Skyway

[WDWToddKaren]

I've been going to disney since 1989 and i never knew why but.....could someone tell me why they took the skyway down...was it because of 9-11??

 

[marni1971]

Noooo- it went in November 1999. Many reasons crop up; maintainence, safety of guests riding, safety of CMs, safety of guests on the ground...

BTW Welcome :wave:

 

[WDWToddKaren]

Noooo- it went in November 1999. Many reasons crop up; maintainence, safety of guests riding, safety of CMs, safety of guests on the ground...

BTW Welcome :wave:

Thanks a bunch for the info!!! It was just something that i've wondered when i was there but forgot about it when I left...if that makes sense???

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I seem to seem to remember reading on here that it was partly due to a maintainence worker falling to his death

 

[WDWToddKaren]

I seem to seem to remember reading on here that it was partly due to a maintainence worker falling to his death

WOW!!!!

 

[yeti]

That is what happened.

A man falls to his death on skyway, and it closes instantly. THREE people die on Mission:Space, yet disney didn't do anything but let themselves get sued.

Go figure.

EDIT: I suppose they did make the green team version. Forgot about that. But still...

 

[optjay]

Dont think it had anything to do with a death, more just general maint. and safety. Also slow loading unloading for long lines? Handicaped access?

 

[marni1971]

The Skyway didn`t close purely due to (or instantly after) the unfortunate accident, which happened nine months before its closure :wave:

 

[jmpman2313]

Louis A. Mongello's Walt Disney World Trivia Book Volume 2 talks about what happened to the skyway. page 90
"The Skyway, a one-way D-ticket ride between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. closed for good on Novemeber 10, 1999. Why? Well, despite rumors that it closed for saftry reasons after a guest fell from a ide car, the Skyway closed for more practical reasons: It was unprofitiable, very slow loading, and it was extremely difficult to accomodate guests with disabilities on it. A wheelchair-bound guest had to leave the chair on the loading area and take a round-trip ride. However, reports that there was a death on the Skyway are in fact true, although it was not a guest who died. In Febuary 1999, a part-time Cast Member, who wasen't wearing protective equipment or a safety harness, accidently fell to his death while working in the loading area."

 

[Rob562]

"In Febuary 1999, a part-time Cast Member, who wasen't wearing protective equipment or a safety harness, accidently fell to his death while working in the loading area."

Just a small clarification, I believe the Cast Member was custodial, cleaning the loading platform when the ride was started up.

-Rob

 

[disney9752]

rumors have also been around that the OLD computer system that ran skyway was not y2k ready & eisner didnt want to spend $$ on this classic attraction. could this be one reason it closed so late in 99??

 

[WDWToddKaren]

Thanks for the info people its all things i didnt know and im glad i asked them here!!!!!

Todd

 

[unkadug]

rumors have also been around that the OLD computer system that ran skyway was not y2k ready & eisner didnt want to spend $$ on this classic attraction. could this be one reason it closed so late in 99??

While this may certainly have been an issue, I highly doubt it, as the ride system was not that sophisticated and I doubt that a Y2K glitch would have endangered anyone.

It also wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing from the air either (bad show), and people were always spitting and throwing stuff out of the cars.:hurl:

 

[disney9752]

i heard from skyway cms many times that if the computer got struck by lightning or something else happened that they doubted eisner would spend the $$ to get it fixed. although it was not a complex system it was supposed to be a rather expensive one. the safety issues, along with it ceasing to operate after 12/31/99 i belive led to its end. either way i miss it, may have been bad show, idiots throwing stuff below, seeing roof tops, or backstage areas, & SOOOOOOOOOOO SLOW loading, was still fun.

 

[unkadug]

i heard from skyway cms many times that if the computer got struck by lightning or something else happened that they doubted eisner would spend the $$ to get it fixed. although it was not a complex system it was supposed to be a rather expensive one. the safety issues, along with it ceasing to operate after 12/31/99 i belive led to its end. either way i miss it, may have been bad show, idiots throwing stuff below, seeing roof tops, or backstage areas, & SOOOOOOOOOOO SLOW loading, was still fun.

Which brings up another question.

Was Eisner such a micro-manager that he would veto line items in a budget?

For some reason, I doubt that.