Disney Skyliner | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
System | Disney Transport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Walt Disney World Bay Lake, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 28°21′33″N81°32′42″W / 28.35910°N 81.54495°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini | Caribbean Beach Resort (hub) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of stations | 5 [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Built by | Buena Vista Construction Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction begin | 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Open | September 29, 2019 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | disneyworld | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner | The Walt Disney Company | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator | Disney Experiences | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of carriers | 250+ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Carrier capacity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating times | 1 hour before earliest park opening until 1.5 hours after park closing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Trip duration | 11 minutes (Riviera, Epcot) 5 minutes (Hollywood Studios) 4 minutes (Art of Animation/Pop Century) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fare | Free | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical features | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aerial lift type | Mono-cable gondola detachable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manufactured by | Doppelmayr USA [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | Approx. 3 mi (4,800 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of support towers | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. of cables | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 11 mph (18 km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Walt Disney World |
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Theme parks |
Water parks |
Other attractions and areas |
Resorts |
Affiliated Services |
Transport |
The Disney Skyliner is a gondola lift system, part of the Disney Transport system, that opened on September 29, 2019 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. The system is composed of five stations that service four resorts and two theme parks, with a fleet of over 250 gondola cabins that can accommodate up to ten guests per cabin, or up to six with an open wheelchair or electric scooter. Guests sit on twin, inward-facing, wooden benches; [3] strollers measuring 30 in × 48 in (76 cm × 122 cm) or smaller are able to roll directly into the gondola without having to be folded.
Almost a year after Disneyland opened in Anaheim, the Skyway, a gondola lift system, opened at the park on June 23, 1956, connecting Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Magic Kingdom followed suit and implemented the Skyway, connecting the same lands when Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971 as well as Tokyo Disneyland on opening day, April 15, 1983.
The Disneyland Skyway closed on November 4, 1994 due to metal fatigue on one of its support towers, located inside the Matterhorn Bobsleds, which could not be repaired unless the latter's enclosed mountain was cut open. The Tomorrowland station was demolished soon after the Skyway closed. However, the Fantasyland station remained abandoned for 22 years until June 11, 2016, when it was demolished in favor of construction for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, nearly 60 years after the Skyway's opening day.
The Magic Kingdom Skyway closed on November 10, 1999, with the Tomorrowland station demolished in 2009 and the Fantasyland station demolished in 2012, [4] in which, a Tangled -themed restroom area was built on its former site.
The Tokyo Disneyland Skyway closed on November 3, 1998. The Fantasyland station was replaced by Pooh's Hunny Hunt, while the Tomorrowland station was remodeled as a sweet shop.
On February 15, 2017, the Reedy Creek Improvement District filed plans with the South Florida Water Management District for "various improvements." Among these plans was a design for a 100-foot-high (30 m) building in the shape of a "V," consistent with a gondola lift changing direction. [5] The blueprints described improvements to the south end of Epcot at the World Showcase, as well as in Disney's BoardWalk Resort and Disney's Hollywood Studios. [5] These V-shaped structures were also planned for Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort. [6]
The gondola lift plan was confirmed by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products at the D23 Expo on July 15, 2017, detailing that the system was going to connect four hotels with Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, affording "a bird's-eye view" of the area. [7] [8] The proposal was announced as part of the unveiling of 23 improvements across the Walt Disney World Resort, [9] including a "makeover" of Epcot [8] [10] and carpool-style "Minnie vans." [11] The Disney Skyliner would also connect to the upcoming Disney's Riviera Resort. [11] [12]
By 2018, the Disney Skyliner was already under construction. [13] The towers and stations were more than halfway completed by summer 2018. [14] In November 2018, Disney Parks announced that the Disney Skyliner would open in fall 2019. [15] Testing with passenger cabins began in late January 2019, on the Hollywood Studios line. [16]
In July 2019, the Disney Skyliner was given a September 29, 2019 opening date [17] and began operations as scheduled. [18] [19]
Select Skyliner cabins feature exterior designs with characters from Mickey Mouse , Disney Animation, Pixar, Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Walt Disney World attractions The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean . With over 250 cabins in operation, each one features onboard audio, which is unique to each of the three routes. Each cabin has wooden bench-style seating that fits a maximum of 10 people, 5 per bench. Operating hours vary depending on park hours and if weather permits, such as wind and lightning, in which case, operation would be suspended and alternate transportation is offered via Disney Transport buses. The Disney Skyliner begins servicing its routes up to an hour prior to each park's earliest opening time, and all routes remain open until an hour and a half after each park closing time. [20]
The lines for the Disney Skyliner are hubbed from a central terminus at Caribbean Beach Resort. [7] [8]
The longest of the three lines is the Epcot line. Departing from the Caribbean Beach hub, the line rises up to cross over the Jamaica and Aruba Villages of the resort, before descending to the first of two midstations at the Riviera Resort. This is also accessible from and adjacent to the Aruba village of Caribbean Beach. Here, the line turns west and travels alongside Buena Vista Drive. As it reaches the Boardwalk Tennis Courts parking lot, the line hits its second midstation. This midstation is unthemed, as it only serves to turn the line to resume traveling north. After crossing over the Epcot Resorts Boulevard and passing behind the France pavilion at World Showcase, the gondola descends into its final terminus at the International Gateway entrance to World Showcase. The zig-zag route of the Epcot line enables the line to avoid bisecting World Showcase and backstage areas. The journey time for a one-way journey along the full route from Caribbean Beach to Epcot is 11 minutes. A journey between Caribbean Beach and Riviera takes three minutes, and the journey between Riviera and Epcot takes six minutes.
