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Credit: Jeremy Thompson, FlickrWe have an urgent update out of EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort. Early Thursday afternoon, the Disney Skyliner abruptly stopped service between the Disney park and its connected Resort hotels.
The Disney Skyliner is a gondola system with three separate lines connecting EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. Caribbean Beach is the central hub for gondola transportation: guests from Art of Animation and Pop Century transfer there for service to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. Riviera guests transfer at Caribbean Beach for service to Disney’s Hollywood Studios or to Resort hop to Art of Animation and Pop Century.
On September 4, Disney Food Blog reported that they stood in line for the Disney Skyliner to EPCOT at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort for about 15 minutes before cast members turned them away. The guests were directed to the bus station at the front of the Disney Resort hotel, where shuttles arrived to bring them to EPCOT.
The Disney Skyliner line also stops at Disney’s Riviera Resort, where guests were presumably directed to the bus station for alternate transportation to EPCOT.
Unfortunately, the situation is much more complicated for EPCOT guests hoping to return to their Disney Resort hotels. When the Disney Skyliner breaks down, they’re also directed to bus transportation; however, the Skyliner stops at the International Gateway entrance to EPCOT, in the World Showcase. Bus transportation stops at the main entrance in World Celebration, which is more than a mile away from the International Gateway.
It’s unclear what caused the EPCOT Skyliner line to close on Thursday. Shutdowns are often related to inclement weather, but that doesn’t apply here–two out of three gondola lines are still operating normally. Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t made any public statements about the closure. For now, guests should use bus transportation between EPCOT and the Disney Skyliner Resort hotels.
Has a Disney Skyliner shutdown impacted your Walt Disney World Resort vacation? Share your story with Inside the Magic in the comments!