Walt Disney World Skyliner Gondola cabin video, photos, info.

[SueM in MN]

These are screenshots from the Doppelmayr website (the gondola builders).
The video showed wheelchair and stroller loading while it was moving,but everything
I have seen says that Disney’s system will have track at each station where a gondola can be taken off line for stationary loading.

 

[Lilsia]

View attachment 387102 View attachment 387103 View attachment 387104 These are screenshots from the Doppelmayr website (the gondola builders).
The video showed wheelchair and stroller loading while it was moving,but everything
I have seen says that Disney’s system will have track at each station where a gondola can be taken off line for stationary loading.

I really don't see an issue with loading strollers and wheelchairs. But ECVs are different. You are not manually positioning these things and they have a greater speed in which they are moving. We have all seen people trying to load onto a bus in these things. They jerk to a start and stop so getting them in tight areas from a standstill is a bit difficult, especially with those who only use them at WDW and not every day. I can see the sides of the openings getting banged up really bad by ECV drivers. On a side note, I hope they don't try to fill these to maximum capacity. They seem like very tight quarters and I don't want some stranger practically in my lap.

 

[mamabunny]

...On a side note, I hope they don't try to fill these to maximum capacity. They seem like very tight quarters and I don't want some stranger practically in my lap.

If you don't need to ride with someone in an ECV/Wheelchair/stroller (or someone who requires the car to be stopped for loading/unloading then you have no worries; you will simply proceed through the standard line, and board/disembark with everyone else.

If you do choose to ride with a mobility device of some type, and go to the area where the cabins are stopped for boarding, chances are pretty good that you will know everyone in your cabin, just by virtue of how the system is set up.

I do agree with you about folks who only use ECVs at WDW; I think that pulling into the cabin might not be too bad, but backing out may be difficult for some of them. In those cases, family members can help (or transportation CMs can verbally guide them. It may slow things a bit, but those cars will already be off the rails, so to speak, so it doesn't matter as much - it won't slow down the vast majority of riders. Honestly, I was expecting that they would be set up with a door on both sides, so that mobility devices would enter from one side, and drive through the cabin (straight out) the opposite door. Doing that, however would limit the amount of bench seating in the units, so it makes sense to have only one door, since the majority of people at WDW would not benefit from (and might find confusing) a door that does not open for them on the "regular" side.

 

[NotUrsula]

Since my name was mentioned at the start of this thread, I've come over to chime in & clarify on a mistake I made. A poster on the Rumor Board thread noticed that I'd mis-interpreted the door opening width because of the Doppelmayr emphasis, in their promo video, on accommodating pallet width. The (Euro) delivery pallet measures 31.5, so the door must have some additional width in order to allow it to move through; therefore it does meet ADA requirements of at least 32" (which, if I'd really been thinking about it, makes perfect sense. If they knew at the design stage that they would be marketing these to ski resorts in the US, they would have had to design it that way.)

Anyway, interesting news is, a poster on that same thread [Jade1] took a brief video of the secondary (stationary) track loop at the DHS station, with test cars coming off of it to be slotted in to the main line: Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Updated 3/4/19 Thought you folks might be particularly interested in seeing it. The video is in the 4th message from the bottom of that page, post #5957.

 

[Groot]

Another question, if there is a reason to evacuate the gondolas in between stations, how will people in wheelchairs/scooters get out?

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, NotUrsula. Thank you for your post. I always enjoy reading them.

Interesting video of how the gondola works and serviced by their maintenance with a person describing the workings of the gondola in the station and how each gondola separates from the cable inside the stations. I know that this isn't the Disney gondola, but it looks similar. Sometimes I have seen photos of the Disney Skyliner Gondolas all removed from the cable and then put back on the cable.

https://www.slopeedge.net/content/behind-the-scenes-how-detachable-ski-lifts-work

Since my name was mentioned at the start of this thread, I've come over to chime in & clarify on a mistake I made. A poster on the Rumor Board thread noticed that I'd misinterpreted the door opening width because of the Doppelmayr emphasis, in their promo video, on accommodating pallet width. The (Euro) delivery pallet measures 31.5, so the door must have some additional width in order to allow it to move through; therefore it does meet ADA requirements of at least 32" (which, if I'd really been thinking about it, makes perfect sense. If they knew at the design stage that they would be marketing these to ski resorts in the US, they would have had to design it that way.)

Anyway, interesting news is, a poster on that same thread [Jade1] took a brief video of the secondary (stationary) track loop at the DHS station, with test cars coming off of it to be slotted in to the main line: Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Updated 3/4/19 Thought you folks might be particularly interested in seeing it. The video is in the 4th message from the bottom of that page, post #5957.

 

[lanejudy]

Another question, if there is a reason to evacuate the gondolas in between stations, how will people in wheelchairs/scooters get out?

If necessary, EMS would evacuate people probably in a similar manner as monorail evacuation. However, my understanding is that risk of need for evacuation from the gondolas is quite minimal. There is a back-up power system in place.

