First hand wheelchair review of Skyliner - please *** question/comments here

[smidgy]

I was also curious about transfers. even if we wait in the accessible line, can my husband transfer to a seat? I was just curious about those with low vision being able to see out the window. he would want to be able to look right out a window. I f it's a foot away from him he won't be able to see outl also, if there is just the 2 of us, does it stop again to pick up 4 more people? or do they group 2 wheelchairs/ecvs if the total # of people is 6? (he's in a wheelchair)thanks for your report!!

 

[Weedy]

Any idea on if they would have let you load in the gondola backward (the way you said you’d prefer to do it)? Also do you know if your mobility device has to be under a certain size to fit? My chair is pretty compact and a normal width but doesn’t fold up or anything like that, so it seems it might be tight kind of like yours. However, lots of people use bigger chairs and scooters I’d be interested to know if you saw anyone loading anything larger like that and if they struggled or not.

 

[ameetee]

Has anyone used a ECV in one yet? I'm concerned about the time it takes to get one in and out if there is a 95 second limit. But I'm comparing it to the time it takes to load one into a bus.

I'm by myself. Does that mean they wouldn't be loading any other people in with me since everyone in that line would have a mobility device or be their companions?

 

[gap2368]

Has anyone used a ECV in one yet? I'm concerned about the time it takes to get one in and out if there is a 95 second limit. But I'm comparing it to the time it takes to load one into a bus.

I'm by myself. Does that mean they wouldn't be loading any other people in with me since everyone in that line would have a mobility device or be their companions?

I think it will be much easer then the buss first off it is straight on ( either front or back wards) as fair as I know there are no tie downs

as fair as being alone they might add a small group once they add your car back to the line if it is very busy they might not. I go alone my self quite often I have seen both small groups alone and with other not sure if this is the same for mobility problems too

 

[jo-jo]

My DH uses a wheelchair only at disney due to the vast amount of walking. Any idea if he can be pushed a somewhat close (like 3 or 4 mins to loading), then just fold up the chair and walk on? This is what we do with buses. When we get to the front, we just roll it on like a stroller.

 

[gap2368]

My DH uses a wheelchair only at disney due to the vast amount of walking. Any idea if he can be pushed a somewhat close (like 3 or 4 mins to loading), then just fold up the chair and walk on? This is what we do with buses. When we get to the front, we just roll it on like a stroller.

I would ask a CM when you get there I would think he could just fold it and walk on since they let stroller on ( unfolded). I have heard the wheelchair line can get pretty long and I would guess they would want as few people to use this line as they can

 

[SueM in MN]

I was also curious about transfers. even if we wait in the accessible line, can my husband transfer to a seat? I was just curious about those with low vision being able to see out the window. he would want to be able to look right out a window. I f it's a foot away from him he won't be able to see outl also, if there is just the 2 of us, does it stop again to pick up 4 more people? or do they group 2 wheelchairs/ecvs if the total # of people is 6? (he's in a wheelchair)thanks for your report!!

from everything I’ve seen, once the car is loaded, it’s not going to stop again to pick up more passengers.
since there are only 2 of you, you may be grouped with more, up to 10 people. He should have time to transfer; let the CM directing boarding know he wants to do that.

I also know that they are still evaluating how it works best with mobility devices for loading and unloading. Their ‘trial runs’ with CM and their families was a good trial for general use, but I don’t think there were enough guests with mobility devices to give a good ‘real world’ trial.

 

[RaySharpton]

The Disney Skyliner Gondolas don't have tie-downs for wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

In the videos, the Disney cast members request the mobility device enter the Disney Skyliner Gondola first all of the way to the metal bar of the opposite wall. It looks like the bar is the height of the wheels to protect the gondola wall.

Then the Disney cast member places a chock device behind each wheel of the wheelchair or mobility scooter to keep it from moving backwards or turning around during the flight and possibly rolling over other guests' feet that might be in the gondola. I think some guests have mistaken these devices for weights in empty gondolas.

Then the rest of the guests are allowed to enter.

When exiting at their destination, everyone just follows the procedure in reverse.

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[CrankyDad]

UPDATE: We ended up riding twice today. The first time was pretty early in the morning to Hollywood Studios and it was smooth sailing. When we got to that station, I saw a Disney suit and approached him. It turns out he works for engineering and loved getting feedback on the direction mobility devices are loaded/unloaded. He and a manager that was called over both looked stunned when I mentioned the emergency details being behind the backs of people using devices. They hadn't thought of that. They also suggested that I try to load backwards next time, so I did. I didn't ask the CM at the station, and just told him I was going to go in backwards. He also looked stunned but didn't say anything.

Speaking of that second ride, it was after the final Illuminations from the Epcot Station to CB. What a disaster for people in the "wheelchair line". The line was backed up beyond the bottom of the ramp up to the station. While that was well and good for the "ambulatory line" because that one moves quickly, the "wheelchair line" took FOREVER. We were once again six from the front and waited 55 minutes just to load. I can't imagine how long the people at the end of the line waited. It's really ridiculous from an efficiency perspective. The 95 seconds to load and unload are way too long. They need to rethink the ratio of mobility device gondolas vs. "regular" gondolas. Thankfully there were a number of suits there who were watching all of this happen. The "ambulatory line" didn't have nearly as many people by the time we left as the "wheelchair line".

No too more handicapped gondolas if it slows down the regulars ones. If they can add more too the tracks and not have it slow down fine. But buses already are dragged down due to all the evcs.

