Report: Disney World Skyliner gondola mishap results in 3 people hospitalized
Disney World Skyliner gondola crash caused 3 people to go to the hospital.
The sky’s the limit for Walt Disney World’s new aerial gondolas. The Florida theme park announced that the Skyliner attraction has “magically transported” one million guests in its first month of service.
Notably, the Skyliner was closed for over a week after an apparent mechanical glitch left some guests stranded in the air for hours during the night of Oct. 5. Three people were reportedly hospitalized in connection to the incident and Disney temporarily closed the ride to investigate the issue.
On Monday, Disney Parks Blog revealed that one million parkgoers have hopped aboard the Skyliner ride to be “magically transported” high above the iconic entertainment hub, one month after its Sept. 29 opening.
The Disney Skyliner transports guests between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, as well as three resort hotels, as of Sept. 29, 2019. A fourth hotel, opening in December, will also be connected via the Skyliner. (Disney) (Disney)
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“Since opening just weeks ago, this popular state-of-the-art transportation system has offered a convenient way to get around the Walt Disney World Resort with an extra dash of pixie dust. The beautiful Disney Skyliner gondolas glide across the sky providing amazing bird’s-eye views of the property,” the blog post said.
The release continued to claim that the cable car system has already become “a popular way to travel to resort locations” as it uniquely connects Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to various hotels – Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century and Caribbean Beach resorts. The Skyliner will also service Disney’s new Riviera Resort when it opens in December.
“We’re proud to celebrate this exciting milestone for Disney Skyliner and look forward to offering the best transportation experiences to many, many more Walt Disney World Resort guests in the future,” the blog post read.
Disney even dropped a promotional video advertising the Skyliner ride on the same day on YouTube, with guests fawning over their experiences with “the most magical flight on Earth” in the 43-second clip.
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Many described the views from the Skyliner as “beautiful” and “amazing,” voicing their appreciation for the opportunity to “see the park from a different angle.”
“Quick, easy, I don't gotta drive,” one man said.
“Make it the event of the day,” a woman echoed.
“Everyone should do it as much as possible, it's a great time,” another rider chimed in.
Earlier this month, three people were reportedly hospitalized and released after an apparent mechanical malfunction at the Skyliner attraction trapped riders for hours.
When contacted for comment, a Disney rep offered Fox News the following statement on the mishap:
“We have a team diligently looking into the cause of Saturday’s malfunction on the Epcot line of the Disney Skyliner. We have been in contact with the guests, many of whom were on the Skyliner for more than three hours until we were able to restart the system,” an official said on Oct. 9. “We express our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and continue to work with each guest individually.”
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After a temporary closure and investigation, the gondola system reopened to the public on Oct. 14.
Fox News’ Dom Calicchio and Alexandra Deabler contributed to this report.