Hello everyone, I hope you are well! Today we are talking about Disney’s newest mode of transportation, the Skyliner! I had a chance to ride it during my last trip, and today I’m breaking down everything you need to know and my thoughts! Okay, let’s get started!
What is the skyliner?
The Skyliner is the newest method of transportation at Walt Disney World, taking guests to Epcot and Hollywood Studios by way of the sky to the following resorts:
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach
- Disney’s Pop Century
- Disney’s Art of Animation
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
The Skyliner is made up of approximately 6 miles of cable, and holds approximately 600 cars- about half of which are wrapped with different character designs. Below is a map of the Skyliner routes.
Where are the stations located?
Stations are located at each resort (Pop Century and Art of Animation share a station located on the bridge between the two resorts), and the transfer station is located at Caribbean Beach. There are also stations at Hollywood Studios and International Gateway at Epcot (the back entrance where you can also walk to Boardwalk, Beach Club and Yacht Club.
How long does it take?
In my experience, it took less that 20 minutes to get from Disney’s Art of Animation to Epcot. This included minimal wait to load at AoA, and less than 5 minutes to load at the transfer point. This is much faster than the buses in my experience, sometimes you can be waiting just that long for a bus! I haven’t personally taken the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios, but from what I read it would be just over 5 minutes from the transfer point at Caribbean Beach.
One thing to note: Pop Century is now only loading buses every hour to Epcot and Hollywood Studios- so they are really wanting you to take the Skyliner. The Skyliner makes all of the resorts much more accessible because you have direct access to 2 of the theme parks, but if you don’t think you’d be comfortable using the Skyliner, take that into consideration and you may want to stay elsewhere. I have a feeling this new change will be reversed with customer feedback, but it’s currently in place so be aware!
How many people can the cars hold?
Up to 10 guests, and there is room in the middle for strollers (which you may be asked to fold), scooters, and wheelchairs. More about the accessibility below.
What is the loading process like?
The loading process is very similar to rides like Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Spaceship Earth. There is no moving walkway, but the cars are being consistently loaded, and the amount of time you wait in line is just based on how many people are in front of you.
If you are travelling with a stroller, you may be asked to fold it up, it will just depend on the Cast Members loading the cars.
For wheelchairs and scooters, there is a separate loading area where the cars remain stationary until they are loaded, and they then fit in between the other cars. I will report back on this later this year once I’ve personally experienced this!
What about weather?
First off- the cabins are not air conditioned. There is air flow, but it could get hot in there during the warmer months. We rode on a breezy day in November, so I can’t speak to the heat. Second- Florida gets storms. From what I understand, if lightning or severe weather is reported within a certain-mile radius, the Skyliner will shut down. Guests will no longer load, and would be asked to get off at the next available stop. This may mean you won’t be at your final destination, but they would have buses to get you where you are looking to go safely. Again, I haven’t had experience with this, but this is what I understand the process to be.
My thoughts
- I think the Skyliner was very efficient, and I would definitely ride it again!
- the wrapped cars make it harder to see outside, and kind of make you dizzy. If that’s something you could be worried about, ask for a cabin that isn’t wrapped. They might let you wait to load one.
- There is definitely air flow in the cabins, but I could see it being hot in the summer months
- If you are afraid of heights, they highest points are over Caribbean Beach, and going into Epcot when you are higher than the France pavilion. My husband doesn’t like height, and he was fine!
- It’s slightly bumpy coming in to the station and when going over the tracks where the poles are, but other than that it’s a very smooth ride!
I will be back to update this post later this year once I’ve experienced it with a wheelchair, to give you more of my thoughts and any other information I find out!
If you’d like to hear more about the Skyliner, and see footage from my ride, check out the video below!
Have you taken a trip on the Skyliner? Is it something you’d like to experience? Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you so much for joining me today!
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