Doors Fail to Open on Monorail Yellow

[drizgirl]

When it comes to safety, all reports should be taken seriously. You shouldn't need to display the correct demeanor to have something checked out.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The lines at the resorts have been truly insane. It doesn't help that the way they are staging guests is completely inept.

That's one part of the problem. The other (which is one of my pet peeves) is that too many people realize that the "resort monorail" from TTC will also get you to the MK. Kinda smudges it up a bit for those paying $400-$500 a night when they can't get on a monorail for 40 minutes.

Half of those trains are filled by people who are not staying at a resort. Works both ways with a lot of people trying to get on the "resort rail" when trying to get back to TTC around close.

 

[WDWTrojan]

That's one part of the problem. The other (which is one of my pet peeves) is that too many people realize that the "resort monorail" from TTC will also get you to the MK. Kinda smudges it up a bit for those paying $400-$500 a night when they can't get on a monorail for 40 minutes.

Half of those trains are filled by people who are not staying at a resort. Works both ways with a lot of people trying to get on the "resort rail" when trying to get back to TTC around close.

This is part of the problem but last night, for example, the trains weren't completely full and many guests left at the Grand Floridian, leaving much space available. Unfortunately they had maybe 20 people cleared to board, while the rest still had to undergo screening. It's just a mess. When the GF monorail queue regularly goes from the platform back inside to the stairs, there is a problem.

They also need a line for guests without bags.

 

[CAV]

The lines at the resorts have been truly insane. It doesn't help that the way they are staging guests is completely inept. They have such little space past the metal detectors, before the gate, that at some point they stop checking guests until the monorail comes. This keeps the monorail there way too long while they keep screening guests.

They really need to redo the boarding area for the monorails more like Magic Kingdom, where guests can spread out along the length of the station after they clear security, while waiting for the monorail to come. This way they can load much quicker by continuously checking people so it doesn't get backed up.

They really need to end the silliness of their method of screening guests. They create a huge gaggle (read: target rich environment) of people stuck in a funnel with no where to go. In effect, the perfect place to attack if the intention is to cause maximum Carnage.

 

[s8film40]

They really need to end the silliness of their method of screening guests. They create a huge gaggle (read: target rich environment) of people stuck in a funnel with no where to go. In effect, the perfect place to attack if the intention is to cause maximum Carnage.

Yes! Someone needs to send the security management on a field trip to Universal to learn how to do it right.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Absolutely the wrong response from a CM. But I'm wondering if he thought it would just be covered up if filed as a private complaint, but felt it needed more exposure.

This is the type of service that one can expect from the “flagship resort of Walt Disney World.” I can’t tell if the Cast Member was being cynical (realistic) or just didn’t know better. I’d lean toward the cynical. This is the result of either poor training or poor morale.

There’s no way a comment like that is the result of poor training for that desk CM! Time to get a new job if your morale is that low or you have contempt for your own employer. There’s no excuse for that response, IF in fact it was relayed accurately.

I’ve had terrific experiences with 99% of CMs and am always going out of my way to give cast compliments, etc. But a small number — like this front desk CM, if accurate — shouldn’t be there.

 

[JoeCamel]

I was on monorail green (cab 4) last night on the resort loop, at around the same time and when we stopped at the Poly the door on the cabin I was in wouldn't close properly. One door of the pair was fine but the other would get about halfway and bounce back. After multiple tries we realized that for some reason, that portion of the car was apparently riding a little low, or leaning toward the station a little. It resulted in the metal bar that pivots with the door as it closes was rubbing against the yellow and black "mind the gap" stripe that's right at the edge of the platform. Once it was clear what was happening, they took a few people out and the door opened and close just fine. They then put everyone back in and it seems the shuffling of people in the cab adjusted the weight enough that they were able to open and close it normally multiple times before they sent us on our way. The trains were absolutely packed to the max at the time.

I have to admit I've never seen this happen before but I just wrote it off as a fluke because things worked exactly like they were supposed to once it was understood what was happening. The door opened and closed properly at the Grand Flo station so it seems for some reason the train was riding just a tiny bit low at that location causing the door to rub on the rubber strip.

Was there a large ECV shaped dent in the door?

 

[MaryJaneP]

The Doors, The Stray Cats, The Beatles, Aerosmith, sounds like a rockin new years eve lineup.

 

[s8film40]

There’s no way a comment like that is the result of poor training for that desk CM! Time to get a new job if your morale is that low or you have contempt for your own employer. There’s no excuse for that response, IF in fact it was relayed accurately.

I’ve had terrific experiences with 99% of CMs and am always going out of my way to give cast compliments, etc. But a small number — like this front desk CM, if accurate — shouldn’t be there.

It's ironically a very honest and accurate answer. If you want your complaint heard putting it on social media is unfortunately probably the best way to get Disney to listen.

There are a lot of CM's with contempt for their employer, many are just professional enough not to show it. If you care about Disney and work at WDW you automatically have contempt for your employer, so it's more common than many realize.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It's ironically a very honest and accurate answer. If you want your complaint heard putting it on social media is unfortunately probably the best way to get Disney to listen.

There are a lot of CM's with contempt for their employer, many are just professional enough not to show it. If you care about Disney and work at WDW you automatically have contempt for your employer, so it's more common than many realize.

I’m not disputing the accuracy — social media posts get attention. Just stating the obvious that it is a thoroughly unacceptable answer for an employee to give. That should be uncontroversial.

I disagree with this, but I’ll leave it at that — not really on topic for this thread, and a well-hashed and re-hashed discussion, to be sure.

 

[KrazyKat]

Good thing my wife wasn’t on this particular cabin on that monorail. She has severe claustrophobia (she can’t even go on Mission: Space because of it). She would’ve been freaking out! She would’ve been Ok riding it but the feeling of being stuck would have been very bad.

