Select Disney Skyliner Stations Set To Open Next Month at Walt Disney World, Date Just Ahead of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Tom Corless

Select Disney Skyliner Stations Set To Open Next Month at Walt Disney World, Date Just Ahead of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Many guests are excited to take their first ride on the Disney Skyliner high above the Vacation Kingdom of the World, but also want to know just when that might be. While those adverse to heights, claustrophobic spaces, or perhaps those just afraid of the possible high temperatures inside of the gondolas may not be quite as excited, those of you anticipating the newest Walt Disney World transportation system will be happy to know that you’ll likely be able to ride through the skies beginning in August 2019.

Cast Members are already being trained to operate the Disney Skyliner
Cast Members are already being trained to operate the Disney Skyliner

According to construction personnel working on the project, the Disney Skyliner will open to guests on August 28th, the day before the official opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They expect that the Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation/Pop Century Resort stations and lines will be open on that date. For whatever reason, they stated implicitly that the Epcot line will not be ready for August 28th. Obviously, the Disney’s Rivera Resort station will not open in August either, as the resort will not be operating until later in the year.

disney skyliner gondola passive ventilation system disneys hollywood studios may 2019 1

Disney has yet to announce these dates officially, but several employees on-site for the project freely provided this information. At the very least, it seems to be a targeted opening date, and based on the visible progress we’ve seen, it seems HIGHLY likely. Things can certainly change, but the Skyliner operating by the time Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens feels like a safe bet.

26 thoughts on “Select Disney Skyliner Stations Set To Open Next Month at Walt Disney World, Date Just Ahead of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge”

    • That’s my only worry as I use a mobility scooter & they say it’s suitable for scooters, I worry if it will take the weight of a scooter myself & my 2 daughters, I would imagine it has a weight restriction on these skylines

      • These gondolas are designed to hold up to 10 people. Of course they will be able to support you, your scooter, and your two daughters.

  1. I must admit this might be one of the largest fails in Disney worlds long list of poor desisions of the last three years! I can’t conceive who or why they would have even concidered creating a mode of transportation that didn’t contain air conditioning in this Florida theampark the idea that one might get stuck in a gondola in Florida’s brutal heat is far more scary then any new roller coaster they might have designed. Really no AC as tempretures sore well into high nintey degrees in the shade seems a misjudgment of monumental proportions when after all these years they should have added and improved their monorail system that is truly loved and an an iconic part of the Disney experiance. I am sure if asked mist would agree that a connecting system of monorails that would give access to ever park would have been a major win. I susspect this is going to be disaster for them and a huge waste.

    • Shy of solar, there’s not really a system of electricity available in a gondola setup. It’s merely a box clamped to a strong cable that goes around in a loop. I’d imagine a lot of testing went into these, along with heat considerations. After all, it’s optional, not mandatory transportation. If you don’t like the heat, take a bus.

      • Some gondolas system have AC. Even the Skyliner has electricity with a battery at the top recharging in every station for light and audio.

        Disney choose to not put AC. But with the special windows and the passive air ventilation it may be fine, we’ll see in a few weeks.

    • Agreed. They should have extended the monorail line — To all those that say the monorails are too expensive, well you get what you pay for. No enclosed mass transit in Florida has ever been successful without air conditioning. This is an epic fail that will lead to nonstop guest complaints.

    • Melodrama much? Expanding the monorail would cost upwards of $100 million per mile, based on comparable projects like the one in Las Vegas. Iger would’ve been dragged out in a straightjacket if he approved that. As for no air conditioning, Singapore has used this very system, without air conditioning, for 20 years. Singapore makes Orlando’s weather feel like San Diego.

    • You guys know that these same gondolas have been in use for years in cites that are as warm or warmer than Orlando, right? And that they’re fine? Because if not, take five minutes to look them up before continuing to bash something with absolutely no evidence.

    • I’m totally with you. So, I’m fully planning on bringing a gallon of water when I get on the gondola, and a spray bottle. If it were to get stuck, I will spray myself and my family soaking wet. And anybody else in our gondola who wants it! I find that even at near 100 degrees, as long as I’m drenched, it doesn’t feel that hot. I can stay for a few hours. I am also going to bring a plastic pot to pee in because I have a problem in that area…. This is super exciting! Aren’t you excited to see how much heat you can stand before you pass out?

