Figment2005
Well-Known Member
This was human error plain and simple. Not speculation of, but fact.
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Doors Fail to Open on Monorail Yellow
- Thread starter SpaceMountain77
- Start date
s8film40
Well-Known Member
There’s never been an assigned door opener position so to speak, but the platform CM’s will assist. It’s more of a whoever gets there first will usually open them.
I don’t think adding positions would help in fact it could do more harm. In that hypothetical example I gave it was the added CM’s assistance that initiated the issue. In my opinion this is one of the most dangerous things Disney has done recently with monorail operations is adding in so many operational redundancies. Having a single person responsible I think brings a greater focus. If multiple people are responsible for one action it seems to me to make people more complacent.
I'm glad some of them were taking this lightly, but this is a huge safety issue that Disney better address. In the event of a real emergency, this could have been bad.
nj_to_wdw
New Member
Clearly those Disney CMs didn't care or were very poorly trained (or thoroughly trained by bad managers).
But keep in mind, this isn't like being in a motel that doesn't care. While staying at their "resort" you are basically paying to stay in a very large compound. I have stayed on military bases with family members where I woke to hearing artillery fire. I have stayed at Disney many times and used their monorails many times. We read in the news of victims of disasters who need to stay in compounds. Sadly others are imprisoned in political compounds. I have taken the "Behind the Scenes" at Magic Kingdom and talked with CMs. I think it all boils down to how much you can trust the safe guards, policies, training and attitudes of the people running the compound. Sadly the trend seems to me to be a fraying of the Disney standards that I have seen in the past, looking back to our honeymoon in 1978 and across the years to our most recent trips. Just my opinion, you don't have to agree.
But keep in mind, this isn't like being in a motel that doesn't care. While staying at their "resort" you are basically paying to stay in a very large compound. I have stayed on military bases with family members where I woke to hearing artillery fire. I have stayed at Disney many times and used their monorails many times. We read in the news of victims of disasters who need to stay in compounds. Sadly others are imprisoned in political compounds. I have taken the "Behind the Scenes" at Magic Kingdom and talked with CMs. I think it all boils down to how much you can trust the safe guards, policies, training and attitudes of the people running the compound. Sadly the trend seems to me to be a fraying of the Disney standards that I have seen in the past, looking back to our honeymoon in 1978 and across the years to our most recent trips. Just my opinion, you don't have to agree.
Also for those of you defending Disney (who I'm assuming will take this very seriously), this is what's called a "near miss" in the world of safety. It's the potential for things to have gone bad quickly that will get this addressed. Just because something didn't happen doesn't mean the potential wasn't there. Disney's HSE department will 100% be investigating this.
bayoubelle
amuck, amuck, amuck
What happens when the doors fail to close?
I totally get the CMs treating people like cattle. Disney used to be known for their superlative customer service. For those who blame the guests, umm maybe some guests act more entitled but not all and not the majority. Is it the guests' fault when CMs argue with each other? Is it guests' entitlement that causes CMs to stand around talking to each other at the checkout while the line grows? It sure as heck wasn't my husband and I being entitles when we approached a Club Level CM to ask a question and had to wait several minutes because he was busy reading a book. I think there are entitlement issues on both sides.
Anyone who went to WDW pre Bob Eiger knows the difference. Under Eisner, Disney was still a money making business but the company made sure the guests felt appreciated.
I totally get the CMs treating people like cattle. Disney used to be known for their superlative customer service. For those who blame the guests, umm maybe some guests act more entitled but not all and not the majority. Is it the guests' fault when CMs argue with each other? Is it guests' entitlement that causes CMs to stand around talking to each other at the checkout while the line grows? It sure as heck wasn't my husband and I being entitles when we approached a Club Level CM to ask a question and had to wait several minutes because he was busy reading a book. I think there are entitlement issues on both sides.
Anyone who went to WDW pre Bob Eiger knows the difference. Under Eisner, Disney was still a money making business but the company made sure the guests felt appreciated.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
About 2 years ago, I was on the morning monorail from the TTC to the MK. When it stopped at the Poly, the doors opened OK, but then it took about 6 tries to get them properly closed. Then, at the GF, the doors opened and people started to leave, only to have the doors violently slam shut. The lady in front of me was pushing a child in a stroller, and the stroller took up the brunt of the closing, while others were thrown back into the car. Needless to say, they took this monorail out of service and transferred everyone to another.
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
So many thoughts on this...
I don't know if the initial failure of the doors to open was human error, mechanical that needed to be overrided, or some combination of both (which is kind of my suspicion). But whatever failure led to the door failure, it was followed up with multiple errors on the part of the cast members.
It should have been obvious there was an issue with the doors when all the other doors on that side of the train were open except these. Not normal, and something that they should have immediately looked at. The fact that it took 3 stops with the people in the train yelling at them before it was noticed and fixed is ridiculous. The demeanor of the guests in the train is completely irrelevant- laughing, screaming, crying, or silent. Those doors should have been checked at every stop, and when they didn't open it should have been noticed and checked on.
The fact that the phone on board didn't work and was a dead phone is also inexcusable. That absolutely is a safety issue. If you have someone with a health issue, accident, etc in that car, it needs to work.
As for the cast member at the resort that said to report it on Instagram, I have my suspicions on that one. I have a strong suspicion they likely reported it to the company anyways. Is it appropriate to suggest that? No. And I suspect they didn't come right out and say that, but did so rather soft spoken, "under the table." Why? Because they know the state of the monorails, because they care, because they don't see anything being done, and they are afraid that one complaint through the company will just get ignored, whereas if it hits social media then perhaps it will add to the pressure to finally do something about the trains.
