A Brief History of Gondolas and Cable Propelled Transit

[@themostrandombird]

As someone who used to work at the skyliner i got the learn alot behind the scenes. I would love to work there again

[@benbacon7654]

It must be fun to work at (and learn about) the Skyliner. Personally, I would love to see how that mode of transportation runs/works.

[@themostrandombird]

😏 i can tell you this fact every disney own hotel has two forms of transporation. Thats part of the reason why it is made😉

[@bwildcatboy]

10-9?

[@CECS1]

@@benbacon7654 simple. One cable runs a loop. The gondolas detach from the main cable at the stations. The gondolas can be redirected via a series of tires that push the grip along a track, and then is reattached to a new cable system. In this way, a gondola can make turns or continue on with shorter runs of cable.

[@benbacon7654]

@@CECS1 That's really interesting. Thanks so much!

[@ripnico]

I live in La Paz and this is definitely the best method of transportation because of how fast it is and the view it provides. It will fit Disney world perfectly

[@BellePullman]

In London we have the (incredibly confusingly named) Emirates Air Line - crossing the Thames by cable car seems like a great idea, but it's more a tourist attraction than real transport since there's not a whole lot of reason to go to the area on the north side (unless you're at a convention I guess!) and there's underground links that cost half as much. Great views though! There's talk of it failing and being closed down, just as there's a whole lot of redevelopment work in that area which might bring it to life.

[@howdybair1827]

And copyright by fly Emirates

[@mcexpress-trains]

Actually, it is now called the IFS Cloud Cable Car.

[@loraleistandish]

It’s so cool that the hogwarts express is actually a funicular railway!

[@BellePullman]

I find it quite hollow, i mean i get why they've done it the way they have, but it would be so much more exciting and vibrant to have a real steam engine. But the running costs would be insane, far less reliable, and what they have is convincing enough for most people. But then it also gives me motion sickness to travel so slowly while being shown images of travelling much faster!

[@FredrIQ]

@@BellePullman I wonder how well you can emulate the steam look with an electrified train?

[@ryanm9105]

FredrIQ1994 Just use a fog machine; it’s the same thing they use for steam in pretty much every ride that features broken pipes.

[@emeraldzebra9360]

@@FredrIQ Incredibly easy. Heating element in fake firebox, usual water on top, actual steam.

[@whitelionstudios1786]

yeah, that was one thing i looked close at at the park when i rode it, as it interested me greatly

[@SuperMakki]

As much as I love monorails, Disney parks are supposed to be about the future, and I can see CPT as a futuristic mode of transport. Also there's a funicular here in Edmonton, it's super useful to get up steep hills. Surprised its not more common

[@paulmentzer7658]

@@BlueSky-i2u8i Monorails biggest hurtle is everything has to custom made for each monorail. Conventional rail is being made today and thus easy to obtain and design around. For this reason Rail Vehicles are cheaper to make and maintain then monorail systems of roughly the same size, speed and use for such rails and wheels are being made today for existing rail systems. This is the same problem with Maglift, high speed rail is made today, no need for special rails or wheels. With Maglift, not only have to make a custom made track but a custom made lift on the Maglift AND no ability to use existing rail structure. Monorail has the same problem, it is restricted to its track and can not inner connect with any other existing system of transport, unlike conventional rail or even a rubber wheel on concrete system.

[@sharkheadism]

@@paulmentzer7658 Exactly

[@ericdunn6232]

@@paulmentzer7658 Monorails are just rubber wheel on concrete. But with the wheels ridiculously constrained and extra wheels needed to keep the vehicle upright and stable. There is literally no advantage gained by a monorail. Particularly when the only difference in guideway (the slender guidebeam) is eliminated when modern safety standards are followed to evacuate the trains and protect areas underneath from parts and liquids that might fall from the trains.

[@hazeldavis3176]

This vid is two of my favorite things: Theme Parks and Modern Marvels. Fantastic job!

