Disney’s Skyliner – WDW Construction Update – June 2019

Disney Skyliner has been very busy in testing at low and high speeds this past week. Unfortunately, most of the cable cars are still covered, but it’s still nice to watch them and see the progress Disney has made. Based on the speeds of testing that I saw while I was out there, it’s sure to be a fast and efficient way to travel around Disney property, and it should prove to be a magical experience for both you and your kids when you soar over Disney World from 60 feet up.

Although, if you have a child that has a fear of heights, you may want to sit towards the middle and avert their tiny eyes from the windows (if possible). We don’t want any crying and tears before making it into the park!

Here is a look at the cable line stretching from Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort:

 

As of May 28, 2019 a few of the cars are already uncovered. It was great to see the variety of colors and artistic features.

 

Will The Disney Skyliner Have Air-Conditioning?

Disney has confirmed that the Skyliner will NOT have air conditioning. However, it does look like there will be significant airflow through them.

The base stations are also coming right along in their construction process. Here is a look at the station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort:

What is the Disney Skyliner?

The Disney Skyliner is an upcoming gondola system that will have 6 stations between the resorts and theme parks in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. There will be more than 300 gondolas in the Disney Skyliner fleet and they will travel at heights of up to 60ft. It is said that they will have a cruising speed of 11mph and will slow down to about 1mph when arriving at the station and people are exiting and loading.

Plans for the gondola system were originally announced on July 15, 2017 at D23 Expo.

The Skyliner was designed by the Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, an Austrian company that manufactures chairlifts, gondolas and cable cars for ski resorts and amusement parks.

It will connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to the following Resort hotels: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s *NEW* Riviera Resort.

Guests will also be able to enjoy a gondola ride to the following restaurants: Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

When Will Disney Skyliner Open?

As of May 2019, there is no opening date set for the Disney Skyliner. But we do know that it will begin operation sometime in Fall of 2019.

Right now, they have most of the gondolas covered up, but Disney has said that the exterior artwork on some of the cars will feature Disney Characters and figures from Disney attractions and film, while other cars will only be solid colors.

How Many People Can Fit Inside a Disney’s Skyliner Car?

Disney has confirmed that each car can hold 10 passengers, and there will be twin wooden benches. The gondolas will also be able to transport passengers in wheelchairs.

Disney Skyliner Map and Travel Times

Here is a copy of the proposed Skyliner map released by Disney:

 

Approximate Disney Skyliner Travel Times:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: ~ 5 minutes

• Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort: ~ 5 minutes

• Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Pop Century Resort: ~ 6 minutes

• Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: ~ 6 minutes

• Disney’s Riviera Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: ~ 9 minutes

• Caribbean Beach Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: ~ 15 minutes

Disney Skyliner Concept Art

Here is a collection of concept art released by Disney, which shows examples of the resort stations:

Art of Animation Station:

Caribbean Beach Station:

Hollywood Studios Station:

Disney’s Riviera Resort Station:

Disney has also just released a video via Youtube giving an update on progress.

 

What do you think of the Disney Skyliner? Do you think you and your family will use it? Let me know in the comments below!