I honestly don't see that as a vindictive, lazy, or disloyal cast member, but more likely it's one that is trying to find ways to do what they can to get the company to do what it already should have been doing. And in this case it means taking a step that would normally be considered inappropriate, but they may be feeling frustrated enough to decide to do what they might feel necessary.
I don't know if the initial failure of the doors to open was human error, mechanical that needed to be overrided, or some combination of both (which is kind of my suspicion). But whatever failure led to the door failure, it was followed up with multiple errors on the part of the cast members.
It should have been obvious there was an issue with the doors when all the other doors on that side of the train were open except these. Not normal, and something that they should have immediately looked at. The fact that it took 3 stops with the people in the train yelling at them before it was noticed and fixed is ridiculous. The demeanor of the guests in the train is completely irrelevant- laughing, screaming, crying, or silent. Those doors should have been checked at every stop, and when they didn't open it should have been noticed and checked on.
The fact that the phone on board didn't work and was a dead phone is also inexcusable. That absolutely is a safety issue. If you have someone with a health issue, accident, etc in that car, it needs to work.
As for the cast member at the resort that said to report it on Instagram, I have my suspicions on that one. I have a strong suspicion they likely reported it to the company anyways. Is it appropriate to suggest that? No. And I suspect they didn't come right out and say that, but did so rather soft spoken, "under the table." Why? Because they know the state of the monorails, because they care, because they don't see anything being done, and they are afraid that one complaint through the company will just get ignored, whereas if it hits social media then perhaps it will add to the pressure to finally do something about the trains.
I honestly don't see that as a vindictive, lazy, or disloyal cast member, but more likely it's one that is trying to find ways to do what they can to get the company to do what it already should have been doing. And in this case it means taking a step that would normally be considered inappropriate, but they may be feeling frustrated enough to decide to do what they might feel necessary.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
It actually is normal for trains to come into the station and have some cabin doors intentionally not open. So that in itself would not seem out of the ordinary to the cast. There are several reasons why a cabin may be kept closed.
We are speculating here but it’s unlikely the phone itself was not working.
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
Saw this yesterday in the Epcot parking lot as a family disregarded the parking CM and parked literally in the first spot of the row when they were told to go all the way to the end of it. The hippo of a woman jumped out of the van and told her kids to get out too while the CM was telling her to move. Really hope they got towed out of there.
I see this probably half the time I take my car to one of the theme park lots. Its so disrespectful, I have actually told off a few of the guests because I know the CM’s can’t. I would never tell a park or CM name, but I have had a CM thank me very quietly once.
*My version of tell off is family appropriate*
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It seems like everyone is wondering the cure for Disney’s disregard for your safety. Money! When it cost them money, they’ll listen. Curious that no one attempted the emergency exit. I’m sorry, but I’m my opinion it then becomes an emergency when the doors will not open and you need out. When the emergency windows start coming off the car and crashing out, it’s going to get serious real quick. They’ll notice then. These types of issues are serious! It’s only funny now and people joke because no one got hurt. But take quick look at the past when mistakes were made on these monorails. People died! Because of this same type of neglect & stupidity. This situation should be treated no different and taken as a serious breach of yours or my personal safety. You don’t why the door won’t open. You don’t know that there might be a fire onboard causing the malfunction. You don’t what other serious issues might be happening right at that moment. You have a right to be able to emergency evacuate and escape. Let’s say there’s a Fire onboard, Disney say wait for a cast member assistance? Not really. At the end of the day you must use your judgment to protect your own personal safety regardless of what Disney says. My point being, don’t let your small children walk close to the water. Again. Another history lesson!
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
I agree with most of your points. But I'm trying to think how I would react if I were in that situation. Unless someone in the car was actually having a medical emergency at the time, or there was evidence of something serious like a fire, I don't think I would resort to the emergency exits at that point. I would probably try the emergency phone, as those folks did, and then when that didn't work call 911 from my cell phone and report the situation. Perhaps call Disney's call center as well.
My point is that while there are definitely very serious implications to the doors not opening, and you're right that it could have led to very serious consequences, if the situation unfolded for me exactly as it did for these folks, I don't think I would panic and treat it as a true emergency. But I could be wrong.
GhostHost1000
Premium Member
I mean cmon... we fuss when the doors stay open while moving and now when the doors won't open at all. Disney guests are never happy 
s8film40
Well-Known Member
This isn’t a safety issue at all. Inconvenient sure, but it’s really not that different than if the automatic doors stopped working at your local grocery store. There are multiple manual emergency exits on the trains.
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
That's a very good point. Doors opening while the monorail is in motion is definitely a safety issue. Doors not opening is actually exactly what the emergency exits are designed for.
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
If doors are malfunctioning, staying closed when they should open, who's to say that they might not come open on their own when the monorail was dozens of feet above the ground?
KBLovedDisney
Well-Known Member
s8film40
Well-Known Member
Well we don’t know that the doors were malfunctioning and it doesn’t seem like they were since they seemed to operate perfectly normally. The fail safe should always be for the doors to be closed and this is the way the trains are designed. If the train is suddenly turned off or gets a variety of different errors that mean it can’t determine where it is the doors actually do slam shut. It’s not until the train is placed in the stop position that it’s even possible to open the doors.
KBLovedDisney
Well-Known Member
The monorails aren't happy about the gondolas moving in next door. 