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

[donsullivan]

A news video report getting into a little more detail. They note in this discussion that this is the only 'privately operated' system that FDOT is now tasked with overseeing. Everything else they cover is publicly (government) owned and operated. They also note that FDOT has said once they are comfortable with it, they would only be back maybe every 2 years to validate that everything is still being done according to the standards and practices reviewed. If that turns out to be true, the optics may be worse than the actual impact.

 

[lazyboy97o]

As I stated previously, FDOT is a Governor's Agency where the Secretary reports to the Governor. So you can read into that what you want. Employees tasked with the inspections naturally will have an incentive to perform their tasks well. But it's not FDOT's fault that the law was passed. So, yeah, doing their job properly will fulfill the intent of the legislation. What are they supposed to do? Not do their job?

You don’t have to make excuses for bad behavior.

 

[JohnD]

It’s 2.5 miles but I thought it was longer than that, it’s been many years since I’ve been there. It is a monorail, built by Bombardier. (Same builder as the WDW monorail).

It's not very long. It was only .7 of a mile which ran from the convention center to the state college downtown. Eventually an extension was built over the new Acosta Bridge so that probably gets the 2.5 miles. It's still the train to nowhere. You have to drive downtown just to ride it.

 

[JohnD]

You don’t have to make excuses for bad behavior.

Oh, so FDOT employees tasked with fulfilling a state law are now bad actors? Seriously? I suggest you keep your criticisms on the politicians who passed the law and not the employees thrust into the middle of the dispute.

 

[lazyboy97o]

If you want to talk playing dumb, do you really believe that this group thinks that they can make Disney stop putting gay kisses in movies by shutting down the monorail for a couple hours every few weeks?

So we’re back to them just being liars who aren’t interested in doing the things they keep sayings and trying? You’re trying to isolate things to excuse them individually when you know it’s part of a broader effort.

 

[John park hopper]

If you think the last six years of doors falling off, being stuck open while in guest transit, pieces of cabin falling off into guest areas or chunks of its cement crumbling into guest areas....has been likely common as it was prior to this then I can't think of a post being a better endorsement that Disney can't be trusted to continue to operate in safest manner possible by themselves.

And of reminds me of the fox guarding the hen house

 

[JohnD]

Breaking news: Governor DeSantis just completed his State of the State address and he didn't mention Disney.

 

[Goofyernmost]

If you think the last six years of doors falling off, being stuck open while in guest transit, pieces of cabin falling off into guest areas or chunks of its cement crumbling into guest areas....has been likely common as it was prior to this then I can't think of a post being a better endorsement that Disney can't be trusted to continue to operate in safest manner possible by themselves.

Six years of ONE mechanical door that didn't fall of, just opened. One unit under the cabin that fell off due to breaking during use. Chunks of cement that showed no signs of weakness until it fell, ONE time and realizing that it was less danger to continue on with an open door (same ONE) to get the guest to their destination and not have to deal with the normal way of evacuating a stuck train and a long delay in the Florida heat. I know if I were on that train and the door opened all I would have to do is stay away from the opening and I would get off in a reasonable time in a much safer and normal way.

If anything it tells anyone that has ever dealt with mechanical things that occasionally they have a problem. There is no warning light that tells of a future problem as it doesn't become one until it happens. You weren't there you don't know what type of communication that there was from the train and without the knee jerk reaction it quite possibly could be the safest and less time consuming way to handle it. Proof... no one was injured on any of them. This idea that because someone reported it and made a big deal out of it influences everyone is just plain foolish. We, the human race, take a million chances in our lifetime and if someone were to report to the press everytime we almost had a real problem, none of us would have time to do anything else.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It's not very long. It was only .7 of a mile which ran from the convention center to the state college downtown. Eventually an extension was built over the new Acosta Bridge so that probably gets the 2.5 miles. It's still the train to nowhere. You have to drive downtown just to ride it.

