Walt Disney World Resort guests faced a nerve-wracking experience this weekend when the Disney Skyliner gondola system was halted due to an emergency alarm. The unexpected shutdown left hundreds of guests stranded mid-air, suspended roughly 60 feet above the ground before they were evacuated.
The Disney Skyliner is the newest transportation system at Walt Disney World Resort. It connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT International Gateway, and several Disney Resort hotels, including Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
Redditor u/thatonehispanicgirl shared a firsthand account of this weekend’s Disney Skyliner shutdown, describing how the gondolas stopped moving as a fire alarm blared. “We just got escorted off and are standing at Caribbean Beach,” the guest wrote. “We know it’s a fire alarm, but wondered if it was a false alarm or something more serious.”
Another guest, Redditor u/jcwilsonmd, was at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when the evacuation began.
“We were about to get on at Hollywood Studios and were told nope. There was an issue or incident at another location. There was a little tension with the safety guy telling everyone to hurry up,” they explained.
The situation grew more frustrating as guests received little to no information about what was happening. “Everyone is tight-lipped,” u/jcwilsonmd added, noting that the Disney Skyliner had stopped moving entirely once all guests were evacuated.
The exact nature of the fire alarm and its cause remains unclear, as Walt Disney World Resort has not publicly addressed the incident. The Central Florida Disney park typically avoids sharing detailed explanations about sudden closures or evacuations. Guests often learn about disruptions only at the theme park or Disney Resort hotel stations.
Have you ever gotten stuck on the Disney Skyliner? Share your story with Disney Dining in the comments!
Obtaining information is akin to asking a WM employee, where the ketchup is located.
I am at a loss as to why anyone deserves an explanation other than “please disembark and we are hoping to be up and running again shortly.” Inconvenient? Of course it is but you are taking that chance when you climb aboard. Some people want something in return for the inconvenience.