[@markusstudeli2997]

Cable cars are very common here in Switzerland, primarily in mountain resorts, but even most lowland cities feature funiculars that connect their near hills for quick access to recreation areas. The city I live in with roughly 60'000 inhabitants features two such funiculars connecting two nearby low mountains. In the US such reacreation areas tend to be accessible primarily by cars, which in my opinion spoils the experience quite a bit. Funiculars and gondolas do mix well with pedestrian zones. There's mountain villages like for example Stoos or Braunwald which have banned car traffic and which are only accessible by cable cars. It contributes to their appeal, as it keeps them calm, less noisiy, relaxing and with unspoilt clean air. Horse carriages, small electric cars and lorries limited to 30 km/h are used to transport bagage, small goods and the walking impaired to hotels, stores and restaurants.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

The Skyliner is the Skyway’s reincarnation. Efficient system and I like the gondolas with the characters. When you think of gondolas, you usually think of a fair or a ski resort. Not a transportation system and the Skyliner proves it can be a great transportation system too

[@LegosheepIsAwesome]

The energy statistic could be misleading, as gondalas tend to be slower than most other transport options. I think it'd be a lot more fair to compare the KW/h per passenger MILE.

[@Vodhin]

The energy statistic ratio KW/h to passengers per Hour is correct: It doesn't matter how far, because what matters is how many people can you move. The comparison should be made between systems over a set distance (1 mile, 5 miles, etcetera... ), which I think it was. So, your question would be "How much power is consumed to move X number of people over Y number of Miles?" - which foregoes the metric "per unit of time" which is how a transit system's efficiency is measured.

[@lwilton]

@@Vodhin I think neither statistic is quite correct, at least without more qualification. Energy consumed is proportional to the square of the speed, so something that moves faster will consume more energy. It will also get the people where they are going faster. And most people have some mild concern about the time for transportation if they are doing something other than sight-seeing. There are also concerns such as transfers. Buses can go anywhere they want (on a flat surface), so one bus stop can serve many destinations. One train station can serve quite a lot fewer routes, but trains can still switch tracks, as can monorails. Switching lines on a funicular is impossible by the definition of 'funicular', and as far as I know switching lines on a gondola or chair car system has not been mastered in a practical way. I'm not against gondola transportation, indeed, I think the idea is fascinating and useful in many cases. But I worry about the knee-jerk reaction many people (that never use public transportation) will have of "Oh goody, we can replace all the trains and buses with gondolas and save all that energy!".

[@CrustyJoeMC]

Shouldn't the unit be kWh? W is already a unit of energy per time.

[@paulmentzer7658]

You have a huge saving in energy by NOT having the engine in the Vehicle. Engines, including their power source, can be heavy. In most automobiles the engine outweighs the passengers and thus the best way to make a car more energy efficient is to make the engine and transmission smaller and thus lighter. In a Chairlift there is no engine IN THE CHAIRLIFT itself, the engine is stationary and thus does NOT have to move itself as the Engine pulls the Cable along. Thus having the engine NOT in the Chairlift is a huge energy savings by itself. This energy savings Chairlifts share with Funiculars (Incline Planes), Gondolas and Cable Cars for none have engines in them, their engines are stationary pulling on the Cable that pulls Funiculars (Incline Planes), Gondolas and Cable Cars. I have to separate Chairlifts from Gondolas. Gondolas, in the definition I am using for them, is a two vehicle system where each Gondola is attached to the other so as one goes up, the other goes down, the same as with a Funiculars (Incline Planes). A Chairlift has many Vehicles running off the same continuous overhead cable. Thus Gondolas and Funiculars (Incline Planes) have an additional energy savings as the Vehicles used off set each other. Thus little energy is used to move the Vehicles. Any energy used in Gondolas and Funiculars (Incline Planes) is to pull passengers and cargo in each vehicle that also do not off set each other. That is less true of Chairlifts as I define Chairlifts, but it is still an energy saving over buses, other rail systems and automobiles.