 

[RaySharpton]

Jade1 posted a phone video of the second track used for stopping the Disney Skyliner Gondola video behind the slow-moving Disney Skyliner Gondola. I surmise that the gondolas can be stopped here to allow wheelchairs and mobility scooters, etc. to board.

Ok not great but you can see the "left" side (curve) cabin come through past the curve, and the next one takes the first curve-although I quit a hair to soon.

The Disney Caribbean Resort Skyliner Station also showing storage area for removable gondolas.

BlogMickey has a very good series on the Disney Skyliner from early on and I presume that they will continue updating news.

It looks like they filled up with gondolas.

It appears to be easy to move around the gondolas and maybe that is why it may be easy to move the gondolas in the station to the second row where they can stop them to allow wheelchairs and mobility scooters to enter and exit.

.

 

[Lilsia]

If you don't need to ride with someone in an ECV/Wheelchair/stroller (or someone who requires the car to be stopped for loading/unloading then you have no worries; you will simply proceed through the standard line, and board/disembark with everyone else.

If you do choose to ride with a mobility device of some type, and go to the area where the cabins are stopped for boarding, chances are pretty good that you will know everyone in your cabin, just by virtue of how the system is set up.

I do agree with you about folks who only use ECVs at WDW; I think that pulling into the cabin might not be too bad, but backing out may be difficult for some of them. In those cases, family members can help (or transportation CMs can verbally guide them. It may slow things a bit, but those cars will already be off the rails, so to speak, so it doesn't matter as much - it won't slow down the vast majority of riders. Honestly, I was expecting that they would be set up with a door on both sides, so that mobility devices would enter from one side, and drive through the cabin (straight out) the opposite door. Doing that, however would limit the amount of bench seating in the units, so it makes sense to have only one door, since the majority of people at WDW would not benefit from (and might find confusing) a door that does not open for them on the "regular" side.

My comment about filling the gondolas to capacity is a totally separate issue from ECVs. I did say that it was a side note that I hope they do not fill the gondolas to maximum capacity. It does not look like they have anywhere for people to hold on to if they are standing so I am assuming that everyone will be seated. Those seats do not look like they will hold more then 3-4 people on each side.

 

[lanejudy]

Supposedly max is 8-10 passengers with 4-5 per bench. However, expectations are that they are unlikely to combine groups just to max capacity. You are likely to only have your own party in the same gondola car. If you have a larger party, you’ll need to split (and may opt to do so if near that max anyway).

 

[RaySharpton]

Speeding Tests...looks like a thrill ride to me...ha...ha...ha.

From Mousesteps and Jim Hill

 

[Lilsia]

Speeding Tests...looks like a thrill ride to me...ha...ha...ha.

From Mousesteps and Jim Hill

Holy cow! At first I thought that they sped up the video and then saw the people walking. That is fast!

 

[mamabunny]

Holy cow! At first I thought that they sped up the video and then saw the people walking. That is fast!

I had the same reaction! LOL Let's hope they never have to run them that fast in daily operation LOL! Can you imagine the traffic jam that would result?

 

[gap2368]

I had the same reaction! LOL Let's hope they never have to run them that fast in daily operation LOL! Can you imagine the traffic jam that would result?

They are made to go 11-14 MPI so my guess is they will run this fast and slow down once they reach the station I hard going from POP AOA to the hub will take about 2 minutes. And the hub to HS about two minutes the hub to EPCOT will take longer at about 9 minutes. I am happy it is going this fast. Getting place will not take an hour.

 

[cobright]

I won't be riding them - especially if there's no air conditioning. I'm claustrophobic to begin with, and the idea of being trapped in that little capsule with no air (especially when it breaks down - because, just like the Monorail, it will at some point) just hanging there... :::shudder::: You would see me dismantle that thing from the inside...

I'm with you on this. For well over half the year the humidity in Orlando makes even a good breeze moot. I don't tolerate heat well anyway and this looks to be a real problem.

 

[GramToEmandKenn]

Just wondering if anyone knows if the gondolas are wheelchair or ECV friendly. I cannot walk more than 10 feet because of a paralyzed lung and will be in an ECV/wheelchair the entire trip. We will be there May 5-12. Thank you.

 

[lanejudy]

Yes, they are. However if your trip is next month (May 2019), the Skyliner won’t be open for use yet. Expected opening date is “fall 2019” with some hoping for late summer.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[gap2368]

guess is the gondola will be opened before GE opens but not in May and yes it will be wheelchair ECV their is a pull off for them to load so you will not have to hurry

 

[RaySharpton]

Yes, everything that I have read about the Disney Skyliner will be accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and strollers as the previous posters have said.

The gondola will be pulled back to a second roll loading area so that you can drive on without it moving from what I have read.

Here is another thread about the Disney Skyliner gondolas with photos and videos at

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...abin-video-from-transportation-forum.3736137/

I'll be down in May and I will try and get better photos if I can. I will try and ask someone if I can.

I'll be down in December and I hope that they will all be running. I am really looking forward to using them as I usually stay that the Pop Century resort.

 

[cmwade77]

They will be accessible and will have a separate load space for those in wheelchairs as it may take a few extra minutes to secure them properly, then others can continue boarding while you are getting on.