It may just be the story of the year for Walt Disney World. Last Saturday, the Disney Skyliner gondola system encountered what Disney calls a “malfunction”, stranding guests for hours. Two of the Disney Skyliner gondola cabins crashed, bringing the line to a halt. All this just 6 days after officially opening to guests. During the downtime, the Reedy Creek Fire Department was called to evacuate guests from the air, until Disney could finally get the line moving again. The system reopened today after an investigation into what caused the malfunction. Many guests were looking for Disney to make a statement on what caused the issue, but that hasn’t happened yet. Disney did issue another statement today, referencing adjustments that will be made going forward.
“Following a complete review with the manufacturer, we’ve made adjustments to our processes and training, and we are improving how we communicate with guests during their flight with Disney Skyliner. We again offer our deepest apologies to the guests impacted by the malfunction that resulted in extended operating delays on Oct. 5”.
Disney went on to say the following:
“Similar to ski lift systems, Disney Skyliner may slow or come to some stops during the ride, particularly when we need to accommodate guests who require additional time to load their cabin. We want to assure you that the comfort of every guest is important to us. We greatly appreciate your ongoing patience and understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you back aboard Disney Skyliner.”
Missing from the statement is an explanation of what went wrong on October 5th.
We’ll be offering our own thoughts on the incident in a future review of the Disney Skyliner gondola system. In the meantime, we want to hear your thoughts! Will you ride the Disney Skyliner gondola system on your next trip to Walt Disney World? Did Disney’s statement offer enough insight into the incident? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com for the latest from around the Disney Parks.
I rode the Skyliner on the day it opened, and then a few days later. I think it’s magnificent, and I’ll certainly be riding again soon!