PHOTOS - First Disney Skyliner gondolas installed around property

Gallery / 2 Photos
First Disney Skyliner gondolas take to the wires

Posted: Tuesday January 22, 2019 3:31pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Disney Skyliner system took a huge step towards completion today with the installation of finished gondolas on the cables around Walt Disney World.

Disney Skyliner gondola installation at Epcot's International Gateway

First Disney Skyliner gondolas take to the wires

At Epcot's International Gateway, crews can be seen installing the Disney Skyliner gondola just outside of the station. A similar operation is also underway at the main station at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.

One of the completed gondolas on display

Disney is yet to provide a precise opening date, but has stated that it expects to have the system operational by the end of 2019. Expect to see a lot of testing prior to guests being carried.

Thanks to @WDW_413 for the images.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

TrainsOfDisneySep 18, 2023

Wrap presents not transportation!!!!!

arich35Sep 18, 2023

I am surprised they haven't announced the annual maintenance yet

UnbansheeSep 18, 2023

Blogmickey posted photos of the Encanto Skyliner design https://blogmickey.com/2023/09/encanto-disney-skyliner-gondola-wrap-debuts-at-disney-world/

Thumper 32Sep 08, 2023

Quite happy to be proven wrong! That looks great!!

DCBakerSep 08, 2023

Photos of the Coco bus.

DisoneAug 22, 2023

Although it'll be the fair I've been in that line when it has backed up from the Epcot station to the beach club. And it was about a half hour long. And I've definitely waited 45 minutes in a much shorter line. Bus line It was shorter physically, but longer wait time. Mine was long enough for about three bus loads,. Buses were coming pretty quickly but they were still about 15 or 10 minutes in between buses plus 5 to minutes or so just to the load the bus.

TrainsOfDisneyAug 22, 2023

that is the downside - it’s great for a constant flow of moderate crowds, but it backs up quickly with large crowds. I saw the same thing in Icy Straight Point Alaska, I had planned to take one of the aerial trams back to my ship, but another ship had just arrived so the line was backed up so I had to walk back to the other dock. It’s the exact same system.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

That is definitely another big issue, although it ties in with the speed/efficiency issue and that's far from the only problem along those lines.

CastAStoneAug 22, 2023

IMO the big issue (as has been noted dozens of times in this thread) with expansion is that the CBR main station is already at/over capacity at peak hours and the park stations are past capacity at park close.

Tha RealestAug 22, 2023

Long wait times, unreliable in rainy weather, most optimized by the guests willing to pay more than others - yeah, it’s a an attraction.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

It's strange. I just looked at Disney's site and for some dates CBR is more and other dates POR is more. In October, e.g., the CBR rooms are about $10 more than the POR rooms, but in January 2024 every room at POR is $15-30 more than the counterpart at CBR -- except the preferred rooms, which are still $10 more at CBR even though everything else is cheaper.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

I was looking at Mouse Savers -- they have the 2023 rack rates at POR higher than CBR for most dates, but obviously Disney's website is the best source.

mattpetoAug 22, 2023

I don’t believe that’s accurate. CB has been more expensive since the skyliner.

DisneyFanatic12Aug 22, 2023

That’s true, they couldn’t do any “through” stations like at Riviera, because that causes the line to slow down a lot (at the other stations, the stationary boarding area allows the line to almost never have to slow down). Even if the line never slowed down, though, Coronado Springs to Disney Springs would take a crazy long time. I do think something like a loop to AK and it’s surrounding resorts could be doable, but it would be hard to make a line without having one for every resort (not laid out as well for a Skyliner line). I wish we could walk to AK from AKL, because it’s just silly how close it is to have a lack of direct access… at this point I don’t even need a pretty trail in the trees, just a sidewalk along the road would work!