Swimming in the World Showcase Promenade

[yellowrocket]

FYI... Opryland USA in Nashville, Tennessee would give away rain-day passes during its final years. The passes were only good for the same party on the very next operating day. This is also the same park that, in the 80s, would give you 2 additional free consecutive days with the full purchase price of a one-day's ticket (the Tricket © ). Of course, Opryland USA is a parking lot now, so...

 

[alissafalco]

World Showcase turned into a swimming pool last night. Chaos at around 9pm as people were wading through ankle to knee deep water.

Some guests were even lifting double strollers over railings and across planters to escape the water.
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Omg

 

[donsullivan]

...that I would expect a theme park in Central Florida that has been there for 30+ years to have addressed after multiple hurricanes, heavy downpours, etc...

Listen. I understand that they have their disclaimers and cannot control the forces of nature. I was simply saying that regardless of what the CAUSE of the issue was, they had an opportunity to respond in a guest-friendly way and get some good PR at the same time.

Holy entitlement issues. It was an extremely heavy downpour and drains could not keep up with it. I live 10 miles from there and we got the same thing. Once it stopped, everything drains off and it's fine. This culture that everyone should be compensated for anything that prevents a 'perfect' vacation is ridiculous. Disney owes you nothing beyond keeping you safe when it rains.

 

[jhastings74]

Holy entitlement issues. It was an extremely heavy downpour and drains could not keep up with it. I love 10 miles from there and we got the same thing. Once it stopped, everything drains off and it's fine. This culture that everyone should be compensated for anything that prevents a 'perfect' vacation is ridiculous. Disney owes you nothing beyond keeping you safe when it rains.

Perhaps (about the last part...not the 'entitlement issues' statement...). But I'm not 100% convinced that an environment where guests who are walking on the major pathway in ankle deep water is an example of management doing everything in their control to 'keep it safe'. In looking at the photos, multiple guests were in the area. I didn't see any barricades or ropes to keep people from entering the area. (I'll double-check just to make sure). But it certainly looks like a potentially hazardous area...especially when people trip over curbs when it is completely dry...this is much worse.

Perhaps the company should include the following on all future resort media:

http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-in-a-Swamp

or maybe this?:

http://hydroco.com/hydroco-benefits-of-water.html


ANYhoo...to summarize:

1000 points of light

Stay the course

Missed opportunity for turning a negative guest experience into a positive one.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Wha?? Really???

You have a gorgeous classic EPCOT Center logo for avatar. Symbiosis at The Land once ran an entire segment on how the Dutch built their entire country on this attitude: 'God created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands'. There is no sea, only unwillingness to turn it into land. Likewise, there is no easily flooded piece of mid-Florida swampland, only an unwillingness to install and more likely maintain proper water management. God created the swamp, but Roy created the World.

 

[graphite1326]

I have paid lots more than the cost of a day's admission to Epcot to sit in soaking wet and cold conditions and watch the darn Red Sox lose at Fenway, but stinking John Henry never offered me anything for my trouble or even thanks for the silly ticket costs. Never going to a game in April again.

Well look at the bright side. The Red Sox lost.

 

[Incomudro]

The flooding is not the result of any downpour. It is the result of WDW underinvestment.

The way you don't drown because of high tides, but because you didn't maintain your dykes. Why let God decide your fate when you can be master and decide your own. If your pathways are a foot higher you don't wade ankle deep in water. Nor when your drainage system is adequate.

Huh???

 

[MississippiBelle]

World Showcase turned into a swimming pool last night. Chaos at around 9pm as people were wading through ankle to knee deep water.

Some guests were even lifting double strollers over railings and across planters to escape the water.
View attachment 140429

View attachment 140428

Am I the only one who can't stop laughing about the kid laying down in the water? He was probably celebrating the fact that he got his bath out of the way for the day!

 

[jhastings74]

Huh???

Empress is saying that you don't drown because water came and flooded everything too high...you drown because you didn't do enough to PREVENT it from GETTING that high in the first place. Similar (in theory...not in scale) to this situation.

