they won't be tied down any better for awhile.

 

[Jax1023]

Regardless, when it's 90-100+ degrees, even if the car doesn't heat up above that, if the car just maintains the same temp as the outside air, being trapped in those temperatures *is* going to cause health issues for some.

And before anyone gives me the word I can't say on here about "well if you can't handle the heat, don't come to Florida in summer" - let's please use common sense and remember there is a huge difference between being trapped in a 100 degree box for 3+ hours, and being on the ground where you are going on air conditioned rides, waiting in often air conditioned queues, and can pop into an air conditioned restaurant or store any time you need to cool off, get a nice ice cold drink or snack etc... HUGE difference. Very few Disney guests are actually spending 3 solid hours in the heat without AC breaks via rides, queues or shops.

I mean people willing go to the pool all day at their resort and sit outside for more than 3 hours. I go to the beach with my kids for hours at a time, sitting in the shade. I have yet to die.

It’s not like no one ever goes for more than 3 hours without air conditioning. In fact the human species has lived without AC in places far warmer than Florida for thousands of years. I’d hazard a guess people living in India or Vietnam which are truly tropical survive without any air conditioning at all! Just because we’re spoiled Americans doesn’t mean we will actually melt.

Additionally, if there is a thunderstorm, nothing bad will happen. They system is grounded if it happens to get struck by lightening, so we’re not gonna have a tower of terror situation here. Also they aren’t going to blow off the line. They might sway and be a little uncomfortable , but that’s not actually dangerous.

I’m not saying this is a good thing, or that it should happen a lot. Clearly there are some communication and procedural issues Disney needs to fix. But this isn’t going to turn into a mass casualty situation as some people are saying it will.

 

[Anthony Vito]

. . . we’re not gonna have a tower of terror situation here. . ..

I don’t know - clearly Disney didn’t learn its lesson when they said the same thing about the Hollywood Tower Hotel!!

Our 5-year-old daughter went on Tower of Terror for the first time this summer (she’s small for her age, finally tall enough with sneakers). She asked if it was really or just Mickey telling a story for fun. We had to tell her of course it was just Mickey making a story, he’d never let anything happen to them in his parks. To which she brought up (I think more than once), then why is there damage on the OUTSIDE of the building from where the lightning hit it??

 

[mshanson3121]

I’m not saying this is a good thing, or that it should happen a lot. Clearly there are some communication and procedural issues Disney needs to fix. But this isn’t going to turn into a mass casualty situation as some people are saying it will.

Nor did I say it would. But there's hyperbole happening on both sides of the argument. Both sides have some points. But neither extreme is accurate. It's ridiculous to think that being stuck for 3 hours in mid July isn't going to cause issues for some people. Just as it's ridiculous to think that it's going to be, as you put it, some sort of mass casualty.

 

[Jax1023]

I don’t know - clearly Disney didn’t learn its lesson when they said the same thing about the Hollywood Tower Hotel!!

Our 5-year-old daughter went on Tower of Terror for the first time this summer (she’s small for her age, finally tall enough with sneakers). She asked if it was really or just Mickey telling a story for fun. We had to tell her of course it was just Mickey making a story, he’d never let anything happen to them in his parks. To which she brought up (I think more than once), then why is there damage on the OUTSIDE of the building from where the lightning hit it??

Ha! My son went on tower of terror at 3, cause he asked for a scary ride and he was giant, and my husband I clearly lack judgement. We finally got him back on it at 7.

 

[Heelish]

I don’t know - clearly Disney didn’t learn its lesson when they said the same thing about the Hollywood Tower Hotel!!

Our 5-year-old daughter went on Tower of Terror for the first time this summer (she’s small for her age, finally tall enough with sneakers). She asked if it was really or just Mickey telling a story for fun. We had to tell her of course it was just Mickey making a story, he’d never let anything happen to them in his parks. To which she brought up (I think more than once), then why is there damage on the OUTSIDE of the building from where the lightning hit it??

What?

 

[Anthony Vito]

Ha! My son went on tower of terror at 3, cause he asked for a scary ride and he was giant, and my husband I clearly lack judgement. We finally got him back on it at 7.