  2. For me, the reason to not have the “EPCOT” line or section open is obvious. First, the Rivera Resort and Station will not be completed, and secondly, The France pavilion will not have at least the exteriors of it’s expansion completed. And since Disney does seem to care about site lines and controlling what the customer/visitor sees (Guardians rollercoaster show building excluded), it makes sense to not have the public pass over/through/next to unthemed and under construction areas of the resorts and parks. I thought that Disney would open up the DHS section before the EPCOT for they above reasons and I was confident enough that I booked my October stay at Caribbean Beach to be at a Skyliner resort.

    • I agree with that assessment. We booked for Jersey Week specifically at AoA because the skyliner was coming. Knowing that it’ll be running a few months ahead reduces that gamble. My only question is, how does one get from the international gateway to the monorail without having to use a ticket inside epcot? Seems like they’d want a connector of some sort.

    • They used to care about what the customer sees. That went out the window a few years ago… I’ve seen a crane working on the castle during the day, workers on the roof of tea cups during operating hours and the worst of all: while they were building the queue for Pan, we got on the ride and as entered the first room… jack hammers! What I heard was “off to never… BRRRR” Seriously?! I’ve been in line for 40 minutes and you’re running jack hammers over the audio?!

  3. I am arriving on the evening of August 27th at Pop Century! Is my timing AWESOME or what? I am so excited!
    Disney still hasn’t published the internal temperature of the gondola. I will bring a thermometer and measure it myself when I get there. I will also bring a gallon of water and a spray bottle for in case we get stuck. I will only be riding it at night when the sun’s gone AND when there’s no lightning anywhere, which might be hard to come by. Tip: When you see lightning while you are in the gondola, instruct everyone to lean towards the middle of the gondola and stay away from the walls/doors/windows of the gondola.That’s the same advice for surviving lightning in cars.

    • That’s… not how lightning works. Think about how birds can sit perfectly safely on a high voltage line. That’s what it will be like when lightning strikes the skyliner. It will ground through the wire and towers (which are conductive and go to ground) rather than through you.

  4. WIth the Extra Extra Magic Hours opening at 6am for Hollywood Studios, I wonder how early will the Skyliner run.

  5. Here is what I like to know about the gondola when Disney announces its opening date:
    1. What is the temperature inside a gondola on a sunny day in the morning at around, say, 10 a.m.? 2 p.m.? I was in a taxi without air conditioning at Pop Century once, at noon. The driver left the windows down during the 15 minute drive. It wasn’t chill and comfortable like a bus, but it wasn’t terrible either. And if the gondola were to get stuck in the middle of the ride, at say 10 a.m. in the sun, what does the temperature inside a full gondola become after, say, 10 minutes, when there is no more air flow? 20 minutes?
    2. I want to see a picture of a gondola with 10 Cast Members sitting inside to show how it fits 10 people. Personally, I don’t believe it even fits 8 adults. More like six. But 10 little kids, sure.
    3. What is the daily schedule of the gondola? Does it run, say, from 2 hours before park opens to 2 hours after park closes like the buses do, or does it run 3 hours in the morning and then 5 hours in the evening, skipping the middle of the day say from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.?
    4. Does it plan on shutting down when there’s lightning? How severe does the weather have to be for the gondola to shut down? How frequently do they expect shut downs? During every storm, or only during the worst storms?
    5. How are the guests going to handle a gondola shut down at Epcot, if that were to happen? Say if I’m coming back from Epcot to Pop Century. I get to the gondola, and it happens to shut down. Do I then walk clear to the front of Epcot to catch the bus, or does Disney provide a tram to do that? I know the Epcot line won’t be open yet, but it would still be nice to know what their plan is concerning this matter.
    6. What happens if the gondola shuts down, and the people from Pop/AofA are till at CBR station? Does Disney then send buses to drive them back?

    • all excellent questions they really need to answer prior to opening. i’ve been wondering for awhile how the transfers will exactly work and they’ve provided no info.

  6. i assumed these would be running well before GE opened. wouldn’t they want to work out any kinks before the masses descend for star wars opening? i was also hoping to hear reports of how hot they actually are from real guests. we will be there labor day week and i was hoping to also use these to access epcot via the IG due to the construction at the main gate, and it sounds like this won’t be an option. i was looking forward to these, but am now hesitating because i don’t want to be on them the first week they are operating and wind up on the news as their first malfunction and lose a bunch of vacation time. overall disappointing news on these.

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