Does the Skyliner close if it rains? During storms or high winds, or if lightning has been detected nearby, the Disney Skyliner does close. When that happens, bus transportation will be provided.
People Also Ask
This probably seems obvious, but the weather can and does affect the Skyliner and how it operates. When it's raining hard or storming, it can close down completely. This is especially true if there is lightning!
How early does the Skyliner open? The operating hours for the gondolas tends to vary depending on what time the parks are opening and closing, but you can typically find them starting from around 7:30 am to 8:30 a.m. and going until 10 or 11 p.m.
Even when there are posted open hours for Skyliner, operations may temporarily cease for weather issues, notably high winds or severe lightning. If the Skyliner is not operating, you can use alternate transportation such as WDW's free bus system.
While the Skyliner is generally a very reliable system, there are a few times it will be closed. First, weather may impact operations of the gondola system. High winds and rain will temporarily suspend travel. And, of course, there have been a few “crashes” of gondola cars at the stations.
Disney Skyliner at Walt Disney World will be closing for a brief annual refurbishment in early 2024. The gondola transportation system will be closed January 16 through January 21 2024.
No, Disney does not offer rain checks or any kind of compensation for a rainy day. This does not mean that your day will be ruined. There are still things to do at Disney when it does rain. Check out our article on 10 things you can do on a rainy day at Disney World.
If you just want to ride the Skyliner for fun, you will have to get off at a destination—you cannot just stay on through a station—but you can usually just walk right back on going the other way. Of course, during peak times (park closing, particularly) this might be a bad idea.
The nearly 300 gondolas feature onboard audio, which is unique to every Disney Skyliner route, depending on the destination you're headed to. The gondolas are not air-conditioned, but they feature reflective panels to avoid direct sunlight and cross-ventilation windows that allow for airflow.
Often Skyliner will start running 30-60 minutes prior to park opening. Ask at your hotel what time it will start running. Don't forget to allow time to board Skyliner during rush hour, wait times can be 15-20 minutes during this period. Yes, another reason to get an early start on your day at Walt Disney World!