Evaced last night on Splash Mountain

[captainkidd]

Guests really need to learn, when Splash goes down we can get you out so much faster if you just stay seated. It usually only takes about 20 minutes to reset but if one person gets out, the entire ride needs to be evaced, which will take much longer. It's just frustrating to a lot of cast members to be literally minutes or even seconds away from getting the ride running again and someone hops out.

Makes sense.

I think guests and CM's should make a deal. As guests, we won't stand when a ride breaks down, and as CM's, when some moron starts taking flash pictures on dark rides (which we all know CM's can see), they actually get over the intercom and tell them to stop.

 

[Phonedave]

We do that. Things were kinda crazy that night, which is why there weren't that many spiels.

Which points to a breakdown in process.

Sorry it's that whole operating in a QMS framework thing again.

-dave

 

[janoimagine]

Let me preface this by saying, I am not usually one to get all sensitive. But to compare getting stuck on splash mountain to 9/11 is vomit inducing. I am speechless.

I am speechless at the stupidity ... nobody was comparing getting evac'd off Splash Mountain to 9/11.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

This is where Six Flags is superior to Disney. CMs should have been dispatched to the locations where the logs were stopped so that they can personally inform the guests to remain seated. It's reassuring to guests that everything is ok, and that there is someone who can answer (or avoid) their questions. A barely comprehensible announcement over the PA system isn't going to do anything. They have no idea what's going on, and minutes can seem like hours (just ask anyone who's been in a serious accident and is waiting for an ambulance). It's one of the reasons some rides at Six Flags won't run at full capacity...they want to make sure that there is enough staff to "host" the ride vehicles in the event of a downtime. It is to prevent EXACTLY what happened at Splash Mountain, guests getting out of ride vehicles.

Guests shouldn't have to learn because Disney should have procedures in place to calm panicked guests, who are left wondering for 20 minutes what is wrong. I love Splash Mountain, but it is one of the most poorly operated rides I've ever been on.

They shouldn't need intrusion alarms. If Disney staffed positions through the rides at stopping points (i.e., where the boats will stop or get jammed) like every other theme park with a flume, they won't have to worry about guests climbing into restricted areas.

1. We do that too. When we have any kind of prolonged downtime that requires the use of CMs in the mountain, we go through and talk to guests to let them know everything is alright. Our primary goal is to get the ride running again, so the quicker we do that, the faster guests can get out. Splash does have a decent amount of CMs running it at once, but because of the size of the attraction, it's typically not enough to have the right amount of people in every single reset zone at once. We do try to reassure guests that everything is alright and that the ride will be opperating again shortly.

2. As a Splash CM I am sorry if you have had a bad experience with our evacuation procedures in the past, but we do our best to get the ride back up and running as quickly as we can. The main reason why we don't really stop to answer questions is because we are focused on the task at hand. The quicker the ride is back up and running, the quicker everyone can get out safely.

3. Intrusion system is a very important aspect. The unfortunate truth is that guests will try to get out of their ride vehicles for stupid reasons. Without the intrusion system, we won't know when people do get out. It actually helps speed up the recovery of any guests who do get out because we can know exactly where a guest got out and dispatch someone to recover that person.

Hopefully that's enough explaination for ya.

 

[fosse76]

1. We do that too. When we have any kind of prolonged downtime that requires the use of CMs in the mountain, we go through and talk to guests to let them know everything is alright. Our primary goal is to get the ride running again, so the quicker we do that, the faster guests can get out. Splash does have a decent amount of CMs running it at once, but because of the size of the attraction, it's typically not enough to have the right amount of people in every single reset zone at once. We do try to reassure guests that everything is alright and that the ride will be opperating again shortly.

Any downtime should require that action. There should be CMs permantly staffed at the control points (the most likely locations where guest would climb out). Your primary goal is the safety of the guests. What good is restarting the ride if a guest climbed out of his log and then fell into the flume? Do you really think that an announcement over the PA system is enough? Guests need to see and hear from a CM IN PERSON. That will relax them and cause the least amount of panic.

