Riding In The Front Of The Monorail

[awilliams4]

I am optimistically translating a Wikipedia suggestion that no longer riding in the front of the monorail is suspended temporarily.

"Front cab riding was suspended due to the July 5th, 2009 incident out of respect for the drivers in a difficult time."

Does anyone know if this is a temporary suspension and if so, a projected date when we will be able to ride in the front of the monorail again?

 

[CP_alum08]

From what I understood, it was done for. Hopefully I am wrong, for all our sakes, but I thought they deemed it too much of a safety hazard.

 

[devoy1701]

to this day there is still no guests allowed to ride up there.

Maybe when we get new trains they'll revisit the idea...

 

[Master Yoda]

If I had to put money on it I would bet on the side that guests will never be allowed in the front of the monorail ever again. Disney was incredibly lucky that no guests we in the cab at the time of the accident and I do not see them ever tempting fate in that area again.

 

[Jerm]

Come out to Disneyland, you can still ride in the front of ours!

 

[Monorail_Red]

Front cab riding is gone hopefully just for now, but never say never.

 

[fyn]

On my trip a couple weeks ago, I spoke with a monorail driver about the incident, and not being allowed to ride up front anymore. He told me that the policy to disallow riders in the front cabin of the monorail actually went into effect a few days before the accident, to comply with a congressional mandate that essentially said that all passenger areas must be handicap accessible. None of the front cabin doors (or space between the console and benches) are wide enough to accomodate wheelchairs, and it was unfeasible to modify them so that they could.

This explanation seemed believable enough for me, though I'm having trouble finding the specific legislation that the pilot mentioned.

 

[Jerm]

On my trip a couple weeks ago, I spoke with a monorail driver about the incident, and not being allowed to ride up front anymore. He told me that the policy to disallow riders in the front cabin of the monorail actually went into effect a few days before the accident, to comply with a congressional mandate that essentially said that all passenger areas must be handicap accessible. None of the front cabin doors (or space between the console and benches) are wide enough to accomodate wheelchairs, and it was unfeasible to modify them so that they could.

This explanation seemed believable enough for me, though I'm having trouble finding the specific legislation that the pilot mentioned.

I would say he was doing a Disney CYOA!!!! It was not in effect and that is not the case! The ADA says that a area has to be accessible on the attraction for a special needs guest not every area. If that were the case then every boat at small world would have to have the wheelchair area.

 

[joel_maxwell]

If I had to put money on it I would bet on the side that guests will never be allowed in the front of the monorail ever again. Disney was incredibly lucky that no guests we in the cab at the time of the accident and I do not see them ever tempting fate in that area again.

Hypothetically, WDW gets new trains and the front have a steel impact bumper, which I think it lacks now, I wonder if that would change the decision. (I just recall reading where the front of the trains was fiberglass only in most parts)

I hope something can resolve this rule. I hate what happened, but I also hate that I wont ever be able to take my daughter in the front.

 

[devoy1701]

Come out to Disneyland, you can still ride in the front of ours!

yeah! and hit your head on the ceiling because we're used to Monorails you can stand upright on!!!

 

[StageFrenzy]

yeah! and hit your head on the ceiling because we're used to Monorails you can stand upright on!!!

Did you do that, I wish I was there to catch some lols.

 

[WDW-Crazy]

If I had to put money on it I would bet on the side that guests will never be allowed in the front of the monorail ever again. Disney was incredibly lucky that no guests we in the cab at the time of the accident and I do not see them ever tempting fate in that area again.

You hit the nail right on the head. We were lucky to have been able to experience several rides up front in the cab with the driver, but safety must always come first. I highly doubt Disney wants a family riding up there, have something similar happen again and then have the family's relatives file a lawsuit of some sort. The way I look at it, it's one less thing we don't have deal with asking the monorail staff for an available front seat.

 

[mp2bill]

I would say he was doing a Disney CYOA!!!! It was not in effect and that is not the case! The ADA says that a area has to be accessible on the attraction for a special needs guest not every area. If that were the case then every boat at small world would have to have the wheelchair area.

Good call!

 

[loveofamouse]

Thankfully, my kids and I did get one chance to ride up front BUT Im with Disney on this one. It was a tragedy with one death. I couldn't imagine if there had been a family up there getting crushed like that. That accident was an eye opener on how vulnerable the cabin is in a collision. Reports said that train was going no faster than 15mph. That's school zone slow. What if it wasn't in MAPO off mode? Speeds could have been 40mph. Or if both trains were moving? That would have been a combined speed of 30mph impact.

