The Walt Disney World Skyliner opened on September 30th, 2019 and we were able to be some of the first guests to ride it! We took the Skyliner from Hollywood Studios to the Caribbean Beach Resort and back. Below is our review and some facts about the Walt Disney World Skyliner – spoiler alert: we loved it!

How To Ride The Skyliner

We took the Skyway from Hollywood Studios to the Caribbean Beach Resort. The Caribbean Beach Resort is the main hub, and three lines transfer from there. One goes to Epcot and the future Riviera Resort, one goes back to Hollywood Studios, and one goes to Art of Animation and Pop Century!

You have to get off at the Hub each time and get back in line – you can’t keep riding through. The ride is pretty quick, it took about 8 minutes from Hollywood Studios to Caribbean Beach, 10 minutes from Caribbean Beach to Art of Animation/Pop Century, and 12 minutes from Caribbean Beach to Epcot.

The Stations

The Skyliner Stations are incredibly nice – they are spacious, the signage is easy to understand, and there are restrooms in each! There’s also sufficient space for queuing. We were glad that they planned in advance for big crowds.

The Vehicles

The Gondolas themselves are very nice! They have two long wooden benches and feel very spacious. They would easily fit 8-10 people. On our ride back, we were with a couple and their baby (in a stroller). We didn’t feel cramped at all in the stroller, and they loved that their baby could continue sleeping!

Courtesy of All Ears

The Line Moves Fast

The line seemed long, especially for Epcot, but it moved so quickly! We sat with another family both times we rode it, so if you’re a small party you can expect to be with someone else.  This is one of the ways they are quickening up the queue.

Stroller and Wheelchair Access

If you have a stroller or push wheelchair, you can roll them right onto the Skyliner (you don’t have to fold them up). The Skyliner continues moving slowly while you board. If you have an ECV, there’s a separate line that stops the gondola for you.

Courtesy of Disney

It Has Great Airflow

There’s excellent air flow – even though it was a hot day, the breeze was very comfortable! This was one of the biggest worries we heard. The day we rode it was 92 degrees outside, and very sunny. We didn’t feel hot at all!

And There Are Great Views

Some of the gondolas are wrapped with the character designs, and some aren’t. You definitely get way better views with the unwrapped ones, but the wrapped ones are very cute!

If you’re looking to take pictures, consider asking the cast member to wait for an unwrapped gondola. My camera had a hard time focusing with the wrap blocking it, even with a zoom lens.

Tips if you have a fear of heights or get motion sick

In terms of heights, I didn’t think it was too bad! You feel very secure, but there were a few times the gondola dipped down, which might make someone nervous or a little motion sick. But, it’s such a short ride I recommend everyone try it to see if they like it!

I personally have a fear of heights, but I’m fine on airplanes, rides like the Tower of Terror, or in a skyscraper. I get nervous on ski lifts (open to the ground), the elevators up the Eiffel Tower, and standing near the edge of mountains. Between the two, I would compare the gondolas to something like the Tower of Terror. There’s no way you could fall out, so unless your fear is the gondola system breaking, you should be fine!

Wrapping It Up

All in all, we definitely loved the Skyliner! It’s a fun and convenient way to travel, and great for parents who don’t want to fold up their stroller after a long day. It’s especially convenient for guests staying at the connected resorts.

If you have any other questions, ask in the comments below!