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

[rteetz]

Thanks for the answer. Do you know if they are still running buses from AoA/PoP/CBR to the BW for guest to enter through IG?

I don’t believe so. I think it’s just the normal bus routes from the resort to the front of Epcot.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

So I was regularly reading this thread during the spring and summer, then I got behind for a month or two (Had a trip in mid-August, then a kid-free weekend at the end of October - once the opening date was 9/29, became less important for me to keep up on it as much). I actually had the thread opened in a window last week because I wanted to catch up on it since it opened with reports on it and also with details on the Riviera station, since there was a lot of speculation for a while on how it would work with loading ECVs, etc. Then, before I got a chance to take the time and sit down and catch up, this incident happened and blew everything up.

It's been addressed a bit with the discussion of this incident, but I don't know how much it was addressed around the time of opening: I'm very curious about why they didn't design something better for ECV loading at Riviera station. I think the prevailing thought that a lot of the stoppages (prior to this mess) were due to stopping the line to load ECVs, etc., at Riviera. Obviously that's not all of the reasons, since the line was stopped just prior to this incident and, based on the posts from the people in the first yellow car, loading was not the reason. It seems that frequent stopping for loading ECV guests is going to really put a damper on the running of the Epcot (the longest) line and could significantly slow down travel times. It also, I imagine, could really take people out of the enjoyment of the ride.

I understand there are more difficulties with the design since it's an in-line station as opposed to an end station like the others. Could they have designed a side loop off the line in the station that would work similarly to the loops at the other stations, but would just have to be off to the side. Obviously, that would make the design of the station have to have a much bigger footprint and lead to some other design requirements, likely having to have the entrance come up between the main line and the side loop, but something like that would have seemed to be a vast improvement. Given that they saw fit to address the potential issue at all of the other stations, it was obviously thought that such a design would increase efficiency on the line. Having the station right in the middle of the longest line without such a design takes away a bit from the forward-thinking of the other stations. Any other thoughts/issues from the engineers on this thread that I missed on this?

I am not sure if any of us will ever know exactly - but what we know is different about that station is that it is not a terminal station - where everyone has to get off and then get on another line (if they are continuing their journey) and my guess is that they didn't want people to have to get off and on again at another station that isn't like a major center of activity and *most* people would just be passing through ... and so I think they made the actual station area a bit longer to allow more time for them to really slow the gondolas in station and that would be sufficient.

But perhaps time will show it wasn't the right tradeoff to make

 

[gwynne]

I'll be walking thru the international gateway about 11:30. If the skyliner is open I'll log into the boards and post. If it's not open, I'm heading straight to the food and wine booths.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I don’t believe so. I think it’s just the normal bus routes from the resort to the front of Epcot.

Thanks for answering my question.

 

[Anthony Vito]

I am not sure if any of us will ever know exactly - but what we know is different about that station is that it is not a terminal station - where everyone has to get off and then get on another line (if they are continuing their journey) and my guess is that they didn't want people to have to get off and on again at another station that isn't like a major center of activity and *most* people would just be passing through ... and so I think they made the actual station area a bit longer to allow more time for them to really slow the gondolas in station and that would be sufficient.

But perhaps time will show it wasn't the right tradeoff to make

So attached is a very crude drawing of what I was trying to describe as a possibility. I realize that one particular issue with something like this, because it's a pass-through station, would be determining which cars to pass off into the side loop in a design like this. I assume that the way they're currently doing it in Riviera is slowing down and opening the doors, then people either get out or they don't, and if they stay in the car, the doors eventually close and they move along to Epcot/CBR hub. With my not-to-scale, preschool-level, non-engineering background drawing, I realize that they'd need to know not only if a car is coming with an ECV, but also if that ECV passenger is getting off at Riviera.