[@cyrillzemp]

@@paulmentzer7658 Also a chairlift can be seen in balace, the same as a funicular. Every chair on the downhill side counterweights a chair on the uphill side. So seen as a continous loop and without any passenger it is in perfect balance. The thing with chairlifts is higher friction loss due to more towers and thus pullies compared to a aerial tramway.

[@rmannayr2129]

REMINDS ME OF THE OLD SKYWAY!

[@m.hoffman2889]

love riding these cable ways in the alps along with a spectacular mountain view

[@woodencoasterfan]

Von Roll was one of the leaders in the industry as well and built the Skyway at Disneyland and Disney’s Magic Kingdom as well as Busch Gardens Tampa and Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Diego, Cedar Point, San Diego Zoo, and many other locations worldwide.

[@vonrollskyway1]

Long before Doppelmayr. Doppelmayr when they got into the lift industry used Von Roll technology under licence. The 1st detachable lifts by Doppelmayr used the Von Roll VR 102 grip .

[@Iamwatchingyou75]

Apparently building cable lifts for Austrian ski resorts is more profitable than building cable lifts for Theme Parks.

[@brysonbackus7135]

I had the opportunity to ride the entirety of the La Paz gondola system when I visited last year! (For some reason they had a free day so it cost us nothing to ride all across the city.) Its a very quick, low hassle form of transportation that especially thrives in a city like La Paz that is built in the mountains and has very narrow road ways. I really hope to see this form of transportation adopted in more cities here in the US. And as always loved the video Rob keep up the great work!

[@monroejosh]

Oh man do I love funiculars! Sooooo thrilled to see them discussed in a Disney video. What about cable cars like those used in SF that also release from a continuously moving cable?

[@monroejosh]

Also, there are funiculars in other theme parks. Silver Dollar City uses one to get guests back up out of Marvel Cave at the end of the cave tour.

[@glennsapaden7543]

If you hadn’t asked that question I would have. Yes, aren’t the SF cable cars also cable propelled transportation?

[@MattMcIrvin]

@@glennsapaden7543 Some roller coasters use a tow cable instead of a chain on their lift hill, such as Skyrush at Hersheypark. And some launched roller coasters use a launch system that involves a cable too. But those are rather different...

[@paulmentzer7658]

I suspect it was picked to better control the ride as to its speed. With a cable you can set the speed of the vehicle very precisely. I saw the Monongahela incline after its rebuilt and the operator was on his smart phone as the car docked. 30 years ago as the car reached the top, you saw the operator manually working the huge levels to make sure it was a smooth and full stop. Just to point out how computers have made such jobs a lot easier today. But even today it is still a lot harder to do with any form of engine, engines run fast and slow, drive trains go fast and slow, but a cable has just one speed, no matter how many people are on that train and the conditions of the wheels and track. On the train you see scenes through the window you are to see for a set time, cable with a modern computer drive system, will make sure you get the full experiences planned for that ride.

[@gmd11390]

@@paulmentzer7658 detachable vs static would have been a good topic to include in this one.

[@jhawk1116]

History of these lifts is very interesting I will say!

[@rovingcossack8889]

Now I know why I'm obsessed with cable propelled transit... 2:26... It has Polish roots, like me!

[@legpol]

Roving Cossack : Mister, will the gondolas come to a stop so as to load and unload riders?

[@JohnVanderbeck]

Came to this video because I have been researching the Disney Skyliner. It is very convenient but really freaks m out. The best way to overcome fear of something is understand is so here I am. Great video. I would love to see one detailing there mechanics and safety systems used in CPT. In my mind I can’t get over the thought that the car is going to sway too much and just slip off the cable :D

[@ladyrei8012]

Fascinating and informative as always! I love the new channel name and graphic identity as well!!

[@mylesschutte6257]

The Skyliner is a lot of fun!

