Remember when you could ride in the front of the monorail?

[Californian Elitist]

If you ask nicely, you can steer the Mark Twain Riverboat at Disneyland. Afterwards you sign the guestbook. The captain usually gives you a certificate, but I'm not sure if they still do that.

 

[Steve-B]

. . . I still have my co-pilot's card . . .

I wish I had known about the co-pilot's card when we rode. I'd have at least one.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I wish I had known about the co-pilot's card when we rode. I'd have at least one.

It's pretty cool! If I remember (and find it) I'll scan it to share w/everyone.

 

[Meredith]

In 2007 when I was 7 i got to ride upfront it was so much fun I am sad they don't allow it after the monorail inccedent but I am glad I could do it while I can.

 

[FettFan]

I'm still wondering why Disney cut out the cockpit rides. That monorail crash was a one-off event caused by human error....chiefly because a monorail operations manager who decided to shirk his duty by not even being onsite.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We rode in the front many times prior to the policy change. Used to pick up the ride in the best seat at the Contemporary monorail station. What a great view we had moving along the monorail beams. I never got a copilots card from any of the pilots but did get one online years later to add to my collection of Disney stuff.
And I have a Monorail pilots uniform pin too.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I'm still wondering why Disney cut out the cockpit rides. That monorail crash was a one-off event caused by human error....chiefly because a monorail operations manager who decided to shirk his duty by not even being onsite.

Because one guest fatality would be one too many... It does happen occasionally, sure - but this is prevented easily enough. Someone also mentioned the insurance cost, which makes sense.

FWIW, I did ask to ride on my last trip (Nov/Dec 2012) and that's when I found out it was discontinued.

 

[luv]

I'm still wondering why Disney cut out the cockpit rides. That monorail crash was a one-off event caused by human error....chiefly because a monorail operations manager who decided to shirk his duty by not even being onsite.

They don't want to have headlines about small children dying if there is another crash.

 

[bethymouse]

I love the steamboat captain thing! It's so cool!
We rode up front of the monorail in 2009 and got copilot cards. Gosh we miss that!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm still wondering why Disney cut out the cockpit rides. That monorail crash was a one-off event caused by human error....chiefly because a monorail operations manager who decided to shirk his duty by not even being onsite.

That's a rather broad mischaracterization of what occurred.

 

[Joshua Hall]

That's a rather broad mischaracterization of what occurred.

Not sure how it is a Mischaracterization when it is what happen, the manager who sits in the booth at the TTC was at an applebees or some resturant down the street having dinner with his girl instead on in the booth where he would have looked at a control board or out the window and seen that the beam had not been shifted to the spur and then would have not radioed the ok to proceed.

Just my opinion mind you.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I have 8 co-pilots licenses and probably rode in front about 15-20 times. I used to ask almost every time and always when I had "newbies" traveling with me.

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

btw the official report discusses employee error by two CM's which contributed to the crash.

"The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the July 5, 2009, collision between two monorails at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, was the shop panel operator's failure to properly position switch-beam 9 and the failure of the monorail manager acting as the central coordinator to verify the position of switch-beam 9 before authorizing the reverse movement of the Pink monorail. Contributing to the accident was Walt Disney World Resort's lack of standard operating procedures leading to an unsafe practice when reversing trains on its monorail system."

The manager noted was not on Disney property when he gave the OK for Pink to reverse.

EDIT: they changed their policies after the accident as follows:

In response to a request from the NTSB, Disney World has listed several additional changes to its monorail operating procedures. A partial list follows:

• The monorail manager on duty is required to remain on the premises of the Walt Disney World Resort when monorails are under his or her supervision.
• The normal operating procedure for monorail drivers who are required to switch tracks will be to switch to a forward-facing cab. (Each monorail train has a forward-facing and rear-facing cab equipped with operating controls.)
• When monorails travel in reverse from the driver's perspective, a dedicated spotter/observer will be assigned to monitor such movement. The spotter/observer will remain in radio contact with the monorail driver or the monorail central coordinator. (This practice is recommended in the monorail manufacturer's instruction manual.)
• Monorail drivers are required to visually confirm the correct position of switch-beams prior to switching from one beam to another.
• When monorail movement is under the direction of a monorail central coordinator, that coordinator must remain inside the designated control tower. Further, when a monorail central coordinator is directing switching operations, that coordinator must visually verify via an electronic Power Distribution and Monitoring System display and video camera monitor that the beams are in the proper switching position and that power has been applied appropriately.
• A second monorail shop panel operator must visually verify the switching process is properly performed by the primary monorail shop panel operator.
• A monorail tracking board that identifies the beams on which monorails are operating was installed for use by shop panel operators during switching procedures.
• Monorail operations has designated a new radio signal that, when called, will direct all monorails to stop immediately.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not sure how it is a Mischaracterization when it is what happen, the manager who sits in the booth at the TTC was at an applebees or some resturant down the street having dinner with his girl instead on in the booth where he would have looked at a control board or out the window and seen that the beam had not been shifted to the spur and then would have not radioed the ok to proceed.

Just my opinion mind you.

That Cast Member was on an approved break when he took over for the Cast Member at the Transportation and Ticket Center who left early due to feeling ill. He was acting within Disney's policies.

 

[FettFan]

That Cast Member was on an approved break when he took over for the Cast Member at the Transportation and Ticket Center who left early due to feeling ill. He was acting within Disney's policies.

He was not even on Disney property. Thus, he shirked his duty by radioing in the command for Pink to go in reverse without knowing exactly what was going on.

 

[lazyboy97o]

He was not even on Disney property. Thus, he shirked his duty by radioing in the command for Pink to go in reverse without knowing exactly what was going on.

See my previous post.

 

[coilback]

Yup, rode it when I was a kid in the 80s and then again when I came back in the early 2000's. I gave away most of my Co-pilot's licenses, but I still have one for myself laying around here somewhere.

 

[mouse_luv]

Last rode in front of Monorail at WDW in Feb of 2009 and got co-pilots license. They discontinued it after the July `09 Monorail accident.

 

[ImagineerDude]

We did it once in 2007 when we first discovered it. I loved it!

 

[WLBound]

We were able to ride in the front once on our honeymoon. We didn't get a co-pilot's card but that might be because the driver was too busy flirting with the two women who rode with us. The view on approach into Epcot was the best from the front.