The Hollywood Studios line heads due west out of the Caribbean Beach hub. The first part of the line cuts through previously unused slash pine forest space, before descending and crossing over the tollbooth entrance to the Hollywood Studios parking lot. The line then crosses through the parking lot before descending into its Hollywood Studios terminus, in between the park entrance and the bus stop. The ride time for a one-way journey on the Hollywood Studios route is 5 minutes.
The shortest of the three routes. This line heads due south from the Caribbean Beach hub towards the Pop Century Resort and Art of Animation Resort. The first half of the line takes place over reclaimed swampland. After passing by the Art of Animation Resort's north building, the line descends and travels across Hourglass Lake, ending at a terminus on the middle of the lake. A one-way journey on the Pop Century Resort/Art of Animation Resort line takes 4 minutes.
The Disney Skyliner is the only gondola system in North America to include separate stationary loading and unloading platforms at each station, with the exception of the Riviera Resort station. It is also the second double loading aerial lift system in the United States after the Quicksilver Super6 at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.
At the end terminals of each line, most cabins unload their guests at the first unload platform immediately after decelerating, then turn around before loading guests on the loading platform on the opposite side. However, some cabins are routed through an automatic parking switch rail to a secondary unloading platform, where it will park. These cabins are parked for a fixed period of time at each platform to load or unload passengers with an open wheelchair or electric scooter, and those with mobility issues who need additional time.
Once guests have exited, the system will signal when the next cabin is approaching the station to be unloaded. Once dispatched, the cabin at the stationary unload platform will move to the stationary loading platform. After the stationary cabin has been loaded, dispatch will occur again and be moved through another automatic switch rail, rejoining the main conveyor of gondola cabins at the merge point.
The Disney Skyliner experiences delays and stops of its lines that are usually resettable either immediately or within 5–20 minutes, depending on the case (i.e. safety, assistance, maintenance, security). In more serious situations, such as delays of over 20 minutes, where the system is no longer suitable for normal operation and transport, guests are instead escorted out of the gondolas as they reach the unloading platforms at each station. Evacuations can also be conducted by Reedy Creek Fire Department in extreme circumstances if the system shuts down and service cannot be reset or restarted.
On October 5, 2019, a gondola became jammed at the Riviera Resort station, just before taking off for Epcot. A subsequent backlog of gondolas ensued and got stuck behind the jammed gondola inside the station. There were no known injuries, but the Epcot line was closed for the remainder of the night. [21] [22] [23]
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, or simply abbreviated WDW, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, governed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The resort is located within Orange and Osceola counties, and located closest to the cities of Winter Garden and Kissimmee in Greater Orlando. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres, of which half has been used. Walt Disney World contains four separate theme parks, two water parks, two mini-golf courses, and four golf courses. There are twenty-one Disney-operated resorts on the property, and many other resorts on and near the property. Disney World also contains the Boardwalk, Disney Springs, and Flamingo Crossings areas for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The Fort Wilderness area offers guests numerous outdoor recreational activities and includes the Tri-Circle D. Ranch. The ESPN Sports Complex on the property hosts a variety of activities throughout the year, including runDisney marathon races and dance and cheer competitions in partnership with Varsity Cheer.
Magic Kingdom Park is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The official park name has changed slightly over the years, from Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017). The park was initialized by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises. The park layout and attractions were based on Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and are dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.