[@bdchiaccio]

I love how I learn something new every time I watch your videos and I get excited when a new one is posted. Keep up the great work Rob!

[@kosycat1]

This brings up the topic of the little cottonwood gondola they want to buildin SLC for Alta and Snowbird

[@brickman409]

That would be really cool if we started seeing more cable car transit systems pop up around the US. We could use more public transit here, but the issue has always been with city funding and lack of space. These solve that issue. I think a great start would be to have a gondola go from the Anaheim regional transportation center (ARTIC) to the Disneyland resort.

[@kurtkatie1830]

Thanks Rob. Enjoyed the video.

[@kelaarin]

I visited Telluride over this last Christmas; they have a system of three lines, including one up and over the mountain, all free public transportation. Very efficient, very fun!

[@julianhudson7811]

I'm happy you made this!

[@elliotearles8302]

The Palm Springs aerial tramway is one of the few examples of these outside of a ski resort or amusement area

[@vonrollskyway1]

That one was built by Von Roll in 1963 and refurbished in 2000 by Von Roll

[@L8RG8R2U]

I love videos like this. Taking a concept often overlooked at the Disney resorts and going deep into their rich history. Excellent job!

[@KISSFanDan1995]

I rode one of these from Magic Kingdom to Epcot and back last year. It was pretty awesome and the breeze was nice.

[@cheersgxp2466]

Great job, as always 😎

[@craigcavaliere6744]

The first time we rode the Skyliner last year, it broke down in the middle section. We were the second car from the station. Had to wait probably 15-30 minutes to get off. Then another 30 minutes for a bus! No problems the other times we rode it. While the overlays look nice on the outside, they are a bit distracting on the inside.

[@billserratore6416]

Can’t Wait to Ride it Again!

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I was expecting Von Roll to be mentioned.

[@ketch_up]

What about cable driven ferries? I think that's legitimately a fourth category of cable propelled transit

[@candycemonroe7345]

Terrified of heights. Haven't been to Disney since they were installed. I am willing to try it, but I don't promise I won't have a panic attack.

[@UmmYeahOk]

The skyliner isn’t as scary as the original ride in the Magic Kingdom/Disneyland. They had a similar one at the Texas state fair until one unfortunate windy day. My mom and grandmother were in attendance that year, but it was the day after their visit when a bucket fell, killing everyone in it and whoever it landed on. Of course, 50 years later, they would bring the ride back, assuming everyone had forgotten. I eventually saw one of those gondolas from the former ride at a swap meet. I had wondered if it might’ve been the one, or at least, one used on that fateful day. This may explain why Six Flags over Texas stopped having one too around that same time. I ended up riding one very identical to the WDW version at Sea World San Diego. Being high up along the coast, it wasn’t just beautiful, but utterly terrifying!!! The wind was super strong! I had wondered if my mother’s continuous reminders of the state fair was foreshadowing or simply an attempt at preventing history from repeating itself, as I was also with my husband and daughter. So if you could imagine two generations of a family being wiped out. Thankfully nothing bad happened. It’s a great sight to see, but I would never again ride the one at Sea World. That was too intense. There’s not nearly as much wind at WDW, at least not when there’s no hurricane.

[@krissp8712]

@@UmmYeahOk I don't think that helps her fears lol

[@jeffjensen27]

They have therapy for that.

[@kittymcmeowmeow1]

I would just avoid it tbh, unless you really want to try it and your doctor is willing to prescribe you medication to help with panic attacks in that sort of situation. My doctor gives me a special prescription just for plane rides when I'm going on vacation, and hopefully yours will too

[@DeoxysDNA]

Each cable car itself must weigh a ton, plus all the passengers added. Those must be some strong cables, I'd be nervous still lol.

[@kayoz9018]

Hey Rob, thanks for the vid, nice work, as usual, Happy 4th!

