Evaced last night on Splash Mountain

[fosse76]

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.

Just ask Universal...guests called 911 from Harry Potter because it broke down. If guests are stranded for a while and the only thing they hear is a PA announcement, they will get worried. It's just how it is.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I'm crazy and stuff. I think it'd be fun to sit back relax and sleep in the log for an hour at Disney World

I would've gone for the drop too, go ahead and get my life over with :ROFLOL: no, really. :lookaroun

 

[fosse76]

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

I never said they did.

Do you know anything about restarting a major theme park attraction? Do you know anything about how it works behind the scenes?

Yes. As a matter of fact I do.

Do you expect them to just flip a switch to restart the attraction? It takes time to reset an attraction safely.

As a matter of fact, it doesn't take much. The flume I operated had two separate lifts: 1 ten-foot lift and 1 sixty-foot lift (despite Disney's PR, Splash Mountain does not NOW nor did it EVER have the highest flume drop). When the ride shut down, it was restarted from ONE location. While there wasn't one "switch", it certainly didn't take any more than a minute to start up. The roller coasters I operated where essentially the same way. While there wasn't one "switch" to start the various systems, it took maybe a minute to restart the ride after a downtime.

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?

THAT is my point. The presence of a CM "hosting" stranded vehicles will deter most guests (though not all) from attempting to leave. At Six Flags, NO ride is permitted to operate while any employee (except for maintenance employees) are in the ride area, including catwalks. Therefore, there should be no chance of the ride starting while anyone is where they aren't supposed to be.

Wouldn't that kind of ruin the theming?

Themeing is more important than guest and employee safety?

 

[fosse76]

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.

Disney doesn't have the only flume ride in the world. If other theme parks can do it, why can't Disney? There are what, 6 locations that the boats can stop (not including loading). Which means you have 6 CMs to host those logs. Three of those locations are drops, where a guest climbing out is the most dangerous and should be staffed. Therefore you have three of your "hosting" CMs right there. Those positions can be eliminated with lap bars in the log, but it still doesn't negate the effect of a long downtime where stranded guests have no clue as to what is going on.

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.

YOU don't know the rationale behind any one guest getting out of their log. You'd be surprised at how many think they can just get up if the vehicle is stopped. It happens everywhere. And there is just no way you can get every guest to not know or realize they can't get out of the vehicle. And it's ridiculous to think they should know. If Disney wants guests to stay in their vehicles, then either send a CM out there telling them to stay seated or install lap bars.

Yeah, lets get rid of a HUGE SAFETY FEATURE on Disney rides because YOU think it would be more efficient.

It would be more efficient. If guests are deterred from getting out of their log, then the system isn't needed.

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.

Have worked at a theme park for five years, you are wrong. Some ride systems do require different systems to be reset separately. BUT they are down at one control panel, and it's realtively quick to do. Simply because Disney overcomplicates things doesn't make their way of operating the best, or should we discuss the monorail accident again?

 

[fosse76]

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...

Well, perhaps they can be hidden out of view. But again, putting show above safety is absolutely negligent, and anyone who suggests that has no business complaining when they get injured.

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...

You would think that people would have enough common sense, but on Monday when I rode Splash Mountain a kid stood up every few minutes simply to try to see what was ahead. I am not going to speculate on the motives of guests who prematurely exit the ride vehicle, but if Disney doesn't have any preventative measures in place to prevent that, they are liable. And announcements and signs are not legally sufficient.

 

[blm07]

I realize that you may not like my responses, but I didn't say all of those things you quoted me for :goodnevil

 

[fosse76]

That cannot happen simply because first it would ruin the show aspect if you saw CMs sitting at random positions the entire time.

Too bad. Then Disney should have taken that into account when the ride was designed. If you think show should come before safety, then you have no business working in a theme park.

Second, there are areas of the ride that would be hazardous for CMs to remain in the same location all day, every day.

They wouldn't sit their all day. It would be part of the staffing rotation. I assume Disney rotates CMs to various positions throughout the day. If not, there's another aspect in which Six Flags is superior in operational aspects.

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.

Well then they need to make modifications. Guest safety should come first.

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?

Are you purposefully being absurd? First of all, you would have at least three additional positions, which can be used to "host" stranded vehicles during a downtime. And since they all will float to nearest control point (and back-up) you only need one CM per control point. The seemingly numerous CMs who stand at the front of the queue entrance can also participate in hosting duties. Personally I think many of the attractions are overstaffed as it is.

I rest my case.

What a poor case it is, too.

 

[love disney]

And announcements and signs are not legally sufficient.

Not trying to start an argument here by any means, but are you sure about that??? I would be willing to bet that Disney's lawyers are well aware of what is legally sufficient in terms of ride safety. I'm no lawyer so I don't know for certain, but I am pretty sure that Disney's lawyers would be aware and make sure they are legally covered in the event of some idiot getting out of his/her seat during a ride.

 

[blm07]

More quotes that aren't mine!

I can see argument will go on forever. I say we take fosse to Splash Mountain and give him a lap bar that never retracts :drevil:

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Lap dance that never ends would be more entertaining :shrug:

 

[blm07]

Lap dance in the laughing place!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Well it would raise a smile, from dads at least. :drevil:

 

[WDWmazprty]

Well it would raise a smile, from dads at least. :drevil:

Yeah,----- "Honey, if you and the kids wanna go ahead, I'm gonna take a rest in the laughing place for a bit, I'll meet you for Wishes. I'm just so exhausted!"

