News DeSantis moves to bring state safety oversight of the Walt Disney World Monorail including suspending the service for inspections

[JohnD]

It's more detailed than that. Whether that line item would break it out into the various categories of inspections the agency is authorized to conduct we'll have to wait and see.

True. FDOT does have a "work program".

 

[LAKid53]

It's an "omnibus" transportation bill. Here is the final section:

Section 30. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this act and except for this section, which shall take effect upon this act becoming a law, this act shall take effect July 1, 2023.​

​

I did not see any language in the section about monorail inspections regarding that section taking effect upon becoming law which means it takes effect July 1, 2023. Doesn't really matter. The bill, when signed, is law at that point. The inspections just couldn't start any earlier than the beginning of the next fiscal year, July 1.

That's in the bill itself, correct? Not the Appropriation Bill?

 

[LAKid53]

True. FDOT does have a "work program".

We need a friend in FDOT's budget office around allocation time.

 

[JohnD]

That's in the bill itself, correct? Not the Appropriation Bill?

That's at the bottom of HB 1305.

 

[LAKid53]

That's at the bottom of HB 1305.

Okay. I cannot keep up with all the bills that impact Disney's operation of WDW. It's like "wack a mole".

 

[JohnD]

Okay. I cannot keep up with all the bills that impact Disney's operation of WDW. It's like "wack a mole".

As far as I can tell, it's two: SB 1604 (signed today) and HB 1305.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Granted that someone was killed last year on an Orlando attraction that is inspected by the state, I don’t know if I would welcome this.

Unfortunately there have been deaths related to the monorail as well

 

[LAKid53]

Unfortunately there have been deaths related to the monorail as well

Other than the tragic death of the CM, there have been others related to the operation?

 

[Dranth]

Unfortunately there have been deaths related to the monorail as well

Which would have been the time to change/add inspections instead of 14 years later.

Edit to add: I believe this is when Disney changed the rules on riding up front as well.

 

[JohnD]

Other than the tragic death of the CM, there have been others related to the operation?

That was brought up in debate. No. Just in 2009.

 

[JohnD]

Which would have been the time to change/add inspections instead of 14 years later.

That was also brought up in debate.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Other than the tragic death of the CM, there have been others related to the operation?

No other fatalities that I’m aware of. Here’s a page I found showing other incidents and injuries however

WDW Monorail Accident Page

A list of accidents, crashes, fire, and mishaps during the years of operation of the Walt Disney World

www.bigfloridacountry.com

 

[Stripes]

Disney has stated that Reedy Creek was it's own entity and was NEVER a "puppet govt" of the company. (As they should) So how is the state disolving Reedy Creek a first Ammendment "attack" on Disney? Disney swears that Reedy creek is/was NOT an agent of Disney.

Disney and RCID are their own entities. The state didn’t dissolve Reedy Creek, they changed the governance structure.

The state stripped Disney of its statutory right as a landowner to vote for the district’s board, thereby harming Disney. In no way does that imply that Disney and RCID are the same.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Disney and RCID are their own entities. The state didn’t dissolve Reedy Creek, they changed the governance structure.

Well they did dissolve it originally, but realized that was not a good idea due to the billion-dollar bonds that RCID has. They reinstated RCID and changed the governance structure. Obviously just semantics, but its important to recognize how stupid these people are.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Unfortunately there have been deaths related to the monorail as well

I do feel horrible about the pilot that died, but had the state instated these inspections 14 years ago when that happened, I wouldn't have commented on it.

 

[JohnD]

It's more detailed than that. Whether that line item would break it out into the various categories of inspections the agency is authorized to conduct we'll have to wait and see.

There is $212,460 appropriated in the FDOT 5 year work program for RCID "routine maintenance." I have no idea what that means. Just pointing out what I found.

 

[Stripes]

Well they did dissolve it originally, but realized that was not a good idea due to the billion-dollar bonds that RCID has. They reinstated RCID and changed the governance structure. Obviously just semantics, but its important to recognize how stupid these people are.

Well not just the bonds but also the hundreds of millions in additional expenses every year in order to maintain the infrastructure and services RCID provides.

It was also illegal for them to dissolve the district because the 2018 utility revenue bond prohibited redemption until October 2029 and the state made a promise to bond holders that they wouldn’t interfere with the district’s taxing powers. So the state couldn’t dissolve the district without paying off all of the bonds and they couldn’t pay off the 2018 utility revenue bond even if they wanted to.

 

[Lilofan]

I do feel horrible about the pilot that died, but had the state instated these inspections 14 years ago when that happened, I wouldn't have commented on it.

Cast member was directing monorail vehicles while eating dinner off property , 21 year old pilot CM killed in incident. Civil trial never happened. Disney and family reached settlement.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Well not just the bonds but also the hundreds of millions in additional expenses every year in order to maintain the infrastructure and services RCID provides.

It was also illegal for them to dissolve the district because the 2018 utility revenue bond prohibited redemption until October 2029 and the state made a promise to bond holders that they wouldn’t interfere with the district’s taxing powers. So the state couldn’t dissolve the district without paying off all of the bonds and they couldn’t pay off the 2018 utility revenue bond even if they wanted to.

If the state could’ve, they would’ve saddled Orange & Osceola counties with the debt just to spite Disney.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I do feel horrible about the pilot that died, but had the state instated these inspections 14 years ago when that happened, I wouldn't have commented on it.

Exactly. Legislation sincerely intended to subject the monorail system to state oversight with the intention of increasing safety might be a good thing. Discussion of the safety of the monorail system or other attractions at WDW is likewise a very valid topic, one that has been discussed at length on these boards, and will be discussed again. But that is not this legislation and that is not this thread.

THIS thread is about a bill that is part of a broader effort by the Florida government to punish speech it doesn't like and create a mechanism through which the government can regulate the ideological content of the media. The bill is neither motivated by nor intended to actually address safety issues. Discussing those issues in this thread is off-topic, obscures the governments actual intentions, and works to justify and legitimize unconstitutional governmental repression of free speech. If we want to discuss monorail safety issues, I'd suggest it be done elsewhere.