Disney Skyliner shutdown and evacuation - October 6 2019

[PolynesianPrincess]

I want to ride it, especially after you told me what to expect when landing. I'm not leery of them; this problem will be sorted.

Oh I agree they will fix this for sure. The monorail has crashed before.. it happens. Just the fact I'm afraid of heights plus this makes me a little more nervous than I had been. But honestly the ride is so smooth! I rode it Saturday afternoon and there was a pretty decent breeze going on and it wasn't rocking the gondola at all. I got in line at Hollywood Studios, traveled to CBR, transferred gondolas and traveled to Pop in 16 minutes.

 

[Janir]

Tampering with the rescue kits - maybe a friendly legislator can sponsor a law to up the consequences for that?

And how will anyone police that if people take stuff? Maybe a emergency unlock system that its quite visible when the emergency pack is opened, or some cabin light flags on so a CS can tell "cabin 107 had it's emergency supplies opened" when someone gets off then those people can be questioned/ held etc...

 

[ThatMouse]

Well, their call to 911 was routed to Reedy Creek, so my guess is that from then on it was basically out of the hands of the Disney employees at the park.

I'd like to hear Disney's side of the story. I get wrong information from CM's all the time. Still lots of questions that won't be answered until these things get moving again and/or Disney gives us more info:
+ 3 hours stuck in a box? Why?
+ How hot can they get, especially when stuck? (probably have to wait until next summer to find out)
+ Do they stop often (for slow guests)
+ Lines at park opening and closings (longer wait than buses?)

 

[EdnaMode]

That's the ironic part of this whole situation and why I brought it up. The evacuations only took as long as they did BECAUSE that rider with claustrophobia and seizure history called 911, and the emergency evacuation teams were in the way of the gondola path, preventing the re-start of the system. See what I quoted below...

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I was trapped with my toddler on an open gondola once, and 45 minutes later, I was more than ready to call 911. I didn't do it, but I was seriously beginning to consider that option to try to get some information about what was happening and what to expect. I didn't have any real needs, but the lack of communication was hard. I would have been thrilled with someone on the ground using a megaphone to just say "Hello, we know you're there, we're on it, hang in there, I'll be back in 15 minutes!"

So, I think that, as others have mentioned, at least part of this goes back to Disney for failing to just speak to people about what was happening and what they were doing. Communication might have mitigated some of the ill person's escalating anxiety, and it might have helped the people in the car who were managing an escalating situation. I think communication would have lessened the pressure on everyone involved. Were the devices in the cabins capable of broadcasting some basic words of reassurance every now and then??

 

[Hawg G]

I agree it was absolutely an accident, and they should admit that it was. BUT...(and I know it's harsh, but it's still the truth) the fact that it took 3 hours to get everyone off can be placed squarely in the lap of the rider who chose to board even though they knew they were claustrophobic and had a history of seizures. Had the emergency evacuation of that specific guest not been required, they could have cleared the cars that had impacted each other and gotten the line running again much more quickly.

Ever look at posts talking about GAP, or whatever they are called now, and autism, and whatever else? Then have you ever watched just how many disability passes there are? Disney has gone way out of their way to cater that crowd for decades. NOw they put in a new "attraction" that is probably the worst thing possible for a good chunk of that crowd. There will ALWAYS be someone like that on the line when something occurs.

 

[trainplane3]

And how will anyone police that if people take stuff? Maybe a emergency unlock system that its quite visible when the emergency pack is opened, or some cabin light flags on so a CS can tell "cabin 107 had it's emergency supplies opened" when someone gets off then those people can be questioned/ held etc...

There's a plastic loop wrapped around the handle that says something like "secure". I noted it on my ride last week. A CM could glance real quick and see if the plastic was broken. Once you pulled the plastic loop apart, you can't put it back together.

 

[Tanna Eros]

Oh I agree they will fix this for sure. The monorail has crashed before.. it happens. Just the fact I'm afraid of heights plus this makes me a little more nervous than I had been. But honestly the ride is so smooth! I rode it Saturday afternoon and there was a pretty decent breeze going on and it wasn't rocking the gondola at all. I got in line at Hollywood Studios, traveled to CBR, transferred gondolas and traveled to Pop in 16 minutes.

This sounds horrible, but it's my fear of heights makes me wish to sample this mode of transportation. I fear heights to the point I leapt out of a plane. I'm also claustrophobic- in a 747, but a Cessna, I'm happy. I don't know why.
I'm interested in this gondola if only to see the park.

 

[RustySpork]

The reverse is also true. I laugh my butt off when it’s like 58 at Disney and I’m in shorts and a T-Shirt and people shuffle by in hats, coats, and freaking mittens LOL...

That...uh...might...have...uh...been...uh...me...

