A Magical Milestone: 5 Years of the Disney Skyliner
Five years ago tomorrow, September 29, the Disney Skyliner opened at Walt Disney World! This new transportation option at the resort is one of our favorites. To celebrate this milestone, we’re sharing all about the Disney Skyliner.
Related – Top 4 Reasons to Stay at a Disney Skyliner Resort
The colorful gondola cars, adorned with Disney characters, glide effortlessly above the treetops, connecting four Disney resort hotels and two parks. This innovative transportation system makes exploring Walt Disney World Resort more convenient than ever.
The four resort hotels the Skyliner goes to are Disney’s Pop Century, Disney’s Art of Animation, Disney’s Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera. The gondolas also stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
The Disney Skyliner has five stations: three at Disney resort hotels and two at theme parks.
- Resorts:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (shared with Pop Century)
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort (shared with Art of Animation)
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (the hub station for transfers to Epcot and Hollywood Studios)
- Disney’s Riviera Resort (near the Aruba section of Caribbean Beach)
- Parks:
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (front of the park)
- Epcot (International Gateway, providing easy access to World Showcase)
The Disney Skyliner gondola cars are beautifully themed, with half featuring artwork of beloved characters and attractions. Each car can comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests, or 6 if there’s a wheelchair or stroller. Guests enjoy the ride seated on twin, inward-facing wooden benches.
The Disney Skyliner is accessible to everyone, not just resort guests. If you’re not staying at a resort with a station or are visiting from outside the resort, the easiest way to experience the Skyliner is by boarding at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Epcot.
While the Walt Disney World Skyliner gondolas don’t have traditional air conditioning, they feature a passive ventilation system that allows cool air to circulate through the cabins. This keeps the temperature comfortable while the gondola is moving. However, if the gondola stops, the temperature can rise quickly. It’s a good idea to bring a small fan for those brief stops.
The Skyliner travel times vary slightly, but here’s a general breakdown:
- Caribbean Beach to Hollywood Studios: Approximately 5 minutes
- Caribbean Beach to International Gateway at Epcot: Approximately 12 minutes
- Caribbean Beach to Pop Century/Art of Animation: Approximately 3-5 minutes
The Disney Skyliner gondolas feature a variety of vibrant colors, including red, yellow, blue, green, and purple. Many cars are also wrapped with artwork featuring popular Disney characters, movies, and attractions.
While you can still see out the windows of the themed cars, for the best viewing experience (especially for photos), you might ask a Cast Member if a plain-colored gondola is available.
Here’s a list of the different characters, attractions, and movies you might see on the gondolas:
- Beauty & the Beast
- Coco
- Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Duey, & Louie
- Finding Dory
- Frozen
- Goofy, Pete, Horace Horsecollar, & Clarabelle Cow
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- The Haunted Mansion
- Lilo & Stitch
- Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, & Chip & Dale
- Moana
- Monsters, Inc.
- Peter Pan
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Princess and the Frog
- Ralph Breaks the Internet
- Ratatouille
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Star Wars
- Toy Story
- Winnie the Pooh & Friends
- Wreck-It Ralph
- Zootopia
Have you had a chance to experience the Disney Skyliner?
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