Disney Transportation: Skyliner

The Skyliner is the newest form of transportation method at Walt Disney World. It offers great views while also getting you somewhere. For me, it's like the Monorail where it’s transportation and an attraction.

You can take the skyliner to two parks-Hollywood Studios and Epcot- and four resorts-Pop Century, Art of Animation, The Riviera, and Caribbean Beach. Because the skyliner station for Epcot is at the International Gateway you can walk over from Yacht and Beach club and Boardwalk to use the skyliner, too.

One downside of the skyliner is that you have to transfer to get to the majority of locations. The station at Caribbean Beach is the main hub where you change skyliners. This can add some time to your journey, but the lines usually aren’t that bad-especially if it isn't first thing in the morning. 

Now let’s talk about accessibility. Because the skyliner is constantly moving it wouldn’t be easy to get on with a wheelchair/scooter. Honestly, it can be a little hard to get on or off for anyone. That sounds dramatic and it really isn’t that bad. Just know if you ever do a stutter step, know you aren’t the only one. To make it easier for wheelchairs, some of the gondolas are pulled off the line. This way it isn’t moving while getting on and off. Then, they will put that gondola on the line after you’ve gotten settled. This will cause a short delay/stop for the whole line.

A big concern before it was opened was a lack of air conditioning. I haven’t been there in the summer, but it has been very hot and I’ve never overheated. There are windows on the top and bottom of the gondola so when you’re moving there’s a fairly nice breeze.

I am afraid of heights and was put off by the skyliner until I got on. I do still get a bit more nervous especially during departure and arrival, but I love the skyliner. And I have always felt safe. There have been two accidents, but no one has been seriously injured. I will continue to use the skyliner.

For me the skyliner is an attraction on it’s own. It’s relaxing and gives you some beautiful views.

I also did a video on the skyliner if you want to check that out. I discuss some other things and also show pictures and videos of the skyliner. You can see it here:

Thanks for reading!

Holly

Trip Report: Do We Get Boarding Passes? (Day 6, Part 1 | November 2020)

Today we had Park Passes for Hollywood Studios so we had to get up early to try for a Rise of the Resistance boarding passes. Fortunately, you no longer needed to be in the park at 7 AM to join. I woke up a couple times-probably because I was so anxious. Around 6 AM I gave up and just got up.

Dad and I both tried for a boarding group. I just fiddle-faddled between the screens starting a couple of minutes before 7. That’s what Molly from All Ears recommended and it worked for me. We ended up in Boarding Group 10. I was trying to not get my hopes up, but I was so happy we’d get to experience it.

Since we were up and had such an early boarding group we decided to rope drop the park. We hadn’t done that yet during the entire vacation. We all decided to get breakfast at the Artist’s Palette instead of eating in the room like normal. I ended up getting a classic-Mickey waffle.

It was rainy and was supposed to rain on and off all day. Hopefully, this would keep the crowds down. We thought it might be hard to get a bus, but we got on the first one to pull up.

Up Next: Rise of the Resistance

 

Trip Report: Fake Poutine (Day 5, Part 4 | November 2020)

It was a little early, but we went back to Canada. We had a later dinner reservation at Le Cellier. I’m not really a steak person, but everyone praises this restaurant. I got the cheddar cheese soup as an appetizer. I did the poutine which is an app, but had it as my entree. Let me say that was not poutine! It tasted ok, but there was a real lack of cheese curds.

Then, like we’ve been doing all day we trekked back to Future World. We rode Spaceship Earth. We thought we would never be able to see this version of Spaceship Earth again so this was a happy surprise. Then, we took some Photopass pics.

We decided to try Test Track again because it’s fun at night. There was incoming rain again. This time the ride did actually go down. We thought about sticking it out but ended up calling an audible and switched to Frozen Ever After. It was raining in line. It also went back to China, but moved pretty quickly. The park closed while we were in line. So, we made the long walk out of the park.

There was a bus waiting for us which was a good surprise. In the room, I showered and updated my notes.

Tomorrow’s going to be early because we were trying for Rise of the Resistance boarding passes.

Steps Walked: 20,138

Up Next: Day 6!

Disney Transportation: Boats

 Boats may be the most beautiful form of transportation at Disney World. Is there anything more beautiful or peaceful than riding on the Friendship boats along the Boardwalk area of resorts?

There are quite a few resorts with boat access. And you can take a boat to three of the four Walt Disney World parks along with Disney Springs. The specific routes will change sometimes depending on crowds, time of year, weather, nad Covid (right now). 

Let’s start with the large ferry boats that go from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) to the park. This is one of the two ways to get from the TTC/Magic Kingdom parking lot to Magic Kingdom. You can also take a smaller boat from the Magic Kingdom area resorts: Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness.

