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SEPT 11th
- Thread starter orlandoparks
- Start date
Invero
Well-Known Member
QUITE on the contrary... Personally... for the large scale operation that we have going... 2.5hrs is NOT a long time. I mean... first off... you can't just snap your fingers and say, "Parks closed... Buh bye!" I mean... with such an event... the first half hour was probably spent in confusion as to what was going on, and the extent as to what happened. Then, they had to assemble a committee and decide WHAT to do... Then... they have to contact the appropriate people, and figure out HOW to do it... and then they have to put it in motion. That takes time, especially for a spur of the moment BIG thing like that. While some of the cast members knew what was going on... 90% of the guests had no clue, and a large portion of CM's had no clue either... (the only reason I knew was from word of mouth... not all of our breakrooms have TVs)
Disney went all out in order to make sure that things went smoothly... They handed out free passes like CANDY... They brought in Dynamic and Mears charter busses to help us out with moving the people back to the resorts. They set up a lot of extra activities (free) for the guests back at the resort...
For those guests who were trapped in Orlando because of the grounded air traffic, Disney extended thier resort stay (with passes) FREE OF CHARGE.
Not to mention all of the other things that went on. Disney gave a lot of stuff away that week. Lost a lot of money. However, in my opinion, they gained a lot of respect, and repeat business.
So.. did they put the buck first? No... They put the guests first. It was a horrible day... for everyone... and Disney knew they couldn't fix it... but... they tried to minimize the tragic events. I can't tell you how many letters I read praising Disney for how they handled that event... There are a lot of areas where I think Disney could improve upon... however... 9/11... I think they did a damn good job. The only other thing they could have done was stop the day from happening in the first place.
tybroid59
New Member
2 1/2 hours doesnt sound like much time at all.
I live in UK and when the reports first started coming through it wasnt clear what exactley had happened...
I think most of us in the UK are still very aware o f what happened and we still have programmes about it on the tv.
I live in the london area and alot of people work in NY
I hope today isnt to sad for you all we have our remeberance day on Nov 11th
I live in UK and when the reports first started coming through it wasnt clear what exactley had happened...
I think most of us in the UK are still very aware o f what happened and we still have programmes about it on the tv.
I live in the london area and alot of people work in NY
I hope today isnt to sad for you all we have our remeberance day on Nov 11th
Don L Duck
New Member
Now those are answers I want to hear. I asked that question for one reason I wanted someone on the inside to tell all these Disney hater's just how great Disney and it's people really are.Thank's for a terrific description of what went on that day,now maybe people will understannd Disney is not driven soley by the dollar they do care.:sohappy: :sohappy:
Figaro
New Member
Reading Tyler's post about the stuff the CM's did to take care of the guests reminded me how most of them were great. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, I forgot about the good things that happened.
The resort CM's were good at keeping the kids happy. At AKL, they set up areas in the lobby for the kids to play games, watch movies with popcorn, and do arts and craft type stuff. Also, some of the characters were there dancing and playing games like Charades with the kids.
Also, when we got home and looked at our bill, we noticed they didn't charge us for any phone calls or even internet access from the room. (We had a laptop with us) We're from Long Island and made ALOT of phone calls to find out about our family and friends back home.
These little touches really meant alot to us. That's one of the things that's so great about Disney Cast Members and Disney Service. Even though we really wanted to get home, 99% of them really made us feel alittle more at ease while we were there.
I'm sure as time goes on, we'll remember more of those special touches. We'll appreciate them more and they will stand out more in our memories.
The resort CM's were good at keeping the kids happy. At AKL, they set up areas in the lobby for the kids to play games, watch movies with popcorn, and do arts and craft type stuff. Also, some of the characters were there dancing and playing games like Charades with the kids.
Also, when we got home and looked at our bill, we noticed they didn't charge us for any phone calls or even internet access from the room. (We had a laptop with us) We're from Long Island and made ALOT of phone calls to find out about our family and friends back home.
These little touches really meant alot to us. That's one of the things that's so great about Disney Cast Members and Disney Service. Even though we really wanted to get home, 99% of them really made us feel alittle more at ease while we were there.
I'm sure as time goes on, we'll remember more of those special touches. We'll appreciate them more and they will stand out more in our memories.
niteobsrvr
Well-Known Member
Tyler is absolutely right about everything he said except how the evacuation was handled. As many of you know, Any large corporation spends a significant amount of money on disaster recovery and emergency management, especially those that deal with large groups of the public.
I am sure that there was a fair amount of time to ascertain the situation and make a decision as to which disaster plan to implement. Once the decision was made to close the parks, those people who are predetermined to handle those situations set the plan in motion like clockwork. Every area at Disney has leaders assigned to handling special emergencies like Sept 11 or natural disasters. Many CM's don't even know who these people are for security reasons. I am also sure that these people rehearse various disaster scenarios periodically to maintain preparedness.
If there was once place on Earth that was well organized and calm on 9/11, Disney World would be it.
I am sure that there was a fair amount of time to ascertain the situation and make a decision as to which disaster plan to implement. Once the decision was made to close the parks, those people who are predetermined to handle those situations set the plan in motion like clockwork. Every area at Disney has leaders assigned to handling special emergencies like Sept 11 or natural disasters. Many CM's don't even know who these people are for security reasons. I am also sure that these people rehearse various disaster scenarios periodically to maintain preparedness.