 

[Hawg G]

My husband called while I was at work. We ended up keeping our reservation to preserve free dining; however, the CM made some interesting statements:

- When my husband expressed concern about guests spending 3 hours in the gondolas, the CM specifically stated “it wasn’t 3 hours, but we took care of everyone.” I find it interesting they’re actively discrediting widely shared reports about what happened to guests.
- The CM also said that the Skyliner “may” not even be up and running for our trip. I’m sure that they don’t have a timeline right now, but it’s strange that the CM would say that at all. To paraphrase what my husband said, the CM told him that it may not be working then anyway, so any concerns we may not even matter.

I would be surprised if they have any clue when it will start back up. They almost had a near-worst case scenario on their hands on day 6. If they aren't redoing a LOT of risk analysis and emergency response studios, they are completely inept.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I mentioned earlier in the thread that I was trapped with my toddler on an open gondola once, and 45 minutes later, I was more than ready to call 911. I didn't do it, but I was seriously beginning to consider that option to try to get some information about what was happening and what to expect. I didn't have any real needs, but the lack of communication was hard. I would have been thrilled with someone on the ground using a megaphone to just say "Hello, we know you're there, we're on it, hang in there, I'll be back in 15 minutes!"

So, I think that, as others have mentioned, at least part of this goes back to Disney for failing to just speak to people about what was happening and what they were doing. Communication might have mitigated some of the ill person's escalating anxiety, and it might have helped the people in the car who were managing an escalating situation. I think communication would have lessened the pressure on everyone involved. Were the devices in the cabins capable of broadcasting some basic words of reassurance every now and then??

They were at first, but someone reported that the system was quickly over-loaded with too many guests trying to use them. They're two-way call-boxes. I do think communication might have helped, but whether the CMs could have given a time estimate or how much any communication would have helped, we likely won't ever know.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Ever look at posts talking about GAP, or whatever they are called now, and autism, and whatever else? Then have you ever watched just how many disability passes there are? Disney has gone way out of their way to cater that crowd for decades. NOw they put in a new "attraction" that is probably the worst thing possible for a good chunk of that crowd. There will ALWAYS be someone like that on the line when something occurs.

Oh, believe me - I realize how many disability passes are given out. My boys both have autism, but we've not needed the DAS pass yet. That is definitely something that entered my mind when this whole incident happened. Fortunately, my boys wouldn't freak out about being stuck in a gondola, but they would annoy the living heck out of me and anyone else in the car with us.

 

[carolina_yankee]

agree - unfortunately Disney never does this, so it's not gonna change now. Dunno what the train of thought is... but that's long been the procedure. Heck, look at what they were telling people NOT on the ride... that this was just a "power failure" and "unexpected downtime". Transparency is not high on the list for Disney

I agree. And it’s a shame because the cruise line has been pretty transparent about medical delays and evacuations when I’ve cruised. Of course, it was never coupled with being dead in the water!

 

[Hawg G]

Sweat.

It's why you're supposed to hydrate. Without sweating, sitting in the sun waiting for the MK parade in 88 degree weather would literally kill you. Literally. You'd overheat and die.

Most other mammals pant, but humans and a few other animals sweat in order to be active even when it's hot.

If the sun is beating down on a gondola and raises the temperature, the air in the gondola is now warmer than the outside air. That causes it to rise and exhaust out the top vents while being replaced by air coming in from the bottom vents.

That's why those who measured it with a thermometer, and not 'by feel', report only a one degree rise in cabin temperature when it stops. This isn't a car with rolled up windows and no floor vents. It's more like a covered bus stop.

Yes, I've *felt* it get noticeably warmer when the gondola stops. I also feel it getting noticeably warmer at a covered bus stop when the breeze stops. That doesn't mean the temperature shot up or that I'm now in an oven death trap. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone that a breeze feels cooler than no breeze. But even without a breeze, sweating cools one down.

If one doesn't ever want to rely on sweating to survive... I don't know how you make it from your air conditioned car and into the park while walking through ninety degree heat with high humidity and the sun beating down on you and the heat of the cement walkways rise up around you. Apparently, that's a death wish. Well, it is, if you don't hydrate and sweat.

And when sweat stops working, because of high heat and humidity, which I believe is the state bird of Florida, heat stress and stroke follow.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Ever look at posts talking about GAP, or whatever they are called now, and autism, and whatever else? Then have you ever watched just how many disability passes there are? Disney has gone way out of their way to cater that crowd for decades. NOw they put in a new "attraction" that is probably the worst thing possible for a good chunk of that crowd. There will ALWAYS be someone like that on the line when something occurs.

I wanted to add to my response...

That is my big concern. That people who have phobias or conditions that could cause panic to occur in the event of a stoppage will ride anyway, and that the warnings against riding in such circumstances aren't very prominent. To be blunt, humans aren't known for making the best decisions for themselves when it comes to choices in theme parks, and they are far more likely to reach for their cell phone to call 911 than they are to look for or try to figure out how to operate a call-box.

 

[MissingDisney]

Disney has gone way out of their way to cater that crowd for decades.

Respectfully, I don’t think Disney has gone out of their way to cater....rather, I think they have followed ADA requirements to assist and support those with special needs of varying sorts and include all in their offerings, like the Skyliner with special boarding locations.

Could one imagine if they designed and built something and then said it’s for everyone except (fill in the blank).

