A routine Disney Skyliner ride recently turned into an unexpected late-night ordeal for some Walt Disney World Resort guests. The gondola transportation system, which connects several Disney Resort hotels to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, suddenly stopped, leaving passengers suspended high above the resort in the dark.
A Suspenseful Ride in the Sky
The Disney Skyliner has been a staple of Walt Disney World transportation since it opened in 2019, offering guests a scenic alternative to buses and boats. It services Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort, as well as EPCOT International Gateway and Hollywood Studios. However, when the gondola system unexpectedly halts, guests have no choice but to wait it out—sometimes in eerie silence, as one guest recently experienced.
Last week, TikTok user @mcwiththemagic shared a video documenting her time stuck in a Disney Skyliner gondola at night. The video captures her visible discomfort as she waits for the system to resume. “Not me about to have a panic attack while stuck on the Skyliner,” she wrote in her caption.
@mcwiththemagic Not me about to have a panic attack while stuck on the skyliner 🚠 #disneyskyliner #disneyworld #disneyadult #disneyvlog #disneymagic
In the video, the guest narrates her unsettling experience: “No one tells you how eerie the Skyliner is until you’re stuck alone sitting at the top at night. I am a Skyliner girly, but…”
Before she could finish, an intercom announcement cut through the quiet: “Thank you for your patience. We are now resuming your journey. We will take flight momentarily.”
Her relief was immediate. “Woo!” she cheered. “Thank god.”
How Common Are Disney Skyliner Stops?
Though pauses on the Disney Skyliner are not unusual, full system stops can feel unnerving, especially when they happen late at night. The Skyliner operates with an emergency preparedness system, meaning every gondola is equipped with an emergency kit containing water, cooling packs, and other supplies in case of a prolonged stoppage. Disney has protocols in place to manually restart the system or evacuate guests if necessary.
The video quickly gained traction online, sparking debate among Disney Parks fans about the Skyliner’s reliability. While some users expressed their fears of being stranded mid-air, others came to the Skyliner’s defense.
“Oh nahhhh,” @alexrzarro commented. “The feeling of being trapped high up would have me panicking in just 30 seconds.”
“We stopped over the highest bit over the hotels and OH MY GOD the cable like dropped a smidge just cuz it stopped working and i freaked the HELL out,” said @amber_anne_.
Still, some Disney Park guests reassured others that the system is safe.
“Skyliner is probably one of the safest modes of transportation,” @hypepinki wrote. “Gondola lifts like that have existed since 1900s all thru Europe. The cable line can be manually cranked so you’re never actually stuck.”
Would you have panicked if you were stuck on the Disney Skyliner alone at night? Share your thoughts with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
They should install a dummy cable. When the cars stop, the cable drops to the ground and a dinosaur comes out of the trees. Just a thought.