If there was once place on Earth that was well organized and calm on 9/11, Disney World would be it.
CrashNet
Well-Known Member
I know how much it hurts to even think about 9/11. I'm not one of the most publicly emotional people in the world either, but on that day....I cried. Watching "In Memorium" last night on HBO, there were times when I caught myself looking away from the TV and just listening to the sounds, reflecting on the fact that two days earlier, 9/9, my brother and his wife were to go to New York and attend a conference in WTC Tower 1, on the 95th floor, on September 11, at 8:00 am. Their business trip was cancelled because of transportation problems. A miracle I guess.
On the side of Walt Disney World, they could not have handled 9/11 any better. I have the greatest respect for how they treat their guests, and I don't think I would ever find another place that could do it better. Walt Disney World really is the greatest place on earth.
Today is Memorial Day, so lets not forget those that are fighting for the American Dream: Military, Police, Firefighters, and Medical personel. I know I won't now, nor will I ever forget them.
To those of you on this forum who did lose loved ones, my heart goes out to you in every way possible. You are also in my heart, and I will never forget you.
On the side of Walt Disney World, they could not have handled 9/11 any better. I have the greatest respect for how they treat their guests, and I don't think I would ever find another place that could do it better. Walt Disney World really is the greatest place on earth.
Today is Memorial Day, so lets not forget those that are fighting for the American Dream: Military, Police, Firefighters, and Medical personel. I know I won't now, nor will I ever forget them.
To those of you on this forum who did lose loved ones, my heart goes out to you in every way possible. You are also in my heart, and I will never forget you.
CAPTAIN HOOK
Well-Known Member
Just to add a few observations following the post by FANTASIA BOI - Disney like all other major organisations will have a set of contingency plans to put into operation in case of a major incident, these plans will be tried and tested (and amended if needs arise). Disney is a company, it is responsible to its shareholders and the decision to close the park would not be taken lightly - hence the probable two hour delay. BUT at the end of the day Disney has a responsibility to its guests - far better to have several thousand unhappy customers for one day (with free passes etc, etc) than to have several thousand dead bodies on its hands and its reputation in tatters.
I wasn't there on Sept 11th (and sympathise with those people who have lost friends and relatives) but having read the post by FANTASIA BOI I applaud the action taken by WDW :sohappy:
I wasn't there on Sept 11th (and sympathise with those people who have lost friends and relatives) but having read the post by FANTASIA BOI I applaud the action taken by WDW :sohappy:
RogueHabit
Well-Known Member
I think the fact that they managed to put an evacuation into effect with 2 1/2 hours is pretty miraculous in itself.
If you take a look at the logistics, as some have so eloquently done already, it is nothing short of amazing.
bearboysnc
Well-Known Member
I don't think Disney could have evacuated 4 parks in such a short amount of time any better.
I mean,
1. Once you get these people out of the parks, where do you send them?
2. Not only do you have to get the people out, you have to stop the people from arriving (thousands), and turn them around, without causing a traffic jam.
3. Above all, you need to keep both the cast and guest informed. I personally was glued to the TV for hours. I was lucky enough to leave work that day. The cast members wern't. They still had a job to do. When planes are dropping out of the sky where do you feel safe? Home.
I mean,
1. Once you get these people out of the parks, where do you send them?
2. Not only do you have to get the people out, you have to stop the people from arriving (thousands), and turn them around, without causing a traffic jam.
3. Above all, you need to keep both the cast and guest informed. I personally was glued to the TV for hours. I was lucky enough to leave work that day. The cast members wern't. They still had a job to do. When planes are dropping out of the sky where do you feel safe? Home.
We were staying at Disneyland Hotel (California) at the time. We never bother to watch any news during vacation, so we arrived at the Disneyland gates ready for some magic. Gee, why weren't there any lines? We must be early. A very somber CM informed us what had happened and that DL would be closed that day. We waited for the punchline, but soon realized he was serious and things were worse than we thought. Everyone at DL went out of their way to make the day bearable as we wandered aimlessly around the hotel. They showed free movies on TV and in the theaters, characters roamed freely, and they set up childrens' activities. Disney comped us a free night because we weren't able to leave. They re-opened on the 12th, and it was very surreal. Everyone was sort of going through the motions, not much LOL, even from the children.
Invero
Well-Known Member
Indeed they were... For those guests who were unable to fly out, Disney made sure they were taken care of. Disney extended thier stay, and gave them free passes. Disney went all out to minimize those guests worries. Many of them were so distraught over the incidents of that day, and while Disney knew they couldn't make things better... they did what they could to minimize worries.
cuteypatooty78
New Member
It's great to hear how well Disney handled that day...it sounds like they really did a good job keeping people calm and getting them evacuated so fast. My question is do you think they should of kept the parks closed an extra day to let the CM's stay home with their families so they could have had some time off to grieve with their families? Great job by Disney!!! I'll be going back to DW around the anniversary of the attacks and I'm confident that Disney will keep me and my family safe!!! 
dliddi
New Member
We were staying at the Caribbean that week, to me in some way it was nice to have the parks to easy the horror of the images on the news once we got back to the room, but you never forgot. Disney couldn’t have been better, we had to stay one extra night, because we couldn’t get a car to drive back Chicago and, it was free to stay that night. To me they did everything in there power to make people at ease.