Although I had a good time up there and loved it, I totally respect their decision and would totally understand if it was never reinstated.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Last week I was riding the monorail to EPCOT Center in Car 1 and some guy asked about riding in the front. The Cast Member just told him it was no longer available and got very sullen. That Cast Member ended up riding over to EPCOT Center and the guy asked why, to which he was told it was a management decision and Cast Members were only informed of the decisions but not the reasons behind them. The guy just kept going on about how great it was to ride up front and saying how he wished it was still allowed for most of the trip. By the time it was over the poor Cast Member looked like he has ready to just collapse and start bawling.

 

[Raven66]

We were lucky enough to ride up front several times. And it was always really cool and the drivers were super nice. But, I guess I would rather have my family or any other family be safe then complain about not being able to ride up front. It's sad, but safety is number one.

 

[mickey2008.1]

We were lucky enough to ride upfront on numerous occasions. Its an unfortunate accident, but if disney has corrected the problem as they say, why not allow it again under the right circumstances. Anyone of us could have been in a situation that happened with bad results, but they still continue their practices. Planes crash, trains crash, busses crash, cars crash, and all with a much higher accident rate. Its been a very safe mode of transportation, i understand the cm's, but when they are ready, then they should allow it again. its not up to us in my opinion, but the cm's when they feel secure , safe, and ready.

 

[board57796]

Last week I was riding the monorail to EPCOT Center in Car 1 and some guy asked about riding in the front. The Cast Member just told him it was no longer available and got very sullen. That Cast Member ended up riding over to EPCOT Center and the guy asked why, to which he was told it was a management decision and Cast Members were only informed of the decisions but not the reasons behind them. The guy just kept going on about how great it was to ride up front and saying how he wished it was still allowed for most of the trip. By the time it was over the poor Cast Member looked like he has ready to just collapse and start bawling.

And some do. You'd be shocked at how rude some Guests can become simply because you politely say "We are no longer loading the front cab anymore." The Guest seems to take it as a personal attack against them, and many of them turn it personal back onto us. I've heard, among many other comments:

"Why, don't you know how to drive it since that crash?"
"Oh good I didn't want to die anyways."
"Oh, were you the one that crashed the Monorails?"
"I hope we live through this!"
"Hopefully this one doesn't crash like the other one."
"Oh right, you guys kill people up there huh?"

And I'm not exaggerating. I've heard those and many more. Talk about Guests with zero class.

But of course we have to take it and smile, and the Guests know it.

 

[Disneybub]

And some do. You'd be shocked at how rude some Guests can become simply because you politely say "We are no longer loading the front cab anymore." The Guest seems to take it as a personal attack against them, and many of them turn it personal back onto us. I've heard, among many other comments:

"Why, don't you know how to drive it since that crash?"
"Oh good I didn't want to die anyways."
"Oh, were you the one that crashed the Monorails?"
"I hope we live through this!"
"Hopefully this one doesn't crash like the other one."
"Oh right, you guys kill people up there huh?"

And I'm not exaggerating. I've heard those and many more. Talk about Guests with zero class.

But of course we have to take it and smile, and the Guests know it.

Oh man! Thats awful, i cant imagine having to put up with that day in and day out.

I dont understand the way some people think. :shrug:

Some people just have no respect.

 

[HoneyMnShawnee]

And some do. You'd be shocked at how rude some Guests can become simply because you politely say "We are no longer loading the front cab anymore." The Guest seems to take it as a personal attack against them, and many of them turn it personal back onto us. I've heard, among many other comments:

"Why, don't you know how to drive it since that crash?"
"Oh good I didn't want to die anyways."
"Oh, were you the one that crashed the Monorails?"
"I hope we live through this!"
"Hopefully this one doesn't crash like the other one."
"Oh right, you guys kill people up there huh?"

And I'm not exaggerating. I've heard those and many more. Talk about Guests with zero class.

But of course we have to take it and smile, and the Guests know it.

That makes me ill. But I guess I shouldn't expect more from people (I work with the public and know how difficult it can be). A guest asked a monorail cast member if they could sit up front while I was there last week and he said, "Sorry, but no". Thankfully that guest was kind and understood.