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

[TP2000]

The point is, there is absolutely no data that shows anything would be improved or that the state would do a better job than Disney, Universal, and Sea World do with these inspections right now. They all have teams of highly trained people who work with the manufacturers of these attractions on a global basis from design to construction to operations to make sure the design, implementation, and operations are done as safely as possible. They all operate parks around the world and have extensive relationships with all of the attraction manufacturers with which to accumulate that knowledge. Do you really think things will be improved by having the crew that inspects the tilt-a-whirl at the county fair doing that work? Will they have the necessary relationships with all of the global attraction manufacturers (they are all over the globe) necessary to do that job effectively and thoroughly? There isn't any way possible that can be true with government funding.

Florida simply needs to copy-and-paste the California system that has been in place for 20 years now.

If anything, it would be easier for Florida and would be a really good way for the Florida parks to burnish their safety images. Most of the leading ride system manufacturers (Oceaneering, Sally, Arrow-Dynamic, Premier, etc.) are all based in Orlando. None are based in California.

IAPPA is headquartered in Orlando, and the annual IAPPA Convention takes place every year in Orlando, never in Anaheim. What Silicon Valley is to Tech, Orlando is to the global theme park industry. What Detroit is (was) to cars, Orlando is to the global theme park industry.

It would be easier to work in that business environment than it is in California, certainly. You might even get better results than California has!

 

[donsullivan]

Florida simply needs to copy-and-paste the California system that has been in place for 20 years now.

If anything, it would be easier for Florida and would be a really good way for the Florida parks to burnish their safety images. Most of the leading ride system manufacturers (Oceaneering, Sally, Arrow-Dynamic, Premier, etc.) are all based in Orlando. None are based in California.

IAPPA is headquartered in Orlando, and the annual IAPPA Convention takes place every year in Orlando, never in Anaheim. What Silicon Valley is to Tech, Orlando is to the global theme park industry. What Detroit is (was) to cars, Orlando is to the global theme park industry.

It would be easier to work in that business environment than it is in California, certainly. You might even get better results than California has!

But your premise assumes something is functionally broken with the current system and there is absolutely no factual data to indicate that such a problem exists.

You're making change for the sake of it, not to actually improve something that's not broken.

 

[hopemax]

It's strange, there was a time when politicians veiled their bad intentions, so debate over their true intentions was understandable. Who would have thought we would reach a time when those intentions were stated out right and there was still debate about their intentions.

Me, me, I would predict it. Because the debate isn’t really with another person. It’s reassurance for the individual that their backing of that politician was and / or is rational.

 

[TP2000]

But your premise assumes something is functionally broken with the current system and there is absolutely no factual data to indicate that such a problem exists.

You're making change for the sake of it, not to actually improve something that's not broken.

My premise is that it is always safer to have an extra set of eyes on things. That never makes things less risky or less safe.

The Sailing Ship Columbia operated death-free for 40 years, and then it suddenly killed two people waiting on the dock one morning.

It was not a big thrill ride, it was not a huge E Ticket, it was just a slow, lazy boat ride. And the people killed hadn't even gotten onboard yet. The docking procedures Disneyland used were shoddy and not based on basic seamanship (letting the rope stop the boat, instead of vice-versa) and their training procedures were even more shoddy (the manager working that day hadn't even been trained there!). Boom. Two dead tourists.

California has a very thorough and 20 year old system of extensive inspections and regulation of all theme park rides in the state, including training documentation and operational observations. TDO should have gotten out ahead of the story 5 to 10 years ago and requested the same process for their Florida facility, knowing that extra eyes and extra attention are always safer. TDO failed to do that, and for what reason I have no idea, other than they were lazy.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Most of the leading ride system manufacturers (Oceaneering, Sally, Arrow-Dynamic, Premier, etc.) are all based in Orlando. None are based in California.

The things you learn here! Not only has Orlando annexed another Florida county, but also cities in completely different states!

 

[TP2000]

The things you learn here! Not only has Orlando annexed another Florida county, but also cities in completely different states!

I use "Orlando" to mean the metro area, not the strict city limits or within walking distance of Lake Eola.

I assume those ride manufacturers are in the business industrial parks around greater Orlando, whether that's Orange or Osceola counties, or even something as exotic as Kissimmee.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I use "Orlando" to mean the metro area, not the strict city limits.

I assume a few of those ride manufacturers are in the business industrial parks around greater Orlando, whether that's Orange or Osceola or Kissimmee.

Jacksonville, Florida is not in the Orlando metro area.
Baltimore, Maryland is not in the Orlando metro area.
Logan, Utah is not in the Orlando metro area.

 

[mkt]

What Detroit is (was) to cars,

Nowhere near its peak, but it still sort of is. Lots of manufacturing and R&D still occurs in the metro area, plus every single supplier in the industry has at minimum a presence there, if not full on manufacturing and R&D as well.

You don't see Chinese market cars or Euro spec cars on manufacturer plates doing competitive testing in markets they'll never be sold in if the city they're at isn't important to the industry.

 

[LittleBuford]

I imagine that's where it will end up, if that legislation ever goes up for a vote.

But why do you imagine this? The goal is purely to punish Disney. Widening the inspections to include other parks would work against what DeSantis and his people are out to do.

 

[JohnD]

So when do these inspections start ?

No earlier than July 1, 2023, the effective date of the legislation.

 

[Trauma]

No earlier than July 1, 2023, the effective date of the legislation.

Well I guess we will find out soon enough then.

