Soarin

[Tom]

Just wondering if it can be proved that the CMs followed all safety precautions and were found not at fault do they still loose their jobs?

It is like the Tower of Terror stunt where I heard at least 3 CMs probably lot their job over the stupid teenagers ridding with out seatbelts. I would imagine Disney would deal with quite a few wrongful termination lawsuits if CMs were fired on a regular basis do to a customer not following the rules.

It all comes down to your policies and procedures. If WDW's training book for Soarin has a blanket statement, after all the other instructions, that says "Ensure all guests are properly buckled before initiating ride" then the CMs can be found at fault.

However, the CM's defense would say that they (supposedly) followed all of the above step-by-step instructions for ensuring pre-flight preparedness, and should not be held accountable for guests who violate their implied contract with WDW (via their admission ticket and posted signage).

Nobody got hurt - thank God - or this would be a HUUUGGGEEE deal. For now, it's very likely that they have Supervisors and Managers at Soarin' all day, every day, until every Soarin' CM has gone through "re-training". They'll either re-hash the in-place policies and procedures (since that's LIKELY what happened...in that they unlatched the belts for one guest, and didn't go back through and have everyone tug).....or they've added a step.

 

[wilkeliza]

It all comes down to your policies and procedures. If WDW's training book for Soarin has a blanket statement, after all the other instructions, that says "Ensure all guests are properly buckled before initiating ride" then the CMs can be found at fault.

However, the CM's defense would say that they (supposedly) followed all of the above step-by-step instructions for ensuring pre-flight preparedness, and should not be held accountable for guests who violate their implied contract with WDW (via their admission ticket and posted signage).

Nobody got hurt - thank God - or this would be a HUUUGGGEEE deal. For now, it's very likely that they have Supervisors and Managers at Soarin' all day, every day, until every Soarin' CM has gone through "re-training". They'll either re-hash the in-place policies and procedures (since that's LIKELY what happened...in that they unlatched the belts for one guest, and didn't go back through and have everyone tug).....or they've added a step.

I just don't how the blanket statement of "ensure all gusts are properly buckled before initiating flight" could mean the CM is always at fault. I'm a grown adult and can easily slip through the Soarin seat belt with the amount of time that is given between the pull the yellow cord and the flight actually starting. I always joke that I should use the children's buckle because of that but also I've seen plenty of kids try and struggle their way up to get unbuckled at Soarin and not down. Same with ToT you can go up even with a properly fitting seat belt and get out if you are nimble enough.

I guess I'll just make sure I'm 110% everyday when I start in attractions.

 

[fosse76]

I am glad it is reopened but another case of showing how some vistors ruin attractions for others to show how cool they are

This is a tired song. You don't know that this was a misbehaving guest. Guest can genuinely be afraid and unbeknownst to them put themselves in danger. Granted, there are times where it is most obvious that it's not the ideal time to exit a vehicle, and having worked at Six Flags I can go on and on about the stupidity of guests, it's hard to judge this particular situation without knowing all the facts. If the speculation is that a CM was dealing with an issue and unlocked the seats, enabling the guests to get up is accurate, then it certainly the CM's fault for not paying attention to the ride area.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Bravo for the quick turnaround time on this.

 

[Bolt]

Bravo for the quick turnaround time on this.

Agreed.

 

[bethymouse]

Some people...

My Uncle used to stand up on roller coasters when @ the top of the lift hill! The "train" would stop, he would sit down, and then when the ride started again, he'd stand up again!
Riders do ride @ their own risks.
Safety I am sure is a PRIORITY @ WDW. Speculations as to whether it was a guest or a CM will always be. I still feel safest on all WDW rides!
When they put lap bars on Spash Mtn, it was odd, but I am sure it was needed for the "little ones" to continue to ride safely.
Soarin takes extra care of little ones by putting the strap through a loop through the legs.
It may be time for SOARIN to have a refurb anyway?:fork:

 

[Clever Name]

I’ve had a couple of experiences on Soarin’ that might relate to this problem. During our last trip in April, 2012 when I got to my seat on Soarin’, the seat belt was fully extended from its retractor. It appeared to me that the previous passenger had been a very obese person and needed the entire length of the belt.

I attempted to make the belt retract but it was jammed in the fully extended position. I clicked the belt closed and just tucked the extra belt under my bottom. I tried to notify a CM about the problem but they were busy with other matters. Had a similar occurrence on Soarin’ later in the week. :wave:

 

[raven]

Do CMs at Disney do test rides of the attractions? If so, then that explains OSHA's involvement. OSHA has jurisdiction over whathever the state tells them to have jurisdiction over. Doesn't California's OSHA oversee theme parks?

