PHOTOS: Latest Construction Progress on the Disney Skyliner at Pop Century, Art of Animation Resorts

WDWNT on October 7, 2017

Work continues on the new Disney Skyliner gondola transportation system for Walt Disney World, with plenty of construction quite visible from the Art of Animation and Pop Century Resort Hotels:

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Pylone visible out in Hourglass Lake.

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Pylons are starting to rise on what will be the gondola station between the two hotels.

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The bridge between the two resorts is still open, but they needed to end bike rentals due to the tightened walkway.

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Imagine in a few years, you’ll be boarding a gondola with Disney characters on it, right here.

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No completion date on the project has been provided. The Disney Skyline will connect Epcot, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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BREAKING: Hourglass Lake Overlook Being Built at Pop Century & Art of Animation; Is This the Gondola Station?

WDWNT on March 17, 2017

Disney will be constructing a scenic overlook over Hourglass Lake, the body of water located between Disney’s Pop Century and Art of Animation Resorts.

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Permits were filed with the South Florida Water Management District and the image below is provided in the documentation.

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It appears as though this could be the spot for the station of the rumored gondola transportation system. The size of the plot would be big enough to hold such a item, and the placement directly between both resorts makes sense. Otherwise, it is unknown what the exact reasoning for building this overlook could be. There is already more than enough seating out in this area for those who wish to enjoy the view, so building more seating or standing space wouldn’t serve any real practical purpose.

Either way, this overlook is being constructed starting soon.

RUMOR: Skyway Gondola Transportation System Between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to be Constructed

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

This one is a bit wacky, but according to recent permits filed by the Walt Disney World, it seems that a Skyway-type gondola transportation system may be installed to transport guests between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios (as well as a few resort hotels in between).

If you think Skyway systems are out of date, think again. New York City still utilizes such a system to and from Roosevelt Island and has proposed an additional system for the future, seen here.

If you think Skyway systems are out of date, think again. New York City still utilizes such a system to and from Roosevelt Island and has proposed an additional system for the future, seen here.

If the buildings on the permits are indeed for stations, the system would include stops at Epcot’s International Gateway, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, a shared station at the Pop Century and Art of Animation Resorts, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. See our illustration below:

The rumored route, stops and turns of Walt Disney World's new Skyway system.

The rumored route, stops and turns of Walt Disney World’s new Skyway system.

It’s no secret that Disney will not build a monorail expansion for cost and efficiency reasons, so would they build this instead? The timing seems right with the massive expansion work at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and soon-to-commence at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The stations and turns are in spaces not currently used by any other structures or infrastructure.

The original Skyway attraction once operated at the Magic Kingdom park from 1971 until 1999. This new system would likely include much larger, enclosed gondolas, however (similar to the New York system pictured at the top of the article). It would be nice to have the Skyway back at Walt Disney World, in name at least. A modern homage to a classic Disney attraction that would now serve a real transportation purpose for many a guest.

The original Magic Kingdom Skyway

The original Magic Kingdom Skyway

We will keep you in the loop as more information on this rumored project becomes available.

Our thanks to the group of Disney World fans who pieced together this information!

Dirk Wallen’s 11/3/14 WDW Photo Report (Walls Down at Disney Springs, New Concept Art, Big Hero 6, Christmas Merch, ETC)

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot this week and he has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us in this HUGE photo report, so let’s get started:

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Plenty of roadwork still to be done for Disney Springs

A new piece of elevated track is rising on the West Side, between Splitsville and Wolfgang Puck

We now know this large building with be the Boathouse

Disney announced this new restaurant concept last week

They wasted no time in adding ads to the walls for the restaurant

Concept art for the façade of the Boathouse

The small waterside park in The Landing opened this weekend

A nice little area for relaxing and live entertainment

Some of the buildings are out from behind construction walls in The Landing

New concept art for the area now on construction walls

There is a giant inflatable Baymax from Big Hero 6 on the West Side…

These storefronts in The Landing are just about done

The bridge in the Marketplace is also nearing completion

Two small, temporary stores operated by Something Silver opened by Fulton’s recently

The Marketplace bridge with the Rainforest Café façade refurbishment in the background

Shifting gears, Christmas merchandise has invaded the resort

Ornaments

Some Star Wars holiday pins were released

Plenty of Big Hero 6 merchandise is available around the resort

2015 calendars available

New “I Conquered” shirt

Iron Man and Captain America shirts

New Star Wars character glasses

New Darth Vader t-shirt

Some new merchandise was released at the Art of Animation Resort

Over at Epcot, walls finally came down around the area that was closed when a water main was hit after the Flower and Garden Festival

No visible progress at Norway’s Frozen attraction

We tweeted these weeks ago, but if you haven’t seen, some new retro EPCOT Center merchandise has been released

A quick stop at Animal Kingdom reveals work walls near Pangani Forest and Kilimanjaro Safaris

No visible changes at AVATAR, it’s impossible to see from inside the park

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, work continues on Starbucks and the Trolley Car Café

Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey…

Big Hero 6 merchandise carts replace the Frozen carts

Banners up in the Animation Courtyard

Work has finally begun on the Big Hero 6 meet and greet inside The Magic of Disney Animation

Big Hero 6 billboard by The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow

Let’s journey inside the new Wandering Oaken’s

Purchase with purchase Frozen bag available

Jim Shore has released some Frozen statues

Osborne Lights are ready to go

No more Backlot Tour…

Exclusive: Art of Animation Aerial Construction Photos

WDWNT on January 18, 2012

by Nick LoCicero

Construction on Disney’s new Art of Animation resort is well underway. We took a look from above this week to see just how far along it has progressed. The resort consists of four themed areas… Cars, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo and The Lion King.

The Cars buildings are some of the most far along.
Finding Nemo
Squirt adorns these sketch pads.
A closer look inside the courtyard.

For more pictures, check out the full article at Orlando Sky Radio.com

For aerial pictures of the Fantasyland construction, click here.