Disney Skyliner shutdown and evacuation - October 6 2019

[flynnibus]

Well, I think it could be.....but it will never exist so we will never know. LOL

Cherry pickers setup and move loads faster than cranes do... you don't need a crystal ball to figure this one out. Moving smaller things takes less base and stability than moving big heavy things.

 

[chiefs11]

Cherry pickers setup and move loads faster than cranes do... you don't need a crystal ball to figure this one out. Moving smaller things takes less base and stability than moving big heavy things.

Those cherry pickers certainly worked fast to unload that one gondola and the 6 people in it.

A big issue with the 'gondola picker' is that the gondolas would have to be returned to the storage rails and reloaded there since you can't just drop it back on the line and hope it is in exactly the right spot.

 

[larryz]

And there will always be a certain number of people who may be of questionable health or psychological conditions who are going to give it a go on the Skyliner.
Who's to say where the line is drawn?
It's up to the individual.

And there's the dilemma... so evident in so many circumstances these days. Auto licensing, employment, food service, just walking down the street...

 

[montyz81]

How many cars will need to be replaced?

 

[NormC]

How many cars will need to be replaced?

None. They bought spares. The broken window vent can be replaced.

 

[Goofyernmost]

to the swam

Just from pictures I've seen the numbers look to be in a bad spot without help from binoculars. Only one loction outside the cabin, which means they can't stand on the same side of the line and see gondola numbers traveling both directions. Also not really sure but is the number under glass or something that could reflect light?

Any reason why the rescue crew can't be equipped with binoculars? Wouldn't that be easier and better then trying to turn every gondola upside down and placing numbers on the bottom?

 

[Patcheslee]

Any reason why the rescue crew can't be equipped with binoculars? Wouldn't that be easier and better then trying to turn every gondola upside down and placing numbers on the bottom?

Who says they are definitely putting numbers on the bottom? Yeah it would be easier and something that wasn't thought of for nighttime, unless the issue is reflection from lights at night was the issue.

 

[Patcheslee]

This is a crazy question I know, but I'm curious if it is possible to remove a single gondola from the middle of the line if a machine were created to do so. Instead of having baskets and boats and lifts, could they just remove the whole box from the line, lower it down, and get the line moving again? Again, I'm sure there is an obvious reason why this can't be done, but I'm at work and don't feel like thinking.

Simple reason I could think of is removing a gondola will cause slack in the line and possibly cause the others to dip a little further. Not horribly but someone would probably freak out noticing theirs was slowly getting closer to the ground and think the wire was giving if they couldn't see what was going on.

 

[donsullivan]

It is unclear to me how many cabins were evacuated via cherry picker ,etc vs how many returned to the station normally after they got it up and running. Also unclear as to why it took 3hrs. I am not saying it shouldn't have, but it is unclear why. Anyone have more info?

According to the Reedy Creek Fire Department, only one gondola vehicle with a total of 6 passengers was evacuated by elevated recovery system. However, once RCFD began that evacuation process the entire system was required to stay in a full stop state until they finished. Once they completely evacuated those six passengers, the offending gondola in the Riviera station was removed from the track at that station onto a maintenance spur and the system was restarted at a slow speed. Every single other guest except for the 6 in that one gondola and the few who were in gondolas in the Riviera station at the time of the incident got off at a normal station.

Every report I've read (from credible news organizations, not Disney Blogs/Vlogs spewing hyperbole) says that someone in that vehicle had a panic attack and called 911 demanding evacuation. The whole system had to be stopped in place until that was completed. There is no question there was a malfunction in the Rivera Station but had that guest not called 911 demanding evacuation the recovery time would have been much, much shorter.

If you've looked at the signage added in the stations now it includes an explicit notice that the gondola vehicles may stop at times which is completely normal. This is a reminder for guests not to panic and call 911 if the gondolas stop at times along the way. The moment a guest dials 911 and demands evacuation, this will happen again. There is clearly some opportunity for Disney to improve communications with guests and we'll likely see some new signage added inside the gondola vehicles on things like the emergency call boxes, etc..

 

[drizgirl]

If you've looked at the signage added in the stations now it includes an explicit notice that the gondola vehicles may stop at times which is completely normal. This is a reminder for guests not to panic and call 911 if the gondolas stop at times along the way. The moment a guest dials 911 and demands evacuation, this will happen again.

In other words, it will happen again. We all know those signs are for "other people".

 

[ImperfectPixie]

In other words, it will happen again. We all know those signs are for "other people".

That's my worry.