Yeah - our son turned 7 this trip, he’s still not a fan of it - he hates the part where the ghosts wave you forward - particularly the bellhop - just brings that up every time. He actually likes the drop part of the ride, just hates everything else with it.

We made a similar mistake with them when our son was just over 4 and daughter was close to 2-1/2, with Haunted Mansion. First trip with the kids, first time to WDW in 7 or 8 years, we thought, “it’s a fun ride - they’re fun ghosts!” We quickly saw the ride differently with them on it - spent the whole time trying say how fun it was and the neat/cool stuff to look at. We got off and our son said very quietly to my wife, just, “Mommy, I don’t like that ride.” We finally got them to go back on it this time (son 7, daughter 5-1/2), but we skipped the stretching room. Our son, sadly was still iffy - daughter liked it.

 

[Jax1023]

Nor did I say it would. But there's hyperbole happening on both sides of the argument. Both sides have some points. But neither extreme is accurate. It's ridiculous to think that being stuck for 3 hours in mid July isn't going to cause issues for some people. Just as it's ridiculous to think that it's going to be, as you put it, some sort of mass casualty.

Yes it can cause issues for some people, but there are other things you can get stuck on for multiple hours at these parks. You can get stuck on an outside coaster. You can get stuck on the monorail.

See this lovely story from universal in which people were stuck on the lift hill for 2 hours.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wf...uck-rollercoaster-universal-studios/270776381
If you really cannot handle being exposed to outdoor temperatures for a few hours, maybe a Disney vacation is not right for you in the middle of summer. Or maybe don’t ride the Skyliner, no one is forcing people to choose to use it.

 

[SarahD112]

I assume cars are running but empty on all three lines still? Any rumors of a reopening date?

 

[BaymaxFan78]

If you really cannot handle being exposed to outdoor temperatures for a few hours, maybe a Disney vacation is not right for you in the middle of summer. Or maybe don’t ride the Skyliner, no one is forcing people to choose to use it.

Finally somebody said it.

 

[mshanson3121]

Or maybe don’t ride the Skyliner, no one is forcing people to choose to use it.

Agree. But we all know many will because they assume it's safe and won't break down. Most people don't hop on a ride at Disney thinking about all the worst case scenarios that can happen. And to be fair, for some, they aren't aware they have an issue for this sort of situation until it happens.

 

[Spaceguy55]

^a/c discussion^

 

[shafke]

Ha! My son went on tower of terror at 3, cause he asked for a scary ride and he was giant, and my husband I clearly lack judgement. We finally got him back on it at 7.

Ours was 4 first time for ToT.. did you like it... Nooooo. Do you want to go on again... Yeeeesss. Also did the Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach that year.

 

[shafke]

Yes it can cause issues for some people, but there are other things you can get stuck on for multiple hours at these parks. You can get stuck on an outside coaster. You can get stuck on the monorail.

See this lovely story from universal in which people were stuck on the lift hill for 2 hours.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wf...uck-rollercoaster-universal-studios/270776381
If you really cannot handle being exposed to outdoor temperatures for a few hours, maybe a Disney vacation is not right for you in the middle of summer. Or maybe don’t ride the Skyliner, no one is forcing people to choose to use it.

It doesn't even have to be hours... I was stuck on the brake run on one of those idiotic flying coasters... basically on my back, head down (lowest part of the body) for about 10-15 minutes. I was almost sick when I got off of that.

 

[NotUrsula]

Any of y'all ever watch Stephen Colbert? At the center of the whole A/C issue lies "truthiness" -- not fact. The potential for damage isn't so much about what WILL happen so much as it is about what people THINK will happen. (Full disclosure from earlier in the thread: I'm still a wee bit skeptical of how comfortable I will find these cabins in mid-day high summer weather, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt until someone actually measures and reports the dew point inside a full cabin on more than one summer day. I actually do not sweat, which is bad for me, but probably a plus for anyone stuck on a gondola with me!)

