Disney Skyliner shutdown and evacuation - October 6 2019

[ImperfectPixie]

I’m finding this idea that people should be self-restricting themselves from riding (based on claustrophobia, heat exhaustion susceptibility, possibly needing medication in the next 3 hours....) to be problematic.

Are there any Safety, Accessibility and Guest Policies posted for Skyliner? Any rider requirements or medical restrictions listed? I can’t find any on the website (unlike a normal attraction page which has height requirements / medical restrictions, etc). Are any posted in the stations?

I don’t believe there are any restrictions posted for the monorail, for a comparison.

If guests are not advised of any restrictions, then why should they be expected to invent their own based on their own self-assessment of their abilities?

I saw a picture in the other Skyliner thread of one of the directional signs that had warnings in regards to phobias, etc, but the type specifically mentioning the warnings was very small and in recollection seemed vague-ish.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Common sense?

Common sense doesn't seem to be so common these days.

 

[EdnaMode]

I have a hard time figuring out how someone who is known to be truly claustrophobic and/or someone who has a true phobia about heights gets on a Skyliner cabin in the first place. Those people don't want to ride. There have been months of concern shared here from people who suspect the Skyliner will supplant bus transit from the Skyliner resorts to EPCOT and DHS, just as monorails do for the MK resorts. These are people who want a bus and are concerned they won't have that option.

I also don't see the population of people who are truly phobic about these vehicles lining up to jump on because, hey, I'll just push a button and come down by cherry picker or helicopter basket if things so south!! People with self-preservation instincts are not going to want to get off that way, phobia or not. (Then again, maybe there are lots and lots of people out there who are terrified of gondolas but who would love to take a spin in a cherry picker or a helicopter basket? Does anyone have a Venn diagram?)

** Sidebar on the person who was evacuated: All we know about this is from a third-hand account that said "Shortly after the Skyliner stopped due to the incident at the station, a guest or someone else onboard with them in one of the vehicles called 911. The guest was patched through to Reedy Creek as they were claustrophobic, hyperventilating, and had a history of seizures in the past." Was the person known to have claustrophobia? Did the guest called 911? We don't know...so we probably should ease up on the idea that this guest jumped on the ride knowing he/she had claustrophobia and then called 911 when medical symptoms developed.

 

[Communicora]

The 3 hours of delay was caused by the guest that called 911. The emergency services teams were in the direct line of the gondolas travel, so even though the line could have been re-started much more quickly, they were prevented from doing so until the emergency service teams were out of the way.

You have made nearly a dozen posts blaming this guest for the slow evacuation. The fact is, none of us know what their medical situation was and blaming them instead of Disney and the emergency team is ridiculous. Disney and the emergency team are responsible for the incident plan and its execution. It's clear they didn't think through this scenario and it's a good thing the guest is all right and everyone else was safely evacuated from the gondolas.

 

[Lilofan]

I also believe that the average Disney guess is less intelligent. 50% of the population will always be less intelligent than the other 50%, and I think the less intelligent group travels to Disney more frequently.

In my neighborhood, there are affluent doctors, lawyers, and a few scientists all with children. When speaking to them about vacationing in Disney which I do, it is interesting that some have never gone or no desire to go. One had gone one time when he was 10 years old. However they like vacationing with their families in Europe.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I have a hard time figuring out how someone who is known to be truly claustrophobic and/or someone who has a true phobia about heights gets on a Skyliner cabin in the first place. Those people don't want to ride. There have been months of concern shared here from people who suspect the Skyliner will supplant bus transit from the Skyliner resorts to EPCOT and DHS, just as monorails do for the MK resorts. These are people who want a bus and are concerned they won't have that option.

I also don't see the population of people who are truly phobic about these vehicles lining up to jump on because, hey, I'll just push a button and come down by cherry picker or helicopter basket if things so south!! People with self-preservation instincts are not going to want to get off that way, phobia or not. (Then again, maybe there are lots and lots of people out there who are terrified of gondolas but who would love to take a spin in a cherry picker or a helicopter basket? Does anyone have a Venn diagram?)

** Sidebar on the person who was evacuated: All we know about this is from a third-hand account that said "Shortly after the Skyliner stopped due to the incident at the station, a guest or someone else onboard with them in one of the vehicles called 911. The guest was patched through to Reedy Creek as they were claustrophobic, hyperventilating, and had a history of seizures in the past." Was the person known to have claustrophobia? Did the guest called 911? We don't know...so we probably should ease up on the idea that this guest jumped on the ride knowing he/she had claustrophobia and then called 911 when medical symptoms developed.