You can also take a boat to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. These boats actually go between the two so that’s a fun way to park hop. THe hotels on this boat route are Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, and the Swan and Dolphin. 

The final place you can take a boat is to Disney Springs. This is the route that has been most impacted by Covid. The resorts that offer this option are Port Orleans (Riverside and French Quarter), Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West. This is also the route that has the most natural scenery if that’s something you’re looking for.

I really enjoy the boats, but there are some things to remember. They are open-air. I’ve never been too hot on a boat, but I have been very cold. The boats generate some air flow as they go across the water which is nice when it’s hot out, but not so nice when it's 40 or 50 degrees out. It isn’t always the fastest way to travel. They are probably the hardest to use with a scooter (especially the smaller ones). But I say that as someone who has never had to use a wheelchair or scooter.

I also did a video talking about boats if you want to check it out.

Thanks for watching!

Holly

Trip Report: All Over Epcot (Day 5, Part 3 | November 2020)

 We were hungry so we went back to the World Showcase for our late lunch. We did a mobile order at Regal Eagle which opened since our last trip. Dad and I both got kids meals. He got the ribs and I got the chicken salad. He really liked his and my sides were amazing. But my salad was disgusting. Even my dad agreed. In retrospect we think something might have gone bad.

I would still eat here again-I actually did on my next trip in January. We walked around the mostly empty restaurant to take in all the amazing details. 

After eating we looked for Remy a bit more. Morocco and Japan were probably the hardest to find. I remember that being the case when we did the Christmas Chip and Dale scavenger hunt, too.

We were all over the place today so we went back to Future World. First, we spent time with my man Figment at the Imagination pavilion. Then, we went Under the Sea with Nemo, Marlin, and Dory.

I always like checking out the aquarium. The animals are beautiful plus you get to see my favorite animals-the manatees.

Up Next: Fake Poutine

Trip Report: Searching for Remy (Day 5, Part 2 | November 2020)

 After we finished our tour, we were ready to go to Epcot. So, it was back to the Skyliner. We did learn a negative with the Riviera Skyliner. Because you don’t have to get out at the Riviera on your way to Epcot, you have to wait for an empty gondola. It can cause some delays. It wasn’t awful, but it’s something to keep in mind. 

Security at the International Gateway was quick and painless. I stopped in the gift shop right there to buy the Remy Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt for Food & Wine. I’m a huge fan of the scavenger hunts and will do it every time one is available.

We were off to look for Remy in the UK and Canada. Alice did walk by as we made our way to the UK. In Canada we also watched the new show: Canada Far and Wide. It was a good show, but I like the original O’Canada more. Dad thought they were comparable or this one was better.

Then we headed to Future World for a little bit. We wanted to check out The Land pavilion. They were directing you one way for safety so we started at the recently opened Awesome planet. This replaced the Circle of Life show. It has a good message, but I don’t feel the need to ever watch it again.

Next up was Living with the Land which is one of my favorites. It’s relaxing and there’s always so much to look at. We also highly recommend the Behind the Seeds tour which we did a few years ago. And we’ll definitely do it again.

Then, we headed over to Test Track. There was a threat of rain which could shut it down, but we decided to risk it. We ended up riding without any issues. There’s no car design studio, but it’s still a fun ride to me.

Up Next: All Over Epcot

Trip Report: Touring the Riviera (Day 5, Part 1 | November 2020)

 This morning I woke up around 7:40. Fortunately, I felt better. I decided to forego my morning bagel. I don’t normally eat bagels so I thought maybe that was the problem. I also started taking some Mucinex D in case it was some sort of weird allergy thing.

We were having another slow morning so we got around and were out the door around 9:30. The plan was to check out the newest DVC resort: The Riviera. So, we took a bus to Hollywood Studios and then took the Skyliner over to the Riviera. It was nice that we didn’t have to go through security and a temp check. 

Once we got to the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station, we did a little bit of waiting. The Skyliner route to Epcot and the Riviera didn’t run until 10:30 because Epcot didn’t open until 11 AM. In retrospect that makes a lot of sense. Once the line got moving it went pretty fast. It was drizzling on and off the whole time, too which was a little annoying.

At the Riviera we checked in with DVC to take a tour of the rooms. I thought it would take awhile so I stopped in the gift shop. But they actually took us in very quickly. Our tour guide was a nice woman from Brooklyn. It’s always nice to talk to another New Yorker. 

She showed us each of the room types. The Tower Studios is very small, but I could definitely stay there. Would not recommend it for a family. The Grand Villa is obnoxiously large. I mean it’s beautiful, but I can’t imagine staying in a room like that ever. It has a doorbell that plays “Be Our Guest” when you ring it. And there’s tons of beautiful artwork all over the place in the hotel. I believe you can buy some of them in the gift shop.

Up Next: Searching for Remy