Edited to add: Those black lines in the middle that look like Roman numerals (if you didn't know how to value them) are supposed to be stairs - you'd have to have people come up into the middle of the station at the platform to between the loop and the main boarding area.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I'll be walking thru the international gateway about 11:30. If the skyliner is open I'll log into the boards and post. If it's not open, I'm heading straight to the food and wine booths.
[/QUOTE]

Um.......not to tell you what to do or anything.....but I am the type of person that would walk straight to the first food and wine booth anyway, order a drink, then let everyone know what the skyliner is doing.......as I sipped an adult libation with a smile on my face

 

[Tigger's ally]

So attached is a very crude drawing of what I was trying to describe as a possibility. I realize that one particular issue with something like this, because it's a pass-through station, would be determining which cars to pass off into the side loop in a design like this. I assume that the way they're currently doing it in Riviera is slowing down and opening the doors, then people either get out or they don't, and if they stay in the car, the doors eventually close and they move along to Epcot/CBR hub. With my not-to-scale, preschool-level, non-engineering background drawing, I realize that they'd need to know not only if a car is coming with an ECV, but also if that ECV passenger is getting off at Riviera.

Edited to add: Those black lines in the middle that look like Roman numerals (if you didn't know how to value them) are supposed to be stairs - you'd have to have people come up into the middle of the station at the platform to between the loop and the main boarding area.

I think the decision to just have the gondola's "crawl" through the riv station was probably the best decision overall, but the fact that most ECV drivers just aren't 'ECV rodeo' drivers make it seem bad. I am wondering if there couldn't be a ECV load mechanism that gets the ECV straightened out, pointed towards and green lights the drivers when to go straight ahead. Kind of a "starting blocks" type of thing.... I think those that have been to Dis a lot have had our share of bus loads/unloads where the driver of the ECV has turned a fairly simple thing into a long time consuming drawn out stop. Seems to me this was happening at the Riv station too.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I think the decision to just have the gondola's "crawl" through the riv station was probably the best decision overall, but the fact that most ECV drivers just aren't 'ECV rodeo' drivers make it seem bad. I am wondering if there couldn't be a ECV load mechanism that gets the ECV straightened out, pointed towards and green lights the drivers when to go straight ahead. Kind of a "starting blocks" type of thing.... I think those that have been to Dis a lot have had our share of bus loads/unloads where the driver of the ECV has turned a fairly simple thing into a long time consuming drawn out stop. Seems to me this was happening at the Riv station too.

While I appreciate your drawing, there are people who enter and exit at Riviera station who are not on ECVs so not sure how that would happen?

 

[Anthony Vito]

While I appreciate your drawing, there are people who enter and exit at Riviera station who are not on ECVs so not sure how that would happen?

Yeah - blame my horrible drawing abilities - the idea would be that most people would come up and go to the main loading area on the main line and get on as currently designed. The red side loop would be similar to the extra loop at the other stations - where they could have several gondolas stopped and waiting and ECVs would load there, then be added into the line. It's just an attempt to have something similar to the other stations but accounting for it not being an end line where it's easier to do so.

That's also where I think there's the extra difficulties I mentioned. I was also trying to show that if you had a side loop like that, people wouldn't be able to get to the main line for loading, so you'd have to have a platform where you came up underneath it and entered into the middle between the two loops. I'm sure there are more elegant ways and it could be designed better, I just was trying to give an example (and attempt to show my crude example - hard to describe on its own). I think, from the 1,000-mile-away view (really, really hoping I get to see them in real action in 2 weeks) it seems like the design of the other stations is really smart - let those that load be able to do so at their own pace and just drop them in as needed.

Perhaps the good design of the other stations just amplifies the difference with the Riviera station?

 

[Tigger's ally]

While I appreciate your drawing, there are people who enter and exit at Riviera station who are not on ECVs so not sure how that would happen?

Ha, I draw like 2 year old. I wouldn't post one of my drawings anywhere, anytime. I don't even draw for my grandaughter because she would make fun of me. And she's 3.

 

[joelkfla]

Posters have noted many stoppages, some a minute or two some longer. Do you know if this had been occurring on all 3 lines or was it predominately in the EPCOT line. I wonder how much if the difficulties are caused by the Riviera station.

This AC diversion resulted from the fake facts poster who claimed the skyliner won't be reopening until AC gets retrofitted.

I think the DHS line has stopped for from 30 seconds to a few minutes every time I've been on it (maybe 4 times).

There was an extended outage while I was waiting to board at CBR. I don't know how long, but it was stopped when I got in line, and the queue was already pretty long. I think it was about 5 minutes after I got in line before it resumed operation.

