The Disney World Skyliner: What To Know

Disney World has a few different modes of transportation: buses, boats, the monorail … and gondolas! The Skyliner is a gondola system connecting several Disney resorts and two theme parks. Four resorts have Skyliner stations: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. And there are two theme parks with stations: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. We’ve got general tips for anyone using the Skyliner, and a few extras for those staying at a Skyliner resort on your Disney World vacation. Let’s start with a key question …

Who Can Ride the Disney Skyliner?

Anyone! Like all Disney World transportation, the Skyliner is free to ride. Of course you’ll use the Skyliner if you’re staying at a connected resort. But you might also ride the skyway for park hopping, or traveling between the parks and resort dining. Or just because it’s fun!

Know the Skyliner Map

You wouldn’t ride the subway in a strange city without consulting a map, would you? Disney World’s Skyliner only has 5 stops, but you should still look at the layout. The Skyliner is a hub-and-spoke layout, not an end-to-end system with all the stations connected in a straight line. To go from one spoke to another, you’ll need to head for the hub at Caribbean Beach and transfer.

You can board the Skyliner at EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, or one of the three resort stations. Disney’s Beach Club and Boardwalk resorts aren’t technically Skyliner resorts. But the EPCOT stop is an easy walk; it’s fair to say that these resorts are unofficially on the Skyliner. You could even make an argument for Yacht Club; it’s a bit farther than Beach Club, but still very doable.

If you’re driving to the Disney Skyliner, you’ll usually want to head for Hollywood Studios. At EPCOT, parking is at the main entrance, so reaching the Skyliner at the International Gateway requires going through the park. And hotels on the Skyliner will not let you park unless you have a dining reservation – Disney is too smart to let guests use the Pop Century parking lot and the Skyliner to avoid parking fees.

What It’s Like To Ride the Disney Skyliner

The Disney World Skyliner is a highway in the sky, but how high does it go? From the ground, it doesn’t always look that far above, and in many places it rises only a bit above the treetops. That’s a similar height to the monorail. In other places, it goes 60 feet up in the air – about 5½ stories. If you’re nervous about heights, we have some tips in the FAQ section.

When boarding, you can roll most single strollers or front-to-back doubles directly onto the Skyliner. This is a nice difference from buses and trams. Strollers larger than 30″ x 48″ will need to be folded. The same size limits apply to mobility aids. (If you’re using an ECV or wheelchair, see What to Know When You Need Wheels at Walt Disney World for Skyliner-specific details.)

In slower times, you’ll likely have a Skyliner car all to yourself. When lines are longer, parties will be combined. Disney Skyliner gondolas hold up to 10 people; it’s our experience that you won’t ride with 9 others unless they were in your party to start with.

Cars in the station don’t stop while you’re boarding, but they move very slowly. Stepping into the car feels a bit like getting on or off a moving walkway in the airport, just a bit of ‘rock’. Kids won’t even notice; playground balance equipment jiggles more than the Skyliner car. The cars travel at 11 mph max between stations, and as your vehicle heads up into the air, there’s a distinct “whee” of acceleration. It can be startling the first time you experience it.

As you travel, there’s a swaying motion; you won’t miss the fact that your gondola is suspended from above. It’s usually very gentle, although it can be more noticeable if it’s windy. If you’re very prone to motion sickness, you may have issues, but most rides are short. Standard tips like looking to the horizon and not looking down at your phone or a book apply. The Skyliner is safe, and if there’s too much wind, it will close.

There’s no air conditioning in the Skyliner gondolas, but there are windows and fan-driven ventilation. When the cars are moving, it’s quite comfortable even in steamy August. It’s not uncommon to stop for a couple of minutes between stations, and if it’s longer than that, the cars can get a bit warm.

When you head into the station, your gondola slows down rapidly. It’s fast enough that it may briefly look like you’re going to hit the already-slowed car in front of you. Feel free to push an invisible brake with your feet, we won’t judge! Once your car fully slows and enters the station, the doors open automatically. And when stepping off, you’ll have the same tiny adjustment to the change of speed as when you boarded.

Know Your Skyliner Transit Times

The table below has approximate Disney World Skyliner transit times, station-to-station. These times do not include getting to the station or the time spent waiting when you first get on. Transfer time at the Caribbean Beach hub is included, where it applies.

Disney Skyliner Travel Times
From	To	Minutes
Art of Animation / Pop Century	EPCOT	20
Art of Animation / Pop Century	Hollywood Studios	13
Art of Animation / Pop Century	Caribbean Beach	5
Caribbean Beach	EPCOT	13
Caribbean Beach	Hollywood Studios	5
EPCOT	Hollywood Studios	20
Riviera Resort	EPCOT	10
Riviera Resort	Hollywood Studios	12

Most of the day, you’ll wait no more than 2-3 minutes to board. And the transfer at Caribbean Beach also takes only 2-3 minutes. But lines can be much longer when queuing up for Early Entry. At dinnertime, guests who took an afternoon break can cause waits to rise as they head back to the parks.