[@jasminejohnston6393]

One of the longest gondola systems in the world is in Canada. The Peak2Peak is a gondola at Whistler Blackomb Resort in Whistler, BC. Built for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, the gondola stretches over a mile between the peaks of two enormous mountains!

[@MarkTrombly]

Love the video man. I never thought that learning about gondolas could be so entertaining. I also like that you're including primarily examples from outside Disney World. I also like how you tie in Disney in the end and wrap it up with a nice little bow!

[@christianwestling2019]

In skitowns, they are used as modes of transport beyong skiing. In Telluride, CO, a free for all gondola connects different residential areas and is used by residents to get to town.

[@paulmentzer7658]

One last comment, the energy savings is limited to Funiculars (Incline Planes) and gondolas. These have huge energy savings since both used two cars that balanced each other and thus the only energy needed is for the passenger and cargo, as opposed to having to pull up the car and engine in Buses, Heavy Rail systems, Light Rail systems and Cable Cars. The Chairlifts also has no engine, and as such saves the energy of moving an engine, but each car has to be pulled and the cars do not offset each other to the degree as Funiculars and Gondolas (In a ski lift the cars going down offsets the cars going up but each car does NOT counter balance another car, so the offset is less). Please note in the Disney system there is no natural up and down movement EXCEPT up from one station then down at the next station, thus no energy savings as a car goes down as it pulls up the other car. This latest version of a Chairlift with its ability to disconnect from the cable so handicap people can use it, makes it a good choice in high population areas in mountainous terrain (such as in La Paz), but it will still be very slow compared to Buses, Heavy Rail systems, and Light Rail system let alone the Automobile.

[@valkyriequib2895]

It's an interesting video, but I think it would be really interesting to talk about the gondola culture in France as well, and especially Poma which, moreover, is the world leader in chairlifts (for example the New York gondola in your video). Regarding the advantages, maybe put forward the fact takes it’s using 2 employees and 2 main engines to operate the lift, and therefore emphasize the environmental contribution and especially the ease of construction for a very low cost. But an interesting report on Dopplemayr anyway, especialy with Disneyworld.

[@Valmont1978]

Excellent video. I remember the Skyway at Disneyland as a kid and always loved it. I would love to see more on the engineering side. What propels them, how the wheels in the wire work together, Etc

[@Taydar]

Fascinating history. They do make you feel a bit sick leaving the station

[@charlaswithcheung]

Rob really found a way to make cable cars interesting. This why his videos are elite lol

[@averyeml]

Like most things, I’m betting when the ski lift specifically was implemented there were some diehard old-school skiers who thought half the “sport” was trekking up the hill. I always find it funny to look at older technologies and the reactions people had to them now that we’re removed from the time and can see the effect.

[@mushieslushie]

Kind of like what e-bikes are currently doing to the sport of mountain biking.

[@SkiDaBird]

There are still those skiers today.

[@xXDrocenXx]

And they like it and you get the stuff every where. This are extra light skis with an adjustable binding and very light ski boots, what are very flexible for walking. A good touring set cost the same as an good skiing set and not forget your fur, without you have no hold the mountain up. Greetings from Austria ;D

[@saturner420]

Oh man one doppelmayers first and big project was the erhwalder Zugspitzebahn, thats a technical marvel right there! And to be honest, Doppelmayer is the only one i trust when it comes to PCT!

[@offrails]

I remember riding a system in Barcelona that combined all three methods - there was a cable car that crossed the waterfront, which linked up with a gondola that went to the top of Montjuic. The gondola also linked up to a funicular which in turn linked up the metro system.

[@asciiman605]

Entertaining and informative as always. Thanks Rob!

[@RileyRailAviationNTrucks]

Ha! I live in knoxville tn and never thought that gondolas had a history here too!

[@DuchessRococoPuff]

Great video Rob! Loved riding the Gondolas at WDW, would love to see something similar pop up in my city.

[@rmannayr2129]

HISTORY OF LIFTS!!!!

