25 Sep Disney Skyliner: Now Flying
On Sept. 24, 2019 I had the pleasure of taking a ride on the brand new Disney Skyliner gondola transportation system that will be opening to resort and park guests starting Sept. 29, 2019.
Skyliner sign at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Each gondola is brightly colored and many have amazing wrap designs such as Star Wars, Haunted Mansion, Coco, Goofy, Pluto, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Olaf along with just about any other iconic Disney characters you can imagine. There are some also mixed in that do not have a wrap on them and are just brightly colored.
Madame Leota takes the place of honor on this gondola.
We started our ride from Disney’s Hollywood Studios® and it took us to the “hub” station at Caribbean Beach Resort. You have to get off and transfer to the next set of gondolas. There you can choose your course. You can choose to get on and ride to the POP Century & Art of Animation Resorts station or go over to Epcot® with a midway stop at the brand new and incredible looking Riviera Resort (opening Dec. 16, 2019). The Epcot® station lets you out at the International Gateway which also makes it a great stop for guests staying at the Epcot® Resorts.
Gondolas ready for boarding.
The gondolas are roomy with nice bench seating. There are slats at the top which, when the gondola is moving at full speed, creates a very nice and comfortable breeze. We did stop at a few points and during this pause you could definitely feel the Florida heat. With 5 of us in the gondola at the time it was not unbearable. At the full capacity of 10 people per gondola I can see some moments of uncomfortable heat, especially during our summer season. There is a bit of rough movement when you are coming to a stop at the station but it is not that bad of a jolt as long as you stay seated.
Bench seating in the gondola.
The views are truly spectacular! On our ride back to the Caribbean Beach station from Epcot® a Cast Member told us that we would be up to a height of 93’ with a view of all 4 parks. You get great views of the parks, resorts and even some backstage areas where construction is still happening that you would not get during any other form of transportation that Disney has to offer. If you want the best views I recommend trying to get a gondola without the wrap. Although all of them are great and I can happily say that my first gondola ride was in a Haunted Mansion purple gondola, my absolute favorite ride and color!
Some of the views we experienced:
Are you excited to take flight on the Disney Skyliner? To book a trip to experience this exciting new mode of transportation in person click on the link below and Jaime can help you with a no obligation quote to begin planning your next Magic Vacation. If you already have a preferred MVP, simply add their name in the box and we will direct it their way.
