Gondola Skyway Coming to Walt Disney World!
It’s now official: a gondola system is coming to Walt Disney World! The gondolas will service Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Art of Animation/Pop Century. This is an ongoing story, and we last updated this post on April 19, 2017 with new info and a confirmation of the project.
While this might sound outlandish, particularly as Disney has never expanded the monorail system due to it being cost-prohibitive, note that this is not some pie-in-the-sky rumor that could simply be blue sky spitballing that actually has zero chance of ever coming to fruition. Disney has filed permits for the construction of these stations, which usually (but not always) is a precursor to actual construction. It still most certainly should be classified as a rumor at this point, but I’ve read and heard enough that I think there’s a sufficient basis for posting about this.
If you’re still laughing at the idea, thinking of gondolas as ski lifts or the antiquated design of Magic Kingdom’s (extinct) Skyway, think again. Gondolas are a hot trend in urban mass transit, with systems being proposed or being built in a number of major metropolitan areas. (Someone in the industry suggested to me that Doppelmayr would likely be the manufacturer for this project, and it could have a 4,500 person hourly capacity.)
April 19, 2017 Update: The Orlando Sentinel obtained documentation and confirmation from the Reedy Creek Improvement District which indicates that there will be six stations with three lines connecting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Caribbean Beach Resort, and lake area between Pop Century and Art of Animation Resorts.
Each gondola would hold 10 guests, and the system will be built by the renowned European manufacturer Doppelmayr, which is the world’s leading builder of cable cars like this. The project will be supervised by Walt Disney Imagineering, and is currently progressing under codename “The Italian Job.”
April 4, 2017 Update: WDWNT is reporting that Walt Disney World has filed official “Notice of Commencement” paperwork for the construction of “foundation and building infrastructure” at six locations that match the locations of the stations previously mapped out.
If that’s still not enough for you, following the original publication of this post, we heard from an insider who shared details about the gondola station designs. We are very confident that this project is happening, and is not just pie-in-the-sky rumors.
What follows is the original post, and thoughts on the viability of a gondola system at Walt Disney World…
Beyond skiing, we’ve used gondolas to travel in Hong Kong and the Swiss Alps, and found them to be surprisingly versatile and efficient. In both of those settings, they were used as alternatives for trains/busses in mountainous terrain, and even in those more “intense” scenarios, they performed well. The Swiss gondolas even used KUKA arms to load/unload off-road carts that people rode down the mountains.
It seems unlikely that Disney would do that with strollers, but the possibility is interesting. Gondolas like these are large enough to accommodate strollers and ECVs, and load at a slow-enough speed that they wouldn’t pose a problem–think of them as a really large, elevated Omnimover. The system wouldn’t have that level of efficiency, but part of the appeal is in the ‘ride’ nature of the transit, too.
Still, this all seems a bit too good to be true. After all, what would Walt Disney World’s motivation be for adding a new transportation option after decades of the bus fleet being ‘good enough’? Well, there are a few possibilities. For starters, transportation infrastructure has been stretched to (near) its breaking point.
With never-ending Disney Vacation Club construction and hotel rooms being added around Walt Disney World–and attendance likely to spike at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in a couple of years when Star Wars Land opens–at some point transportation is an issue that needs to be addressed. Gondolas could alleviate some of that stress and allow expansion at resort hotels without reaching the breaking point.
Perhaps most importantly when applied to Walt Disney World transportation, gondola infrastructure is (comparatively) inexpensive. The cost of building a gondola is between $3 million and $12 million per mile, as compared to $400 million per mile for subway systems (not even possible in the swamps of Florida) or $36 million per mile for light rail systems.
The exact cost of monorail expansion in Walt Disney World is unknown. The Las Vegas monorail costing $88 million per mile in 2004 on much ‘easier’ topography, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if monorail expansion at Walt Disney World would exceed $300 million per mile today. That’s never going to happen.
Of course, all of this is more expensive than bus transportation, which utilizes existing infrastructure (roads) and thus has little capital expense beyond replacing the aging fleet. Over time, operating expenses on buses could be higher than the aforementioned mass transit systems, but it’s questionable as to whether that would be enough to offset the up-front capital expense. In any case, Walt Disney World has demonstrated a “commitment” to short term thinking of late. So…what other motivation does Walt Disney World have for building a gondola?
Novelty. As our resort comparison series has shown, Walt Disney World guests strongly favor those resorts that connect to a park through means other than bus transit. Unquestionably the biggest selling point of any Disney resort is being within walking, boat, or monorail distance of a park. Guests love this perk, and it enables Walt Disney World to charge more for resorts that–in the outside world–could not command nearly as high of a price.
Being able to bump up rack rates at 3 resorts–that collectively at present have nearly 6,000 rooms–is exactly what Walt Disney World would need to justify the up-front infrastructure cost of a gondola system.
