Skyliner Gondola Update: August Soft Opening?
We’re back with another Skyliner gondola update from Walt Disney World! Here we have new construction photos, progress on the stations, and more. Most importantly, we’ll discuss the big question of whether the Skyliner will soft open in time for the debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge before the Skyliner’s official September 2019 grand opening date.
For the most part, the construction update photos here speak for themselves, and there’s not much ‘new’ to say with regard to the visible progress, with the exception of the main station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. As such, we’ll simply sprinkle new photos throughout our Skyliner soft opening commentary, and then do a quick stroll around Caribbean Beach at the end.
We’ve said for a while that there seemed like a reasonable probability of the Skyliner debuting one full month before its official opening. We’ve put our money where our mouths are, so to speak, by keeping our own reservation at Pop Century. Even though we conceded that the “Skyliner has defied pretty much every timeline prediction to date” we decided to roll the dice, figuring there was a 50/50 shot of the Skyliner quietly debuting at the end of August…
Our basis for thinking this might occur is based upon a couple of things. First, the Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Art of Animation & Pop Century Resort stations are both clearly ready to roll, and have been for some time. Aside from finishing touches that could be completed overnight, both could’ve opened a month or even longer ago.
Second, because it seems to make sense as a way to alleviate traffic and bus congestion that could arrive with Star Wars Land. Opening the Disney’s Hollywood Studios portion of the Skyliner (in other words, everything except the Riviera and Epcot stations) would help transport the thousands of guests staying at those resorts to the park via the gondolas instead of buses.
However, we’ve also said countless times that we don’t think September is going to be nearly as busy as many people fear. This was well before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland proved to be a lower draw over the summer than anticipated. In fact, our 2019 Walt Disney World Crowd Predictions: When to Go & Avoiding Star Wars Land Lines (first published back in April) ranked September 2019 as the #1 month of the year to visit.
Despite getting our initial Disneyland crowd prediction wrong (erroneously anticipating chaos there), we’ve stood by our take that September will be a good month to visit. We’ve further prophesied that crowds will get worse beginning in early October and progressively build to a peak in December.
Assuming all of that to be accurate, what incentive would Walt Disney World have to debut the Skyliner at the end of August 2019? To alleviate the spike in opening weekend crowds that may (or may not!) materialize before an otherwise slow month?
After last quarter’s results and the cuts made (hiring freezes plus a reduction of labor hours, entertainment, and operating hours for some attractions at Disneyland), it would stand to reason that Walt Disney World would likewise be reticent to open the Skyliner, and incur those operating costs, before it’s strictly necessary.
If Disney’s Hollywood Studios can ‘survive’ opening weekend of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge without using the Skyliner, it’s smooth sailing until October.
As much as I’d love for the Skyliner to be open by August 29, it’s difficult to fathom opening weekend at DHS being chaotic when it wasn’t at Disneyland. That version opened first and in an area with a significantly higher local population. Hence the September 29, 2019 opening date for the Skyliner, right before October crowds begin to arrive.
Perhaps this is just a way of covering our bases here. If it opens early: hey, that’s what we bet on with our own hotel reservation! If it doesn’t: yeah, the justification for that is totally laid out via our crowd predictions!
In reality, we are basically clueless either way. Both views are semi-informed, but also fueled by rampant speculation. I’d love to will the Skyliner opening date into late August for personal reasons, but obviously I cannot. (Plus, if I did have the power to actually influence Disney’s decisions, I wouldn’t waste that on Skyliner opening dates!)
As such, I’ve resolved myself to the likely reality that late September is more consistent with Disney’s recent moves, post-Star Wars Land opening at Disneyland.
I still will maintain a sliver of hope that the Skyliner is running when I wake up at the crack of dawn on August 29, and fully intend to walk over to the Pop Century gondola station just to double-check. If it’s not open by early morning on August 29, I don’t have much hope that it’ll debut at any point before the end of September.
Okay, now for a quick look around Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, where there actually is still work being done.
Above is a wide view of the main station from over by Spyglass Grill.
Turning to the right, we can see the bridge that leads to the resort entrance and, soon, that Skyliner station.
On the bridge, workers are visible installing a new sidewalk. A few more views from another perspective:
As you can see from the later photos, most of this sidewalk is now finished.
In fact, these photos were taken over the weekend, so it very well might be entirely done by now.
At least in terms of visible work, that sidewalk and some minor landscaping around the entrance/exit walkway (to the left in the above photo) is all that remains to be done.