I run a Disney FB group, and I have members who have said they are afraid of heights, but they think they could handle the Skyliner. There are others who say their fear of heights and/or claustrophobia will be why they definitely won't try to ride.

 

[flynnibus]

You have made nearly a dozen posts blaming this guest for the slow evacuation. The fact is, none of us know what their medical situation was and blaming them instead of Disney and the emergency team is ridiculous. Disney and the emergency team are responsible for the incident plan and its execution. It's clear they didn't think through this scenario and it's a good thing the guest is all right and everyone else was safely evacuated from the gondolas.

The two are intertwined. Disney's plan is CONSTRAINED by the medical emergency. The #1 complaint about the situation was the amount of time it took to get guests off the system. That time was DIRECTLY impacted by the medical evac. So yes, the medical evac is essential to the complaint over the time it took to execute the plan.

We know the medical call took about 90mins till the guest was evac'd. It took approx 30mins for them to evac that cabin. 90mins is almost half the time it took to get the system moving.

They had the guest on the ground around 10pm... approx 11pm Disney had the cabin cleared, and the line running again to evac the remaining guests.. which was completed before midnight.

Disney had started evac'ing guests from other more accessible locations (like in the stations) about 30mins after the stoppage.

So if people want to wave their finger at Disney for the length of the incident... one has to accept that Disney is constrained by safety procedures and that a medical emergency supercedes everyone else's patience.

 

[bcoachable]

I have been trying to catch up on this thread and others over the last few days, and I have this reacuring thought...

This board has always had a few pot stir-ers...
But does it seem, as of late, the pot stir-ers out number the regulars on here?

 

[lazyboy97o]

"Accidents happen."
That's a saying that was once used in a sane society that wasn't fixated on blame.

The is a malfunction of a top-of-the-line system from the world’s leading manufacturer. Seems likely it was more than just an accident.

I think the big problem here is second hand information bc Disney isn't saying much. Much is speculation from guests and talkative cms. I wish we knew exactly what happened, who got hurt and how. What caused it. How they will fix it and how they will assure guests it was a one time thing( not sure how you know that). Don't want to invade guest medical privacy of course but there are things they can say. Disney could end this thread today with an honest account and a plan. I'll be waiting, not holding my breath. Fans in the cabins!!

Disney and Doppelmayr may not even know themselves. There is a chance that information gather will be a matter of public record.

I have a hard time figuring out how someone who is known to be truly claustrophobic and/or someone who has a true phobia about heights gets on a Skyliner cabin in the first place. Those people don't want to ride. There have been months of concern shared here from people who suspect the Skyliner will supplant bus transit from the Skyliner resorts to EPCOT and DHS, just as monorails do for the MK resorts. These are people who want a bus and are concerned they won't have that option.

I also don't see the population of people who are truly phobic about these vehicles lining up to jump on because, hey, I'll just push a button and come down by cherry picker or helicopter basket if things so south!! People with self-preservation instincts are not going to want to get off that way, phobia or not. (Then again, maybe there are lots and lots of people out there who are terrified of gondolas but who would love to take a spin in a cherry picker or a helicopter basket? Does anyone have a Venn diagram?)

As someone who has had a panic attack on a large Ferris wheel and nearly had one on a couple of aerial trams, I wasn’t interested in letting my irrational problem dictate my activity and make me miss out on activists with friends and family. Even tall elevators can give me a fright. In the case of the Ferris wheel, I was completely caught off guard as I had no anxiety or hesitation while waiting and boarding. It’s now much less of a problem and while a prolonged stoppage on the Skyliner would probably freak me out I am also now aware of my issue and better know how to keep myself somewhat together.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

You have made nearly a dozen posts blaming this guest for the slow evacuation. The fact is, none of us know what their medical situation was and blaming them instead of Disney and the emergency team is ridiculous. Disney and the emergency team are responsible for the incident plan and its execution. It's clear they didn't think through this scenario and it's a good thing the guest is all right and everyone else was safely evacuated from the gondolas.

Oh dear Lord.
I said the signage warning those with phobias was inadequate.
I also said the communications system is inadequate.
I also said that the average guest is going to call 911 rather than trying to find/figure out how to operate a call-box, which indicates that instructions should be clearly posted inside the gondolas.
I also stated that the emergency medical teams being in the way of the line of travel for the gondolas is why starting them back up took so long.

The only thing I blame the guest for is lacking the common sense to not board the Skyliner in the first place if they knew that they were claustrophobic...and I'm positing that will cause further problems going forward.

