MK parade mishap

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Are you sure about that? I have seen several documentaries on the parades at WDW, I'm pretty sure that each float has a tracking system that is controlled from a central source.

I'm pretty sure that as a former Cast Member (who knows a lot of former entertainment cast and is engaged to one) that each float has a driver in it.
 

donsullivan

Premium Member
Are you sure about that? I have seen several documentaries on the parades at WDW, I'm pretty sure that each float has a tracking system that is controlled from a central source.

The control system you may be thinking of is the one that controls the audio portion of the parade so that the music from the floats is synchronized with what's playing from the area speakers. RFID sensors are used throughout the route to allow the float to identify its location and then transmit that data wirelessly back to a central point. The floats themselves are fully self powered with their own batteries and under the control of a human driver who in most cases is not visible to the guests in the park.
 

wserratore1963

Active Member
:dazzle::shrug:
Today was not a good day for Magic Kingdom parades. The Castle float veered and jack knifed. Another float was hit by a tug and then other floats had to be towed.

As far as I know everyone is okay.
Glad to hear everyone is alright; let's hope the "Magic" returns tommorrow!
 

candydog

Member
I always thought it'd be better if the parade ran on rails, the problem would be that it would be much harder to move the floats around backstage as they'd have to stick to the track and would constantly be shunted from place to place whenever floats had to be moved rather than just driven out of the way.

It would make the parade much easier to move within the park though, as they wouldn't need to be driven cautiously down a narrow route and their movements would be entirely predictable. They wouldn't even need a driver, which would make designing the floats easier as there'd be no need for a concealed cabin. If the parade float needed to stop in an emergency, the cast member who walks alongside usually guiding the driver, could instead have access to a control in their hand or on the side of the float to stop it immediately.
 

EPCOTPluto

Well-Known Member

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Are you sure about that? I have seen several documentaries on the parades at WDW, I'm pretty sure that each float has a tracking system that is controlled from a central source.
The floats track where they are and relay the info via PAGEANT to DACS keep audio and visual cues in sync, so in effect they can be tracked, but they are moved by being driven and are free roaming.
 

candydog

Member
The floats track where they are and relay the info via PAGEANT to DACS keep audio and visual cues in sync, so in effect they can be tracked, but they are moved by being driven and are free roaming.

Yeah, like I said in my earlier post though, it'd be safer on rails. I mean free roaming floats travelling down a narrow route packed with crowds on both sides and no barrier, while the driver has VERY limited vision?

It's hard to believe really that they run the parade like that. I mean i know these accidents pretty much never happen, but it'd be safer and easier to co-ordinate on actual tracks in my opinion.
 

Tom

Beta Return
Yeah, like I said in my earlier post though, it'd be safer on rails. I mean free roaming floats travelling down a narrow route packed with crowds on both sides and no barrier, while the driver has VERY limited vision?

It's hard to believe really that they run the parade like that. I mean i know these accidents pretty much never happen, but it'd be safer and easier to co-ordinate on actual tracks in my opinion.

While the drivers do have a very limited field of vision, they CAN see out of the float - especially during the daytime parade. But even at night, it's almost pitch black inside their cabin, so it's just like being in a dark room in your house and looking out the window. Any ambient light outside, and your eyes adjusting, will allow you to see fairly clearly.

And as Marni said, there is a tracking system that has worked fairly well for many years. They have "pucks" embedded in the parade route. As you walk along the parade path, you will see a series of staggered dots (which look like black chewing gum mashed onto the pavement) every [I forget] feet.

As each float passes over a set of these "pucks" it sends a unique identifier to Parade Contol and tells them if the float is getting too close to the float in front of it, if it's lagging too far behind, and if it's veering off course. Control will then either radio back to the driver (or use a series of indicator lights....I think it changed at one point) to tell the driver to speed up, slow down or veer back left or right.

Jackknifing an entire float seems like it would be quite a challenge. I can only imagine that it happened during a sharp turn of some sort (hub?) and the driver just didn't straighten up in time and got into a bind.

I guess we need photos or an eye-witness account of the incident to know what really happened, since this is clearly just a rumor or guess at this point.
 

WDW Vacationer

Active Member
Did they run over Stitch?
No thought was put into this post and I find it very rude. Did you think that there are people inside the character coustumes. I know it my be hard for you to beleive,but there is even a person inside the Stitch costume! If Stitch got ran over,a person was ran over,and most likely SEVERELY injured. Please post with more thought and respect.
 

donsullivan

Premium Member
Everything was functioning as normal in the parade this afternoon.

Unfortunately, I had to see what all of the cast members are trained to deal with when this 13 year old (I'm guessing) kid decides to walk (not run) across the parade route in Town Square less than 3 feet in front of the Princess float as it's moving. 3 Cast members ran into the street to snatch him out of the way, but not before the driver of the float did a very quick stop jostling those riding, the stop was so sudden.

When the cast member got the kid to the side of the road he (the kid) was completely oblivious. As the cast member tried to make him understand how dangerous what he just did was he just stared at him like he was somewhere else. No parents around at all to react in any way, nothing. He just pushed through the crowd and disappeared into the park.

The fear on the face of the cast member was quite real and while he was a little harsh on the kid, I can't blame him at all given the danger he put himself as well as all of the performers on the float in.

I wish I'd gotten the CM's name to make sure the kid doesn't find his parents and say some CM yelled at him without describing why.
 

MythBuster

Active Member
While the drivers do have a very limited field of vision, they CAN see out of the float - especially during the daytime parade. But even at night, it's almost pitch black inside their cabin, so it's just like being in a dark room in your house and looking out the window. Any ambient light outside, and your eyes adjusting, will allow you to see fairly clearly.

And as Marni said, there is a tracking system that has worked fairly well for many years. They have "pucks" embedded in the parade route. As you walk along the parade path, you will see a series of staggered dots (which look like black chewing gum mashed onto the pavement) every [I forget] feet.

As each float passes over a set of these "pucks" it sends a unique identifier to Parade Contol and tells them if the float is getting too close to the float in front of it, if it's lagging too far behind, and if it's veering off course. Control will then either radio back to the driver (or use a series of indicator lights....I think it changed at one point) to tell the driver to speed up, slow down or veer back left or right.

Jackknifing an entire float seems like it would be quite a challenge. I can only imagine that it happened during a sharp turn of some sort (hub?) and the driver just didn't straighten up in time and got into a bind.

I guess we need photos or an eye-witness account of the incident to know what really happened, since this is clearly just a rumor or guess at this point.

All parade floats are self propelled with battery operated hydraulic powered drive units, and they are not too responsive in accelerating or braking except for the small units. The trailer units are even harder to handle because the trailer units dont have any propulsion, they just play follow the leader and also don't have any braking and also play follow the leader, so if it is going around the corner and needs to stop fast, it will be easy to jacknife. So when it is going down hills like behind Splash when returning to the Parade barn, a tug hooks up to it and provides the braking for the trailers.
 

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