 

[donsullivan]

Perhaps (about the last part...not the 'entitlement issues' statement...). But I'm not 100% convinced that an environment where guests who are walking on the major pathway in ankle deep water is an example of management doing everything in their control to 'keep it safe'. In looking at the photos, multiple guests were in the area. I didn't see any barricades or ropes to keep people from entering the area. (I'll double-check just to make sure). But it certainly looks like a potentially hazardous area...especially when people trip over curbs when it is completely dry...this is much worse.

Perhaps the company should include the following on all future resort media:

http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-in-a-Swamp

or maybe this?:

http://hydroco.com/hydroco-benefits-of-water.html


ANYhoo...to summarize:

1000 points of light

Stay the course

Missed opportunity for turning a negative guest experience into a positive one.

Or, and here's a novel concept; guests could take responsibility for themselves and stay under cover until the rain storm subsided and it was safe to move around again. nobody needs to be anywhere at Disney World so badly that they cannot wait out a storm. These guests were choosing to put themselves in a dangerous situation, Disney did not put them there.

 

[jhastings74]

Or, and here's a novel concept; guests could take responsibility for themselves and stay under cover until the rain storm subsided and it was safe to move around again. nobody needs to be anywhere at Disney World so badly that they cannot wait out a storm. These guests were choosing to put themselves in a dangerous situation, Dismey did not put them there.

Yep. I agree with you, with just the added opinion that since Disney knows this is now something that COULD occur again, should find a way to remedy, and perhaps could have tossed a token good PR gesture towards those who were impacted. And after living in Central Florida for 9 years, I know how quickly these storms can whip up and the intensity they can have. That does not mean I think everyone should be packing hip waders when they go to the parks in order to navigate the main pathway.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

You have a gorgeous classic EPCOT Center logo for avatar. Symbiosis at The Land once ran an entire segment on how the Dutch built their entire country on this attitude: 'God created the earth, but the Dutch created the Netherlands'. There is no sea, only unwillingness to turn it into land. Likewise, there is no easily flooded piece of mid-Florida swampland, only an unwillingness to install and more likely maintain proper water management. God created the swamp, but Roy created the World.

Thanks, but you cannot expect any entity to build for a completely unexpected event such as this. That is not realistic, especially since this has been around for over 30 years. If the drainage system failed, then one would hope that there will be plans to fix it soon.

 

[donsullivan]

Yep. I agree with you, with just the added opinion that since Disney knows this is now something that COULD occur again, should find a way to remedy, and perhaps could have tossed a token good PR gesture towards those who were impacted. And after living in Central Florida for 9 years, I know how quickly these storms can whip up and the intensity they can have. That does not mean I think everyone should be packing hip waders when they go to the parks in order to navigate the main pathway.

And the minute Disney did anything, other than keeping guests safe the Internet would be awash with recommendations on how to get <insert entitlement here> the next time you get caught in a rain storm at Disney. Disney's only responsibility here is to keep the guests safe and at the same time not endanger cast members trying to keep guests doing stupid things from harming themselves.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Yep. I agree with you, with just the added opinion that since Disney knows this is now something that COULD occur again, should find a way to remedy, and perhaps could have tossed a token good PR gesture towards those who were impacted. And after living in Central Florida for 9 years, I know how quickly these storms can whip up and the intensity they can have. That does not mean I think everyone should be packing hip waders when they go to the parks in order to navigate the main pathway.

Sorry, but have to completely disagree. Disney does not need to do anything in terms of a PR gesture. I have lived in Orlando, and yes, know of the intensity of the rain. As should any person who does half a second of research about a place that they are going. You wouldn't travel to Canada in March without knowing that you might be caught in a snowstorm, and stuck at an airport, would you? If it was a drainage breakage, then of course, they need to fix it. If it was simply more rain than the system was ever designed to handle, then there isn't much they can do, short of spending millions of dollars to fix it. I would rather have refurbed or new attractions rather than something that might happen once every several years. JMHO.

 

[Master Yoda]

Yep. I agree with you, with just the added opinion that since Disney knows this is now something that COULD occur again, should find a way to remedy, and perhaps could have tossed a token good PR gesture towards those who were impacted. And after living in Central Florida for 9 years, I know how quickly these storms can whip up and the intensity they can have. That does not mean I think everyone should be packing hip waders when they go to the parks in order to navigate the main pathway.