In this day and age, rumor has more influence than ever, and if it is well-told by people with a reputation for being well-informed, rumor tends to get more attention than fact. Right now we have firefighters and their union sticking tenaciously to the opinion that the interior atmosphere of the gondolas will cause a high number of heat-illness-related 911 calls during any extended hot-weather daytime stoppage, and they are not shy about broadcasting that opinion. (For the sake of discussion, let's define "extended" as anything longer than 15 minutes per stop, which is about how long it takes the average 4 yo to lose interest in the novelty of being up so high and get truly whiny.) People TRUST firefighters; they are listened to (most surveys put them in the top 3 of most-trusted professions, in any part of the world.) If firefighters are saying that the gondolas will be dangerously hot if stopped in summer weather, no argument that we have here is going to persuade the average guest that it isn't true.

Therefore the topic is front-and-center again, and it will stay there until next summer demonstrates the reality. What it means in the end is that Disney is going to have to go way above and beyond on the visible safety precautions in order to keep the parks' reputation (and thus the attendance numbers) from going pear-shaped.

 

[tsme]

I actually do not sweat, which is bad for me, but probably a plus for anyone stuck on a gondola with me!)

My DD has the same problem, she doesn’t sweat. She doesn’t go with us to Disney anymore (her choice), but when she was little we had so much trouble keeping her from over heating. We used mister fans, cool packs, lots of water, stops in any & every shaded area we could find, many trips to stores or bathrooms just to get some AC, & leaving the parks in the hottest part of the day. It was difficult & a few times when she overheated, it was scary. It is easier now that she’s older, though I still remind her to stay hydrated & cool when she leaves the house. As a teenager, she just loves that (insert sarcasm), lol.

 

[UmmGooD]

I'm pretty sure the default answers when we install, and use, my Disney Experience, gives Disney permission to use our location data. I'm pretty sure 911 has access to our GPS location data. Isn't the setting on some phones something like block location from everything but 911. Current phones don't let us block GPS location from 911.

Yes you give the Disney Experience app permission to use GPS but it is not known if the app actually sends your location data back to Disney. Assume it does that doesn't mean that the fire fighter rescuing you is going to have it either. On top of that if someone calls and their phone dies before someone comes to rescue them they might not have it either. They can't rely on that for rescue. They need something simple and efficient. I think the numbers on the cabins work for that.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

I mean people willing go to the pool all day at their resort and sit outside for more than 3 hours. I go to the beach with my kids for hours at a time, sitting in the shade. I have yet to die.

It’s not like no one ever goes for more than 3 hours without air conditioning. In fact the human species has lived without AC in places far warmer than Florida for thousands of years. I’d hazard a guess people living in India or Vietnam which are truly tropical survive without any air conditioning at all! Just because we’re spoiled Americans doesn’t mean we will actually melt.

Additionally, if there is a thunderstorm, nothing bad will happen. They system is grounded if it happens to get struck by lightening, so we’re not gonna have a tower of terror situation here. Also they aren’t going to blow off the line. They might sway and be a little uncomfortable , but that’s not actually dangerous.

I’m not saying this is a good thing, or that it should happen a lot. Clearly there are some communication and procedural issues Disney needs to fix. But this isn’t going to turn into a mass casualty situation as some people are saying it will.

Unfortunately you are overlooking heat acclimatization. A person coming from a generally colder climate and staying in the subtropical climate of WDW needs about two weeks to become fully acclimated to the higher ambient temperatures and high humidity levels. Therefore, putting a non-acclimated tourist in a gondola for three hours could very likely cause them health problems.

 

[Jax1023]

Unfortunately you are overlooking heat acclimatization. A person coming from a generally colder climate and staying in the subtropical climate of WDW needs about two weeks to become fully acclimated to the higher ambient temperatures and high humidity levels. Therefore, putting a non-acclimated tourist in a gondola for three hours could very likely cause them health problems.
[/QUOT

Unfortunately you are overlooking heat acclimatization. A person coming from a generally colder climate and staying in the subtropical climate of WDW needs about two weeks to become fully acclimated to the higher ambient temperatures and high humidity levels. Therefore, putting a non-acclimated tourist in a gondola for three hours could very likely cause them health problems.

Well I live in PA. Not exactly a tropical climate. It’s not like it’s cold and not humid here in the summer. I’d hazard a guess that the daytime temperature is not that far off in most of the country. Certainly it remains warmer at night there.

Like say Texas. Or Louisiana. Very similar climate to FL. Plenty of tourists from those locales.