What lends additional credence to this is that Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is about to undergo a massive overhaul that will add Disney Vacation Club to the resort, and in the process alter/replace infrastructure and buildings. When this was initially rumored last year, part of that rumor was that boat transportation would be added to connect Caribbean Beach and Epcot. However, this was notably absent from permits filed for Caribbean Beach’s changes.
One thing Disney Vacation Club members have wondered is how Caribbean Beach will slot into the portfolio of resorts and raised issues with the potential for a de facto ‘second tier’ given that it could be the first Moderate DVC. Gondola transportation to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios plus upgraded facilities on the DVC side would effectively anser those concerns: it’s not going to be a “Moderate” DVC.
If the gondola system does come to fruition, it would also make Pop Century a more attractive option to guests, and would enable Walt Disney World to move the resort into a tier, price-wise, between the All Stars and Moderate Resorts. In fact, if the rumored room enhancements at Pop Century occur, that and the gondola could be enough for Pop Century to “become” a Moderate.
That’s what we know so far, and while it might sound preposterous at first blush, it actually makes a good deal of sense once you break down the pros and cons. Despite all of that, we are still skeptical that this will actually come to fruition. Perhaps the decades of a “band-aid approach” have left us as jaded cynics, but this just seems a little too forward-thinking for current Walt Disney World management. On the other hand, Disney has recently approved a number of capital expenditures, and is currently investing more in growth than at any point in the last decade-plus (even adjusted for inflation). It does seem there’s some amount of disconnect between the low-level cost-cutting/upcharge measures and the high-level capital projects–and this gondola system would fit with that. Perhaps we are entering a new ‘golden age’ of Walt Disney World expansion, and this is another sign of that. We will keep you posted.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about this gondola system? Is it likely to happen…or another wild rumor? Any sightline or other concerns this project raises? Does it make you more excited for Disney Vacation Club at Caribbean Beach Resort? Share any questions, armchair Imagineering, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
Disney needs to transition to post-fossil fuel world. Gondolas are one way to electrify transport. Battery electric buses have already become cheaper on a total cost of ownership basis. Plus, they are quieter than CNG or diesel buses. So I expect Disney to move toward greater electrification thought it’s transportation system. Gondolas would be a wonderful addition to the parks.
Why not consider a cable car system?
They could follow same route as bus lines but by connecting 3 cable cars together you could transport more vacationers at one time.
A rail system is less expensive to install than a gondola overhead and more eviormently friendly than busses.
They could even be “unmanned” and run off of computers.
In order to accommodate scooters and strollers, these gondolas would have to move really slow (as you mentioned). That brings me to a (perhaps paranoid) concern. If you’re up in the air and moving very slowly from one stop to another, what do you do in an emergency? It’s not like a bus where you can just pull over onto the shoulder. It’s not like the monorail where you’d be at your next stop in a quick jiff.
So, if you’re up there and someone has a medical episode or a violent outburst (perhaps someone with autism or mental health issues), you’re basically trapped there until your gondola can slowly chug its way to the next stop.
I like the idea of the Sky Liner, and I think it would work great for the more “typical” population, but when you start thinking about people who are very elderly, disabled, sick (diabetic, for example), potentially violent/uncontrolled behavior, it just sounds impossible.
Hi Tom! Would love to hear your best educated guess as to when this project could expect to be finished? Any rumors floating around on that?
I HATE THIS IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! The drop-off in the plans show it unloading at Epcot’s rear entrance. Probably one of the most peaceful spots in all of WDW, easy walk for the Beach Club ,Swan and Dolphin and Boardwalk on an average morning you have 10-15 people in line. Now you are going to drop 4500 people per hour on that site ! There is a reason these are $400 a night! We bought at the BCV because of the proximity to EPCOT. Now you just pay $100 bucks at Pop Century and have the same convenience !In case you are thinking I’m some snob we’ve stayed at Allstar 12 times CB 10 times and Art of An. once then saved our whole lives to finally buy at BCV. Do you want to pay $400 a night for Pop Century? Didn’t think so!
I clicked on the link to gondolas in other cities and those look seriously scary! I hope WDW’s aren’t going to go so high in the air but even so these look panic attack inducing,. I also foresee long lines waiting to get on these things. sorry WDW, but this doesn’t really solve the transportation problem imo.
It’s unlikely they’ll go that high for a number of logistical reasons.
Now that this is official i am ttotally psyched thank you for making my day. I have heard too many rumors to put stock in them but now that this is official I couldn’t be happier about it.
I wonder if this would mean that guests as those three resorts would no longer have bus transportation to Hollywood Studios and Epcot as an option. From what I understand, there isn’t bus transportation to the parks from hotels in which there is another mode (monorail or boat). As a fan of Pop Century, I have to say, I’ve never been disappointed in bus service there, and I really would hate to see things change. The last thing I would want is for Pop Century to start sharing buses with Art of Animation, and I hope that won’t be a consequence of the busing issues Disney is currently having.