Here is the thing...If it does not happen often and does not cause any damage there is no reason to try and fix it.

I do not think there is a drainage system in the world that can not be at least temporarily overwhelmed. If this happens once or twice a year and does nothing but flood a sidewalk for an hour then there is really nothing to fix.

It would be a different story if this happened a couple times a week and was flooding stores, attractions and the like.

 

[jhastings74]

Thanks, but you cannot expect any entity to build for a completely unexpected event such as this. That is not realistic, especially since this has been around for over 30 years. If the drainage system failed, then one would hope that there will be plans to fix it soon.

I hear what you're saying. I would use your thoughts to go along the lines of what I was saying earlier, they could take the path of, "Well, wow. This was totally unexpected and our place wasn't ready for THAT much water, because realistically, who WOULD be ready for THAT much water. So you guests just happen to be both the unfortunate...AND NOW...the lucky ones, because we're going to throw a little sunshine your way in the form of <pick something reasonable> just for your troubles."

From a customer service standpoint, I see nothing wrong with that.

And if this is only an every 5-ish years occurrence (probably even less), it won't break the bank.

But I still feel that they should address whatever may have caused this issue in the first place because some goofball tourist who thinks it's fun to swim in the flood water will slip getting back up and crack their head open, then sue because this now has shown that it can happen and the company may not have addressed it. It's stupid that we live in that kind of society, but really, it should be looked at.

 

[jhastings74]

Sorry, but have to completely disagree. Disney does not need to do anything in terms of a PR gesture. I have lived in Orlando, and yes, know of the intensity of the rain. As should any person who does half a second of research about a place that they are going. You wouldn't travel to Canada in March without knowing that you might be caught in a snowstorm, and stuck at an airport, would you? If it was a drainage breakage, then of course, they need to fix it. If it was simply more rain than the system was ever designed to handle, then there isn't much they can do, short of spending millions of dollars to fix it. I would rather have refurbed or new attractions rather than something that might happen once every several years. JMHO.

And I'm okay with you disagreeing. You happened to catch me on a day that I'm wearing my sassy pants. That's what makes 'Discussion Boards' just that. And you are completely right that Disney does not have to do anything in terms of a PR gesture. Not at all. But....and again...taking the Devil's Advocate role...they have already established a precedent of DOING those 'Magical Moments' in other situations. So, no...they absolutely don't have to. But I think it could have been an easy gesture to maybe help a corporate image that we see in numerous threads around here with many people feeling they are all about the money and not about the guests.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I hear what you're saying. I would use your thoughts to go along the lines of what I was saying earlier, they could take the path of, "Well, wow. This was totally unexpected and our place wasn't ready for THAT much water, because realistically, who WOULD be ready for THAT much water. So you guests just happen to be both the unfortunate...AND NOW...the lucky ones, because we're going to throw a little sunshine your way in the form of <pick something reasonable> just for your troubles."

Still disagree. It was rain. So should Disney reimburse guests every time a ride breaks down and they have to be evacuated? What about when the monorail breaks down, and they need the crane to get everyone off safely? What about when I am watching the castle show and a sudden downpour gets me soaked? Don't I deserve something for that, because I was inconvenienced and got wet? Where exactly to you draw the line?

And as @donsullivan stated, the internet would be swamped with ways to get over on Disney for every little thing that doesn't make their vacation perfect. It already is, and I hate it.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

And I'm okay with you disagreeing. You happened to catch me on a day that I'm wearing my sassy pants. That's what makes 'Discussion Boards' just that. And you are completely right that Disney does not have to do anything in terms of a PR gesture. Not at all. But....and again...taking the Devil's Advocate role...they have already established a precedent of DOING those 'Magical Moments' in other situations. So, no...they absolutely don't have to. But I think it could have been an easy gesture to maybe help a corporate image that we see in numerous threads around here with many people feeling they are all about the money and not about the guests.

When have they ever done a "magical moment" in other situations? What situations?

 

[raven]

Perhaps visitors from outside the Central FL area do some research on weather conditions for the season they are vacationing here. You can't expect Disney to compensate thousands of guests because of mother nature.