Remember when Skyliner was announced....

[Disneylover99]

No doubt. But there are lightening detection systems available, along with radar that can mitigate the danger. It's a matter of having a plan with enough buses and drivers on standby during stormy weather.

Well, they would need a full fleet of buses and drivers on standby daily in August if this was implemented property wide. And after being up and running for almost five years now, they still have a hard time getting buses out in a timely fashion and communicating the closures to guests.

 

[OKW Lover]

Now that sounds like a cluster during a thunderstorm.

No doubt. But there are lightening detection systems available, along with radar that can mitigate the danger. It's a matter of having a plan with enough buses and drivers on standby during stormy weather.

I think they are safe during thunderstorms as well. Yes, guests might not feel comfortable riding in them during a storm, but the danger is more from high winds than actual lightning. Since you are not grounded when riding in them, a lightning strike won't be an issue.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think they are safe during thunderstorms as well. Yes, guests might not feel comfortable riding in them during a storm, but the danger is more from high winds than actual lightning. Since you are not grounded when riding in them, a lightning strike won't be an issue.

But isn’t the Skyliner shut down if lightning is in the immediate area?

 

[OKW Lover]

But isn’t the Skyliner shut down if lightning is in the immediate area?

That's my understanding. My point was that this is more about guest concerns than an actual physical danger. These systems operate in many regions that are subject to lightning strikes.

 

[Disneylover99]

That's my understanding. My point was that this is more about guest concerns than an actual physical danger. These systems operate in many regions that are subject to lightning strikes.

I wasn’t coming at this from a safety perspective though. My comment was only about the confusion guests have when Skyliner shutdowns suddenly occur due to thunder and lightning.

 

[OKW Lover]

I wasn’t coming at this from a safety perspective though. My comment was only about the confusion guests have when Skyliner shutdowns suddenly occur due to thunder and lightning.

Valid point!

 

[dvczerfs]

No doubt. But there are lightening detection systems available, along with radar that can mitigate the danger. It's a matter of having a plan with enough buses and drivers on standby during stormy weather.

If you look up at the lines, there are two big cables that the cabin clamps onto and they move the cabins. There is a smaller cable in the middle of those two cables, a bit higher, that wire is a “lightning rod”. When lightning is detected in the area, they power up that line which attracts the lightning. The rest of the system is off, don’t want to blow out sensors etc. The “lightning rod” does its job quite a bit during lightning season.
When lightning is detected within (x) miles of the system, remember, it’s not just the station you’re standing at, it’s the entire system, the system is cycled out. After the lightning has cleared the area for (x) amount of time, the system will be brought back up. After it is brought back up, it usually takes about 15 for the test sequence to be completed. They have to make sure sensors and everything is working before loading guest.
Yes, a human is responsible for making that call.
Wind, wind will also stop the system. Don’t happen often but it can happen.
Wind speeds along with radar are constantly monitored.
There are buses and drivers on standby. Drivers are also rerouted. Those buses don’t sit running with a driver behind the wheel waiting for the system to go down. It takes time to get them to where they are needed. They drive on the same streets and deal with the same traffic as everyone else does.
IG is about the biggest problem because of the location of the station vs the buses.
Most times, it don’t lightning all day and night, if you head for an attraction instead of heading out, most likely will have a short wait time while everyone is heading out. It does run in the rain, just not lightning.
Busier times, park dumps, bad weather, all the transportation on property is a wait. Most season park veterans know that is the time you head for a ride, restaurant or a place under cover.

 

[Sweettears]

For those of us who have been on these boards long enough, do you remember the comments when the Skyliner was firs announced? I recall lots of people posting that it would be a huge failure. That people would be roasted in the cars because of the summer heat/sun. That it would be subject to major failures. That at some point the lines would snap and the cars would fall into the water. So may grim scenarios.

Don’t forget that it was going to be a blight in the sky totally destroying Epcot and other park/resorts were it would be visible

 

[OKW Lover]

If you look up at the lines, there are two big cables that the cabin clamps onto and they move the cabins. There is a smaller cable in the middle of those two cables, a bit higher, that wire is a “lightning rod”. When lightning is detected in the area, they power up that line which attracts the lightning. The rest of the system is off, don’t want to blow out sensors etc. The “lightning rod” does its job quite a bit during lightning season.

I doubt there is any power in those lightning arrestor cables. In fact, they should be at ground potential since lightning is trying to find the way to ground

 

[dvczerfs]

I think they are safe during thunderstorms as well. Yes, guests might not feel comfortable riding in them during a storm, but the danger is more from high winds than actual lightning. Since you are not grounded when riding in them, a lightning strike won't be an issue.