Maintenance does several safety checks for hours every day before turning the ride over to the attractions team.

IF the story is true about a flight launching with guests standing on the floor, the most plausible cause is that after the ground crew had cleared the flight for launch and left the room...

Often happens. They go into the closet just off the main room to get water. Seen that happen many times.

 

[ReganA]

I was also there this April and latched my seatbelt on Soarin and tugged on it to confirm it latched. The CM told me the indicator light indicated it was not indicating as latched and asked me to unlatch and re-latch to make the indicator light go off (or on - I can't remember which).

I wondered why on all the rides they have guests pull on their own safety belts / restraints on the on the rides - isn't the reason for the pull tabs so the operator can check the restraint? I thought the operator used to check them rather than instruct riders to check them.

 

[CaptainessKylie]

its truly unfair to blame this on the guests, as a previous cast member, i know how much slacking occurs, and in all honesty i can say i did it myself. This, i think was a cast member fault, that could be a brand new cast member fresh out of traning, who forgot to check one last thing, or forgot about the 2 guests that wanted to leave?! anything?! so before we start blaming "stupid guests" lets wonder if it was pure lazy incompetent cast members, disney seems to be getting more and more of those recently!

 

[Tom]

I just don't how the blanket statement of "ensure all gusts are properly buckled before initiating flight" could mean the CM is always at fault. I'm a grown adult and can easily slip through the Soarin seat belt with the amount of time that is given between the pull the yellow cord and the flight actually starting. I always joke that I should use the children's buckle because of that but also I've seen plenty of kids try and struggle their way up to get unbuckled at Soarin and not down. Same with ToT you can go up even with a properly fitting seat belt and get out if you are nimble enough.

I guess I'll just make sure I'm 110% everyday when I start in attractions.

I was using an example CYA statement that would be appropriate for an Operational Guide. The guide would serve as evidence in court to show that Disney did everything in its power to prevent a guest from being injured or killed.

But contrary to your analogy about slipping out before lift-off, proper operation of that ride would ensure that CMs had constant visibility of each row of guests up until the moment of lift off. One CM standing at each end of each row could easily see all guests and know if any of them had gotten up, or slid out.

Guests getting hurt on Soarin would just be natural selection working properly, but there's no reason that it should happen under a properly trained and attentive CM.

I was also there this April and latched my seatbelt on Soarin and tugged on it to confirm it latched. The CM told me the indicator light indicated it was not indicating as latched and asked me to unlatch and re-latch to make the indicator light go off (or on - I can't remember which).

I wondered why on all the rides they have guests pull on their own safety belts / restraints on the on the rides - isn't the reason for the pull tabs so the operator can check the restraint? I thought the operator used to check them rather than instruct riders to check them.

If they reached down into everyone's lap to pull on a little yellow cord...can you imagine the letters and lawsuits they'd get? That's why.

But they SHOULD give more than a cursory glance. I've never had a CM at Tower who could have possibly seen successful "tugging" of every passenger - either due to the CM's height and the point of view, or simply because they didn't stand there long enough or move their eyes enough.

Ensuring that everyone is buckled in tight is mission critical to safety on Disney rides - especially Tower, Test Track and Soarin. One "funny guy" who tricks the CM could quickly end up dead - and we all know it would never be his fault.

 

[Tom]

its truly unfair to blame this on the guests, as a previous cast member, i know how much slacking occurs, and in all honesty i can say i did it myself. This, i think was a cast member fault, that could be a brand new cast member fresh out of traning, who forgot to check one last thing, or forgot about the 2 guests that wanted to leave?! anything?! so before we start blaming "stupid guests" lets wonder if it was pure lazy incompetent cast members, disney seems to be getting more and more of those recently!

Regardless of the lack of CM attentiveness, the guests who disembarked a ride immediately before it launched are also "at fault". Or, more appropriately, should be held accountable for their actions.

If they panicked and wanted off, there are plenty of ways to get someone's attention. Hell, you can scream before trying to slide out of a seatbelt on an apparatus that cut take your head off in a second.

It is true that nobody should be blaming either CMs or Guests in this situation....but everyone shared in the responsibility, and both the CMs and Guests are a party to this incident.