 

[RaySharpton]

No too more handicapped gondolas if it slows down the regulars ones. If they can add more too the tracks and not have it slow down fine. But buses already are dragged down due to all the evcs.

Hi, CrankyDad.

There are two Disney Skyliner Station Gondola loading zones in the Caribbean Disney Skyliner Station for each of the three destinations to Pop Century/Art of Animation Resorts and to Disney Hollywood Studios and to EPCOT. One for walkers and one mobility guests. Each zone is on a different track and not the same track. The time it takes a guest to load their wheelchair or mobility scooter has no effect on slowing down the walker's gondola. Once the handicap gondola is loaded and the doors closed, the Disney cast member follows their protocols on when to merge the handicap gondola to the Disney Skyliner Station cable. The Disney Skyliner Station cable is different from the continuously running cable outside the Disney Skyliner Station. It may only take a couple of seconds for the handicap gondola to be added to the Disney Skyliner Station walker's cable. Then both the walker's gondola and the handicap gondola will leave the Caribbean Disney Skyliner Station by switching to the main cable.

There are two Disney Skyliner Station Gondola loading zones in the Disney Hollywood Studio's Disney Skyliner Station. One for walkers and one mobility guests. Each zone is on a different track and not the same track. The time it takes a guest to load their wheelchair or mobility scooter has no effect on slowing down the walker's gondola. Once the handicap gondola is loaded and the doors closed, the Disney cast member follows their protocols on when to merge the handicap gondola to the Disney Skyliner Station cable. The Disney Skyliner Station cable is different from the continuously running cable outside the Disney Skyliner Station. It may only take a couple of seconds for the handicap gondola to be added to the Disney Skyliner Station walker's cable. Then both the walker's gondola and the handicap gondola will leave the Disney Hollywood Studio's Disney Skyliner Station by switching to the main cable.

There are two Disney Skyliner Station Gondola loading zones in the Disney EPCOT's Disney Skyliner Station. One for walkers and one mobility guests. Each zone is on a different track and not the same track. The time it takes a guest to load their wheelchair or mobility scooter has no effect on slowing down the walker's gondola. Once the handicap gondola is loaded and the doors closed, the Disney cast member follows their protocols on when to merge the handicap gondola to the Disney Skyliner Station cable. The Disney Skyliner Station cable is different from the continuously running cable outside the Disney Skyliner Station. It may only take a couple of seconds for the handicap gondola to be added to the Disney Skyliner Station walker's cable. Then both the walker's gondola and the handicap gondola will leave the Disney EPCOT's Disney Skyliner Station by switching to the main cable.

There are two Disney Skyliner Station Gondola loading zones in the Disney Pop Century/Art of Animation Disney Skyliner Station. One for walkers and one mobility guests. Each zone is on a different track and not the same track. The time it takes a guest to load their wheelchair or mobility scooter has no effect on slowing down the walker's gondola. Once the handicap gondola is loaded and the doors closed, the Disney cast member follows their protocols on when to merge the handicap gondola to the Disney Skyliner Station cable. The Disney Skyliner Station cable is different from the continuously running cable outside the Disney Skyliner Station. It may only take a couple of seconds for the handicap gondola to be added to the Disney Skyliner Station walker's cable. Then both the walker's gondola and the handicap gondola will leave the Disney Pop Century/Art of Animation Disney Skyliner Station by switching to the main cable.

The only Disney Skyliner Station that does not have two loading zones is the Disney Skyliner Riviera Station. I presume because of the Disney Skyliner Riviera Station has a built-in 90-degree turn built into it. I presume the Disney Skyliner Riviera Station cable must either stop for wheelchairs and mobility scooters go very slowly. This should not affect the main cable outside of the station.

BlogMickey.com
@Blog_Mickey

When the #DisneySkyliner stops running or slows down, it's typically because non-ECV/handicap guests don't load in time. If that happens, a Cast Member slows/stops the system to ensure guest safety. Red tape on the ground marks the "load by this point" cut off

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EFpxksJXoAAAYc_?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

This is not the handicap loading zone. This the regular walker's line.

I presume if the regular walker's line takes too long to get on the gondola for whatever reason, I guess they may also stop the main cable line outside the Disney Skyliner Stations. I don't know, but maybe the Disney Skyliner main cable has to have a minimum number of gondolas for operation. I have no idea.

I do know that slowness of loading the Disney Skyliner Station handicap loading zone is on a separate cable than the Disney Skyliner Station walker's cable zone and the main cable outside the Disney Skyliner Station if that makes sense.

I read that it will take a while for all of the Disney Skyliner Station cast members to learn all of the in and outs of how to troubleshoot issues like slowing down the gondola instead of hitting a stop button. Guests not ready to board because they are not ready or confused or asking questions or folding larger strollers or for whatever reason. There will always be a learning curve for both Disney Skyliner Station cast member operators and guests.

Hopefully, someone will come by and let us know what are the reasons the main cable stops besides operator errors. Because I really don't know.



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[kaytieeldr]

Were people with canes/walkers/rollators in the regular line or the accessible line? I use a cane and have balance issues and was kind of worried about regular loading for skyliner.

Due to the ratio of online to offline gondolas, and the slow progress of the active ones, it would make most sense to use the apparently much faster regular boarding. Unless the guest is really, really slow and unsteady, the gondola movement shouldn't even be noticeable.

A limit is imposed on how frequently wheelchair riders can board because on average wheelchair riders take longer to board and disembark

A little longer to board, especially lining up the device to enter backwards, but not substantially so.