Epcot Monorail Being Evacuated

[mousehockey37]

Not to say the twitter poster wasn't over reacting but I can assure you if my daughter was on the monorail when this happened she would for sure feel like she was about to die. This is her biggest fear being in the monorail stuck on the tracks and then if she had to be taken off via ladder or cherry picker or whatever they would have to sedate her there is no way she'd not be in full on panic attack mode. Guess what I'm getting at is that maybe to other people this seems cool or minor but to someone like my daughter who has a major fear they live with this might make them feel like they will die.

Then why does she ride on the monorail? It doesn't have to storm for the power to go out. The fact that this happened due to a storm is a coincidence, but storms aren't the only reason.

There's other modes of transport to get to and fro at WDW. I'm sure that there were more than a few claustrophobic people as well as others who don't like being suspended at heights on board. It's just a chance you take when you get in. To mitigate the chances, you find an alternate way to travel.

Hopefully she never has to experience being stuck, but it's always going to be looming out there, that it just might happen.

 

[Metilinos]

Then why does she ride on the monorail? It doesn't have to storm for the power to go out. The fact that this happened due to a storm is a coincidence, but storms aren't the only reason.

There's other modes of transport to get to and fro at WDW. I'm sure that there were more than a few claustrophobic people as well as others who don't like being suspended at heights on board. It's just a chance you take when you get in. To mitigate the chances, you find an alternate way to travel.

Hopefully she never has to experience being stuck, but it's always going to be looming out there, that it just might happen.

She never claimed she rides it, just that she fears being stuck on it.

In that sense it's understandable, people have fears.

But there are some exaggeraters out there

 

[CDavid]

What I don't understand is the need to evacuate the train in place. There's more than one tow tractor, so even though the more convenient one was blocked, why not bring the other to tow the monorail to a platform?

 

[Becky]

For those of you making fun of people on the monorail I just want to point out that that there were infants, small children, persons with a disability and elderly amoung the passengers on that train. Look at the pictures, it took quite some time to get 120 people off safely.

 

[mousehockey37]

For those of you making fun of people on the monorail I just want to point out that that there were infants, small children, persons with a disability and elderly amoung the passengers on that train. Look at the pictures, it took quite some time to get 120 people off safely.

We do understand. No need to get all up tight about it. The RCFD did a wonderful job. This was a non-news event that has made the top story on the news. As others have said, it's happened before and will happen again.

 

[Lord_Vader]

@Becky , I haven't read where anyone was making fun of guests with disabilities, fears, etc.

My wife is wheelchair bound and would have been absolutely mortified at having to try to climb out the top, across a monorail and down a ladder truck as many guests had to today, however my son and I would have had a blast and would have helped her every step of the way.

 

[TP2000]

For those of you making fun of people on the monorail I just want to point out that that there were infants, small children, persons with a disability and elderly amoung the passengers on that train. Look at the pictures, it took quite some time to get 120 people off safely.

I can only imagine how traumatic that would be for many of those folks! Just having to climb out the roof hatch and then walk along the roof of the train as it is perched high in the air would send a lot of folks into a mild panic.

There must be a better way to operate a monorail system than this.

 

[peachykeen]

What I don't understand is the need to evacuate the train in place. There's more than one tow tractor, so even though the more convenient one was blocked, why not bring the other to tow the monorail to a platform?

There are more than one tractor. There are 3. However, as I mentioned a couple of times, the Monorail was unlucky enough to stop DIRECTLY on the switch that would have been able to get ANY of those tractors to it. Beyond that switch, the Epcot beam has no other switches.The only way it would have been physically possible to get that train towed was to have a tractor craned onto the beam. The closest tractor was literally 20 feet from the train, but was useless because the switch to both- a) get that tractor from the spur to the Epcot beam and b) get either of the other tractors from Express to Epcot- was blocked by a train.

The odds of the train stopping there versus ANYWHERE else on the Epcot beam are small. 203.5 feet vs. several miles. It was terrible luck.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I give 'em some credit here and there. Article itself wasn't specific enough on where or how the ride lost power, just lightning and it stopped. You're probably right though.

Someone saw lightning in the distance and the cart stopped moving, then the barrage of tweets, and possible calls/texts to loved ones went out saying this is how it ends

No, its not specific because half of the desk people at newspapers/TV working on a sunday havent any idea who to call at Disney for comment.

 

[mouse_luv]

For those of you making fun of people on the monorail I just want to point out that that there were infants, small children, persons with a disability and elderly amoung the passengers on that train. Look at the pictures, it took quite some time to get 120 people off safely.

I don't see where any of us posting on this thread were making fun of anyone. I was the first to say I would be excited to evac and guess what? I have a disability. I have complete confidence in the RCFD and Disney to take care of something like this w/o it turning into some nightmare. People need to relax.

 

[erstwo]

The smell alone would make me think I was 'dying.' And keeping my children from touching anything would drive me mad those monorail cars are disgusting now.

 

[CDavid]

There are more than one tractor. There are 3. However, as I mentioned a couple of times, the Monorail was unlucky enough to stop DIRECTLY on the switch that would have been able to get ANY of those tractors to it. Beyond that switch, the Epcot beam has no other switches.The only way it would have been physically possible to get that train towed was to have a tractor craned onto the beam. The closest tractor was literally 20 feet from the train, but was useless because the switch to both- a) get that tractor from the spur to the Epcot beam and b) get either of the other tractors from Express to Epcot- was blocked by a train.