:lol::lookaroun:lol:

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It would give Aerials meet and greet a bit of competition.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Yeah,----- "Honey, if you and the kids wanna go ahead, I'm gonna take a rest in the laughing place for a bit, I'll meet you for Wishes. I'm just so exhausted!"

:lol::lookaroun:lol:

Im tittering,

 

[Cindy'sBruno]

If you think show should come before safety, then you have no business working in a theme park.

:fork:You just go on and on and on and on....starting to remind me of IASW.:ROFLOL:Anyways....WDW is a billion $ company, I believe they are going to have both aspects of your statement under control. Are you seriously telling me that WDW should have a CM stationed everywhere you look on the Peopple Mover? Someone died there.

By the way....do you seriously have to sit there and quote every single thing someone says???? That is going alitlle overboard, don't you think?:brick:

 

[thelookingglass]

It would be more efficient. If guests are deterred from getting out of their log, then the system isn't needed.

Have worked at a theme park for five years, you are wrong. Some ride systems do require different systems to be reset separately. BUT they are down at one control panel, and it's realtively quick to do. Simply because Disney overcomplicates things doesn't make their way of operating the best, or should we discuss the monorail accident again?

Ok, but again, you're arguing against what is basically an additional safety procedure on Splash Mountain. Since you brought up the monorail accident, obviously, too many safety procedures is never enough. If theres ANY ride needs to be reset locally to be safe, its Splash Mountain.

Not trying to start an argument here by any means, but are you sure about that??? I would be willing to bet that Disney's lawyers are well aware of what is legally sufficient in terms of ride safety. I'm no lawyer so I don't know for certain, but I am pretty sure that Disney's lawyers would be aware and make sure they are legally covered in the event of some idiot getting out of his/her seat during a ride.

Oh, absolutely, they do. Thats why I don't understand all the "arguing for the sake of arguing" in this topic, from people who were not involved in the situation, about a ride they have never worked at, yet are so quick to assume that Disney and the CM's were doing something wrong.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Too bad. Then Disney should have taken that into account when the ride was designed. If you think show should come before safety, then you have no business working in a theme park.


They wouldn't sit their all day. It would be part of the staffing rotation. I assume Disney rotates CMs to various positions throughout the day. If not, there's another aspect in which Six Flags is superior in operational aspects.



Well then they need to make modifications. Guest safety should come first.



Are you purposefully being absurd? First of all, you would have at least three additional positions, which can be used to "host" stranded vehicles during a downtime. And since they all will float to nearest control point (and back-up) you only need one CM per control point. The seemingly numerous CMs who stand at the front of the queue entrance can also participate in hosting duties. Personally I think many of the attractions are overstaffed as it is.


What a poor case it is, too.

You quoted me.

Let me put this in terms that are easy to understand...

What we have now works. We don't need CMs standing around waiting for a downtime to happen, if one happens. The greeter positions and photocell are to remain in position for crowd control. Yes, we have rotations, but they last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Being stranded in a hazardous area for that long just to wait and see if a downtime happens is absurd. Our intrusion system works just fine the way it is. There is no need to change it. Everything we already have put in place works perfectly fine and serves it's purpose. The truth is, yes, the idea you put forward would work, but you aren't taking into account unnecessary staffing in case something that doesn't happen every day happens.

I may be no expert at running a theme park, but I'm guessing you aren't either. This argument is pointless.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

I never said they did.



Yes. As a matter of fact I do.



As a matter of fact, it doesn't take much. The flume I operated had two separate lifts: 1 ten-foot lift and 1 sixty-foot lift (despite Disney's PR, Splash Mountain does not NOW nor did it EVER have the highest flume drop). When the ride shut down, it was restarted from ONE location. While there wasn't one "switch", it certainly didn't take any more than a minute to start up. The roller coasters I operated where essentially the same way. While there wasn't one "switch" to start the various systems, it took maybe a minute to restart the ride after a downtime.



THAT is my point. The presence of a CM "hosting" stranded vehicles will deter most guests (though not all) from attempting to leave. At Six Flags, NO ride is permitted to operate while any employee (except for maintenance employees) are in the ride area, including catwalks. Therefore, there should be no chance of the ride starting while anyone is where they aren't supposed to be.


Themeing is more important than guest and employee safety?

Resetting Splash takes a bit longer than that. We have to reset each lift, pre-lift and drop individually as well as the station and both storage areas. If we have plenty of people on staff, it could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 depending on if there are any problems. There are 3 lifts, each has a pre-lift, 5 drops, the station and the two storage areas. It requires at least 5-7 CMs to reset. Disney is the same in terms of the ride not running when CMs are inside. The ride stop is on, work lights are on and nothing is returned to normal settings until all CMs are out of the restricted areas. Our intrusion system actually automatically puts on a ride stop and dispatch inhibit if any of the intrusion systems go off. Tower is informed automatically and a CM is dispatched to check and see if it was a real intrusion or a phantom aka nothing.

That sounds pretty safe to me.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

More quotes that aren't mine!

I can see argument will go on forever. I say we take fosse to Splash Mountain and give him a lap bar that never retracts :drevil:

I don't like pointless arguments like this, but that wasn't a necessary comment. He is simply trying to point out some flaws Disney has with insuring guest safety. He's not really getting anywhere by not knowing all of the facts concerning this topic, but still...