99 percent of the time it’s lightning. Like lightning, wind also has a protocol.
(X) sustained wind speed in (x) amount of locations for (x) amount of time will cause the system to shut down.

 

[dvczerfs]

I doubt there is any power in those lightning arrestor cables. In fact, they should be at ground potential since lightning is trying to find the way to ground

Trust me, there is. In fact they were just replaced the last shut down.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Snowboarder here - I've ridden on a lot sketchier lift conveyances than the Skyliner during much rougher weather. The only danger is the things banging against support towers during high winds, but they are not going to fall. My guess is Disney shuts them down to keep them from getting banged up like some college kids car. But sure, go ahead and believe it's to keep you safe (yeah, it does that too but its secondary).

 

[dvczerfs]

Snowboarder here - I've ridden on a lot sketchier lift conveyances than the Skyliner during much rougher weather. The only danger is the things banging against support towers during high winds, but they are not going to fall. My guess is Disney shuts them down to keep them from getting banged up like some college kids car. But sure, go ahead and believe it's to keep you safe (yeah, it does that too but its secondary).

High wind shut down is rare. Exactly, you’re not coming off the cable. The psi that holds you to the cable is five times what is required at max capacity through multiple devices.
Most of it is comfort and could you imagine if a cabin would bounce off a tower, in Disney? lol. You also really don’t won’t to damage anything on the tower.
Not to mention, you can always tell when the wind is blowing a little, custodial just hangs out and don’t leave. lol.
I give you credit, you wouldn’t find me on most of those lifts.

 

[tzvdmd]

While it does have it's issues such as downtime due to weather, to me the biggest downfall was Disney putting the drop off at The International Gateway and not at the front of Epcot where guests could access to other modes of transportation.

 

[wabbott]

While it does have it's issues such as downtime due to weather, to me the biggest downfall was Disney putting the drop off at The International Gateway and not at the front of Epcot where guests could access to other modes of transportation.

It would be a matter of reconstructing the EPCOT turn, and extending the line on to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Design the EPCOT turn so that every third car or so would go to the TTC and the other two to EPCOT. That would tie the the Skyliner in to the Monorail, and would cut bus traffic significantly.

 

[dvczerfs]

It would be a matter of reconstructing the EPCOT turn, and extending the line on to the Transportation and Ticket Center. Design the EPCOT turn so that every third car or so would go to the TTC and the other two to EPCOT. That would tie the the Skyliner in to the Monorail, and would cut bus traffic significantly.

Good idea, but, from what I can see, there maybe a few problems. I’m guessing the reason for the IG station was to relieve the front of the park of the thousands of guest that take the SL
You would have to take out the turn station and build a station like Caribean Beach at that location. You would have a line coming in from Riv, a line running to IG and a line running to TTC. You can’t have a line that cabins just break off. It’s one sold line from station to station, once you enter a station you come off the line and the cabins are pushed around on a track. You can see how it works at the CB station pretty good. The Riv line to the new station would be fine. The line to IG would be fine but the line to TTC would have to have another station between the new station and TTC. It would be to long. Riv to IG is at max length. It has nothing to do with the operation of the system but safety. You have only so much time to clear, unload a line. The complete system now can be emptied in ten minutes. Not sure who’s regulations those are, federal,state, no clue.
The cabins also have to be spaced apart equally. You can’t have a gap, or a missing cabin on the line.
People see a cable and some cabins hanging, they don’t realize the infrastructure that goes with those lines. Multi million dollar stations with multi million dollar equipment, back up equipment, generators, maintenance, staff.
So now our idea is built and running, wanna talk about a cluster, stand at the Riv station during a rush hour for fifteen minutes. You and I and people who visit every year understand how it works but a lot of people have no idea. Next time you at the SL, just watch what goes on at the Riv. station. People have no clue where they are, do we stay on, do we get off, “ we get off here” (entire party gets off but grandma, she knows to stay on this isn’t Epcot )
The party stands on the platform, looks around and says, oh, grandmas right and they try to jump back on with the doors closing. The best is when they grab the cabin trying to stop it. Never met anyone strong enough yet. With all that, junior gets his foot caught between a moving cabin (1400 pounds empty) and the concrete platform. Could you imagine loading every third cabin going a different direction?
I’m not trying to be a wise guy, but next time you are at the Riv station, take fifteen minutes out of your day and stand there and watch what goes on. It’s no fault of the guest, they just don’t know how it works. You can hang all the signs you want, have all the recordings you want, that don’t work either.
Now picture the festivities after a full day of drinking around the world. lol.
You could always tell when it was Sunday, new batch of guest training day.
By the time you get them to stand behind the white line, fold the stroller and step all the way across the yellow line when exiting, they pack up and go home.
Oh, the person in yellow or blue standing there, is responsible for you and your families safety. Ever go through a NTSB interview, I sure haven’t or would want to. The SL is public transportation. That’s why you have to keep your shoes and shirt on. ( and other articles of clothing)
So, with that being said,…… Sorry, I got on a roll. Lol
Monorail, listen what goes on at the monorail, signs, announcements and only two big circles. Sitting on the Monorail at the grand and someone says, yes, this stops at Epcot, we just stay on. Unless you live in a major city, most people don’t know or how to use public transportation.

