Emergency Evacuation Procedures at Disney's Polynesian Villas

[ford91exploder]

The OP is still there.... I wouldn't wait til you got back. If you can get in touch and meet with someone from DVC face to face about this situation and deal with Disney/Poly about it, that's the way to go. Nothing gets something solved faster than being there in person. They can't hang up on you or transfer you when you're at their desk, with a DVC rep.

I'd say head on over to SSR tomorrow and visit the DVC offices and ask to speak with your guide or a manager about what happened to your family at the Poly, The guides have CLOUT and are not afraid to use it as issues like this hurt DVC sales.

 

[mousehockey37]

Chairs also work well if you fling it like you mean it.

Some "fine tuned" ECV's could just do a Lights, Motors, Action type of final scene jump through it...

 

[ford91exploder]

Well, in the event of an actual emergency, if a sliding GLASS door can't be opened.. I'd fully expect someone to put a fire extinguisher or other blunt, heavy object THROUGH the door... They can replace the glass, not the people.

If I were there I would have done so without hesitation.

 

[ford91exploder]

Call the local news station.. I'm sure 'death trap hotel at walt disney world' would get a few hits

It would indeed, Probably also get you trespassed as well...

 

[mousehockey37]

Call the local news station.. I'm sure 'death trap hotel at walt disney world' would get a few hits

Wouldn't calling OSHA be better? I mean, that's what they deal with... People do work there, as well as use the rooms and such..

 

[Rob562]

I'd assume the doors are secured by maglocks which are supposed to disengage if the fire alarm is sounding, Hence only the CM's could open the doors - perhaps a malfunction prevented the maglocks from disengaging automatically or the alarm severity did not permit maglock disengagement.

I'd have to see the doors in question and how the mag-locks interact with them, but pretty much every commercial sliding glass door is designed to "break away" by pushing on it from the inside. There's a hinge built into the side, and pushing on the door pops the door from the track and swings it open. (Sometimes at stores you'll see one popped open because someone caught the edge of the door with a shopping cart while walking through it.)

If it was designed with a mag-lock that keeps the door from hinging open and the lock can't be disengaged by people *inside* the building during a power outage, then I'm *very* surprised it made it past safety inspections... Exit doors are supposed to "fail safe" in a power outage, not "fail secure".

-Rob

 

[MinnieWaffles]

I didn't think the locks on the sliding doors were anything but mechanical, but we've only stayed at a deluxe villa once.

 

[jakeman]

Local news would eat this story up...

 

[flynnibus]

Wouldn't calling OSHA be better? I mean, that's what they deal with... People do work there, as well as use the rooms and such..

No... Local building code would prevent a building from being occupied at all. OSHA doesn't aim to duplicate or enforce existing law

 

[flynnibus]

Chairs also work well if you fling it like you mean it.

It's tempered glass as its at ground level... Need something very hard and something that will deliver all the blow in a very fine point

 

[ford91exploder]

It's tempered glass as its at ground level... Need something very hard and something that will deliver all the blow in a very fine point

An automatic center punch would do the trick or one of those car rescue devices,

 

[flynnibus]

An automatic center punch would do the trick or one of those car rescue devices,

Yup or just have an emergency pointed hammer like most buses have. Or your car escape kit, etc

Tempered glass is quite amazing what it will do

 

[Cesar R M]

Yup or just have an emergency pointed hammer like most buses have. Or your car escape kit, etc

Tempered glass is quite amazing what it will do

real men use fire axes (including AXE brand deodorant, being shirtless and sexy music in the background). bonus points if Fabio appears to break the glass while he does his brand Pantene Hair Swing(tm)

 

[flynnibus]

For a good demonstration (altho poorly edited) of how tempered glass handles impacts and crazy distortion... yet is extremely sensitive to impacts on its edge. Screen through this video

You can watch as glass bends like crazy... takes hits from hammers, axes, and more... but hit it the specific way, and it explodes


Tempered glass is under tension.. hence why it explodes when it finally gives.

 

[bethymouse]

Now I get it... Pago Pago used to be Rapa Nui, then they changed it back to its original name.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

It's amazing...you have people who can't add 1 person to a dining ADR because of fire codes, but you have a possible death trap at one of your priciest resorts. And the brush off apologies from the CMs...unacceptable. I don't care whether you're DVC or not...you were a guest in their resort with a serious issue that deserved real attention.

At the very least, I'd escalate this before your vacation is over, but agreed that the news would eat this up.

 

[mousehockey37]

It's amazing...you have people who can't add 1 person to a dining ADR because of fire codes, but you have a possible death trap at one of your priciest resorts. And the brush off apologies from the CMs...unacceptable. I don't care whether you're DVC or not...you were a guest in their resort with a serious issue that deserved real attention.

At the very least, I'd escalate this before your vacation is over, but agreed that the news would eat this up.

@Disneyhead'71 is with the media in some form... So technically, it's out there. He commented earlier in the thread. But yes, this was a serious issue with a possible "fatal" flaw that luckily is now revealed, only Disney apparently doesn't want to know about it. So, OP, if you can spare some time, make a call, do whatever... Just don't let this go unattended to while you are there.

 

[olinecoach61]

Throw a chair through the glass door and I bet they find a way to make sure it opens next time. I love the poly but this is ridiculous

 

[Chezman1399]

So odd question, if there is no electricity what was holding the doors closed because electric sliding doors need electricity to be held closed or open automatically? I've never seen one ever that without power just can't be pushed open.

Even a magnetic lock would require power.

 

[Cesar R M]

So odd question, if there is no electricity what was holding the doors closed because electric sliding doors need electricity to be held closed or open automatically? I've never seen one ever that without power just can't be pushed open.

Even a magnetic lock would require power.

not if they're normal magnets (similar doors used for kitchen cabinets)
you're confusing magnetic locks with electromagnetic locks.