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

[Roxyfire]

Just asking....at cbr they just put in new bus stations placed at Port royale designated to Epcot hs ak and mk...why build each station if they are going to take the buses away for Epcot and he? ...just wondering

On top of that, they just renovated all the rooms in every building of CBR in what, 2015 or 2016 only to tear down a few buildings in 2017. Money well spent, I guess. I realize they'll make more by slapping the DVC units on that spot instead but it doesn't show a great foresight of planning there.

 

[intertile]

Yes I know but you still need the bus to AK or Disney Springs in order to transfer.

You listed them separately, so wasn't sure. My trip last week was first time I noticed, so wasn't sure when the change was made.

 

[intertile]

On top of that, they just renovated all the rooms in every building of CBR in what, 2015 or 2016 only to tear down a few buildings in 2017. Money well spent, I guess. I realize they'll make more by slapping the DVC units on that spot instead but it doesn't show a great foresight of planning there.

It's 2 different departments, so 1 doesn't always know what the other is planning. Even if they did, the project wasn't approved until 2017, so maintenance has to go forward with scheduled refurbishment as if there is no project.
You know how many projects get discussed and never get approved, right.

 

[Roxyfire]

It's 2 different departments, so 1 doesn't always know what the other is planning. Even if they did, the project wasn't approved until 2017, so maintenance has to go forward with scheduled refurbishment as if there is no project.
You know how many projects get discussed and never get approved, right.

I'm sure it's a lot, just one of those things that is kind of mind boggling. And they don't necessarily have to go through with it, CSR put off their room refurbishments for a long time and it became obvious why when the tower was announced and Cabanas 9B came down. Many companies are guilty of having very isolated departments, and the mouse is no different. But that doesn't mean they get a pass because communication is difficult for them.

 

[kymom99]

I find the original post suspect when they say bus transportation may go away all together at these resorts. That really can't happen, as the Gondola system won't go to Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom, which means there will still have to be bus transportation.

Additionally, the go Dallas won't be able to handle every type of ECV that the buses can, if for no other reason than the weight of some. Additionally, there are reports that gondolas won't have air conditioning and there are some disabilities where using a vehicle without air conditioning would not be an option, so from an accessibility stand point they can't eliminate buses completely unless they replace them with buses for disabled access only.

And this doesn't even begin to get into the people that are deathly afraid of heights.

But no matter what, they definitely can't eliminate the buses completely since the gondolas don't go to all of the parks.

My husband would never get on one of these. As you said, fear of heights.

 

[kymom99]

When they say eliminate the buses, they just mean to the parks the gondola's go to - so, EPCOT and DHS - they would still have buses to MK and AK

but that is the word from people in the know that they want to cut other costs with this added cost so going to EPCOT or DHS from these resorts, the only mode of transportation provided will be the gondolas - just like the way to get to EPCOT from the Poly (for example) is just the monorail (which travel as higher or higher off the ground than these gondolas will)

You can take a bus from the Poly.

 

[rteetz]

You listed them separately, so wasn't sure. My trip last week was first time I noticed, so wasn't sure when the change was made.

I think it was made a at least a year ago now if not a couple years.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

You can take a bus from the Poly.

not directly from the Poly to EPCOT

Per the Disney Mom's Panel:

"There is no direct bus transportation from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Epcot. Below are a few options for traveling from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Epcot:

1. Walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center and transfer to the Monorail en route to Epcot.
2. Take the Resort Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center and transfer to the Monorail en route to Epcot.
3. Take a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and transfer to a boat traveling to Epcot.
4. Take a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and transfer to a bus traveling to Epcot."


Per Dreams Unlimited Travel's site:

"Epcot: You must transfer at the Ticket & Transportation Center to get on a separate train that travels to Epcot. There is a walkway to the Ticket & Transportation Center that is just a short walk from the Tahiti and the Rapa Nui longhouses."

 

[umichigan10]

On top of that, they just renovated all the rooms in every building of CBR in what, 2015 or 2016 only to tear down a few buildings in 2017. Money well spent, I guess. I realize they'll make more by slapping the DVC units on that spot instead but it doesn't show a great foresight of planning there.