 

[jec6613]

I don’t think they can even get parts for the monorail now.

They definitely can, and Disney is not the only operator of Bombardier Mk VI monorails, and Alstom (who bought it) still supports both the Mk VI as well as their newer Innovia monorails, which share many common components. The thing that the monorail seems to be lacking operationally is mostly ROW maintenance. The physical appearance (at least until they finally pressure washed it after 50 years) and surfacing of the beamway is relatively poor.

One struggle with monorails (and the Skyliner, by the way) is that best practices are very much seat-of-the-pants type situations. The FLDOT can now regulate it, but it's a one of one situation without another one under their jurisdiction - making FLDOT oversight a distinction without a difference.

This is in contrast to the WDWRR, which is a FRA regulated 36" narrow gauge heritage railroad, maintained to the same standards as any other railroad. Want to know what the motive power goes through? The same standards used on the UP Big Boy: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/inspection-and-maintenance-standards-steam-locomotives

Edit to add: if you're lucky, you can sometimes catch the WDWRR rolling stock loaded onto flatcars heading to or from inspection at Amtrak's shops.

 

[dvczerfs]

They definitely can, and Disney is not the only operator of Bombardier Mk VI monorails, and Alstom (who bought it) still supports both the Mk VI as well as their newer Innovia monorails, which share many common components. The thing that the monorail seems to be lacking operationally is mostly ROW maintenance. The physical appearance (at least until they finally pressure washed it after 50 years) and surfacing of the beamway is relatively poor.

One struggle with monorails (and the Skyliner, by the way) is that best practices are very much seat-of-the-pants type situations. The FLDOT can now regulate it, but it's a one of one situation without another one under their jurisdiction - making FLDOT oversight a distinction without a difference.

This is in contrast to the WDWRR, which is a FRA regulated 36" narrow gauge heritage railroad, maintained to the same standards as any other railroad. Want to know what the motive power goes through? The same standards used on the UP Big Boy: https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/inspection-and-maintenance-standards-steam-locomotives

Edit to add: if you're lucky, you can sometimes catch the WDWRR rolling stock loaded onto flatcars heading to or from inspection at Amtrak's shops.

Excellent point. Learn as they go, constantly changing.
I have seen them taken out on a flatbed, I didn’t know that’s where they take them, interesting. I’m assuming the boiler is pressure tested, is that done at another facility?
It reminds me of the new section in Epcot, reading a lot of the comments you realize people have never dealt with inspections. They have no idea the infrastructure that those little concrete planters sit on and around.
The new Cake Bake shop, dealing with an existing structure, changing an existing structure with codes from the 1980s when it was built to today’s code. Inspections and what jurisdiction everything falls under. One can’t move till this one does. You never know what’s behind that wall or in it till you open it.
There are a few buildings on property that people say, why do they just. You can’t just,just something. Everything takes time and a lot of money.

 

[jec6613]

I’m assuming the boiler is pressure tested, is that done at another facility?

To my knowledge they're done at the motive power depot (aka roundhouse) on property. Here's a video on the process at a museum, and no it doesn't involve a pressure test, but it does involve other testing:

 

[CarolynFH]

So, with that being said,…… Sorry, I got on a roll. Lol

The thing that the monorail seems to be lacking operationally is mostly ROW maintenance.

Thank you both for details on maintenance and operations of the Skyliner, the monorail and the WDWRR. One of our favorite backstage tours was the Magic of Steam Trains, which we enjoyed in 2010. I wish there was a backstage tour of the Skyliner!