I recently had the opportunity to preview the new Disney Skyliner, opening September 29. The skyliner will provide an additional transportation option around the resort using a nostalgic “Skyway on steroids” type ride system. It will connect EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation Resorts.
We arrived at Hollywood Studios for our flight just before sunset and were greeted by a significant line. It wound all the way through the station, outside, and past the bathrooms. (Oh, by the way, all of the new stations have bathrooms!) We got in line and were pleasantly surprised to find that it moved almost constantly. What looked like a huge wait was actually only ten minutes or so. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to take the Skyliner on your next Disney day.
How can this line move so quickly? Well, even though the Skyliner is certainly reminiscent of the old Magic Kingdom Skyway attraction, its capacity and operation have been streamlined and improved. Each gondola can hold up to ten guests. If a wheelchair needs to be loaded into a gondola, it can still hold an additional six guests.
Besides vehicle capacity, Disney has designed a separate track area for loading wheelchairs into the gondolas. This allows families to load into the vehicle at their own pace without affecting the overall wait time. Once a family is comfortably seated in their gondola, the vehicle can seamlessly rejoin the procession towards their final destination.
Boarding the Skyliner made me a little nervous. In order to keep the line moving, the gondolas keep moving. They don’t pause to board guests. Of course, Disney-goers are no stranger to boarding moving vehicles. We do it on Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight among others, but those attractions include a moving belt that makes it easier to match your pace with the ride. This is not the case with the gondolas. They keep moving but the ground beneath your feet does not. This isn’t a huge problem for reasonably coordinated people, however, for those of us with less coordination (small children, elderly individuals not using a wheelchair, or simply inebriated guests leaving the Food and Wine Festival) it could present a challenge. I had a hard time getting my daughter onboard our first flight, and I chose to carry her rather than let her try to board herself after that experience.
Once onboard, you can relax and enjoy your flight. It’s true that there is no air conditioning, but several vents allow for sufficient breeze to keep everyone cool and comfortable. If you do want to adjust the temperature, you can open and close any of the multiple vents around the car.
Disney has ensured a great view for all passengers by putting as many windows as possible into the gondola. As night falls, the only illumination is underneath your seat which allows you to be able to see your fellow passengers with minimal reflection. If you’re wondering about your surroundings, just wait a few moments. A helpful recorded narration regularly plays to tell you about the natural features, roadways, or attractions below your feet.
Depending on your point of origin and final destination, you may need to transfer to a different gondola to complete your journey. We did this a few times, and it was always pretty seamless. It was easy to find our way to the next appropriate gondola line, and the wait time was minimal. It was also really fun to see the different stations as they each are decorated and designed to fit the theme of their specific area.
I do need to add that our Skyliner experience was cut short due to some sort of complication. We had waited at the Pop Century/Art of Animation Station and were about to board when the gondolas stopped moving. After several minutes and multiple false starts, the cast members told us that we would not be able to ride at that time and busses would take us to our final destination. I don’t know what caused this or when/if they began running again that evening. We did see guests getting off of the gondolas at Hollywood Studios, but this was different line. It’s possible that only the Pop Century line was malfunctioning and the other lines were unaffected.
Despite a little bit of complication at the end, my family had a great time riding the Disney Skyliner. I’m happy to see another transportation option added to the Walt Disney Resort and look forward to my next flight!