[@alainaerni]

wooow you can literally see my home in the background here 6:33 well that was unexpected this is in Switzerland 🇨🇭🥳

[@jonathancook4022]

Excellent research and production

[@paulmentzer7658]

You forgot a Fourth type, the Cable Car as used in San Francesco. A Cable Car has a constantly running cable under the road and between the tracks that the car could attach if they wanted to move, and de-attach when the Car was needed to make a stop, like Funiculars, Cable Cars can go up grades that other vehicles can not (and why Cable Cars survive in San Francesco, diesel buses can not go up the grades as well).

[@TheKoopaManSho1]

"Skiing was even used in warfare" Dropped down to a world of ice..

[@The_13th_Hussar]

...A plateau of frozen lakes...

[@skywerkdevelopment-naturei6911]

great video, thank you

[@rjc0234]

Probably 18 years ago at school (and after a "science trip" to Alton Towers theme park) I got a bit obsessed with cable cars as a genuine public transport method. my main thought and focus was how there would be very little habitat disruption because of the few and far between towers vs a road / railway either cutting through the area, or having to be completely raised, and event then there would be noise and pollution.

[@SimonTekConley]

I remember reading about when a jet hit one once upon a time

[@sunlitegodis]

I so enjoy listening and learning. And how you say “strength” is so fascinating! 😄

[@krissp8712]

Wait until you hear him say "varrious" :)

[@lightningbear2135]

I love the Disney skyliner. I always ask for a cabin without any wrap so we can see outside.

[@DarthDaddy-cg6ro]

Thanks.

[@blondy2061h]

Don't forget the Swan/Dolphin! So it kind links 9 resorts if you're willing to walk. I also think it's cool because if you're able to walk through Epcot, you can get to the Monorail. This is far from efficient, but if the buses are running slow for whatever reason it really links together much of the "World." I stayed at CBR shortly after the Skyliner opened. It's fabulous. I'd love to see it expanded.

[@MrMrMuhummad]

Sydney needs this I reckon Especially around the hills of Coogee and Maroubra & the Hills district and the harbour 🤣🤣 just hope it doesn’t break down over the water

[@AD_RC]

5:55 most cable systems on south america have been there since before 2010 man.

[@vonrollskyway1]

No mention of Von Roll. Von Roll was around in 1823. Von Roll built the 1st funicular back in 1887. The 1st aerial tramway in 1897 on the Wetterhorn in Switzerland. Von Roll built and was the inventor of the 1st detachable monocable lift in 1945 using the pioneering Von Roll VR 101 grip. The Disneyland Skyway opened June 23 1956 and was the very 1st detachable monocable lift in the USA. Using the pioneering Von Roll VR 101 grip. Von Roll was more pioneering than Doppelmayr. Von Roll invented the 3 S system in 1991. Doppelmayr bought the ropeway division of Von Roll in 1996 and to this day, Doppelmayr uses alot of technology and knowledge from Von Rolls designs. Many Von Roll systems are still around and are outliving Doppelmayr in the way of quality and Swiss steel. Von Roll had the edge on ropeway manufacturing as they had there own steel mill and foundry. High quality. Hope you get a chance to redo this video.

[@markusstudeli2997]

Just such a pitty the old Weissenstein chair lift, originally built in 1950 with the VR 101 by Von Roll near their home town, did not survive! It was tha last of its kind in Switzerland.

[@ACfairgrounds]

So when is New York getting one

[@gaziliongrandgadgets_yt2068]

I went to Disney in January of last year and can’t wait until the virus is over so I can check out the Skyliner... Also at 5:32 I’ve been to that ski resort many times

[@Tryingtohaveityall]

I’m convinced you could tell us how paint dries and it would sound interesting.

[@WhitleyAKW]

Wonderful! Now I will forever think of "Funiculi Funicula" when riding the Hogwarts Express! Thank you for this gift!

[@filanfyretracker]

I mean I wouldnt unless it goes up a steep grade like those ones ive seen in Pittsburgh.