I used to take mega bus up to Jacksonville from Orlando - the bus dropped off by the convention center and I could easily use the monorail to get to my hotel, or anywhere I needed to go downtown.

That’s the goal of the system, to move people around downtown.

 

[tissandtully]

If that turns out to be true, the optics may be worse than the actual impact.

SOP for this administration.

 

[GCTales]

Interesting article about the FDOT and WDW monorail inspections.

Looks like the article suggests that the FDOT hasn't / can't do some of the things required by the legislation.

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/l...rida-begins-regulating-disney-world-monorail/

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Most states have vehicle inspection, states inspect restaurants, FAA inspects aircraft, build a house it has to be inspected and you don't blink an eye about it. How is FDOT oppressing you personally by inspecting the monorail.

The reason it is happening is clearly retaliation, but if properly done state safety inspections are a good thing, especially on a form of transportation that has had some issues in the past couple of years that would seem to indicate things aren’t being inspected and maintained the best.

 

[Incomudro]

Which has absolutely nothing to do with motivation for this legislation. Its sole purpose is to punish Disney for locking in a comprehensive plan already approved by the state because that was reported on in an embarrassing manner.

I understand that isn't the motivation.
But these monorails have had severe issues in recent years.
Disney doesn't seem to be doing its job there, much like it's not doing its job on ride maintenance.
Regardless of the motivation, these things shouldn't be driving with their doors open, or shedding parts down onto park areas from the beam.

 

[Brian]

The reason it is happening is clearly retaliation, but if properly done state safety inspections are a good thing, especially on a form of transportation that has had some issues in the past couple of years that would seem to indicate things aren’t being inspected and maintained the best.

I think that's something that isn't being discussed enough in this thread. The monorail is hardly the most reliable form of transportation, and there have been some scary near misses in recent years. If the state were to assert inspection authority over the buses, then maybe I'd feel differently. The Skyliner is similarly niche like the monorail, but they are leaving that alone too.

The reasoning behind the inspection scheme is clearly retaliatory, but there is some merit to it regardless.

 

[DJTluvsputin]

This is being discussed in the RCID thread, but probably worth a thread of its own.

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

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

www.wdwmagic.com

-santis is obviously trying to disrupt the business of the states largest contributor while raising the taxpayers costs... good luck with this guy florida residents. He is a disaster!

 

[mkt]

Most states have vehicle inspection

Not Florida.

If safety was truly the reason behind this, maybe the state should implement vehicle inspections.

 

[Andrew C]

I understand that isn't the motivation.
But these monorails have had severe issues in recent years.
Disney doesn't seem to be doing its job there, much like it's not doing its job on ride maintenance.
Regardless of the motivation, these things shouldn't be driving with their doors open, or shedding parts down onto park areas from the beam.

It will definitely be interesting to see how these particular inspections/oversight play out over the next year or so. I am guessing minimal impact to the overall operations.

 

[tissandtully]

It will definitely be interesting to see how these particular inspections/oversight play out over the next year or so.

What would proof of things getting better be, monorail expert? lol, hardly anything has happened outside a couple incidents, it's not like trains are falling off the track on the regular, of course crap happens, it's a system that's used all day every day. It will be business as usual, but just more wasted time and taxpayers expense as retaliation, which you seem to enjoy! Laugh it up, won't be so funny when it's used against you!

 

[Andrew C]

What would proof of things getting better be, monorail expert? lol, hardly anything has happened outside a couple incidents, it's not like trains are falling off the track on the regular, of course crap happens, it's a system that's used all day every day. It will be business as usual, but just more wasted time and taxpayers expense as retaliation, which you seem to enjoy! Laugh it up, won't be so funny when it's used against you!

Why are you claiming I am a monorail expert? Weird.

 

[tissandtully]

Why are you claiming I am a monorail expert? Weird.

Because everyone on this thread is apparently! Including the state government! All monorail geniuses!