The Disney Skyliner is a gondola lift system, part of the Disney Transport system, that opened on September 29, 2019 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The system is composed of five stations that service four resorts and two theme parks, with a fleet of over 250 gondola cabins that can accommodate up to ten guests per cabin.
The Disneyland Skyway closed on November 4, 1994 due to metal fatigue on one of its support towers, located inside the Matterhorn Bobsleds. The Tokyo Disneyland Skyway closed on November 3, 1998 and the Magic Kingdom Skyway closed on November 10, 1999.[3]
The gondola lift plan was confirmed by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products at the D23 Expo on July 15, 2017, detailing that the system was going to connect four hotels with Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, affording "a bird's-eye view" of the area.[6][7] The proposal was announced as part of the unveiling of 23 improvements across the Walt Disney World Resort,[8] including a "makeover" of Epcot[7][9] and carpool-style "Minnie vans."[10] The Disney Skyliner would also connect to the upcoming Disney's Riviera Resort.[10][11]
By 2018, the Disney Skyliner was already under construction.[12] The towers and stations were more than halfway completed by summer 2018.[13] In November 2018, Disney Parks announced that the Disney Skyliner would open in fall 2019.[14] Testing with passenger cabins began in late January 2019, on the Hollywood Studios line.[15]
Operation
In July 2019, the Disney Skyliner was given a September 29, 2019 opening date[16] and began operations as scheduled.[17][18]
Select Skyliner cabins feature exterior designs with characters from Mickey Mouse, Disney Animation, Pixar, Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Walt Disney World attractions The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. With over 250 cabins in operation, each one features onboard audio, which is unique to each of the three routes. Each cabin has wooden bench-style seating that fits a maximum of 10 people, 5 per bench. Operating hours vary depending on park hours and if weather permits, such as wind and lightning, in which case, operation would be suspended and alternate transportation is offered via Disney Transport buses. The Disney Skyliner begins servicing its routes up to an hour prior to each park's earliest opening time, and all routes remain open until an hour and a half after each park closing time.[19]
Each cabin accommodates up to ten guests per cabin, or up to six with an open wheelchair or electric scooter. Guests sit on twin, inward-facing wooden benches.[20] Strollers measuring 30 in × 48 in (76 cm × 122 cm) or smaller are able to roll directly into the gondola without having to be folded.
The lines for the Disney Skyliner are hubbed from a central station at Caribbean Beach Resort.[6][7]
Riviera Resort and Epcot line
The longest of the three lines is the Riviera Resort and Epcot line. Departing from the Caribbean Beach hub, the line rises up to cross over the Jamaica and Aruba Villages of the resort, before descending to the first of two midstations at the Riviera Resort. This is also accessible from and adjacent to the Aruba village of Caribbean Beach. Here, the line turns west and travels alongside Buena Vista Drive. As it reaches the Boardwalk Tennis Courts parking lot, the line hits its second midstation. This midstation only serves to turn the line to resume traveling north. After crossing over the Epcot Resorts Boulevard and passing behind the France pavilion at World Showcase, the gondola descends into its final terminus at the International Gateway entrance to World Showcase. The Epcot station is located near the BoardWalk shopping area. The zig-zag route of the Epcot line enables the line to avoid bisecting World Showcase and backstage areas. The journey time for a one-way journey along the full route from Caribbean Beach to Epcot is 11 minutes. A journey between Caribbean Beach and Riviera takes three minutes, and the journey between Riviera and Epcot takes six minutes.
Hollywood Studios line
The Hollywood Studios line heads due west out of the Caribbean Beach hub. The first part of the line cuts through previously unused slash pine forest, before descending and crossing over the tollbooth entrance to the Hollywood Studios parking lot. The line then crosses through the parking lot before descending into its Hollywood Studios terminus, in between the park entrance and the bus stop. The ride time for a one-way journey on the Hollywood Studios route is 5 minutes.
Pop Century Resort/Art of Animation Resort line
The shortest of the three routes. This line heads due south from the Caribbean Beach hub towards the Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts. The first half of the line travels over reclaimed swampland. After passing by the Art of Animation Resort's north buildings, the line descends and travels across Hourglass Lake, ending at a terminus on the middle of the lake. A one-way journey on the Pop Century Resort/Art of Animation Resort line takes 4 minutes.
Operational system
A Disney Skyliner cabin at the Epcot station on the terminus of the Epcot line.
The Disney Skyliner is the only gondola system in North America to include separate stationary loading and unloading platforms at each station, with the exception of the Riviera Resort station. It is also the second double loading aerial lift system in the United States after the Quicksilver Super6 at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.
At the end terminals of each line, most cabins unload their guests at the first unload platform immediately after decelerating, then turn around before loading guests on the loading platform on the opposite side. However, some cabins are routed through an automatic parking switch rail to a secondary unloading platform, where it will park. These cabins are parked for a fixed period of time at each platform to load or unload passengers with an open wheelchair or electric scooter, and those with mobility issues who need additional time.
Once guests have exited, the system will signal when the next cabin is approaching the station to be unloaded. Once dispatched, the cabin at the stationary unload platform will move to the stationary loading platform. After the stationary cabin has been loaded, dispatch will occur again and be moved through another automatic switch rail, rejoining the main conveyor of gondola cabins at the merge point.
The Disney Skyliner experiences delays and stops of its lines that are usually resettable either immediately or within 5–20 minutes, depending on the case (i.e. safety, assistance, maintenance, security). In more serious situations, such as delays of over 20 minutes, where the system is no longer suitable for normal operation and transport, guests are instead escorted out of the gondolas as they reach the unloading platforms at each station. Evacuations can also be conducted by Reedy Creek Fire Department in extreme circumstances if the system shuts down and service cannot be reset or restarted.
On October 5, 2019, a gondola became jammed at the Riviera Resort station, just before taking off for Epcot. A subsequent backlog of gondolas ensued and got stuck behind the jammed gondola inside the station. There were no known injuries, but the Epcot line was closed for the remainder of the night.[21][22][23]
Gallery
Caribbean Beach Resort station and hub of the Disney Skyliner
Disney's Hollywood Studios station
Epcot station
Stationary cabin for guests with disabilities
Art of Animation/Pop Century Resorts station located in the middle of Hourglass Lake
Disney Transport bus operating during suspension of Skyliner service
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