2. As a Splash CM I am sorry if you have had a bad experience with our evacuation procedures in the past, but we do our best to get the ride back up and running as quickly as we can. The main reason why we don't really stop to answer questions is because we are focused on the task at hand. The quicker the ride is back up and running, the quicker everyone can get out safely.

Disney seems to overcomplicate its ride systems. There shouldn't be any need to reset "zones" to restart the ride. But even so, it's part of your job to answer questions, or at the very minimum reassure the guests that CMs are working to get the ride going. An incomprehensible PA announcement just doesn't have that impact. 5 minutes of sitting there not knowing what is going on can seem like a half-an-hour.

3. Intrusion system is a very important aspect. The unfortunate truth is that guests will try to get out of their ride vehicles for stupid reasons. Without the intrusion system, we won't know when people do get out. It actually helps speed up the recovery of any guests who do get out because we can know exactly where a guest got out and dispatch someone to recover that person.

And again, if CMs were permanently staffed to those control points, then the intrusion system would not be needed. The visibilty of a CM alone would be a deterrent to most. And a CM would be able to keep guests from getting out of their vehicle in the first place.

 

[thelookingglass]

Any downtime should require that action. There should be CMs permantly staffed at the control points (the most likely locations where guest would climb out). Your primary goal is the safety of the guests.

Splash Mountain runs what, over 40 logs at a time? They simply don't have the staffing for that and it would be ridiculous to expect Disney to do that.

Don't make excuses for guest stupidity. You are around dangerous machinery! You don't know where you're going or how to get out. STAY SEATED.

Disney seems to overcomplicate its ride systems. There shouldn't be any need to reset "zones" to restart the ride.

Yeah, lets get rid of a HUGE SAFETY FEATURE on Disney rides because YOU think it would be more efficient. Also, you have clearly are not familiar with ride systems or you'd know that having to reset "zones" is a standard procedure for basically all dispatched rides.

 

[Tigger1988]

Guests need to see and hear from a CM IN PERSON. That will relax them and cause the least amount of panic.

How stupid does someone have to be that they need a CM there "in person" to repeat what was said over the intercom? I've broken down on Splash before and no one was sent into a fit of hysterics and panic because of the PA announcement.

 

[BrerFrog]

I hate that stuff like that does not happen to me.

Here is hoping I will be evaced out of SSE, HM and SM on my next trip.

 

[blm07]

Any downtime should require that action. There should be CMs permantly staffed at the control points (the most likely locations where guest would climb out). Your primary goal is the safety of the guests. What good is restarting the ride if a guest climbed out of his log and then fell into the flume? Do you really think that an announcement over the PA system is enough? Guests need to see and hear from a CM IN PERSON. That will relax them and cause the least amount of panic.

Do you really think the CM who works at Splash makes the rules? No, it's whoever is in charge.

Disney seems to overcomplicate its ride systems. There shouldn't be any need to reset "zones" to restart the ride. But even so, it's part of your job to answer questions, or at the very minimum reassure the guests that CMs are working to get the ride going. An incomprehensible PA announcement just doesn't have that impact. 5 minutes of sitting there not knowing what is going on can seem like a half-an-hour.

Do you know anything about restarting a major theme park attraction? Do you know anything about how it works behind the scenes? Do you expect them to just flip a switch to restart the attraction? It takes time to reset an attraction safely. I agree that the announcements need to be clearly and slowly spoken, but if people are so impatient in general (and they are) that they step out of the vehicle, then they can't just restart the ride right away. What if someone is walking around and they restart the ride?

And again, if CMs were permanently staffed to those control points, then the intrusion system would not be needed. The visibilty of a CM alone would be a deterrent to most. And a CM would be able to keep guests from getting out of their vehicle in the first place.

Wouldn't that kind of ruin the theming?