Disney Transport is the public transit system of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida. The system provides free transportation to guests of the resort and consists of buses, a monorail system, a gondola lift system, watercraft, a rideshare system, and parking lot trams. Most of the routes operated by Disney Transport are buses that run along the resort's public roads maintained by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and private roads. None of these modes of transportation charge a fare, which makes the entire network free to use.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is a rotating theater audio-animatronic stage show attraction in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida just outside of Orlando, Florida. Created by Walt Disney and WED Enterprises as the prime feature of the General Electric (GE) Pavilion for the 1964 New York World's Fair, the attraction was moved to Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim, California as Carousel of Progress, and remained there from 1967 until 1973. It was replaced in Disneyland by America Sings in 1974, and reopened in its present home in the Magic Kingdom in 1975.
Matterhorn Bobsleds are a pair of intertwined steel roller coasters at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is modeled after the Matterhorn, a mountain in the Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. It is the first known tubular steel track roller coaster. Located on the border between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, it employs forced perspective to seem larger.
The PeopleMover is an attraction in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida just outside of Orlando, Florida. Designed as an urban mass-transit system of the future, vehicles take passengers on a grand circle tour of the realm of Tomorrowland that provides elevated views of several other attractions.
Disney Experiences, colloquially known as Disney Parks, is one of the Walt Disney Company's three major business segments and a division of that company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, just outside of Orlando.
Tomorrowland is one of the many "themed lands" featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions that depict views of the future. Disneyland Park in Paris includes a similar area called Discoveryland, which shares some elements with other Tomorrowlands but emphasizes visions of the future inspired by Jules Verne.
The Happiest Homecoming on Earth or the Happiest Celebration on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which opened on July 17, 1955. It commemorated fifty years of Disney theme parks and celebrated Disneyland's milestone throughout Disney parks all over the globe. The "Homecoming" name was only used for Disneyland Resort; all the other Disney Parks resorts used the "Celebration" name.
The Disneyland Railroad (DRR), formerly known as the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a 3-foot narrow-gauge heritage railroad and attraction in the Disneyland theme park of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, in the United States. Its route is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long and encircles the majority of the park, with train stations in four different park areas. The rail line, which was constructed by WED Enterprises, operates with two steam locomotives built by WED and three historic steam locomotives originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works. The ride takes roughly 18 minutes to complete a round trip on its main line when three trains are running, and 20 minutes when four trains are running. Two to four trains can be in operation at any time, three on average.
The Omnimover is an amusement ride system used for Disney theme park attractions. Roger Broggie and Bert Brundage developed the system for WED Enterprises, which patented Omnimover in April 1968. The term was coined by Imagineer Bob Gurr. Outside of Disney, it is sometimes known as an Endless Transit System.
The Disneyland Monorail is an attraction and transportation line at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It was the first daily operating monorail over all.
The Walt Disney World Monorail System is a public transit monorail system in operation at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The Walt Disney World Resort currently operates twelve Mark VI monorail trains on three lines of service. The monorail system opened in 1971 with two routes and with Mark IV monorail trains. It was expanded to three lines in 1982, and the rolling stock was updated to Mark VI trains in 1989.
The Skyway was a gondola lift attraction at Disneyland, at the Magic Kingdom, and at Tokyo Disneyland. Since all versions of this attraction took riders back and forth between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, the route from Tomorrowland was called Skyway to Fantasyland, and the route from Fantasyland was called Skyway to Tomorrowland.
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a resort located within the Walt Disney World Resort. It is located in the Epcot Resort Area of Walt Disney World, close to the water park Typhoon Lagoon and is classified as a moderately priced resort. The resort started operating on October 1, 1988 and is owned and operated by Disney Experiences.
The Epcot Resort Area is the area between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort which consists of six individual resorts, five of which are interconnected via footpaths and waterways surrounding a large central lake known as Crescent Lake.
The Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) is an intermodal monorail, ferry, and bus transportation hub on the Walt Disney World Resort. The station serves both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot spurs of the Walt Disney World Monorail System, as well as conventional bus and taxis in the Greater Orlando Region.
Mickey's Pirate and Princess Party was a hard-ticketed event held throughout the months of January through June at the Magic Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida outside Orlando. A smaller version was also planned for Disneyland Paris Resort in 2011, but was cancelled. This event combined two of The Walt Disney Company's franchises, the Disney Princess line and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Disney's Riviera Resort is a Disney Vacation Club resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It was built by Disney Experiences between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is the first newly constructed resort to be served by the Disney Skyliner gondola system and the 15th Disney Vacation Club property to be built. The resort is themed after Walt Disney's trips and experiences in Europe and a love of the French and Italian Riviera. A collection of his travel images are incorporated into the resort's decor. Popular Disney characters are also painted into the overall theme of the resort including known characters' boat storage. It opened on December 16, 2019.