Leaving Batuu and the Galaxies of Star Wars behind, we began our journey back to the parking lot, knowing that we wanted to somehow make our way over to Epcot. We had a number of options – car, boat, walk (not hardly, feet were already sore) but wait, what’s that? Continuing on, we quickly realized it was Disney’s newest mode of transportation, the Skyliner, an aerial gondola system which opened in 2019! Woo hoo, let’s pretend we’re Tinkerbell and go for a magical ride in the sky!

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This newest transportation system which consists of over 300 gondolas connects four Walt Disney World Resort hotels (Disney’s Pop Century, Disney’s Caribbean Beach, Disney’s Art of Animation and Disney’s Riviera Resort) to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

 

It’s interesting how these gondolas, which have wooden benches that hold up to 10 people (and even strollers). They don’t stop, but instead slow down, but keep moving as they enter and exit the station. There is a separate queue at each station for anyone needing extra time (i.e. guests with wheelchairs or walkers) while getting on the gondola. These special gondolas move to the side, so it doesn’t affect the other gondolas coming in and out of the station, thus keeping the Skyliner system operating at all times. We really liked this transport! During our stay with relatively low crowds the attendants always put us in a private gondola. We don’t know if that is always true, but a nice touch compared to the monorail. It’s really fast too, while in the station the movement is slow and comfortable, but when it hits the high speed cable the acceleration gives a bit of a thrill. The views are spectacular!

The gondolas are not air-conditioned, instead they feature reflective panels to avoid direct sunlight and cross-ventilation windows that allow for airflow. This wasn’t a problem for us because the outside temps were on the cool side. For additional information, times of operation and tips for riding, check out the Undercover Tourist website and this video:

There are several other shorter videos and photos in our photo album.

When we arrived at the International Gateway, we disembarked.

A short boat ride would take us to another resort that we always enjoyed visiting, the Disney Boardwalk Inn.

As expected the Inn lobby was beautifully decorated, a stunning mix of their usual Victorian decor enhanced by the festive garland draped everywhere and several beautifully whimsically decorated trees.

Instead of the usual gingerbread styled house like the one we saw at the Grand Floridian Resort, there was a scaled down version of the Boardwalk Deli which is located nearby. Through one of the windows, Mickey and Minnie appear to be working in the bakery. The upper windows are replicas of those in the Boardwalk Inn with silhouettes of favorite Disney characters peering out at the Boardwalk from the room windows. How cute is that!

Similar to the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian Resort, a sign next to the deli listed all of the ingredients and the time, 210 hours, that it took to create it. Wow!

Wanting to go back to Epcot, we had a short wait at the boat dock for the next Friendship Launch to take us to the International Gateway near the entrance to Epcot.

Remember in a previous post, I mentioned that, during our stay, visitors couldn’t park hop until 2:00 p.m. It was 1:50 p.m. and without thinking when we arrived at the International Gateway stop, we tried to go through the turnstile so we could make our way to Epcot but we were stopped by a Cast Member and told that we would have to wait until 2:00 p.m. Drats! So for 10 minutes we sat, watching people and the gondolas come and go. Funny how slow time goes when you are watching the clock!

Once inside, we walked towards the France pavilion. Since we wanted to visit another favorite ride, Soarin’ Over California, we decided to hop on another boat which would take us across the World Showcase Lagoon where we disembarked and made our way to the Land Pavilion where it is located. Lots of construction along the way and a lot of people but we finally made it!

In previous years, there would be a considerable wait requiring a Fast Pass for Soarin’ but luckily it wasn’t all that crowded so there wasn’t much of a wait. Soarin’ Over California is a giant screen ride simulating a hang gliding flight inside a 180-degree, 80-foot IMAX digital projection dome. It presents spectacular aerial footage over such landmarks as the Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, San Diego harbor, Malibu, downtown Los Angeles and finally, Disneyland Park. Not only do the riders experience the sensation of flight and graceful motion but they are also exposed to pleasant scents and an uplifting musical score. No matter how many times we have experienced this ride, we never tire of it.

After that, we did everything in reverse, even taking the Skyliner back to Hollywood Studios where the car was parked.

Tired and needing a rest, we returned back to the coach but we weren’t done for the day! On our first visit to the Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge, we had seen an interesting appetizer being served to another couple that intrigued us. So after a brief rest, we headed to the Fort Wilderness boat dock and sailed back over to the Wilderness Lodge and the Territory Lounge. This lounge is nice because there are no reservations needed and the prices are reasonable.

On this visit, we both had an L & C (fittingly named for Lewis & Clark) Gin & Tonic which was made from Fords Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and Elderflower Tonic. And yes, that is cucumber, not lime, which adds a unique flavor. Delish!

That was followed by their Artisanal Cheese and Charcuterie. Oh my, love the way it was served!

The meats included are Berkshire Prosciutto, Bresaola, Salami, and Capocollo. The cheeses were Reypenaer, Burrata, Smokey Bleu, and Seahive cheese. You can’t see it in the photo above but on the other side it was garnished with cornichons, carrots, honey and grapes. Wow, I didn’t recognize some of the meat and cheese names but that didn’t matter, it was incredibly delicious and such fun to eat! This is a full meal for two people.

It had been a long day for sure! Catching the last boat back to Fort Wilderness, it was an early bedtime for us. Hi, ho, hi, ho, it’s off to sleep we go!