 

[joelkfla]

I don’t believe so. I think it’s just the normal bus routes from the resort to the front of Epcot.

There was a report on one of the threads on the Transportation board (yes, they do exist) that seemed to say they were still running the bus yesterday.

 

[Spartan86]

@Anthony Vito, I have to guess that if Riviera had been a straight line vs. a turn station they might have had more capability and room to accommodate stationary load zones. It still would have had to be much larger as it would have likely had parallel load zones as your drawing suggests, and would need a ramped (no stairs) underpass to get folks to and from the inner lines. At the endpoints it was easy enough, although innovative to add the second turn around without changing the station footprint much. I’m sure stationary loading at Riviera must have been considered but ultimately deemed too costly.

 

[NickC]

We are going to WDW next month. I am debating whether we should ride this just for fun?? We aren't going anywhere where we HAVE to take the Skyliner, but it might be neat to ride on it. I'm just not sure it is worth leaving Epcot to do it.

 

[Heelish]

I'll be walking thru the international gateway about 11:30. If the skyliner is open I'll log into the boards and post. If it's not open, I'm heading straight to the food and wine booths.

Um.......not to tell you what to do or anything.....but I am the type of person that would walk straight to the first food and wine booth anyway, order a drink, then let everyone know what the skyliner is doing.......as I sipped an adult libation with a smile on my face
[/QUOTE]

I head to Mexico

 

[Heelish]

We are going to WDW next month. I am debating whether we should ride this just for fun?? We aren't going anywhere where we HAVE to take the Skyliner, but it might be neat to ride on it. I'm just not sure it is worth leaving Epcot to do it.

Yes, do it. It will be fun and youll see views youve never seen before.

 

[Spartan86]

Incidentally, regarding cabins destined for the stationary loops: Liftblog pointed out a “retractable tab” on the hang arm that is extended on those cabins. I assume it trips a switch/sensor as it comes into the station sending the cabin to the secondary load area.

 

[joelkfla]

So attached is a very crude drawing of what I was trying to describe as a possibility. I realize that one particular issue with something like this, because it's a pass-through station, would be determining which cars to pass off into the side loop in a design like this. I assume that the way they're currently doing it in Riviera is slowing down and opening the doors, then people either get out or they don't, and if they stay in the car, the doors eventually close and they move along to Epcot/CBR hub. With my not-to-scale, preschool-level, non-engineering background drawing, I realize that they'd need to know not only if a car is coming with an ECV, but also if that ECV passenger is getting off at Riviera.

Edited to add: Those black lines in the middle that look like Roman numerals (if you didn't know how to value them) are supposed to be stairs - you'd have to have people come up into the middle of the station at the platform to between the loop and the main boarding area.

Wow - on ruled paper, even.

As the station exists now, there are separate unload and load areas. Remember that this is also a turn station. The unload is before the turn, and the load is after the turn. The doors open when the cabin enters the station, close before the turn, reopen after the turn, and close when it leaves the station.

If they had elected to put in special loading loops, they likely would have been between the general load and unload areas. That would eliminate the need to elevate the station. But it also would have greatly increased the width of the station, and to some extent the length also.

Currently, at stations with a separate loop, designated Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles automatically pass thru the general unload area with doors closed and are switched into the WAV load area. That would probably be the same at Riviera if it had separate loops. The rub is that not all occupants of WAV's would be disembarking at Riviera, and they would be greatly delayed on their thru trip.

 

[Spartan86]

The rub is that not all occupants of WAV's would be disembarking at Riviera, and they would be greatly delayed on their thru trip.

That’s a very good observation.

 

[joelkfla]

Incidentally, regarding cabins destined for the stationary loops: Liftblog pointed out a “retractable tab” on the hang arm that is extended on those cabins. I assume it trips a switch/sensor as it comes into the station sending the cabin to the secondary load area.

View attachment 443196

I think it was I, but @Lift Blog might have as well. Here's a better view (the cabin on the left is the WAV, and the door opener rail has retracted for it):


ETA: OK, you surreptitiously replaced the photo, so now mine is not a better view, but it does show the difference between a WAV and a regular cabin.