Not for nothing, IF WDW is getting new monorails and they could possibly be waiting until D23 next August to announce it, they really should do it now to counter the bad press the monorails are continuously getting lately.

 

[s8film40]

I’m not disputing the accuracy — social media posts get attention. Just stating the obvious that it is a thoroughly unacceptable answer for an employee to give. That should be uncontroversial.

I disagree with this, but I’ll leave it at that — not really on topic for this thread, and a well-hashed and re-hashed discussion, to be sure.

I totally agree it's unprofessional. As to the other point we can agree to disagree, but my main point is it's not just about having contempt for your employer. There are a great number of CM's who absolutely love their job and yet hate their employer. It's a big conflicting emotional thing for many and many people hold onto these jobs a lot longer than they should and these type of things are the result. For that reason it doesn't really surprise me. I've seen many similar examples.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yawnnnn!

 

[KeithVH]

I, for one, welcome our new monorail door overlords . . .

 

[Indy_UK]

I just have no words for Disneys ingorance. Is people's safety really worth it against having another double digit increase on the quarterly report?

 

[Rteetz]

I just have no words for Disneys ingorance. Is people's safety really worth it against having another double digit increase on the quarterly report?

What about this was unsafe? The monorail was running fine just the doors didn’t open. If they were truly unsafe Disney would stop running them because that’s a liability/insurance issue they certainly don’t want.

Yes the monorails need to be updated/replaced. Yes Disney knows. The urgency just isn’t there.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I totally agree it's unprofessional. As to the other point we can agree to disagree, but my main point is it's not just about having contempt for your employer. There are a great number of CM's who absolutely love their job and yet hate their employer. It's a big conflicting emotional thing for many and many people hold onto these jobs a lot longer than they should and these type of things are the result. For that reason it doesn't really surprise me. I've seen many similar examples.

I get what you're saying. In this case, though, it seems like the only thing the front desk CM might have succeeded in doing was to highlight -- in public -- his fellow monorail CMs' incompetence/errors that night. To the extent that he wanted to get a dig in at Disney because they're just so awful, did he accomplish that in the way he might have intended? I'd fire the front desk CM in a heartbeat. When an employee sours on an employer to the point where they would do this -- whatever the reason -- they shouldn't be there.

 

[donsullivan]

Was there a large ECV shaped dent in the door?

Once we realized what it was, it was no big deal. Everything was working fine, it was just a case that for some reason that car was either riding just a bit low, or leaning a little toward the station. Once that was clear, everything worked just fine.

I'm not complaining about the event at all since it was just a really strange condition and it was very clear what happened and after a couple of us moved around in the cab during troubleshooting it was just fine. I just put it out there in case word of this event last night gets out there and since I was in the car where it happened I've got a first-hand view of it and wanted to be sure folks understand it was no big deal.

 

[s8film40]

I get what you're saying. In this case, though, it seems like the only thing the front desk CM might have succeeded in doing was to highlight -- in public -- his fellow monorail CMs' incompetence/errors that night. To the extent that he wanted to get a dig in at Disney because they're just so awful, did he accomplish that in the way he might have intended? I'd fire the front desk CM in a heartbeat. When an employee sours on an employer to the point where they would do this -- whatever the reason -- they shouldn't be there.

I totally agree and as you pointed out I think while this comes off initially to those with no knowledge as a "malfunction" or maintenance issue, but it definitely to me seems more like either intentional or accidental actions of the CM (driver).

 

[DDLand]

There’s no way a comment like that is the result of poor training for that desk CM! Time to get a new job if your morale is that low or you have contempt for your own employer. There’s no excuse for that response, IF in fact it was relayed accurately.

I’ve had terrific experiences with 99% of CMs and am always going out of my way to give cast compliments, etc. But a small number — like this front desk CM, if accurate — shouldn’t be there.

There are Disney Resorts where Cast Members really care about their work. They’d feel profoundly sorry about problems that arise (even things like bad weather). Aulani is one example. The Cast there clearly feel like they’re doing something great. I remember a Cast Member talking about how great it is to work there. In Shanghai, I could feel how proud many of the hotel Cast members were of their city’s new resort. They asked how it compared to other Disney Resorts, talked about how great their jobs were, and were super focused. In Tokyo they’re in mad dash. We once asked a Custodian for directions, and she went backstage in order to find an English map. She then spent even more time trying to help us use it. And she didn’t speak any English. She was almost too helpful!

While there are Walt Disney World Cast Members who do all of the above, many look blankly off into the distance or don’t jump to help. Why? Because corporate views them as expendable labor capital. Cast Member’s assignment is to make sure each guest maximizes spending by providing a good enough experience for guests to open wallets. And Cast Members may be replaced by interns, because did I mention, they’re expendable?

They lack a spark found at Disney Parks around the world. Can you blame them? No better metaphor can exist then the crappy Monorails. Technically Disney isn’t doing anything wrong. But the guest experience suffers when you just aren’t “doing anything wrong.” Being a leader in the services industry requires being proactive and doing more than what’s required.

Until they fix that fundamental problem, Walt Disney World will lag in energy. Problems like this will also be commonplace*. When you have no loyalty, don’t expect loyalty back.

*I also wouldn’t be so quick to write it off as a Cast Member not knowing what to do. The guest in question was asking a specific question they very well might not have been prepared for. Poor training can often lead to poor morale.

What about this was unsafe? The monorail was running fine just the doors didn’t open. If they were truly unsafe Disney would stop running them because that’s a liability/insurance issue they certainly don’t want.

Yes the monorails need to be updated/replaced. Yes Disney knows. The urgency just isn’t there.

It is worrisome that the phone system didn’t work.