In this post we are going to break down the 2022 Disney World Skyliner, and how the newest transportation system has changed Disney forever. Guests can now easily hop from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios, and also ride from a select group of Walt Disney World hotels connected to the new skyliner.
This is sure to change how guests pick their Walt Disney World hotel, espcially as we continue to see the popularity of the EPCOT festivals and also Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge continue to rise. In this post we have included the Disney Skyliner opening times, skyliner operating hours, Disney skyliner map, and so much more.
So if you’re ready to learn about the new Disney skyliner sit back, relax and enjoy the most magical flight on Earth!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Walt Disney World for your next vacation be sure to check out our Disney crowd calendar!
The newest Disney skyway transportation system has been up and running for just over a year. The first flight (that’s what Disney likes to call each ride) of the Disney World gondola system took off in September 2019 and has been transporting guests from four different resorts and two parks ever since. This addition to Disney’s already fantastic transportation system is not only a way to get from here-to-there, but much like the monorail, has become a must-do experience for guests when they are enjoying their Walt Disney World vacation.
So, as the omniscient friendly voice likes to tell all of the guests riding the Disney skyway gondola, sit back and relax as we share some of our favorite Disney Skyliner information to help you make it a fun part of your next vacation.
The Disney World gondola system has almost 300 gondolas that take guests from destination to destination. You’ll see the brightly colored gondolas floating through the air high overhead on steel cables as they transport guests to and from parks and resorts.
To make them even more fun, about half of the WDW gondolas are decorated with Disney character wraps showing Marvel characters, Star Wars characters, ride characters and of course, Disney and Pixar characters enjoying the ride. What could be more inviting than seeing your favorite characters inviting you to fly along with them?
One of the most common questions we receive is, how big are the Disney skyliners? Each WDW gondola is large enough to seat up to 10 people. The exception to this is the gondolas set aside that are made specifically for wheelchair and ECV access. Those can seat about 6 people at a time as well as the wheelchair or ECV. Walt Disney gondolas have two benches inside the gondola. The two benches face each other, so you’ll be able to choose a forward-facing bench or a backward-facing bench. If you rented a stroller in Disney, you’ll be able to simply push the stroller right on into the gondola, and keep your child in the stroller. Not having to break down a stroller and disturb your sleeping little one is a definite benefit of riding the Skyliner at Disney World.
So, what are the 2022 Disney skyliner hours? The Disney World skyliner hours are one hour before Hollywood Studios and a half hour before EPCOT officially open up for guests.
While we do expect the 2022 skyliner operating hours to fluctuate with park hours, they generally begin their flights about an hour before Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens and a half hour before EPCOT opens. Each Disney skyliner route will generally continue to run for an hour and a half after the respective park closes. One thing to keep an eye on is that infamous Orlando weather. Inclement weather, like strong winds or lightning strikes, may cause the Disney skyliner System to temporarily close down until the all-clear is given.
Related Article: Complete List of all EPCOT Festivals
You will be surprised just how big the 2022 Disney World skyliner route is. As a guest, you have four places you can hop onto a Disney Gondola Skyliner and begin your journey. Where you begin your flight will be up to you.
We will cover these in greater detail shortly!
Each Disney Skyliner station is open to anyone who wants to ride that particular flight. You do not need to be staying at the resort the station is located or even visiting the park. Let’s look at each station to help you determine where you want to begin your skyliner flight.
The Caribbean Beach Resort skyliner station is considered to be the “hub” of all of the Disney gondola stations because from here, you can get anywhere the Skyliner gondolas travel.
Set in the heart of the Caribbean Beach Resort, guests staying at this resort can use the internal bus transportation system to ride over to the skyliner at Caribbean beach.
The Caribbean Beach skyliner is the largest station since it travels to so many places and is designed to fit right in with the rest of the theming at Caribbean Beach Resort with its beautiful open air and wrought iron design.
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This Disney Riviera Skyliner station is a great stop for this resort or for any of its fabulous restaurants. It is also a good place to hop on or off if your Caribbean Beach Resort room is closer to this station than the Caribbean Beach Resort hub. It’s often more quiet and easier to use.
If you do start your flight here and plan to travel to the Epcot Skyliner or Pop Century/Art of Animation, just know that you will have get out of your gondola at the Caribbean Beach Resort Hub and then get back on a new gondola for the destination you are heading to. This particular station is also the only terminal where you don’t have to get off and can ride “through” the station if you are traveling to Hollywood Studios.