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Any downtime should require that action. There should be CMs permantly staffed at the control points (the most likely locations where guest would climb out). Your primary goal is the safety of the guests. What good is restarting the ride if a guest climbed out of his log and then fell into the flume? Do you really think that an announcement over the PA system is enough? Guests need to see and hear from a CM IN PERSON. That will relax them and cause the least amount of panic.



Disney seems to overcomplicate its ride systems. There shouldn't be any need to reset "zones" to restart the ride. But even so, it's part of your job to answer questions, or at the very minimum reassure the guests that CMs are working to get the ride going. An incomprehensible PA announcement just doesn't have that impact. 5 minutes of sitting there not knowing what is going on can seem like a half-an-hour.



And again, if CMs were permanently staffed to those control points, then the intrusion system would not be needed. The visibilty of a CM alone would be a deterrent to most. And a CM would be able to keep guests from getting out of their vehicle in the first place.

That cannot happen simply because first it would ruin the show aspect if you saw CMs sitting at random positions the entire time. Second, there are areas of the ride that would be hazardous for CMs to remain in the same location all day, every day. The areas around the second and third drops are extremely hot and humid. It's fine to be there for a few minutes, but for the whole day it would be too much. The ride path is not designed for CMs to entirely be backstage to get around. There are some areas only accessible by entering the show areas.

Third, it would require a substantial amount of staffing for something that might happen. Why always have a ton of people sitting around doing nothing when they aren't needed except for very select circumstances?

I rest my case.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Splash Mountain runs what, over 40 logs at a time? They simply don't have the staffing for that and it would be ridiculous to expect Disney to do that.

Don't make excuses for guest stupidity. You are around dangerous machinery! You don't know where you're going or how to get out. STAY SEATED.Yeah, lets get rid of a HUGE SAFETY FEATURE on Disney rides because YOU think it would be more efficient. Also, you have clearly are not familiar with ride systems or you'd know that having to reset "zones" is a standard procedure for basically all dispatched rides.

We can run anywhere from 45 to 56 at a time. Usually it's in the 48-52 range.

 

[orky8]

And again, if CMs were permanently staffed to those control points, then the intrusion system would not be needed. The visibilty of a CM alone would be a deterrent to most. And a CM would be able to keep guests from getting out of their vehicle in the first place.

Yeah, that would work really well for the storyline. Don't worry Brer Rabbit, you don't need to escape down through the briar patch, this friendly CM will protect you...

I think having those people sitting at the top of every drop at six flags is just stupid. I feel like I am at a pool with a lifeguard. Granted, it is unfortunate that the collective IQ of our society has degraded to such a point where this is required. If I had my way, those intrusion sensors would be replaced with heat seeking tazers. Then, not only would you know where the guest disembarked, but you would know exactly where to find them. Alas, I fear that might be of questionable legality...

 

[Phonedave]

1. We do that too. When we have any kind of prolonged downtime that requires the use of CMs in the mountain, we go through and talk to guests to let them know everything is alright. Our primary goal is to get the ride running again, so the quicker we do that, the faster guests can get out. Splash does have a decent amount of CMs running it at once, but because of the size of the attraction, it's typically not enough to have the right amount of people in every single reset zone at once. We do try to reassure guests that everything is alright and that the ride will be opperating again shortly.

2. As a Splash CM I am sorry if you have had a bad experience with our evacuation procedures in the past, but we do our best to get the ride back up and running as quickly as we can. The main reason why we don't really stop to answer questions is because we are focused on the task at hand. The quicker the ride is back up and running, the quicker everyone can get out safely.

3. Intrusion system is a very important aspect. The unfortunate truth is that guests will try to get out of their ride vehicles for stupid reasons. Without the intrusion system, we won't know when people do get out. It actually helps speed up the recovery of any guests who do get out because we can know exactly where a guest got out and dispatch someone to recover that person.

Hopefully that's enough explaination for ya.

I agree with all that you said, except the part I bolded.

