CBR, the Skyliner, and getting a boarding pass for ROTR

TeraCuse

Owner at OKW, fan of the Skyliner
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
The best place I can think of to get some real World experience with getting a boarding pass for ROTR. We have an upcoming stay at CBR, end of April. I've heard the Skyliner does not start operating soon enough in the morning to get you to DHS in time to get inside and get a boarding pass? Has anyone had this experience? We're considering a Lyft just to be on the safe side, realizing even that is no guarantee.
 
I still don’t understand Disney’s reasoning for having their highly hyped new transportation method opening no earlier than this.

We are still very much looking forward to using Skyliner on our upcoming trip, but these time constraints will unfortunately limit our use of it.

Just opening it even 30 minutes earlier would change that for a large number of guests so my question is why not?
 


I fully agree that if they are insistent on opening DHS early they should also move up the opening of the Skyliner (personally I think it would be better to keep DHS open later rather than open earlier, but Disney is yet to ask for my opinion)

We just stayed at CBR over Presidents week and for our DHS we opted to drive over in the morning (just the safest plan I find to ensure there in time) and then drove back when we took our mid-day break and then used the Skyliner when we returned for our afternoon/evening there

It was soooooo convenient to get from CBR to DHS and then even at the end of the day there was very little line to get on the Skyliner back to DHS
 
We are also staying at CBR with a rental car in a week and will likely mimic your routine – drive over in plenty of time to try for a BG. Leave after our morning fast passes to get out of the crazy crowds.

And then use Skylkner for either an evening visit to HS or Epcot.
 
One of my best friends stayed at CBR two weeks ago and used the skyliner. She was able to get to HS in time for a boarding group (with two little kids and bags), but said it was cutting it close.
 


I took the Skyliner from Pop on 2/6 and made it, but it was close and I was lucky!! I made it in with fewer than 5 minutes to 8 and got BG 65. I had already ridden earlier in the week so this was a just-for-fun try for a repeat, but if it had been my first or only try, I would have been freaking out.

My great luck was that on that day, they were actually boarding the Skyliner at 7:30 as scheduled, but on 2/4 they didn't actually start boarding till close to 8. On 2/7, I walked over to AoA for breakfast, and on my way back, there was a line on the bridge waiting for the Skyliner to start boarding - I don't know what time it was, but past 7:30.

Even if the Skyliner SAYS 7:30, I wouldn't count on it.
 
It’s almost like they do NOT want guests taking the Skyliner to rope drop DHS. In January, with a 7am DHS opening, the Skyliner started at 7am. I was thinking we would get to use it in February with the 8am DHS opening, but then they switched the Skyliner opening to 7:30am, and with BGs being gone within a minute, I thought it was too risky to try the Skyliner.
 
It’s almost like they do NOT want guests taking the Skyliner to rope drop DHS. In January, with a 7am DHS opening, the Skyliner started at 7am. I was thinking we would get to use it in February with the 8am DHS opening, but then they switched the Skyliner opening to 7:30am, and with BGs being gone within a minute, I thought it was too risky to try the Skyliner.

I have to agree with you and it is a disappointing decision by WDW - had they simply left Skyliner at the 7am opening we would not hesitate taking it over to DHS for an 8am BG try. Disney making it a 7:30 start for the 8am DHS opening is inexplicable to me - gives me a headache trying to figure out their thought process! :-)
 
It’s almost like they do NOT want guests taking the Skyliner to rope drop DHS. In January, with a 7am DHS opening, the Skyliner started at 7am. I was thinking we would get to use it in February with the 8am DHS opening, but then they switched the Skyliner opening to 7:30am, and with BGs being gone within a minute, I thought it was too risky to try the Skyliner.

“almost like”? They definitely don’t want guests taking the skyliner to rope drop DHS. Best I can tell, BG’s are available for less than 5 minutes upon opening. Can you imagine making it EASIER for hundreds(thousands?) of more guests to get there for the opportunity? You have to *really* want that BG to get one ....from a marketing perspective, this is music to Disney’s ears! This is exactly what they want.....
 
“almost like”? They definitely don’t want guests taking the skyliner to rope drop DHS. Best I can tell, BG’s are available for less than 5 minutes upon opening. Can you imagine making it EASIER for hundreds(thousands?) of more guests to get there for the opportunity? You have to *really* want that BG to get one ....from a marketing perspective, this is music to Disney’s ears! This is exactly what they want.....
BG last more than 5 min, only about 15 days so far have they all gone in less than 5.
I think the main reason the Skyliner is not open is that they don't want to risk people being stuck on it and miss the chance to join a bg. That would be a bigger nightmare, pr-wise, if a a bus breaks down they can call another bus that can be at any location within minutes, with the skyliner the fix is a bit trickier
 
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....sure, including backup groups that do look like they’re being filled(I haven’t followed since my December trip but have another visit coming in May). I agree with the breakdown issue of the skyliner. Out of curiosity What time are busses running to DHS these days?
 
....sure, including backup groups that do look like they’re being filled(I haven’t followed since my December trip but have another visit coming in May). I agree with the breakdown issue of the skyliner. Out of curiosity What time are busses running to DHS these days?
they are starting around 6:45am for an 8am opening
 
Is the above still the case? Skyliner doesn't start until 30 min before park opening? I've also heard that busses at skyliner served resorts run less often. Not sure what the best plan would be from Caribbean beach resort. I wont have a car so that's not an option.
 
Is the above still the case? Skyliner doesn't start until 30 min before park opening? I've also heard that busses at skyliner served resorts run less often. Not sure what the best plan would be from Caribbean beach resort. I wont have a car so that's not an option.

Busses aren't running to Epcot or DHS at all from Skyliner resorts now unless the Skyliner is down.
 
Is the above still the case? Skyliner doesn't start until 30 min before park opening? I've also heard that busses at skyliner served resorts run less often. Not sure what the best plan would be from Caribbean beach resort. I wont have a car so that's not an option.
Stayed at Riviera twice recently (late July & mid September) and the Skyliner started running 1 hour prior to DHS opening.
 
Busses aren't running to Epcot or DHS at all from Skyliner resorts now unless the Skyliner is down.
We just returned and Saturday was our HS day. We stayed at Pop and got in line for the Skyliner around 8:15. At that time, the line was already very long. At 8:30 they started loading and the line moved quickly. What I didn't think about was standing in line again at CBR. Once we arrived there, we could see another very long line BUT they had about 5 buses sitting there taking guests to HS if they wanted to take that option versus standing in line for the Skyliner. We jumped on a bus and were there quickly, probably before we would have even made it on the Skyliner. Not sure if this is something they are doing only on the weekends or not. HS Saturday was very crowded!
 
We just returned and Saturday was our HS day. We stayed at Pop and got in line for the Skyliner around 8:15. At that time, the line was already very long. At 8:30 they started loading and the line moved quickly. What I didn't think about was standing in line again at CBR. Once we arrived there, we could see another very long line BUT they had about 5 buses sitting there taking guests to HS if they wanted to take that option versus standing in line for the Skyliner. We jumped on a bus and were there quickly, probably before we would have even made it on the Skyliner. Not sure if this is something they are doing only on the weekends or not. HS Saturday was very crowded!

On Tuesday morning the line snaked all through the bus stop, nothing was coming through there. That was a little after 10, though. We were going to Epcot that day. We drove to DHS on Friday.
 
We will be there next week. Staying at CBR and planning on Ubering it over to HS. Any tips on how early to go? I have been hearing if you get there to early they will turn the cars away.
 

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