Disney Skyliner Gondola System : Map, Capacity and More

When I was a kid I remember the Disney Skyway. Well, that is no longer, however, on September 29th, 2019 new way for you to get around Walt Disney World opened! The Disney Skyliner will whisk you away from select resorts and parks with fantastic views!

My daughter and I absolutely love this mode of transportation and try and use it as often as possible!

What Does The Disney Skyliner Cost?

When it comes to the Skyliner, a lot of people won’t care how much it costs purely due to the convenience of being able to travel to the park from your resort in the air. However, the Skyliner is free transportation to any guest whether staying on Disney World property or not, just like the buses, boats, and monorails.

What Are The Operating Hours of The Disney Skyliner?

Skyliner gondolas begin operating 60-90 minutes before park opening, around 7:30-9:00 AM, and continue operating until about 60-90 minutes after park closing, around 10:00-11:00 PM. I am always really careful about this when leaving my car at Hollywood Studios and then having to catch the Skyliner back over there at night when leaving Epcot!

What Is The Disney Skyliner Capacity?

Each Disney Skyliner Gondola fits 10 guests.  If any of the guests require Wheelchairs or ECV’s then the capacity will change.  There are special gondolas that are fitted to accommodate handicapped guests. These gondolas only have a capacity of 6 guests.

The entire system can run somewhere around 300 gondolas meaning that they are able to transport approximately 4,500 guests per hour. That’s pretty impressive!

Disney Skyliner Route Map

Which Disney Parks Have The Skyliner?

The Disney Skyliner has stops at two parks:

Epcot located in the International Gateway area. Also perfectly located for guests staying at the Yacht and Beach Club Resort, The Boardwalk Inn, or Swan and Dolphin.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios near the bus station in front of the park entrance.

This makes park hopping from Epcot to Hollywood Studios really easy. Also, if you are trying to do a 4 park in 1 day challenge, the Skyliner will aid in this as well. You can go from Magic Kingdom to Epcot on the monorail, then Epcot to Hollywood Studios on the Skyliner, all without having to get on a Disney bus.

Which Disney Resorts Have The Skyliner?

These 4 select resorts have Skyliner stations for guests to use.

The Caribbean Beach Resort has a Skyliner station located near the Jamaica area of the resort. This is the largest station on the line, offering the storage of extra gondolas.

Art of Animation and Pop Century has a shared station on the generation gap bridge over hourglass lake offering great access to both resorts guests. We are the most excited for this as these two resorts are among our favorites to stay at.

The new Riviera Resort, also has it’s own Skyliner station. This is one of the main benefits of staying at Disney’s newest DVC resort, being right on the Disney Skyliner line perfectly positioned between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Disney Skyliner Transfers

Now, lets talk about transfers…

It’s important to know that some stations require a transfer from one gondola to another. Knowing this ahead of time is important because in Disney World every second of your vacation counts!

One thing to keep in mind is that if you are taking the gondolas to an end-of-the-line station at Art of Animation & Pop Century or Epcot, you will not be allowed to stay on and continue your journey, you have to get off and exit the gondola. If you want to go back where you came from you will have to exit and get back in line to take another gondola.

Here is an explanation of each station and transfer rules:

Art of Animation & Pop Century:

This is the beginning or end of the line depending on your journey and if arriving here you must disembark your gondola. You can always get back on again to go back and continue your ride.

If you are going to Hollywood Studios from here, you will not be required to exit at the Caribbean Beach station, you can continue right on to Hollywood Studios. If you are going to Epcot or the Riviera Resort you will need to transfer at the Caribbean Beach station.

Caribbean Beach:

This is the central hub station of the Disney World Skyliner system. No matter what your final destination is, if you are getting on the Skyliner here you will be taken directly to your destination without having to get off. This includes going to Hollywood Studios, Riviera Resort, Epcot or Art of Animation & Pop Century.

Hollywood Studios:

If you board at Hollywood Studios and are going to Art of Animation & Pop Century, you will need to transfer at Caribbean Beach station to get on the correct line.

If you are going to Epcot or the Riviera Resort, you must transfer gondolas at the Caribbean Beach station as well.

Riviera Resort:

If you get on here and are going to Epcot, there are no transfers required.

Epcot:

If you are arriving here you must exit the gondola.

If you are going to the Caribbean Beach, Hollywood Studios or Art of Animation, you need to stay on the Gondola at the Riviera Resort station and then get off at the Caribbean Beach station to transfer gondolas.

I know all of this may make some peoples heads spin. I get it. The lines are clearly marked and there are cast members at each station that can help you make sure that you are getting to the correct destination.

Is There Air Conditioning On The Skyliner?

While there isn’t any air conditioning unit onboard the gondolas they are designed to have the air vents adjusted with the weather so that airflow will not be an issue. There have been some concerned that they will be too hot to ride in the high heats of the summer in Florida.

With the speed that they travel at, there sufficient airflow to keep everyone comfortable. As we know, boat transportation doesn’t have air conditioning and they have always been fine. We have even been stopped on the Skyliner for a few minuets in the summer and the temperature has bot been an issue. I think that because you are high enough in the air you get a nice breeze weather you are stopped or moving.

How High Is The Disney Skyliner?

Depending on where on the line you are, the heights will vary. The max height is 60 feet in the air. If you have a fear of heights this may or may not be the right form of transportation for you. My husband can go on the Skyliner and be fine as long as he doesn’t look down and as long as it keeps moving. If you are unsure, it is best to talk to someone who has ridden it or possible just use a different mode of transportation if you feel really uneasy about it, because once you get on you have to stay on until you get to the next station.

How Fast Does Disney Skyliner Go?

The Disney Skyliner moves relatively fast. In the beginning they were moving a bit faster than I had expected which I think this is a good thing.

They have a top speed of 11 mph on the lines and slow down to about 1 mph when arriving at the stations giving guests ample time to load and unload.

The cast members also have the ability to slow them down a bit more to help accommodate guests needing more time to get on or off. That is why you will see them stop occasionally.

How Long Are The Rides On Disney Skyliner?

All times are approximate and can vary depending if you have to transfer to another gondola to get from one end of the line to another.

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Pop Century Resort or Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: 6 minutes
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 5-6 minutes
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort: 5 minutes
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: 15 minutes
• Disney’s Riviera Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: 9 minutes

As you can see from these times, this is by far faster then getting on a Disney bus or even sometimes getting an Uber or driving yourself.

Can You Take Strollers On The Disney Skyliner?

Absolutely! All gondolas will accommodate guests with strollers. There are also special gondolas fit to accommodate guests with wheelchairs, ECVs, and other mobility aids. Strollers and mobility aids must fit within a 30″ x 48″ area to board the Disney Skyliner.

Conclusion

In my family, my daughter and I love using the Disney Skyliner, we sometimes make dining reservations at certain resorts just so that we can use it.  I think that this is a fabulous addition to the transportation system. I will only get better over time with a possible phase 2 addition to add more resorts and or parks.

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