 

[Incomudro]

Sweating, per se, is not what cools you off. It is a part of the body's cooling process, but what makes it all work is evaporation. Surface moisture carries away body heat into the drier, surrounding air. Good luck getting that to work efficiently in the warm soup that passes for Central Florida's air mass 11 months out of the year. I'm blessed with the sweat glands of at least 6 grown men and suffer in the humidity here in New Orleans.

Yes, and remember - though sweating is the body's way of reducing it's temperature, no one who is sweating will ever claim that they are feeling cooler.
"Boy, this sweat really cooled me off!"

 

[lazyboy97o]

Nice selective quoting to try and make yourself look smart.

People can click the little arrow if they wish to read a whole post. I didn't edit anything and didn't hide the source.

If they were aware and felt it was probable to have prolonged stoppages like this, they did a horrid job in preparing for them. Especially had it happened in normal Summer day temperatures.

Of course they were aware. Prolonged closures are not awn unknown and there is no way to guarantee they will not occur. They suck but people survive just fine even when it is hot outside. These are not a sealed box like the monorail, which people also survive prolonged closures without people yelling about how monorails are unsafe and outdated.

The collision was OFF the cable. Again, the system should be able to handle an off cable issue without bringing the whole system down for hours.

If the rumors now being posted are true, that they were ready to start back up, but were delayed by 911 calls, and panicking riders, that is a whole different issue. And the exact one I've alluded to when people point to other gondola systems worldwide. Disney guests are in a whole other world, expectation wise, lack of patience wise, and lack of being able to not just be controlled by their emotions, not logic wise

Those rumors would explain a lot to me. There is simply no way this system should be brought down for 3 hours for an ultra low speed "collision" and glass breaking in the station. First hand accounts say it was only a collision in the most rudimentary sense that two gondolas hit each other. It was more of a light bump, followed by ongoing forces.

That is was off cable is meaningless. It was at an area where all of the gondolas must transit. Something caused gondola 108 to not move onto the cable, something that could have occurred with the next gondola if they just moved to restarting the line.

Well, their call to 911 was routed to Reedy Creek, so my guess is that from then on it was basically out of the hands of the Disney employees at the park.

It was no longer the Disney employees' call when the collision occurred. An incident automatically triggers the involvement of the building department.

I wanted to add to my response...

That is my big concern. That people who have phobias or conditions that could cause panic to occur in the event of a stoppage will ride anyway, and that the warnings against riding in such circumstances aren't very prominent. To be blunt, humans aren't known for making the best decisions for themselves when it comes to choices in theme parks, and they are far more likely to reach for their cell phone to call 911 than they are to look for or try to figure out how to operate a call-box.

Is this a big concern you have with roller coasters? Someone with a fear of heights could get stuck on one. What about elevators? Someone with a fear of heights and confined spaces could get stuck on one. The monorails? People have called 911 about being stuck on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. How many different irrational fears need giant warnings on everything that could be a trigger due to unplanned occurances?

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Respectfully, I don’t think Disney has gone out of their way to cater....rather, I think they have followed ADA requirements to assist and support those with special needs of varying sorts and include all in their offerings, like the Skyliner with special boarding locations.

Could one imagine if they designed and built something and then said it’s for everyone except (fill in the blank).

Disney does a fabulous job...and goes above and beyond what most theme parks/entertainment venues provide.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Of course they were aware. Prolonged closures are not awn unknown and there is no way to guarantee they will not occur. They suck but people survive just fine even when it is hot outside. These are not a sealed box like the monorail, which people also survive prolonged closures without people yelling about how monorails are unsafe and outdated.


That is was off cable is meaningless. It was at an area where all of the gondolas must transit. Something caused gondola 108 to not move onto the cable, something that could have occurred with the next gondola if they just moved to restarting the line.


It was no longer the Disney employees' call when the collision occurred. An incident automatically triggers the involvement of the building department.


Is this a big concern you have with roller coasters? Someone with a fear of heights could get stuck on one. What about elevators? Someone with a fear of heights and confined spaces could get stuck on one. The monorails? People have called 911 about being stuck on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. How many different irrational fears need giant warnings on everything that could be a trigger due to unplanned occurances?

No - because someone calling 911 from a roller coaster won't necessarily result in it taking 3 hours to get everyone off the coaster. The evacuation of the Skyliner was specifically delayed because someone panicked, called 911, and emergency crews were in the Skyliner path to evacuate them after having difficulties in locating their gondola, preventing the line from moving so that everyone could get off.

 

[lazyboy97o]

No - because someone calling 911 from a roller coaster won't necessarily result in it taking 3 hours to get everyone off the coaster. The evacuation of the Skyliner was specifically delayed because someone panicked, called 911, and emergency crews were in the Skyliner path to evacuate them after having difficulties in locating their gondola, preventing the line from moving so that everyone could get off.

There are plenty of examples of roller coasters taking hours to evacuate. If someone did call and say they were having an emergency it would trigger the same sort of response with the same sort of stop of motion.