After that, it’s safe to assume that construction crews will hand the system over to transportation Cast Members, who have already been training on it at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for about a month. This station is larger and more complex than the one at DHS, so there will likely be a learning curve, but we’d expect that to be relatively short.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your prediction…will the Disney’s Hollywood Studios Skyliner open before September 29? Think it’s a matter of the work not being done, or Walt Disney World management wanting/not wanting to open it earlier? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts about the Skyliner? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Tom what are your thoughts on this article… https://wdwnt.com/2019/07/select-disney-skyliner-stations-set-to-open-next-month-at-walt-disney-world-just-ahead-of-star-wars-galaxys-edge/
We will be there (CBR) 9/11 – 9/15
And I’m willing to be the sweating crash test dummy and hoping for a soft opening due to the hopefully low crowds.
If the park opens at 6 AM is it safe to assume the gondolas will start spinning at 5:15 AM?
wife ,kids and myself will be at POP on august 31st before moving to Poly for a week. Hope to see you.
i’m with tom, fingers crossed for an unannounced soft opening for AoA/Pop line at least to HS labor day weekend. we’d like to ride it at least once after seeing all the progress.
Staying at CB 9/19-9/22. I’m hoping they need some “test guests” to get over to HS! lol
Disney is assessing how hot it gets. Maybe the windows and tinted glass work. They just recemtly learnd of a net technology to put AC in the cabins.
They have a backup plan.
We’ve booked out trip for the weekend prior (Sept 22); any chance of a soft opening? Does Disney historically stick to the date they’ve announced?
Any idea on when Disney will let people get in line for the opening of Galaxys Edge on Opening day? We are at Pop Century. We booked the trip before GE was scheduled to open. We got lucky once hoping to get in on Opening day. Get lucky twice. Thanks for your help
Now that it’s the 20th, I’ve given up all hope that it will open by August 28th as some earlier rumor indicated. When CBR station isn’t even finished!
Disappointing.
How is this disappointing when is meant to open in over a month
So exciting!! I was at WDW last week. The tram station at Hollywood Studios was still covered with plywood but I didn’t see anyone working or hear the sounds of construction. I got some awesome photos of the gondolas. On the last day of my trip I got the standard email from WDW inviting me to book my next trip for 20% off so I booked for late October over at Pop Century. I can’t wait!!
Staying at AoA Sept 15-20. I’ll be checking the station frequently in hopes of catching an early ride.
I am risking it and staying at Caribbean Beach Labor Day week. I think after Labor Day Monday it will be great early morning ride times at the non-HS parks, especially with super early Magic Hours. We’ll see. As far as gondolas, I actually think there will be an unannounced soft opening in September, hopefully Labor Day week, and maybe allowing limited riders from the resorts near HS. Again, pure speculation.
We were there yesterday for the Star Wars preview. While waiting to take the boat from Epcot to Hollywood, we watched the gondolas fly by. A few cars had some construction people in them. The station at Epcot is clearly not ready. Looks like there a lot of work left to be done on the walkways and ground around the station.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Epcot/Riviera don’t even open by September 29.
Even if the stations are ready by then, the International Gateway turnstiles likely won’t be done and Riviera (obviously) won’t be open.
Tom, perhaps you’ve mentioned this in other posts, but have you seen any people boarding/riding the Skyliners during the testing phase? Or is it even possible to ascertain that due to the tinted/reflective glass on the gondolas and the construction walls around stations?
Still don’t get them not having any AC.
Just grit your teeth and pretend you are on the friendship boat. And be sure to bring a lot of water! (to drink and to get yourself wet.
The Friendships have AC! 🙂
If you’re not staying a Skyliner resort will they let you on the ride in the sky?
Question. Never saw anything on operating these gondolas when it’s night time. Do they plan on running them after say 8pm?
I was surprised at how fast they go and how huge the stations are. On a bummer note, I feel they look a bit ‘carnival-like’ especially when they cross the main streets over traffic.
My guess is that Disney shares your expectation of a quiet September, or at least has come to share it after seeing the results of GE’s California opening, and that’s the reason for the 9-29 opening of the Skyliner: it’s right at the moment you (and they) expect crowds to start actually picking up. If there’s a soft opening before that, it won’t be to handle crowds but rather just for “dress rehearsal” purposes, as happens with new rides and lands.
We saw these running last week at the International Gateway and I was impressed with how quiet they were. Maybe it’s just because they are brand new (or a newer design) but the ski gondolas I’ve used have seemed louder.
And though your pictures convey it, seeing them in person emphasized to me what a nice job of themeing they did on the stations. they look really good.