The Skyliner is very reliable. But it does close in high winds or if there are thunderstorms in the area. It’s a good idea to leave extra time for travel if the weather looks threatening.

What happens if the Disney Skyliner is closed?

As mentioned above, sometimes the Skyliner will close for weather. If the Skyliner is closed, buses serve as alternate transportation. At EPCOT, buses will run from the main entrance: try to discover that before you’ve already headed to the International Gateway. The Friendship Boats may still run when the Skyliner is closed. And of course, rideshare or walking (if you can) are always alternatives.

Is the Disney Skyliner faster than buses and other free transportation?

The Skyliner usually matches or beats other options on travel time. Continuous loading of the Skyliner can make a big difference: both Skyliner and Friendship Boats take 20-25 minutes of travel time between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. But if the boat is pulling away as you walk up, the Skyliner is a better bet.

Tips for Staying at a Skyliner Resort

Anyone can ride the Skyliner, but if you’re actually staying at a Skyliner resort, the tips below will be extra useful to you.

Head for Great Dining!

There is some terrific dining at Skyliner Resorts (Riviera, we’re looking at you) and around Crescent Lake. And that’s without a theme park ticket; if you have one, you can head into EPCOT as well. If you’re staying at a Skyliner Resort, it’s a great way to get a great meal if your own resort’s Quick Service doesn’t appeal.

One of my favorite tricks is to Mobile Order food in EPCOT’s World Showcase while I’m riding over on the Skyliner. If you order from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop and tap “Complete my order” right after you’ve entered from the International Gateway, you can usually walk straight up to the window to collect your piping hot fish ‘n’ chips!

Know Where to Request a Room

At a Skyliner resort, there are a few reasons to request rooms in a specific area. Many guests want to be as close as possible to the Skyliner station. Maybe you want to be as far as you can from any noise passing overhead. (Most people aren’t bothered, but you can hear some noise both from the cars and the audio system in them.)

An automatic room request from TouringPlans gives you more options when you ask for a specific room than Disney’s online check-in.

Disney Skyliner Tips, Tricks, and FAQ

⚠ Beware of operating hours!

If you’re parked at Hollywood Studios and travel to a late dinner via Skyliner, you could find the gondolas closed when it’s time to head back to your car. And if you parked at EPCOT, you won’t be able to walk through to your car once the park has closed.

• Skyliner opens: an hour (or more) before Early Theme Park Entry
• Skyliner closes: 90 minutes after the parks close

For Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT, the Skyliner remains open until one hour after EPCOT closes. But only the EPCOT to Riviera leg is running; all other stations and routes are closed. When Hollywood Studios or EPCOT have hard-ticket events like Jollywood Nights or Disney After Hours, Disney typically switches to bus transportation after the Skyliner’s regular closing time.

Bathroom Plans

Skyliner rides are short, but if you’ve got a kid complaining that they need to go before boarding, there are bathrooms at every Skyliner station. Prudence is advised.

How safe is the Disney Skyliner?

The gondola system used for the Skyliner is not a Disney invention, and similar systems are in use all over the world. They are not new technology either; the 1979 James Bond film ‘Moonraker’ featured a cable car fight scene. Safety data from Switzerland, which has several gondola routes in its public transit system, suggests that cable cars such as the Disney Skyliner are among the safest forms of public transportation.

It does occasionally happen that passengers are stuck on the Skyliner for an extended time. Keeping some perspective, it also happens that buses get stuck in traffic, airplanes get stuck on the runway waiting for a takeoff slot, and Kilimanjaro Safaris ride vehicles get stuck because there is a rhino standing in the path. Those delays may feel a little more secure than when you are hanging in the air. But should you have the rare experience of being stopped between stations for more than a few minutes, there are emergency packs with water under the seat, and Disney can evacuate guests from any point along the Skyliner route if necessary.

Tips for Riding the Disney World Skyliner if You Are Afraid of Heights

If you have a fear of heights, you may find the Skyliner unnerving. One of my kids is very anxious about heights, but has gotten used to the Skyliner and rides it without problems. Here are his tips, plus a few others that are general advice:

• Ask for a car with a character wrap. You’ll still be able to see out, but the wrap makes the view a bit less “in yo’ face” and you can ignore it more easily.
• Look straight forward or close your eyes. You might see the sky, but you won’t be as conscious of the height as if you’re looking at the ground.
• Sit in the middle of the bench; it will be harder to get a view directly down and feel how high you are.
• Many people report that riding in the forward-facing direction helps them feel more in control.
• A nice distracting conversation helps.

For the lowest risk trial ride, the legs from Caribbean Beach to Hollywood Studios or Pop Century / Art of Animation are each under 5 minutes ride time. The transit from Caribbean Beach to Pop Century / Art of Animation is also relatively low and flat.

Skyliner is usually the only Disney transportation from a Skyliner resort to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. Buses will only be available if the Skyliner isn’t running. If these strategies can’t get you past a fear of heights, you may want to rent a car, plan on rideshare, or stay at a different resort.

Have you ridden the Disney Skyliner? What do you love about it? Let us know in the comments!