I used to (many years ago) run a repair crew for the phone company. The first thing you learn is keep the customer informed. That is basic customer service. You can be out there busting your hump to shoot a trouble and get the customer back in service. But the customer would have been much happier if you took the time to tell him or her what you are doing, and then take your time doing it. I have seen it time and time again, as both a field supervisor, and then as a dispatch center supervisor. You can be working like a dog to get a trouble fixed, but what really makes a customer happy is keeping them informed. Imagine this, you schedule a cable TV install. It is scheduled between 12 and 4 PM. You are waiting and waiting and at 4:15 PM the doorbell rings, and the tech says "Oh, i have been working on your install for the last 2 hours. you should be all set to go" or at 2:00 you get a call, and the tech says "I am running a little late, I should be starting on your job in half an hour". At 2:30 the tech stops by and says "I am working out in the street, it will take me about 2 hours" and at 4;30 the tech rings your bell and says "all done". The second one took longer, but I bet you would be fuming and calling the dispatch center time and time again in the first situation.

Real information, as opposed to "there is a log jam down stream" would go a long way to pacifying the guests, and in the long run make the CM's job a lot easier. Take 30 seconds to get on the PA, keep the mic more than half an inch from your mouth, and speak slowly and clearly and you will have happier guests.

-dave

 

[thelookingglass]

Real information, as opposed to "there is a log jam down stream" would go a long way to pacifying the guests, and in the long run make the CM's job a lot easier. Take 30 seconds to get on the PA, keep the mic more than half an inch from your mouth, and speak slowly and clearly and you will have happier guests.

-dave

In the OP, they did specify that the CMs were speaking on the PA frequently, and were not just playing the "log jam" message. They also noted that they were using "ride jargon." This is because the PA has two purposes - to inform the guests and also to inform any CMs within the ride when the ride system is changing a function, for example, if something is about to re-start. Its not intended for guests to understand.

Also, most PA microphones either pick up your voice at an obnoxiously loud volume, or they don't pick it up enough to understand. Theres not really an in-between, but I like how you automatically assumed that the CM was doing it wrong.

 

[unkadug]

In the OP, they did specify that the CMs were speaking on the PA frequently, and were not just playing the "log jam" message. They also noted that they were using "ride jargon." This is because the PA has two purposes - to inform the guests and also to inform any CMs within the ride when the ride system is changing a function, for example, if something is about to re-start. Its not intended for guests to understand.

Also, most PA microphones either pick up your voice at an obnoxiously loud volume, or they don't pick it up enough to understand. Theres not really an in-between, but I like how you automatically assumed that the CM was doing it wrong.

Coming from someone who deals with PA systems on a daily basis. (ME) There is no excuse for that.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

My only thought would be that when we got evaced from Splash the 20 odd minutes of spiel was from someone who certainly didnt have English as a first language or had been hitting some alternative medicines prior to work or possibly suffered a stroke.

 

[Phonedave]

In the OP, they did specify that the CMs were speaking on the PA frequently, and were not just playing the "log jam" message. They also noted that they were using "ride jargon." This is because the PA has two purposes - to inform the guests and also to inform any CMs within the ride when the ride system is changing a function, for example, if something is about to re-start. Its not intended for guests to understand.

Also, most PA microphones either pick up your voice at an obnoxiously loud volume, or they don't pick it up enough to understand. Theres not really an in-between, but I like how you automatically assumed that the CM was doing it wrong.

I can see where you would think I was assuming the CM was doing it wrong, but that was a general "you" not a specific you - more like a 'royal we"

Unless a PA mic is defective (and therefore it should be replaced) there is no reason for it to be hard to understand. It is because people do not know how to use a PA. Most people a) do not use microphones on a regular basis, so they don't know you don't have to swallow the thing and b) do not speak in a public capacity very often, and therefore rush through what they are trying to say. The two together leads to poor sounding announcements. I used to do it myself, until I learned to us a PA correctly.

