Hmm. The first I've heard of it. Given the picture, and given that it runs a much longer distance than the old DL Skyway (or the San Diego Zoo's Skyfari, or even the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway), it seems to me that if I were designing it, I'd have added a pair of support cables on either side of the traction cable (like the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has), so that we're not depending on one wire rope for everything. At any rate, I'm for anything that will cut down on the road traffic in WDW, even if the All Stars (and AK) are still only on the bus system.
The system that they are putting in is closer to a standard ski lift with lots of cabs rather than just a few large cabs. I'm a little shocked that they say it will not be running until next fall (2019). Long ago I watch them put a system like this in at a ski resort and once they had the cable up and running they had it running for visitors the following week. The stations are the real time consuming part of the whole process.
Well, this is Disney. And I should think that after some of the things that went into DCA, "off the shelf and fast," we should be grateful that they're taking their time.
I agree that the whole process seems to be moving incredibly slowly, even by Disney standards. Most ski resort gondola systems can be built in a single off-season, while this one is taking 2+ years. I'm sure there are some added difficulties of running cables over active roadways and parking lots, but it's not exactly like it's easy to work on the side of a mountain either. While the station structures do have some simple theming, ski resorts often combine their stations into lodge buildings with other amenities, yet still move on a faster schedule I get that Disney doesn't *need* this to open until Star Wars opens, but it's also strange that they're dragging their feet. It's not like they gain anything significant by having active construction sprawled out over guest areas for several years...
It makes more sense to me to get the skyliner up and running BEFORE the onslaught of SW just to work out the kinks with moving people through in a timely manner. I've heard that it's quite the hike to get to/from the hotel/park shuttles at HS.
I'm excited for this but the inquisitive in me wonders what their plan is if they have to evacuate the gondolas for some reason. I guess they will have to drive a cherry picker around if there is some kind of emergency that stops the Skyliner.
Just based on ski resorts history break down of gondolas is very rare. That being said, the evacuation procedures since you can't use a cherry picker is to throw a rope over the main cable. Pull up a swing / chair like thing (there must be a name for it but I don't know it). And then slowly let the people down in the chair. They get everyone down and then move to the next gondola.
The Skyliner's gondola look like the cabins on Pixar's Pal Around at DCA. Does that mean I have to sit with total strangers to fill the gondola? Why are they not called the Sky Way? That is what Walt named it originally.
