Disney Skyliner Gondola Construction Update – May 2019

This is our Disney Skyliner Gondola Construction Update for May 2019 and as usual we have plenty of new things to share about this new transportation system in Disney World. Today we’re going to look at the gondolas now uncovered and saying high with all the characters visible, as well as the new Disney Skyliner signs being installed on the Skyliner Stations.

If you haven’t heard about it yet, the Disney Skyliner is a new transportation system being introduced to Walt Disney World this Summer, which is a cable gondola style and something you would see in ski resort in the Alps. It’s very similar to the old Skyway buckets that were in the Magic Kingdom.

We won’t get into everything in this post as we just want to bring you the latest construction updates on the Disney Skyliner. You can read more about the Disney Skyliner in our general info post which covers all the details like ride times, distances, rider capacity and future expansion.

In our last Disney Skyliner update we saw the gondola cars unwrapped and characters starting to appear, and we’re going to show more of them to you too!

Before we show you all the Skyliner updates for May, we want to thank as always @bioreconstruct over on Twitter for all the fantastic work he does getting aerial photos, which are by far the best! It’s so awesome to get this unique perspective on the parks so let’s enjoy them!

I’m constantly updating this post so you can scroll down for the latest pictures.

Let’s see all the new things so far in May…

Let’s start over at the Caribbean Beach Skyliner station which is the main hub so to speak for the Disney Skyliner system:

You can see it’s a bit more than 3/4 full right now with the gondolas themselves being kept in the back. However there are quite of few of them out for testing right now between here and the Hollywood Studios station and also up to Epcot now.

You can see that most of the gondolas are covered up in the station except for those two:

Here’s a shot of the side of the station:

and a pretty view from the water:

Let’s head over to Hollywood Studios where most of the action is. To get there we’re going through this pass in the woods and over the parking lot in the distance:

You can see the gondolas out on the line being tested going over to Hollywood Studios:

At this point most of them are covered, but that is going to change in the following pictures:

Major work is being done to the entrances of all 4 theme parks before the 50th anniversary, and we can see some of that going on outside Hollywood Studios. This whole area will be different next time you come as there is a new bus station, tram drop-off and the Skyliner Station:

Speaking of which, look what they just put up on top of the Disney Skyliner station, the Skyliner Sign!

Since all the stations are themed differently, expect the signs to each have their own unique spin on them.

Now about those gondola cabins, here was a photo from a couple of weeks ago where the cabins were mostly covered up:

Now however, we’re starting to see the Skyliner gondolas in their true forms:

Look at how amazing this shot is with all the multi-colored Skyliner gondolas flying high overhead. This is really a spectacular view and something I’m really happy is coming:

Some of the gondolas are plain colored:

But the best ones are themed to the Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel characters. This one for example is from Pixar’s Coco:

We’ve got a couple of BB-8 ones next:

and the rest of his friends from Star Wars including Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO:

A Haunted Mansion is on the left:

and who knows what kind of trouble Stitch is going to get into up here:

Guardians of the Galaxy:

and the Disney classics like Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan are coming through the station:

Read our article about all the Disney Skyliner characters to see who else you can expect to find here.

The artwork is really. incredible on the gondolas, and I can’t wait to get up close and examine them in person. It’s going to be super fun waiting to get your favorites!

Next up from the Caribbean Beach station is the stop at Disney’s Riviera Resort. Notice the Skyliner station on the far left of the picture:

The Riviera Resort is coming along nicely and will be ready to opening in December:

Looks like a lot of work is being done to the landscaping in the back of the property and palm trees have been planted and the swimming pool installed (though there is no water yet).

Here’s what it looks like from the concept art:

the scaffolding is down in the middle of the building for the most part, with some still remaining on the sides:

Construction workers coming in and out on the scaffolding and external stairs:

You can read our article for a better look at what the insides of the Riviera Resort rooms are going to look like.

Once you leave the Riviera Resort you’ll head up to Epcot:

But before we get there, we’re stopping at the Turn Station positioned in in a key location which will make future expansion possible:

Once you leave the Turn Station you get to Epcot:

You can see the Skyliner station on the upper left and the new Ratatouille attraction being built on the right in the France pavilion.

That’s it so far this month, but keep checking back as we’ll be posting more photos soon…

Disney hasn’t exactly announced when the Skyliner is going to open except it will be Summer 2019. Of course it seems like things have to be finished before Galaxy’s Edge opens on August 29 in Disney World, because the Disney Skyliner is going to be a big part of moving people back and forth.

Testing should continue through the next month and it’s even possible we could see a July 2019 opening, but they need to test it in many weather conditions to make sure everything is 100% before opening.

I’ll keep you updated so stay tuned.

Also make sure to check out our Walt Disney World Construction Updates post for more progress on all the projects going on around Disney World as we continue to bring you the latest!

Your Thoughts:

I want to know what you think about the progress on Disney Skyliner Construction for May 2019…

• Are you excited for the Disney Skyliner?
• Which design is your favorite?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

Photos: @Bioreconstruct