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

[HopperFan]

My husband loves the monorail, so we have rode it just for fun. One morning we had to drop off our rental car at the car care center and we could take a shuttle to MK or Epcot. We were planning to spend the day at MK. Well, we took the shuttle to Epcot to specifically ride the monorail to MK. He was like a little kid, all excited. He had to sit by the window. It was funny, but sweet.
I'm guessing there will be folks who will do something similar with the gondola.

That is what it's all about!

DS1 had a rough patch where he was terrified of getting on the buses being trapped with all those people. Now, many years later, the buses are an attraction to him and he asks about it as much as the rides. DS2 had no memory of riding the monorail to Epcot (he was about 4) so last trip (in his 20's) he split up from us and off he went to ride the monorail through Epcot. He loved it and took so many cool pictures.

This gondola is going to be popular. Think about the folks who drink around the monorail.
Now you can start at DHS, gondola/resort hop for drinks and end at the World Showcase ............

 

[JaxDad]

Unless these are limited to just the resorts on the cable line, you can be sure there will be lots riding them that are not staying there.

When traveling between Epcot and DHS, we walk because the boats are not a positive experience .... add that gondola with a view and something new .... LOTS will use it to go between the two parks.

How many talk about going to ride the monorail just for fun, we took our kids to ride when they were small on a "down day" and they loved it. It is literally an attraction that has been placed outside of a park that folks can ride for free. People can literally go park at a resort, grab an ice cream treat and go do a round trip on the gondola for next to nothing. No parking fee, no requirement to eat and get a long attraction ride without a ticket.

Unless you need a AoA POP CBR Riveria MB to enter the Gondola queue, which is doesn't sound like, you can be sure this will be a popular destination for all Disney guests on or off property. Next thing they'll need is a FP+ line.

I'll probably be one of those people looking to enjoy a free ride on the gondolas just for the experience! Heck I ride our crappy little skyway system here sometimes to go to the library, even though it's much easier to just park closer.

 

[HopperFan]

I'll probably be one of those people looking to enjoy a free ride on the gondolas just for the experience! Heck I ride our crappy little skyway system here sometimes to go to the library, even though it's much easier to just park closer.

Wait .............. your LIBRARY has a skyway system?

 

[JaxDad]

Wait .............. your LIBRARY has a skyway system?

We have a skyway system with a stop near the main library...

 

[jade1]

I'm not talking about parking at resorts that require a bus ride. I'm talking about the ones in the MK and Epcot areas that are close enough to walk to the parks.

And I'm sure they'll be doing the same at the gondola resorts.

Ah yea sorry. I thought we were talking about the all stars from earlier or aoa and pop.

No way an AP holder would park there for EPCOT, DHS or AK IMO.

Maybe MK but even then only for the HEA rush.

However a non AP would to save the parking fee.

 

[jknezek]

We have a skyway system with a stop near the main library...
View attachment 310613

Ah the Jacksonville monorail. Yet another in a long series of public failures with monorail systems.

 

[JaxDad]

Ah the Jacksonville monorail. Yet another in a long series of public failures with monorail systems.

 

[jknezek]

View attachment 310624

Is there really that much in the world these days that The Simpsons didn't predict? Sometimes I think it's uncanny, but then I think of how many episodes of The Simpsons there have been and realize that they had to touch on everything just to keep them coming.

 

[OKW Lover]

Wonder if at a minimum allow those with AP park at the resorts, they obviously could park for free at a park anyway.

I'm confused. Isn't the new resort parking fee only for the people that are staying at the resort and parking a car overnight there? How would an AP Holder be affected by that? Presumably they would only be at the resort during the daytime. What did I miss?

 

[jade1]

I'm confused. Isn't the new resort parking fee only for the people that are staying at the resort and parking a car overnight there? How would an AP Holder be affected by that? Presumably they would only be at the resort during the daytime. What did I miss?

No you didn't miss anything. Folks were suggesting paid parking for day guests as well (valid point).

I just meant an AP holder can park (for example) at EPCOT or DHS for free anyway, so why the need to park at BW or BC to go to those parks?

To me the "need" to park at those resorts would be a "Non AP Holder" (most likely an offsite regular ticket guest) to avoid paying the parking fee at EPCOT or DHS.

If you have an AP and drive up to the BC for example-they know your not doing so to save on EPCOT parking. More likely you do indeed intend on shopping/ding as a paying guest at the BW area.

 

[nkosiek]

I'm confused. Isn't the new resort parking fee only for the people that are staying at the resort and parking a car overnight there? How would an AP Holder be affected by that? Presumably they would only be at the resort during the daytime. What did I miss?

They live in Atlanta, drive down for a long weekend at Caribbean Beach and now all of a sudden have to pay for parking. I imagine there are plenty of AP holders who drive and stay over.

 

[HopperFan]

They live in Atlanta, drive down for a long weekend at Caribbean Beach and now all of a sudden have to pay for parking. I imagine there are plenty of AP holders who drive and stay over.

LOTS of AP holders are not day visitors and have to book hotel rooms.

And considering I had about 8 trips in the last 15 mos and 6 of those were at Disney hotels, the parking fee is a game changer.

 

[jade1]

They live in Atlanta, drive down for a long weekend at Caribbean Beach and now all of a sudden have to pay for parking. I imagine there are plenty of AP holders who drive and stay over.