YES!!!! This is seriously the best Disney news I’ve heard all year. I’m now officially planning my next super-low budget trip to WDW around this, provided off-site guests are allowed to ride. Rodeway Inn Maingate, here I come.
This would be AMAZING. I love Disney, and I honestly don’t mind the buses as much as most people seem to, but they are a HUGE issue for some of the members of my family. Literally, some members of my family refuse to stay at any non-monorail resort because they just hate the buses that much. Obviously, this makes it incredibly expensive to go, so they don’t go as often.
If they added Gondolas, it would expand the options where my family would be willing to stay (adding some non-deluxe resorts to the list) and make it more affordable to stay someplace with better transportation. I really hope they do this.
I’ve also heard that Disney has a limit on the number of buses they can put on the road legally. They’ve been approaching that limit for some time and that’s why they’ve introduced some of the extra long buses you now see in the fleet. Maybe that’s part of the reason for this skyway. This could be a rumor, but I’ve heard it more than once from Disney employees.
This makes me excited for the additional transportation aspect, but sad about Caribbean Beach!! I’ve been staying there since 1994 and it looks like that will jack up the cost of staying there. I was just there in November for two weeks, and I’m sad it was the last time as we know it. All I can do is hope for the best I suppose!!
I think that Gondola will be awesome for Disney World. And I will try it!
Without exaggeration this makes me so excited I could scream! I’d love to see this happen. Actually I’d live to see more monorails, but this does make logical and financial sense. Very cool potential news- hopefully it comes to fruition.
Those gondolas are really, really high. They look scary. My husband would be like, “No thanks, I’ll take the bus…” 🙂
My guess is that, in most places, these gondolas would be fairly low to the ground.
Plus the obvious security implications (although probably not a lot different than the monorail) of being in a closed box with random other people. Normally no issue, but if somebody decides to have mal intent…
Just like the buses and the monorail.
I would really love to see some more information on the rumored enhancements to Pop Century. I haven’t seen that anywhere. Thanks!
I don’t know what the timeline is for them, but based on the mock-up room I saw, the style/layout of the rooms would be significantly changed. Think more pop-art meets mid-century modern meets Disney.
I’m not sure what, if any, changes would be made to common areas or resort amenities. I have not heard/seen anything about that.
That sounds really cool-did the new room layout look like it would sleep 5, by any chance? Pop Century is our favorite resort and we are now a family of 5-it would be amazing to have a value option that sleeps 5 (and no, I don’t count the family suites as a budget option). Thanks for the info!
What Walt Disney World really needs is a Personal Rapid Transit system like the one at West Virginia University (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgantown_Personal_Rapid_Transit). Not that I want to put bus drivers out of a job, but a system like the PRT would allow every hotel to be connected to every park and disney springs, and a family or two going to a specific location could get a non-stop direct shuttle from Point A to Point B. I know this would be expensive to construct at first, but in terms of customer service, it can’t be beat.
And excellent addition to the lightning capital of the world. Can’t wait to be stuck in one with my family when an elderly person is disembarking during a storm.
Better a modern gondola than a monorail, right?
Jesus Aitch Christ, but I wish people who know nothing about civil engineering would stop saying tunnels are impossible in Florida. There are two on Disney property alone, and I don’t remember buses to the Magic Kingdom having to stop so the passengers could don SCUBA gear.
Look up “immersed tube tunnel” to see just how common road and rail tunnels surrounded at all times by water actually are.
So you’re telling me miles of tunnels on Walt Disney World property would not be cost prohibitive?
I think Tom was pointing out that they were “impossible” from a business point of view because they would be cost prohibitive. Geesh.
Where are these tunnels you speak of?
Interesting … but safety is a concern. Slow and continuous moving seems better than the option of stopping and hovering over gater-infested waters. However, I think Animal Kingdom Lodge should have this option to connect to Animal Kingdom Park before CBR, since it is already a Deluxe resort.
My first thought was that it seems like AKL should be getting its own monorail or alternative transport to AK as AK is likely to be much more popular in the coming years. Disney would be able to hike up the prices of AKL even more, and OKW and Saratoga would be the only deluxe resorts left with no transportation perk. However, I guess that this option allows a price hike to more than just 1 hotel, and I’m guessing they anticipate that Hollywood Studios’ expansion will be even more of a draw than Pandora. I think it’s an interesting idea but I’m convern d about the pricing effect on CBR as I like the moderate resort price range and there are already so few options.
I think the perspective probably is that Animal Kingdom Lodge already has its unique selling point: the savanna. It’s not transportation, but it’s a big draw for a lot of people.
By contrast, CBR needs “something more” to elevate its status if it’s going to be considered on par with the other DVC resorts.
I was just thinking that too… CBR is, currently, a great value. If they have a direct, non-bus, connection then the prices will go up – significantly. Also, WDW is building and enlarging roads like crazy.