It’s only natural that Disney fans want MORE of this popular Disney World transportation!
Disney Skyliner
TheDisney Skyliner is a FREE gondola system at Disney World that been an integral part of the way Disney guests get around the resort since it opened in 2019. Though it isn’t perfect, fans have really loved how this sky-based transportation connects four Disney incredibly popular hotels to both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT in a convenient fashion. Arguably Disney’s most efficient form of transportation methods, it only makes sense that many guests want the Skyliner to be expanded to include MORE Disney World hotels and parks. Here’s why that’s unlikely to happen…
The Skyliner currently moves in continuous motion and provides a spacious/scenic view between EPCOT (with a terminal at the park’s back International Gateway entrance), Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (which shares a Skyliner station with Pop Century).
Disney Skyliner at Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts
As it’s currently constructed, the Skyliner route connects resorts and parks that are close by and generally within a straight shot of one another. Ultimately, adjusting the route to make stops at the other two Disney World theme parks would completely deviate from the concept of convenient proximity.
Skyliner Map
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is significantly further out from the current Skyliner route over on the west end of Disney World, and getting out there would mean navigating through other resorts and water parks — a costly endeavor to be sure. In fact, right now, the only form of free transportation Disney offers to reach the park is the bus system.
Disney Bus
Magic Kingdom faces similar hurdles. Located at the northern end of Disney World, it does have a closer proximity to EPCOT (and is connected by Monorail), but it’s already impeded by so much established infrastructure that fills up the space between the parks and other resorts. It would take a massive amount of construction effort (and money) to weave between everything — which feels unnecessary when the Monorail already exists.
The Monorail at EPCOT
The Monorail itself serves as a historical precedent when it comes to Disney World transportation. It has yet to be expanded since EPCOT opened in 1982 due to infrastructure constraints and cost fallout. Multiple parks and resorts later, the Monorail has been left alone. There’s no reason to feel the Skyliner will be any different.
Monorail at EPCOT
We also recognize that the weather isn’t conducive to Skyliner expansion. Weather-related closures continue to plague the Skyliner, and investing more capital into a project that cannot overcome the forces of nature is suspect at best. Central Florida won’t stop having thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, and that’s certainly not Disney’s fault. But you can’t expect them to sink more money into the Skyliner in an effort to combat that reality.
Skyliner
The Skyliner works as is, and — at the moment — Disney has no reason to fix what isn’t broken. Could the Skyliner still expand? Sure! But it doesn’t look like that will happen in the short term.
Would you like to see the Skyliner expand? Would you like to see a new form of transportation? Share your thoughts in the comments below and continue to follow us here at DFB for all the latest Disney World updates, tips, reviews, and more!
I Go to Disney World Every Day, and I CRINGE When I Hear This on the Skyliner
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I understand that expanding the Skyliner would be a monumental undertaking, so I’m not holding my breath. (Although it would be awesome). What I would really like to see would be considerably more feasible. I would like a walking path that connects the front entrance to Epcot and the International Gateway that is not inside the park and you don’t have to have a park ticket for. Let’s say I’ve got a resort hopping day when I’m not using a park ticket. We make dinner reservations at Ohana. From Caribbean Beach, we would not have to take a bus. Skyliner over to Epcot, walk to the front, take the Monorail to the TTC and walk or take the resort Monorail to Polynesian. No bus involved. Or say I want to go to Magic Kingdom but don’t have a park hopper. I’d still be able to make it without a bus.
Disney is hurting itself by not having some kind of transportation to the Animal Kingdom area. If they did it would justify growth in that direction. Clearly busses are anything but efficient or timely but Disney isn’t always known for forethought!
Jeremy Gagnon makes a good point. I think people would be surprised at how favorably people would rate having the option to walk. During a recent cool day a resort pool activities Cast Member was surveying everyone’s preferred method of transportation (monorail, boat, Skyliner, bus, walking). Walking easy came out on top. Adding the path from the Grand Floridian was one of the best things Disney has done in years as it gave people the option to walk and avoid the monorail or boat.
As for the Skyliner, connecting AK is likely at the top of everyone’s wish list, but that’s a really long haul and unlikely to happen. If done, it could easily include Coronado Springs. When I think of other resorts that are somewhat unconnected to anything other than buses or boats and don’t have the option to walk to parks, the resorts that come to mind are Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga, Old Key West and Port Orleans. Saratoga, OKW and Port Orleans could be connected on a single line to the front entrance of Epcot, which then gives monorail access. However it would be difficult to map and potentially dangerous because of golf courses around those resorts. Another idea is having a short run from Wilderness Lodge to TTC would certainly be desirable as it would give those resort guests monorail access rather than being tied to the boat to MK. Considering that the monorail beam isn’t more than 100 yards from the edge of the Wilderness Lodge guest parking lot, they could just add a walking path and build a station without impacting the beam at all. I don’t see any monorail investment occurring though considering it’s already far outlived it’s life expectancy.
My dream would be for it to connect the riviera, old key west, typhoon lagoon and Disney springs!