The addition of the Disney skyliner makes the Pop Century resort our favorite value resort when comparing hotels at Walt Disney World. This gondola station’s claim to fame is that it’s the only floating gondola station. When you ride your gondola flight to or from Pop Century / Art of Animation, you’ll get a low-gliding beautiful ride right over Hourglass Lake.
Add in a sunset and you’ll enjoy one of the prettiest views at Disney World. If you are using this station as your launching point for flights to any other location, you will travel to the Caribbean Beach Resort Gondola Station first, debark and then get in line for whichever place you want to travel to, if Caribbean Beach Resort isn’t your destination.
Designed with hand-painted murals, this skyliner station is made to transport right into the European countries near the World Showcase entrance. The Epcot skyliner station is one end point of the Disney skyliner system so once you arrive here, you’ll need to step off and travel on your way or wait in line to get back onboard to go back from where you came from.
Because of where this skyliner station is located, you can also easily use this station to then take a quick stroll to the Boardwalk area to visit the resorts, entertainment venues and restaurants in that area. We like riding this particular route of the Disney skyliner right now because it is a great way to get a birds-eye view of the construction happening in the France pavilion as they work on the Ratatouille ride.
Another end point on the skyliner ride system, the Hollywood Studios Skyliner station lands you right at the entrance of Hollywood Studios. And like all of the skyliner stations, it is designed to blend right in with the theming of its home, beautifully decorated in those gorgeous turquoise and red art deco tones that are quintessential Hollywood Studios.
While most people will use this station for their trip to Hollywood Studios, you can also walk off the Hollywood Studios gondola and walk right onto the pathway to Boardwalk destinations, including the Swan and Dolphin, Boardwalk and Beach Club Resorts.
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Riding any of the Skyliner Flights is also a fast way to get from destination to destination. Here are the approximate Disney Skyliner travel times for each flight from the Caribbean Beach Resort Hub:
Of course, you’ll have to wait in line to board your gondola but we have found that except for very busy times (like opening and closings of parks), the continual boarding system (the gondolas move slowly through the terminal and you walk on much like a ride at Haunted Mansion or Spaceship Earth), creates a quickly moving line that produces small wait times.
The short answer is no. But to help keep guests comfortable, each Walt Disney World Skyliner gondola has reflective panels to avoid direct sunlight and cross-ventilation windows that allow for air flow. Even on the warmest days at Walt Disney World, the gondolas stay nice and cool so long as they are moving. And on those cool nights, the vents can be closed so guests will not get too chilly.
In case of emergency, each Disney skyliner gondola is equipped with an emergency contact call button as well as an emergency kit. While the Disney skyliner did have one notorious flight shortly after it began where guests were stuck in gondolas for hours, it has not had anything similar happen since that incident.
It appears the Disney skyliner system has worked out its kinks. But if you happen to get stuck in a stationary gondola for a longer time frame, you are welcome to open the emergency kit and use what you need in order to help you a through the emergency.
The emergency kit can be found under the bench inside the gondola. The Disney skyliner Emergency Kit includes things like:
Another common question we receive is, how much does the Disney skyliner cost to ride? And one of the best parts about the Disney skyliner is it is absolutely free to ride. Just like the Disney World monorail and bus services you do not need a ticket or have to pay to ride.
This is one of the reasons why we love it so much! It’s the perfect way to not only get from park to park but also visit the different Disney hotels. We have specifically fallen in love with the restaurants at Disney’s Riviera Resort. There is no better way to end a great dinner than to watch the sunset on the Walt Disney World gondola.
Yes, absolutely! Every Disney World Skyliner station has a specific wheelchair accessible queue to board as well as specific Skyliner gondolas. This Gondola which is made specifically for wheelchairs and other electric vehicles loads to the side so that the other Disney skyliner cabins do not have to stop and guests can take their time loading. Once everyone is inside the cabin the skyliner will merged seamlessly into the rest of the moving gondolas. We find it very cool how easy it really is!
We highly suggest that no matter where you’re staying during your Disney vacation, see if you can squeeze in at least one flight on the newest Disney mode of transportation. Here are a few quick tips for those of you planning to make this a part of your next Disney vacation.
Yes, the Walt Disney World skyliner gondolas are open at Walt Disney World, however their hours of operation may vary.
Unfortunately not, the Walt Disney World skyliner gondolas only travel to the destinations outlined above.
The Disney skyliner connects the Caribbean Beach Resort, Riviera Resort, and the Pop Century & Art of Animation Resort.
Unfortunately not, the Walt Disney World skyliner gondolas do not travel to Magic Kingdom park.
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