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

[Patches Lee]

There are so many complaining post about "No Air Conditioning" and no one knows if they will actually be hot. I install window film for a living and have done so for 30+ years. I can tell you that I have Nano-Ceramic window tint on my truck and on the hottest day, when I get into my truck it feels better than being in direct sunlight and I'm taking about a closed up vehicle that's sitting in the sun all day. These will be moving and if the glass is Nano-Ceramic coated (which it probably is) then they will not heat up from the sun. They should be at least 10 degrees cooler than outside while moving. Nano-Ceramic coating not only blocks UV rays which heat up the interior of homes and vehicles but it also blocks I.R. which means the glass its self wont heat up. I would bet that the gondolas will not be uncomfortable to ride at all. They should be a welcome break to get out of the heat, not a hot box like people are assuming they will be.

Googling nano-ceramic for my car ASAP. It sucks getting in a hot box and I'm all the way in Indiana.

 

[Weedy]

Since there is only one unwrapped I kind of wonder if they are testing the temperature in them.

It would have been hard to do a heat test yesterday. It was so cold... we had a high of 65 lol

 

[mom2rtk]

It would have been hard to do a heat test yesterday. It was so cold... we had a high of 65 lol

Sounds like the perfect day for a gondola heat test!

 

[OSUZorba]

Googling nano-ceramic for my car ASAP. It sucks getting in a hot box and I'm all the way in Indiana.

I have it on my cars, it is amazing. The car is still warmer than the outside after sitting all day, but nothing like an untinted car.

 

[OSUZorba]

It would have been hard to do a heat test yesterday. It was so cold... we had a high of 65 lol

You can still measure temperature rise and solar heat gain. They probably weren't doing that, but could have been.

 

[extreme8]

There are so many complaining post about "No Air Conditioning" and no one knows if they will actually be hot. I install window film for a living and have done so for 30+ years. I can tell you that I have Nano-Ceramic window tint on my truck and on the hottest day, when I get into my truck it feels better than being in direct sunlight and I'm taking about a closed up vehicle that's sitting in the sun all day. These will be moving and if the glass is Nano-Ceramic coated (which it probably is) then they will not heat up from the sun. They should be at least 10 degrees cooler than outside while moving. Nano-Ceramic coating not only blocks UV rays which heat up the interior of homes and vehicles but it also blocks I.R. which means the glass its self wont heat up. I would bet that the gondolas will not be uncomfortable to ride at all. They should be a welcome break to get out of the heat, not a hot box like people are assuming they will be.

You stay outta here with your industry knowledge and decades of experience!
We're all gonna be cooked like a turkey on thanksgiving. You'll see.

 

[Turn the Page]

FWIW, i've lived in Alabama for 40 years now and have been to Orlando in the summer. There's no way I would get in any enclosed vehicle or structure without air conditioning when its over 70 degrees! Its misery here to get in a vehicle in the summer time until the air conditioner kicks in, or when your power goes out in the summer. The heat and humidity can be brutal.

And as for non A/C ventilation, all you are doing is moving hot air inside.

I don't find it silly at all, and I keep wondering what Disney was thinking to not include air conditioning.

It's probably partially the cost and partially the added weight (adding needed equipment to every car adds up over whole line), but mostly the money.

I think they'll feel somewhat shaded so feeling at top speed will be closer to a feeling of riding a golf cart in the shade. But unless the stations themselves are somewhat cooled it's going to feel pretty warm in time moving slowly in station between lock in/out and exiting/enterring station itself.

It was my understanding through various articles and discussions is that what Disney was thinking is that the technology for effective A/C on these systems doesn't exist. I think it has been previously mentioned that the London system is about the only major gondola line that has it and it doesn't really work. In London. Where the weather is no where near as hot as Florida. They can't add tech that doesn't exist.

 

[Tigger's ally]

I think that most foreign visitors will definitely be willing to suck it up and ride anyway even if it's hot, but Americans ... not so much.

Don't know exactly how this was meant, but as an "American" through and through, I will put it nicely and just say that apparently all the people I hang around with are quite a bit tougher than the people you hang around.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It was my understanding through various articles and discussions is that what Disney was thinking is that the technology for effective A/C on these systems doesn't exist. I think it has been previously mentioned that the London system is about the only major gondola line that has it and it doesn't really work. In London. Where the weather is no where near as hot as Florida. They can't add tech that doesn't exist.