 

[raven]

Last Saturday night we were evacuated off Splash Mountain. As soon as the ride came to a hault a woman in the log in front of us tried to get out of the boat. She was freaking out and within 3 minutes a CM came to the area (top of Slippin Falls). She was making a HUGE scene out of nothing. Even when she got out of the boat she was still freaking and wanted down the steps immediately but the CM's have to hold all of the guests in that area on the side and walk down together. I recorded the whole thing but didn't post it.

 

[Tom]

Last Saturday night we were evacuated off Splash Mountain. As soon as the ride came to a hault a woman in the log in front of us tried to get out of the boat. She was freaking out and within 3 minutes a CM came to the area (top of Slippin Falls). She was making a HUGE scene out of nothing. Even when she got out of the boat she was still freaking and wanted down the steps immediately but the CM's have to hold all of the guests in that area on the side and walk down together. I recorded the whole thing but didn't post it.

I can understand that people have phobias.....but if she was able to go on the ride to begin with, why would she freak out if it stopped? Did she just WANT to cause a scene? Was she "one of those"?

 

[MickeyPeace]

Last Saturday night we were evacuated off Splash Mountain. As soon as the ride came to a hault a woman in the log in front of us tried to get out of the boat. She was freaking out and within 3 minutes a CM came to the area (top of Slippin Falls). She was making a HUGE scene out of nothing. Even when she got out of the boat she was still freaking and wanted down the steps immediately but the CM's have to hold all of the guests in that area on the side and walk down together. I recorded the whole thing but didn't post it.

Please, please, please...

 

[Space Mountain]

Often happens. They go into the closet just off the main room to get water. Seen that happen many times.

Interesting thing to remember is that the ENABLE pushbutton is also located in that same closet, which initiates the all-clear to Controls. How that CM didn't notice baffles me, because the cameras monitor the opposite side to that pathway.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

last saturday night we were evacuated off splash mountain. As soon as the ride came to a hault a woman in the log in front of us tried to get out of the boat. She was freaking out and within 3 minutes a cm came to the area (top of slippin falls). She was making a huge scene out of nothing. Even when she got out of the boat she was still freaking and wanted down the steps immediately but the cm's have to hold all of the guests in that area on the side and walk down together. I recorded the whole thing but didn't post it.

post it!!!

 

[EvanAnderson]

...

 

[Tom]

Wow, you're really blaming the Cast for this? It was the guests fault entirely! It happened after the flight was enabled and the Tower CM was getting ready to launch. It was a dad and his daughter who got out. There is a quick 10 seconds of downtime between when the ride is ready to go to when it actually goes. It was during that time. The Tower CM noticed them standing off to the side when the ride reached flight level and hit a ride stop, exactly what they were supposed to do. It was the guests fault, not the Cast. Sometimes I think people think Cast members are perfect, and we try to be, but we do suffer from human error just like all of you do.

It's like when someone says they can do our job better. Ok, go ahead and load 87 seats in this flight. Check all the heights, make sure little ones have the center strap, move all wheelchairs into the designated areas, make sure the ECV;s are moved and powered off, move all the bags into the designated areas, make sure flip flops are on the ground, make sure the exit doors are shut, now make sure all the seatbelt lights above the guest seats are on, make sure they're all tugging on the yellow strap, and visually verify no one is in the theatre. Make sure the film has rewound and is show ready before enabling. Make sure you give the correct hand signals and shut your correct door before leaving the theatre. Okay you have to do all this in 2 min. and 15 seconds each and every time. Good luck!

Did you read any of my subsequent posts? The one you quoted was, quite obviously, a joke.

I'd still like to know how a dad and his daughter actually got out of their locked seatbelts between the time the CM did their last walk-thru/tug-check and when they initiated the ride. I mean, you don't just SLIP out of the seatbelt. You'd have to climb up out of it and onto the seat, then also pull her out.

Quite a feat.

 

[Panhead]

Last Saturday night we were evacuated off Splash Mountain. As soon as the ride came to a hault a woman in the log in front of us tried to get out of the boat. She was freaking out and within 3 minutes a CM came to the area (top of Slippin Falls). She was making a HUGE scene out of nothing. Even when she got out of the boat she was still freaking and wanted down the steps immediately but the CM's have to hold all of the guests in that area on the side and walk down together. I recorded the whole thing but didn't post it.

Interesting, I was at the bottom of SM on the bridge observing as the ride stopped numerous times (just after the fireworks). I saw people at the very top of the hill being evacuated/directed by a cast member.

-Chris-