 

[LittleBuford]

Not particularly healthy for the republic, of course.

There’s plenty of it over in the kingdom across the pond too. Decorum in politics seems to be a thing of the past.

 

[TP2000]

Most of the leading ride system manufacturers (Oceaneering, Sally, Arrow-Dynamic, Premier, etc.) are all based in Orlando. None are based in California.

The things you learn here! Not only has Orlando annexed another Florida county, but also cities in completely different states!

Jacksonville, Florida is not in the Orlando metro area.
Baltimore, Maryland is not in the Orlando metro area.
Logan, Utah is not in the Orlando metro area.

Lucky for you I have a very late dinner reservation tonight, so I still have some time to entertain you this evening.

Oceaneering is based out of Houston and Norway, but that's because they are primarily an engineering/robotics firm that creates underwater robots for deep sea oil rigs (Thus, Houston and North Sea). Oddly, Oceaneering are also the leading manufacturer of wireless/trackless theme park vehicles, and their production facility and main office for their ride vehicle division is in Orlando. (Very unusual story there on that company, worth looking into!)

Sally is based out of Jacksonville FL. I didn't know that, but I knew they were in Florida and assumed greater Orlando. Do I owe you a full cocktail for that mistake, or just a shot?

Arrow-Dynamic. When I just Googled them they're now called S&S after various buyouts, mergers, with Dynamic going off their own way as a separate company. S&S is based in Logan, Utah (where they were when Walt got them to build the Matterhorn!), and the Dynamic team is still based their design and engineering team in Orlando, FL. Zip Code 32809, so actually Orlando, none of that Kissimmee trash!

Premier is based out of Baltimore, MD. I could have sworn that I saw their logo on a building in Orlando (greater) twice when being driven around by someone who was trying to impress me. But what do I know? Their website doesn't have much info, and only lists a single Baltimore address with no current office in Florida.

Nowhere near its peak, but it still sort of is. Lots of manufacturing and R&D still occurs in the metro area, plus every single supplier in the industry has at minimum a presence there, if not full on manufacturing and R&D as well.

Yes, Orlando is the Detroit of theme park ride manufacturers. If a major firm doesn't have a production facility there, they have a sales office or design studio at least. I'm sure it's gotten weirder and more scattered with the rise of China as a major theme park customer, but there's still a density in Orlando for that industry.

There is no such equivalent for theme park ride manufacturers in the state of California, which was my point.

 

[Brian]

There’s plenty of it over in the kingdom across the pond too. Decorum in politics seems to be a thing of the past.

Though I'd probably be singing a different tune if I were a constituent, I find it quite amusing watching the proceedings of the House of Commons when there's a particularly raucous debate going on. The heckling is so amusing, and such a deviation from the decorum of most legislatures, both federal and state, in the U.S.

 

[TP2000]

But why do you imagine this? The goal is purely to punish Disney. Widening the inspections to include other parks would work against what DeSantis and his people are out to do.

I think this morphs into a broader theme park strategy for Tallahassee and DeSantis, so as not to continue picking on Disney. But maybe I'm optimistic? State oversight and regulation of Florida's theme park industry is long overdue. A shame Disney didn't take the lead years ago.

What's equally fun to watch is how utterly silent all the other theme park operators in Florida are over this fight. Universal, Sea World, Legoland are all clustered on the other side of the bar around the pinball machine watching the bar fight out of the corner of their eyes and pretending they don't see it.

 

[LittleBuford]

Though I'd probably be singing a different tune if I were a constituent, I find it quite amusing watching the proceedings of the House of Commons when there's a particularly raucous debate going on. The heckling is so amusing, and such a deviation from the decorum of most legislatures, both federal and state, in the U.S.

While I find the heckling immature, it is a traditional practice governed by well-established rules. I was referring to the unabashed lying and gaslighting that have much more recently become a fixture of British politics.

 

[LittleBuford]

I think this morphs into a broader theme park strategy for Tallahassee and DeSantis, so as not to continue picking on Disney.

It seems you haven't been following the story at all closely. The strategy is to pick on Disney. DeSantis and his people have not tried to hide that one bit; it is a feature of what they're doing, not a bug. They have nothing to gain by applying these new regulations more broadly, because the whole point is to punish Disney specifically.

 

[JohnD]

To make sure we're not off on a tangent, regarding Disney, legislation was signed that added in monorail inspections ONLY to a larger transportation bill.

As for ride inspections, WDW is not affected. It continues as normal providing a report to the Commissioner of Agriculture. There was a bill passed but it affects smaller amusement parks. It came about after the tragic death of a teen on a free fall ride in Orlando last year.

 

[LittleBuford]

As for ride inspections, WDW is not affected. It continues as normal providing a report to the Commissioner of Agriculture. There was a bill passed but it affects smaller amusement parks. It came about after the tragic death of a teen on a free fall ride in Orlando last year.

The discussion is about another bill that would require ride inspections at WDW.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Arrow-Dynamic. When I just Googled them they're now called S&S after various buyouts, mergers, with Dynamic going off their own way as a separate company. S&S is based in Logan, Utah (where they were when Walt got them to build the Matterhorn!), and the Dynamic team is still based their design and engineering team in Orlando, FL. Zip Code 32809, so actually Orlando, none of that Kissimmee trash!

The Matterhorn was built by Arrow Development in Mountain View, CA. Dynamic Attractions is a completely separate company that was never part of any of Arrow’s iterations, Huss, S&S or Sansei.