The odds of the train stopping there versus ANYWHERE else on the Epcot beam are small. 203.5 feet vs. several miles. It was terrible luck.

Thanks for the reply. I had forgotten the tractor switch was located at the end of the spur from the express to Epcot monorail beams.

 

[peachykeen]

Thanks for the reply. I had forgotten the tractor switch was located at the end of the spur from the express to Epcot monorail beams.

No worries. I probably didn't make it clear, and forget that some of this stuff isn't common knowledge!

 

[Fantasmicguy]

My guess is it's probably one of the easier evacs.. Grab a ladder or a cherry picker. Maybe one of those slides from airplanes. Imagine if you got stuck on like Space Mountain or on the loop at Rock'n Rollercoaster?

You can't get stuck on a loop. Centrifical force makes sure you go either all the way or roll back down.

 

[PhotoDave219]

For those of you making fun of people on the monorail I just want to point out that that there were infants, small children, persons with a disability and elderly amoung the passengers on that train. Look at the pictures, it took quite some time to get 120 people off safely.

So? There's a difference between making fun of people's ability to understand basic science & and having a laugh because people are stuck on A monorail.

You want to know what's really dangerous? Look up Six Flags Magic Mountain from last week. That was a serious problem and a serious issue and they were lucky nobody got killed. This? It's fine. Nobody was hurt. Nobody was in any danger at any time. It's something RCES trains for all the time. It was just inconvenience for the people on the train.

The larger issue is that with all the monorail issues in the past five years, all the changes that occurred because of it, how could they not anticipate a situation where they could not get a Tug to where a train is?

 

[peachykeen]

The larger issue is that with all the monorail issues in the past five years, all the changes that occurred because of it, how could they not anticipate a situation where they could not get a Tug to where a train is?

I agree with all of your post, and wanted to respond to this part.

In the past, towing a train from the Epcot beam was an ordeal. Express would have to be cycled down, to be able to get a tractor from shop onto Express then on to Epcot to go grab the disable train. Because of this, Disney added a dedicated tractor spur to the Epcot beam, where a tractor is permanently stationed to quickly retrieve a stranded Epcot train.

Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've read, this train basically rendered that beam obsolete by stopping on the switch. In effect, it sealed the Epcot beam into a loop. The only other solution for this would be to build a SECOND tractor spur on Epcot. That way if a train stopped on this switch, there should theoretically be another switch available somewhere else to deploy a tractor from.

I'm sure Disney figured the odds of a train stopping exactly on the switch were small enough to warrant having just the one tractor spur. They could put another one in, but you still run the (albeit extremely small) chance that trains get stuck on BOTH switches at the same time! I doubt that would happen, but then again, I'm sure Disney doubted a train would ever be stranded smack on Switch 9.

 

[Skyway]

You can't get stuck on a loop. Centrifical force makes sure you go either all the way it roll back down.

Alright, Sir Isaac Newton. So how'd this happen then?

 

[Cesar R M]

You should've seen the "survivors" Facebook page from the Fantasy cruise that caught a bit of rough seas getting back to Port Canaveral behind Hurricane Sandy. A WDWMagic'er was on that sailing and she said "eh, it was a little rough". But the "survivors" aren't convinced yet that Disney wasn't trying to kill them. Cracks. Me. Up.

there is a survivors facebook page???

 

[PhotoDave219]

I agree with all of your post, and wanted to respond to this part.

In the past, towing a train from the Epcot beam was an ordeal. Express would have to be cycled down, to be able to get a tractor from shop onto Express then on to Epcot to go grab the disable train. Because of this, Disney added a dedicated tractor spur to the Epcot beam, where a tractor is permanently stationed to quickly retrieve a stranded Epcot train.

Unfortunately, as I'm sure you've read, this train basically rendered that beam obsolete by stopping on the switch. In effect, it sealed the Epcot beam into a loop. The only other solution for this would be to build a SECOND tractor spur on Epcot. That way if a train stopped on this switch, there should theoretically be another switch available somewhere else to deploy a tractor from.

I'm sure Disney figured the odds of a train stopping exactly on the switch were small enough to warrant having just the one tractor spur. They could put another one in, but you still run the (albeit extremely small) chance that trains get stuck on BOTH switches at the same time! I doubt that would happen, but then again, I'm sure Disney doubted a train would ever be stranded smack on Switch 9.

Thanks.

Like you, I have strong opinions about the topic. I just dont understand why its taken five years (and counting) for all the safety improvements to be implemented.

 

[Cesar R M]

You can tell your son that it is indeed very cool to walk on top of the monorail

Id strike a "superman" pose on top of the monorail for a photo before evacuation.. just sayin'!

 

[Cesar R M]

So? There's a difference between making fun of people's ability to understand basic science & and having a laugh because people are stuck on A monorail.

You want to know what's really dangerous? Look up Six Flags Magic Mountain from last week. That was a serious problem and a serious issue and they were lucky nobody got killed. This? It's fine. Nobody was hurt. Nobody was in any danger at any time. It's something RCES trains for all the time. It was just inconvenience for the people on the train.

The larger issue is that with all the monorail issues in the past five years, all the changes that occurred because of it, how could they not anticipate a situation where they could not get a Tug to where a train is?

you know what could be hilarious too?
that the lightning fried some of the automated systems that were installed, and WDW will have to install from zero.