Disney Skyliner operational information

Sep 19, 2019 in "Disney Skyliner"

Disney Skyliner flight
Posted: Thursday September 19, 2019 3:28pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The 6 mile long Disney Skyliner opens at the end of the month in Walt Disney World, and we are now starting to hear confirmation of some of the operational details.

As expected, lightning will be addressed by the Skyliner system closing when lightning is forecast. The system does feature lightning protection, but Disney will obviously be keeping guests out of the sky during bad weather. Bus service will be available during weather closure of the Skyliner.

Disney Skyliner is able to carry 10 guests per cabin, and guests may also travel with strollers, wheelchairs and service animals.

There are five stations in total covering the 3 lines - at Caribbean Beach, Pop Century/Art of Animation, Disney Riviera Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot International Gateway. Caribbean Beach is the main gateway and you will transfer there to each destination.

Although Disney Riviera Resort doesn't open until December, the Riviera station will be available for guests staying at Caribbean Beach on September 29.

Travel time is between 5 and 15 minutes deepening on the specific route.

The Caribbean Beach Resort station features a Joffrey's kiosk. The menu of coffees, pastries and specialty items will include the new “Toffee Flight Latte” found initially only at the station. The latte blends sea salt caramel toffee and dark chocolate, topped with toffee and chocolate crumbles and whipped cream.

The official opening date is September 29 2019.

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TrainsOfDisneySep 18, 2023

Wrap presents not transportation!!!!!

arich35Sep 18, 2023

I am surprised they haven't announced the annual maintenance yet

UnbansheeSep 18, 2023

Blogmickey posted photos of the Encanto Skyliner design https://blogmickey.com/2023/09/encanto-disney-skyliner-gondola-wrap-debuts-at-disney-world/

Thumper 32Sep 08, 2023

Quite happy to be proven wrong! That looks great!!

DCBakerSep 08, 2023

Photos of the Coco bus.

DisoneAug 22, 2023

Although it'll be the fair I've been in that line when it has backed up from the Epcot station to the beach club. And it was about a half hour long. And I've definitely waited 45 minutes in a much shorter line. Bus line It was shorter physically, but longer wait time. Mine was long enough for about three bus loads,. Buses were coming pretty quickly but they were still about 15 or 10 minutes in between buses plus 5 to minutes or so just to the load the bus.

TrainsOfDisneyAug 22, 2023

that is the downside - it’s great for a constant flow of moderate crowds, but it backs up quickly with large crowds. I saw the same thing in Icy Straight Point Alaska, I had planned to take one of the aerial trams back to my ship, but another ship had just arrived so the line was backed up so I had to walk back to the other dock. It’s the exact same system.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

That is definitely another big issue, although it ties in with the speed/efficiency issue and that's far from the only problem along those lines.

CastAStoneAug 22, 2023

IMO the big issue (as has been noted dozens of times in this thread) with expansion is that the CBR main station is already at/over capacity at peak hours and the park stations are past capacity at park close.

EPCOT-O.G.Aug 22, 2023

Long wait times, unreliable in rainy weather, most optimized by the guests willing to pay more than others - yeah, it’s a an attraction.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

It's strange. I just looked at Disney's site and for some dates CBR is more and other dates POR is more. In October, e.g., the CBR rooms are about $10 more than the POR rooms, but in January 2024 every room at POR is $15-30 more than the counterpart at CBR -- except the preferred rooms, which are still $10 more at CBR even though everything else is cheaper.

UNCgolfAug 22, 2023

I was looking at Mouse Savers -- they have the 2023 rack rates at POR higher than CBR for most dates, but obviously Disney's website is the best source.

mattpetoAug 22, 2023

I don’t believe that’s accurate. CB has been more expensive since the skyliner.

DisneyFanatic12Aug 22, 2023

That’s true, they couldn’t do any “through” stations like at Riviera, because that causes the line to slow down a lot (at the other stations, the stationary boarding area allows the line to almost never have to slow down). Even if the line never slowed down, though, Coronado Springs to Disney Springs would take a crazy long time. I do think something like a loop to AK and it’s surrounding resorts could be doable, but it would be hard to make a line without having one for every resort (not laid out as well for a Skyliner line). I wish we could walk to AK from AKL, because it’s just silly how close it is to have a lack of direct access… at this point I don’t even need a pretty trail in the trees, just a sidewalk along the road would work!