As for the use of jargon, can you see how is something is not meant for guests to understand, yet you are BROADCASTING it to them, that it can be confusing for the guests. By broadcasting information that is confusing (if they don't understand it, it is confusing, you are making the situation worse) Either use the radio, or make an announcement that is both informative to the CM's and also not confusing to the guest.

I am very suprised that this is even a discussion. I would think that teh importance of keeping a customer informed is one of the first things tought at a Disney Park.


-dave

 

[Thrill Seeker]

I agree with all that you said, except the part I bolded.

I used to (many years ago) run a repair crew for the phone company. The first thing you learn is keep the customer informed. That is basic customer service. You can be out there busting your hump to shoot a trouble and get the customer back in service. But the customer would have been much happier if you took the time to tell him or her what you are doing, and then take your time doing it. I have seen it time and time again, as both a field supervisor, and then as a dispatch center supervisor. You can be working like a dog to get a trouble fixed, but what really makes a customer happy is keeping them informed. Imagine this, you schedule a cable TV install. It is scheduled between 12 and 4 PM. You are waiting and waiting and at 4:15 PM the doorbell rings, and the tech says "Oh, i have been working on your install for the last 2 hours. you should be all set to go" or at 2:00 you get a call, and the tech says "I am running a little late, I should be starting on your job in half an hour". At 2:30 the tech stops by and says "I am working out in the street, it will take me about 2 hours" and at 4;30 the tech rings your bell and says "all done". The second one took longer, but I bet you would be fuming and calling the dispatch center time and time again in the first situation.

Real information, as opposed to "there is a log jam down stream" would go a long way to pacifying the guests, and in the long run make the CM's job a lot easier. Take 30 seconds to get on the PA, keep the mic more than half an inch from your mouth, and speak slowly and clearly and you will have happier guests.

-dave

We do. When we are passing an area with guests stuck, we inform them what is going on and to remain in their seats. We just don't stop to answer individual questions unless that specific area is where we are suppose to be stationed.

 

[TRONorail10]

Now in all fairness and also most likely in your defense, you may likely be correct about the overall wait time being less than what I initially thought, however to be honest that was only a rough estimation of the total time. In other words, I don't know at what point you consider the ride going "down" and then going "up", resulting in the total downtime of 22 minutes you describe, but all I meant to say is that (once again, full disclosure - without having any concrete proof other than you guys giving me the benefit of the doubt :lol I am almost completely certain we waited a minimum of at least 15-20 minutes before others on the ride started getting rowdy & leaving the logs. I also waited waited about another 10-15 minutes before someone helped me out of the logs. This isnt including the time people started leaving the logs (I.E the video I recorded, as described below).

I started recording a video of what went down about 10+ minutes after we initially stopped. In total, I recorded about 15 minutes of footage. As I started before, I didn't even look at my watch, so I don't know the exact before and after times. It was never my intention to blow any of this out of context, but if I took into consideration how much time I did not record before and after up until the point we were escorted out of the ride, it was more than 22 minutes.

No flash photography or video recording allowed while on board ride vehicles. And if u take any pictures backstage, the images become sole property of the Disney organization and you can be banned from Disney Parks and Resorts for life. :lookaroun

 

[Phonedave]

We do. When we are passing an area with guests stuck, we inform them what is going on and to remain in their seats. We just don't stop to answer individual questions unless that specific area is where we are suppose to be stationed.

Clearly in the OP's situation, he was not informed.

That seems to be the root cause of his dissatisfaction. I am not saying you did not do your job, I am not saying that communication is not what is SUPPOSED to happen. What I am saying is, WDW has a customer (the OP) who in this specific situation, was not kept informed. If that stems from a lack of defined procedures, a lack of training, a breakdown in communication, an unplanned for circumstance, or from non-adherence to established procedures, I do not know (nor do I attempt to surmise)

If the CM's are following established and documented procedures, and the guests are not being informed, then that is not the CM's fault. It is the fault of your process group. Assuming of course that an entity as large as WDW has a documentation and process control group in place.


-dave