Disney Skyliner reopens with modified hours after stranding passengers last week
Disney's Skyliner is up and running again with modified service after the new aerial cable car system stranded passengers for hours the night of Oct. 5.
"Beginning today, guests may travel aboard Disney Skyliner from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.," reads an update on Walt Disney World Resort's Skyliner landing page.
However, on Wednesday, the Disney Hollywood Studios line won't be available, though the other two lines will operate from 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. On Thursday and Friday, all lines will operate from 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
"Following a complete review with the manufacturer, we’ve made adjustments to our processes and training, and we are improving how we communicate with guests during their flight with Disney Skyliner," Thomas Smith, editorial content director at Disney Parks, wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"Similar to ski lift systems, Disney Skyliner may slow or come to some stops during the ride, particularly when we need to accommodate guests who require additional time to load their cabin," Smith added. "We want to assure you that the comfort of every guest is important to us."
USA TODAY has reached out to Disney for more information
Disney confirmed last week it was operating the Skyliner without guests as part of its review of the service.
On Oct. 5, riders were stranded when one of the Skyliner cars became stuck in the air, the company said.
The company had said no injuries were reported, and it was working with each guest "regarding impacts to their visit with us."
Later, it came out that three people were taken to the hospital and later released following the incident.
Eryka Washington of the Reedy Creek Improvement District confirmed the information about those transported. Reedy Creek is a special taxing district set up by the state of Florida and Disney and provides emergency services for the theme parks.
"We have a team diligently looking into the cause of Saturday’s malfunction on the Epcot line of the Disney Skyliner," Disney told USA TODAY in a statement on Oct. 7. "We have been in contact with the guests, many of whom were on the Skyliner for more than three hours until we were able to restart the system. We express our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and continue to work with each guest individually." The company reiterated their apology in the Oct. 14 update: "We again offer our deepest apologies to the guests impacted by the malfunction that resulted in extended operating delays."
It was not immediately clear how many riders were stuck. Photos on Twitter showed a few yellow cars jumbled together along a platform.
The Skyliner system opened to much fanfare; Disney announced it would be ready in fall 2019 in November of last year. The company describes the Skyliner on its website as a "grand, state-of-the-art gondola system" that connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four Disney hotels.
Contributing: John Bacon
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disney Skyliner reopens with modified schedule