[@alexanderhicks4499]

I've been on a gondola system in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and it is so efficient and quick. Don't have to drive up a steep long mountain road that has chances to ice over. However, it can be a bit scary if you aren't used to it.

[@whitelionstudios1786]

i happen to promote both monorail and Cable Propelled Transit, as each have their uses in the city of Columbus, Ohio. shame i wasn't smart enough to ride the Skyliner when i was at Disney World, but, i did get to ride the monorail, which i have gladly promoted as a good form of mass transit for four years prior to my first time on one. Cable Propelled Transit is good for certain routes such as the Route 23 to Easton corridor, imho, while monorail runs the planned length of about 32 miles for North-south connection in my plans

[@Whitbypoppers]

I'm amazed you didn't mention one of the more famous CPT systems in the USA: the San Francisco cable-car system. Though they look like street cars, they're actually drawn by cables under the street. The driver controls both brakes and the "grip", which latches onto the cable so the car can move. Other systems of CPTs on rails include the inter-terminal shuttle at Toronto International Airport and a similar shuttle in Venice which moves people from the railway station to the cruise centre.

[@MattMcIrvin]

I know it's not what the video is about, but I'd distinguish several distinct types of cable-pulled trains. There are funiculars, which go on a slope and use the cars as counterweights for one another; then there are San Francisco-type cable cars, where the car has a gripper that can engage a continuously moving cable, and simpler cable cars where there's just a winch pulling a rope attached to the train (the Hogwarts Express at Universal Orlando is one of these!)

[@legpol]

Will the gondolas come to a stop so as to load and unload riders?

[@Dave_Sisson]

They almost stop. The main cables move at around 5 metres a second, but gondolas detach from cables at stations and move slowly at about 1 metre per second while people board. Then they reconnect to the fast cable until the next station.

[@legpol]

@@Dave_Sisson : Thank you very much, Dave.

[@ShalmendoGlineux]

They CAN stop if necessary, but they keep them going slow at the stations to hurry people on/off similar to the way omnimover attractions work (Haunted mansion for example). That said, I believe a special disability friendly gondola can be taken off the track and placed at a dedicated loading point for people with disabilities to take all the time they need to get in/out with their wheelchair or whatever else they need.

[@erangabay]

Great vid

[@tobiaskoch3392]

I think the biggest value of a cable car is that you dont have to wait for a bus. You just can enter it every 10 seconds.

[@DanielChannel57]

For the extreme weather part, can gondolas also withstand lightning?

[@MattMcIrvin]

The Birmingham (UK) airport used to have one of the world's only operating maglev trains, connecting the terminal to a train station and convention center. They closed it down in the 1990s and eventually replaced it with a cable-towed train! Sounds like it's more reliable than the maglev, and only slightly slower.

[@glowfenix]

Nice one

[@Tomasu82]

Seems like Edmonton AB will be getting a privately funded gondola crossing the river connecting the downtown core with a popular retail and university district. Not long after the city installed a funicular that replaces an incredibly long rickety and dangerous wooden staircase.

[@SaturnCanuck]

Great

[@sawyercormstv1972]

A gander at gondolas should’ve been the title

[@kentkirkpatrick7953]

Got some in Spokane Washington. Over the falls and under suicide bridge, and If your lucky you can watch someone jump off it! Check out the bum camps too it's great!

[@bobcheapek4334]

They asked for the Skyway’s return and we did it. But apparently you can’t please everyone

[@AG7-MTM]

I think cable cars are excellent for places with at most normal-extreme weather and especially mountainous terrain. Just look at the incredible matterhorn-crossing gondola

[@azan-183]

Hopefully the DC gondola/aerial tram is built!