I think that is true - current systems wouldn’t work and need to be recharged for far too long to be practical

It is Disney though - they build the vacation capital of the world ina swamp so if they felt it was mission critical to have a/c I am sure they could have figured something out ... I think just taking everything into account (capabilities of existing technology, cost to implement, added weight, length of trips, passive cooling techniques, etc) they came to the conclusion this is the best route to take

 

[Anthony Vito]

As to the references to weight and A/C, I found a report from 2017 on a proposal for a gondola system in Austin, TX that stated that adding A/C to the cabins would reduce the capacity by 25% (from 8 to 6) because of the added weight.

As to the actual issues with the heat, I'm much less worried about it. I'm going to defer to those who have explained on many sites how this system is used throughout the world (it's just new to us) as a method of urban transportation and this issue (as well as many others fretted over) are not issues in those places. In particular, I've seen many who have referenced actually being on the same or similar system in Hong Kong, where the heat is just as oppressive (some have said it can be worse), and they had no issues with the temperature in the gondolas.

Honestly, what most excites me about this project is just adding more efficient transportation. I really hope it's a success and is expanded throughout the resort. The more busses can be avoided, the better.

 

[joelkfla]

I'm looking forward to riding from CBR to Epcot on a 90 degree-plus day in August with a temperature recorder in my hand. (If it's open by then.)

After I do that, maybe I'll do the same on a Friendship Boat from Epcot to DHS.

 

[Turn the Page]

I think that is true - current systems wouldn’t work and need to be recharged for far too long to be practical

It is Disney though - they build the vacation capital of the world ina swamp so if they felt it was mission critical to have a/c I am sure they could have figured something out ... I think just taking everything into account (capabilities of existing technology, cost to implement, added weight, length of trips, passive cooling techniques, etc) they came to the conclusion this is the best route to take

I think if given free rein and unlimited budget there is very little Imagineering couldn't figure out how to do. But we know how unlimited budgets have gone the last few years.

 

[Turn the Page]

As to the references to weight and A/C, I found a report from 2017 on a proposal for a gondola system in Austin, TX that stated that adding A/C to the cabins would reduce the capacity by 25% (from 8 to 6) because of the added weight.

As to the actual issues with the heat, I'm much less worried about it. I'm going to defer to those who have explained on many sites how this system is used throughout the world (it's just new to us) as a method of urban transportation and this issue (as well as many others fretted over) are not issues in those places. In particular, I've seen many who have referenced actually being on the same or similar system in Hong Kong, where the heat is just as oppressive (some have said it can be worse), and they had no issues with the temperature in the gondolas.

Honestly, what most excites me about this project is just adding more efficient transportation. I really hope it's a success and is expanded throughout the resort. The more busses can be avoided, the better.

Would I like A/C? Of course. But even without it I can't imagine it will be as bad as waiting in the sun for twenty minutes in the sun.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

It would have been hard to do a heat test yesterday. It was so cold... we had a high of 65 lol

Maybe they were testing the heating system.

They do have a heating system, right? If not, I don't know what Disney was thinking...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Would I like A/C? Of course. But even without it I can't imagine it will be as bad as waiting in the sun for twenty minutes in the sun.

yeah, the fact that the line (when there is one - I don't expect much outside of park opening/close) will continually move and then the gondolas will be in motion will definitely make this seem better than waiting at a bus stop for 20 mins or for 30 mins for the 3pm parade

 

[NotUrsula]

Don't know exactly how this was meant, but as an "American" through and through, I will put it nicely and just say that apparently all the people I hang around with are quite a bit tougher than the people you hang around.

FTR, it's a reference to the reality that the US is the only country in the world that routinely air-conditions almost all motor vehicles. We are mentally conditioned to believe that rolling or flying metal/glass boxes are dangerously hot if not actively cooled in summertime.

 

[Doberge]

Nanoceramic coating? Now people will complain it's too cold on winter days when sun isn't warming up the cabin enough!

 

[Weedy]

Nanoceramic coating? Now people will complain it's too cold on winter days when sun isn't warming up the cabin enough!

I grew up in Florida. Cars weren’t air conditioned when I was little. They had the air vents that would circulate the outside air. We all survived.
Rainy days the car windows would be closed so just the vents.
My parents didn’t smoke but many did now that was comfort lol

 

[SgtTibbs]

So far, no word on the Skyliner at the Stockholders meeting. However with Star Wars opening Sept 29th at WDW I would assume it has to be running before that.

 

[Tigger's ally]

So far, no word on the Skyliner at the Stockholders meeting. However with Star Wars opening Sept 29th at WDW I would assume it has to be running before that.

You're a month late.