It's 2 different departments, so 1 doesn't always know what the other is planning. Even if they did, the project wasn't approved until 2017, so maintenance has to go forward with scheduled refurbishment as if there is no project.
You know how many projects get discussed and never get approved, right.

Never forget that they revamped the backlot tour trams and then scrapped the ride right after

 

[Tigger's ally]

Never forget that they revamped the backlot tour trams and then scrapped the ride right after

I work for a fortune top 100 company and I stopped counting the times we did things like this. I was able to excuse it due to the fact that most of the time it gave workers who needed work something to do thus stimulating the local economy.

 

[sachilles]

I work for a professional race team.....if I had a dime for every time that we revamped stuff only to scrap it a moment later, I could own every DVC point.

 

[skier_pete]

I work for a professional race team.....if I had a dime for every time that we revamped stuff only to scrap it a moment later, I could own every DVC point.

I worked for a company that sunk $125 million into a chemical plant one year and then got out of the business the next year and shuttered it. The company (which I don't work for anymore) then got BACK into the same business 5 years later - but never reopened the plant. I don't flinch at these type of things.

 

[steamboatT]

EPCOT station will be at the international gateway? I am fearing that this entrance will become very overcrowded easily.

 

[rteetz]

EPCOT station will be at the international gateway? I am fearing that this entrance will become very overcrowded easily.

Yes.

 

[intertile]

Yes.

I noticed this last week when walking there from BWV...if we saw a friendship boat approaching we rushed to get there first. That 100 people from the boat would inundate the gate. I can only imagine what theconstant flow of people will do from the skyline.
They do have room on the one side to add more entrance points, would have to rearrange the greenery and iron gates.

 

[skier_pete]

I noticed this last week when walking there from BWV...if we saw a friendship boat approaching we rushed to get there first. That 100 people from the boat would inundate the gate. I can only imagine what theconstant flow of people will do from the skyline.
They do have room on the one side to add more entrance points, would have to rearrange the greenery and iron gates.

We take the boat there often. "Inundate" is an exaggeration. It took about 2 minutes to get through the entrance. Normally there's 4 touch pads open, meaning 25 per gate.

I am certain they will increase the size of the entrance gate once the gondola go up. Everyone seems pretty certain the security check points will move back to the gondola on boards and before the gondola station at IG, so it should smooth it all out.

 

[OKW Lover]

Unlike the boat, the gondola will just mean a steady stream of arrivals not a large group at one time.

 

[intertile]

We take the boat there often. "Inundate" is an exaggeration. It took about 2 minutes to get through the entrance. Normally there's 4 touch pads open, meaning 25 per gate.

I am certain they will increase the size of the entrance gate once the gondola go up. Everyone seems pretty certain the security check points will move back to the gondola on boards and before the gondola station at IG, so it should smooth it all out.

Actually, it wasn't the tap stations that were the problem. It was security, but as you mentioned they will move it to outside of the gondola station...so may not be a issue.

 

[PolyRob]

I have faith Disney will incorporate security into the Gondola stations like the monorail and expand the entry tapstiles at the International Gateway. The new(er) MK security is a huge improvement over the old method. Disney also added the security tables to HS for TSL to help with the flow.

 

[skier_pete]

Actually, it wasn't the tap stations that were the problem. It was security, but as you mentioned they will move it to outside of the gondola station...so may not be a issue.

Right - I think security will actually become easier. Much like at Universal, they are likely moving the security back to the resorts. So for folks on the boats you will go through security as you are queuing up for the boat, gondola folks will also go through security. So the only people seeing the security site at the IG will be people walking up to the gate. While this isn't a zero number, it (a) is not a huge number as it is really only BC/YC and some BW people (I don't think many S/D people would walk to Epcot) and (b) won't be affected by the gondola at all. So they'll expand the number of tap stations for entering the park, but might actually lower the size of the security station there. By pulling security back to the resorts, I think you'll find that the park entry will be much quicker - with the only real potential issue being right when the park opens.