Disney Skyliner - International Gateway at Epcot — Local services in Bay Lake

The use of this gondola system while staying at a Disney Skyliner Resort is such a great perk. We felt that the biggest advantage was taking it to EPCOT for early entry at the International Gateway. You're already in the World Showcase once you enter through that gate. There still is a little wait time, and I think we had to go through 3 different waiting areas to get to the France Pavilion. The rope drop was at 8:15 am on a weekday. Plenty of time to take in Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride for the win. What's great is that you've already had the pleasure of knocking off 1 or 2 rides from your list before the rest of the guests even enter the park. I'm a huge fan of the skyliner, and wouldn't hesitate to stay at a resort that offers it. The skyliner also takes you to other skyliner resorts as well as to Hollywood Studios. There are 2 separate loading areas at the Riviera, so make sure you're in the one heading to your theme park.

It's just a short walk away from Disney's Riviera Resort. It also operates at the following resorts: Disney's Pop Century, Disney's Art of Animation, and Disney's Caribbean Resort (as of April 2024). The latter resort has a skyliner station with a coffee stand. It's called Caribbean Skyliner Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Company. It's a tip that a Disney cast member passed on to us when asking questions about the skyliner opening times. Yes, you can bring coffee onboard the gondola ride. If your resort has a café, then it's highly encouraged that you grab some before the trip.

The skyliner operating times can vary from day to day. It opened between 7:15 and 7:30 am the day we were there. It takes only 9 minutes to get to EPCOT from the Riviera Resort. Just a few things to note before being dependent on the skyliner. It only goes to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. You'll need to take a Disney bus to the other theme parks. Not a big deal because they operate every 20 minutes and go directly to the theme park. There's no sharing of buses with other resorts or other theme parks. They have their own line. The bus goes to a specified terminal for easy pick up from the theme park back to your resort. All you need to do is remember the bus terminal number.

Oh, and the gondola doesn't operate when there is lightning or heavy winds in the area. We didn't have any issues since the weather was perfect the entire 3 days of our trip. Just relax and enjoy the cool & breezy ride (preferably the early spring time weather). Also, you may spot your favorite Disney characters on the gondola. Try to get one without the theme so that you can get a better view for...

The Disney Skyliner is such an efficient form of transportation. So much better than the alternative, A BUS! Offering picturesque views of Epcot’s World Showcase and many other aerial views that were once not possible at the Walt Disney World Resort. The Disney Skyliner operates daily, Mon-Fri, 365 days a year. Check out the Disney Skyliner the next time you’re in the vicinity of WDW. You can even experience this top of the line transportation system, at no cost to you. As there is NO CHARGE to ride ANY of the many forms of transportation across the resort. Keep that in mind the next time you have a few hours to kill or just looking for something interesting to do. From the Skyliner, to the world famous WDW Monorail System, to it’s many buses and watercraft. Disney can fulfill your need to experience these transportation offerings,...

While the view from above adds a nice touch, I found the cabin gets real warm, real quick as soon as the ride stops for technical difficulties. The cars are equipped with a fan module overhead (nozzles vent the flow as done in air planes) while air conditioning has been omitted with intent. Each car seats approximately 8 people -across two benches and if you’re not a fan of riding backwards for the duration, 50% of the cabin is forced to. Even during slow periods when the CM’s should be cognizant of seating and ask the next guests of their preference -to join the current or wait for the next car (for those that must ride backwards), they do not...