 

[WEDway Inc & Company LLC]

Odd idea- why not just have elevated walkways, with ramps down at set intervals, perhaps with bus stations? I know some distances are long, but I see several advantages:

1. Easily evacuate Gondola system- floor opens one-way to a retractable staircase, which guests can step down onto the platform.
2. Walkways around WDW for guest use
3. Runners- and maybe RunDisney?

The only issue I would see is sight-lines, but what's more important- ideal guest safety and comfort or eye candy. Just my two cents.

 

[flynnibus]

FWIW.. other gondolas closer to the ground and stations were evac'd before the line was restarted - it's only one cabin that RCFD evac'd for the medical emergency.

People in stations, and some cabins that were accessible via scissor lift were evac'd from ground level.

 

[flynnibus]

Those cherry pickers certainly worked fast to unload that one gondola and the 6 people in it.

A big issue with the 'gondola picker' is that the gondolas would have to be returned to the storage rails and reloaded there since you can't just drop it back on the line and hope it is in exactly the right spot.

You'd just put it on the ground and deal with it later... there is no point in returning to proper storage in the middle of an evacuation. You'd just make sure it's out of the way and deal with clean up AFTER all guests and safety has been secured.

It doesn't matter what your sarcasm about the evac that happened was... it would still be quicker than any process that involved lifting the gondola off the line.. WITH PEOPLE IN IT. No one would ever approve that process except in the absolutely last hope scenario. You don't move people in unsecured boxes via cranes when you have the opportunity to get the people out first.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Odd idea- why not just have elevated walkways, with ramps down at set intervals, perhaps with bus stations? I know some distances are long, but I see several advantages:

1. Easily evacuate Gondola system- floor opens one-way to a retractable staircase, which guests can step down onto the platform.
2. Walkways around WDW for guest use
3. Runners- and maybe RunDisney?

The only issue I would see is sight-lines, but what's more important- ideal guest safety and comfort or eye candy. Just my two cents.

The longest ride is like 8 minutes. If you can't maneuver the line to get the gondolas to a station, how would you expect to maneuver it to one of these proposed platforms? It's moving the line at all, not just a tiny bit.

The distances are also much longer than you think. The gondola system worked because it was the highest percentage of rooms in the smallest amount of space. Most guests don't even want to walk the length of a parking lot without taking a shuttle, let alone 2 miles to just get to the front gate of a park.

 

[WEDway Inc & Company LLC]

What? The longest ride is like 8 minutes. If you can't maneuver the line to get the gondolas to a station, how would you expect to maneuver it to one of your proposed platforms? It's moving the line at all, not just a tiny bit.

No, the idea behind it is not moving them, whereas evacuating in place. If there was an elevated walkway, like a bridge, than there could be a one-way hatch below, at which firefighters could simply pull down, creating a retractable, but short, staircase to allow guests to walk off, onto this long, bridge-like structure that runs directly underneath the gondolas, without requiring guests to stay in the cabin in the event of an issue. I know it's a crappy idea, but who knows?

Edit: It's essentially a really long, elevated crosswalk like this, except obviously with an open roof and a lot longer:

 

[WDWTrojan]

No, the idea behind it is not moving them, whereas evacuating in place. If there was an elevated walkway, like a bridge, than there could be a one-way hatch below, at which firefighters could simply pull down, creating a retractable, but short, staircase to allow guests to walk off, onto this long, bridge-like structure that runs directly underneath the gondolas, without requiring guests to stay in the cabin in the event of an issue. I know it's a crappy idea, but who knows?

Edit: It's essentially a really long, elevated crosswalk like this, except obviously with an open roof and a lot longer:
View attachment 418684

yeah between sightlines, theming, the terrains the gondolas traverse above/near (water, buildings, etc), including backstage service areas, it’s never going to happen.

 

[raymusiccity]

I'd wager someone fears that even during a short stop... guests will now panic and think it's a 3hr stop and want to hit the emergency button, panic kits, etc because of noise around the prior incident. They have to condition these guests on what to expect. I bet we hear alot more overhead announcements too.

I'll bet most future guests won't even know there was an 'incident'. News cycles are so brief. Newspapers in Nashville covered the story with a few sentences. What's a big deal on these boards, are really obscure to the general public.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Maybe they should build an elevated walkway that runs parallel and next to the gondolas so that people can just walk off.

 

[tractor tipper]

Maybe they should build an elevated walkway the runs parallel and next to the gondolas so that people can just walk off.

Don't forget to add the moving belt like they do at airports.