The fact of the matter is that the medical emergency caused the major delay in evacuating all guests.

 

[monothingie]

You have made nearly a dozen posts blaming this guest for the slow evacuation. The fact is, none of us know what their medical situation was and blaming them instead of Disney and the emergency team is ridiculous. Disney and the emergency team are responsible for the incident plan and its execution. It's clear they didn't think through this scenario and it's a good thing the guest is all right and everyone else was safely evacuated from the gondolas.

Couple of things you get wrong.

First blaming the first responders for a slow response. Aside from it being a stupid comment, you have no information to base that on, no idea what they were doing, and no idea of any challenges they faced in their operations.

The emergency response plan. Have you seen it and care to share it with the rest of us? Common sense tells us that it will be a slow intensive process to manually evac the line.

What’s fair to blame Disney on.

Poor communications and a lack of information to guests stranded. Major Fail because Disney doesn’t like to be open about problems, especially with guests.

Inadequate emergency kits onboard.

Inadequate vehicle identification markings. Major Fail because it made locating critical cabs very difficult.

 

[joelkfla]

You tend to lie about things when only you have full control of the information being given out. Something like this can be verified independently in many ways and ultimately leads to more suspicion and scrutiny if not properly and truthfully answered.

It's part of the Disney culture. They call it "Protecting the Magic."

I happened to be visiting MK the morning that the custodial worker was killed on the old Skyway. I asked a suit why half of Fantasyland was roped off. The answer was, "There's a power problem." Bold-faced lie.

 

[monothingie]

It's part of the Disney culture. They call it "Protecting the Magic."

I happened to be visiting MK the morning that the custodial worker was killed on the old Skyway. I asked a suit why half of Fantasyland was roped off. The answer was, "There's a power problem." Bold-faced lie.

Remember too, CM are on a need to know basis and most don’t need to know.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Remember too, CM are on a need to know basis and most don’t need to know.

In that case, though, everyone knew. My brother was a Skyway CM (CP) at the time, and while he didn't work that morning, he came in that afternoon (and ended up greeting at FL attractions for the rest of his CP). While you're right on the need to know basis for CMs on most things, every CM in the park that day knew what had happened.

 

[joelkfla]

Remember too, CM are on a need to know basis and most don’t need to know.

That is true, but they also outright lie. This was a manager stopping Guests from entering the area. The incident occurred before park opening. I can't believe he really thought it was a power outage.

They routinely tell Guests that resort buses start operation 1 hour before park opening. Another outright lie, to lower Guest expectations. The buses start around 6:30 every morning.

 

[flynnibus]

opens to real people

I'm convinced the Disney population isn't 'real people' but a special breed of its own

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes, Disney has and does lie. In this case the counter claim is that the Cast Members did not realize they were sending out a loaded gondola and that after being rained on with tempered glass this group of people just slipped away without notice. Were they a group of wanted men?

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I'm convinced the Disney population isn't 'real people' but a special breed of its own

Reading a FB post from a mom asking how to stuff her child's shoes so they could ride a specific ride at WDW convinced me of that a long time ago.

 

[Lilofan]

It's part of the Disney culture. They call it "Protecting the Magic."

That's true of many companies not just the place we go on vacation to. Everyone has their role in protecting the magic, not allowed to talk to media, etc, ( protect trade secrets and even sometimes dirty laundry), Public Relations doing damage control and Legal getting ready for the what if...

 

[UNCgolf]

HIPAA has nothing to do with it. That law is based on people who provide treatment, payment (insurance) or health care operations. Basically, this would apply to the doctors and Disney would not be bound by it. Disney can talk all day about what ever they want, but that would also open them to all sorts of lawsuits in the US. They cant even apologize, because in the US, an apology can be seen as an admission of guilt/responsibility...funny thing is that this doesn't apply in Canada, where you can say sorry for being stuck for several hours and its just taken as "duh...that's what normal people do."

The actual reason is that there were likely no actual injuries (beyond stress and some bathroom issues) and the prudent thing to do is not comment on it until an investigation into the cause has been completed.

Technically HIPAA probably would apply to Disney, but only in the case of their employees (I'm sure Disney offers health plans to their employees). Nothing applicable to this situation.

As for the apology thing -- most states have laws specifically barring an apology from being considered as admissible evidence (although even then it sometimes only applies to medical malpractice). The only reason it doesn't apply in Ontario is that they passed a similar law. I'm not sure about the rest of Canada because I'm pretty sure the Apology Act was an Ontario provinicial law and not a Canadian federal law.