[@MattMcIrvin]

When I went to Singapore in January, I rode the Singapore Cable Car network, which goes to and across the resort/theme-park island of Sentosa, in part because I was curious about how the Disney system would work--I believe the Singapore system uses the same type of cars as the Disney Skyliner, and, similarly, it lacks air conditioning (in an environment that is if anything even more relentlessly steamy than Central Florida). It was fine. It wasn't cool in there, but it was perfectly bearable with the shade from the tinted windows. One difference from the Disney system is that the Singapore cable cars are rather pricey to ride (though if you just want to ride the internal Sentosa Island line that's cheaper), intended less as universal mass transit than as a tourist attraction in themselves--that probably reduces crowding. The cheap way to get to the resorts on Sentosa is the monorail, and that's crammed with people. The cable-car line from Mount Faber to Sentosa goes much, much higher than the Skyliner, hundreds of feet over the harbor, and the view is spectacular.

[@INFINITY-oe4is]

I think you should have kept this channel Rob Plays and left it to Disney. Then Created a new channel Midway to Main Street for other theme park related topics. I want to hear your opinion on Splash Mountain ect.

[@Vodhin]

*Aerial Ropeway* is the official term for cable cars, chairlifts, gondolas, trams, etc... A *Gondola* is a small vessel for a few people propelled by means other than the passenger (think gondolas in Venice) A *Tram* is a system where the vehicle moves from point *A* to *B* and reverses back to *A* without turning around. A *Funicular* is specifically a system whereby a vehicle is *pulled* by a cable permanently attached to it, operating like a Tram, with either another vehicle or counterweight at the other end of the cable: one is lowered down to help pull the other up and vice-versa. And there are a whole bunch more...

[@genoobtlp4424]

At least here in the alps, funiculars, quite a few later replaced by aerial tramways and some now upgraded to gondolas have been a valid form of getting up hills to uptown or mountain villages for well over a century as a form of public transport but yeah, nobody’s building them on the flat

[@bricology]

Regarding the economical argument for aerial ropeways v. subways, monorails, trains, etc.: the part that _isn't_ being factored-in is that while the latter may have higher initial costs, steel rails last for decades, if not centuries. If one section of track needs repair, new rails can easily and quickly be grafted-in. Ropeways, OTOH, have to be inspected very regularly, and if a cable has a frayed area, the entire system must stop, and a very expensive and difficult process must be undertaken not only to _replace_ the cable, but then to properly _tension_ it. These are not trivial differences.

[@axewolfe1759]

You can't make an Aerial ropeway video and leave out Gabriel Leitner and Jean Pomagolski. They both pioneered the industry, and it boomed when Jean made the first Poma lift which was super popular around the world.

[@millomweb]

1:10 No such thing as an aerial tramway. Tramways are always on the ground - whether or not on supports !

[@no-damn-alias]

The biggest problem. Gondola transit is slow! It's fine when the general speed of ground moving traffic is very slow to begin with like the cities you mentioned and for La Paz there's also a big difference in elevation then it's fine and very good but other than that this is not a mode to get anyone out of a car. Tram and especially metro are way faster even more so with a lot of stops.

[@davidgarcia8781]

There are a lot of “gondolas” in my city and are used as a main mean of transportation daily, the system is called “metrocable” (if you’d like to see it google it, it is easy to find). (It was shown on the video)

[@iamaidansmith7542]

Did he delete the old disney vlogs I can’t find them

[@kaguya6900]

Surprised you didn't mention San Francisco's cable-car system.

[@notpurple]

That was interesting but shucks! I was expecting the history Of the cable cars that were originally at the Disney parks. Could you do a video on those? Why did they get removed anyway?

[@GENjarrod]

Would you consider the San Francisco cable car a funicular gondola system?

[@timothywalker4563]

Before all this internet to help you with decisions on what you want, as kid in the 70’s I used the the gondola at WDW to figure out the next ride or attraction I wanted next.

[@elliotearles8302]

You’re making me jealous of third world countries like Venezuela and Bolivia with this kind of thing! Who would’ve thought? I love this kind of video, love gondolas, and love public transportation; I hope you make more!