Yep, Resort Parking should be an AP Discount IMO. It should all be free though IMO.

 

[beer dave]

Yep, Resort Parking should be an AP Discount IMO. It should all be free though IMO.

I agree with one stipulation---- you need to be staying at the resort.

 

[DizDaD7]

Wait .............. your LIBRARY has a skyway system?

Isnt that because they are HIGH end books?.....

 

[jade1]

I agree with one stipulation---- you need to be staying at the resort.

I would agree, Unless there is plenty of parking available.

Then AP should be free as well IMO, they aren't skirting the parking fee at the Parks-so let them spend (AP dining discount) at the resorts.

So for me, free resort guest parking, and free AP parking at resorts-if there is room.

 

[RRB]

Getting back to the gondola discussion, according to CNN, the construction cost of a gondola system is between $3M - $12M per mile. Plugging in a number of $6 million per mile, the new WDW system is costing at about $21 million (based on 3.5 miles). How much cheaper would it be to add a few buses! This is truly an investment in the future of WDW transportation. BTW, the monorail in Vegas (which is the same type as WDW), cost $150M per mile to build in 2004. It's no wonder that Disney picked the gondola over the monorail. This gondola system is the first major transportation "system" WDW has implemented since 1982 when the monorail was extended to EPCOT (correct me if I am wrong about that). Questions for consideration - (1) why not just add buses? My guess is that Disney looked into the future and found that without non-roadway transportation systems, they would need to upgrade the roads and streets which would cost even more than a new "mass transit" system. I also think that everyone believes that are too many WDW buses on the road already. (2) How will it be paid for? Since there are no "ticket costs" to ride any of the WDW transportation, the resorts and the parks all contribute to the costs of all transportation systems at the WDW Resort. As a DVC member, part of my dues go toward "transportation". I was told by DVC that the dues for each DVC resort membership go toward the mode of transportation serving that resort. That means the new Riviera Resort will be a major contributor. It will be interesting to see what the cost of the DVC dues are when they are released. Of course, the cost will be amortized over time but consider that none of the previous DVC resorts had a new "transportation system" that was provided for it. Having said that, Disney still has to provide bus transportation to these "gondola resorts", right? There will be people who don't want to go on the gondola or are going somewhere else. That means that the gondola didn't eliminate the bus transportation for these resorts, it only reduced them. That is quite an concept. My last point is that the cost for the gondola system is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money that Disney is investing in the infrastructure and park improvements that have been announced in the last couple years. People complain about the cost of hotels "on property" but I don't think they realize what it costs for everything needed to operate the WDW resort.

 

[PetePanMan]

I always wanted a zip line from AKL to AK, but a gondola would work, too.

a zip line would be so awesome!

 

[skier_pete]

(1) why not just add buses? My guess is that Disney looked into the future and found that without non-roadway transportation systems, they would need to upgrade the roads and streets which would cost even more than a new "mass transit" system. I also think that everyone believes that are too many WDW buses on the road already. (2) How will it be paid for? Since there are no "ticket costs" to ride any of the WDW transportation, the resorts and the parks all contribute to the costs of all transportation systems at the WDW Resort. As a DVC member, part of my dues go toward "transportation". I was told by DVC that the dues for each DVC resort membership go toward the mode of transportation serving that resort. That means the new Riviera Resort will be a major contributor.

I posted a similar comment many times when the original debate over connecting Riviera to the parks:
Let's say Riviera has 5 million points - a typical larger DVC resort. (Boardwalk is 4.8 million, BLT is 5.7 million.) At $190 a point that's $950 Million dollars. Try charging $190 a point for a standalone resort at CBR that doesn't connect to a park. Then let's look at CBR and Pop and AoA, and say the gondola allows them to raise rates an extra $10 a night at Pop, and $20 a night at CBR - that's another $21.9 million in revenue a year. Installing the gondola is all about money. You take resorts that take 20 - 30 minutes to get to these two parks, now it will take 5-10 minutes - this will have a huge impact on popularity, and in turn financial benefit. $21 million or whatever the cost is a drop in the bucket. (I bet it's more like $50 - $100 million since they have to build 5 stations - the actually lengths of cable / poles and such are really cheap, it's the stations that are the costs.)

 

[RRB]

I posted a similar comment many times when the original debate over connecting Riviera to the parks:
Let's say Riviera has 5 million points - a typical larger DVC resort. (Boardwalk is 4.8 million, BLT is 5.7 million.) At $190 a point that's $950 Million dollars. Try charging $190 a point for a standalone resort at CBR that doesn't connect to a park. Then let's look at CBR and Pop and AoA, and say the gondola allows them to raise rates an extra $10 a night at Pop, and $20 a night at CBR - that's another $21.9 million in revenue a year. Installing the gondola is all about money. You take resorts that take 20 - 30 minutes to get to these two parks, now it will take 5-10 minutes - this will have a huge impact on popularity, and in turn financial benefit. $21 million or whatever the cost is a drop in the bucket. (I bet it's more like $50 - $100 million since they have to build 5 stations - the actually lengths of cable / poles and such are really cheap, it's the stations that are the costs.)

I agree about the probable cost being more that $21M due to the stations. Most systems have 1 station at each each end. This one has 4 (I believe) in a repetitively short run. Also interesting is that the gondola was part of the first Riviera Resort announcement. As you said, they knew that a stand alone DVC resort needed a way to get folks to the parks NOT IN BUSES.