Splash Mountain falling apart (literally?)

[lolshutterbug]

I am a current cast member at Splash Mountain at WDW, so please allow me to clear a few things up:

The tarps were still up as of my last shift (12/19/12). They will remain up until we go down for refurb on the 2nd. We've been asking for tarps for YEARS because it gets really, really hot in station. And when it rains, it's miserable. So they're working on a way to make those permanant. But right now, they're just ugly.

We were taken off of the EMH offerings because the mountain needs the time for maintainence. As you've all said, she's not as awesome as when she first opened. There's a lot of work to be done. We have a 12 page list of things that need to be done when she does go down for refurb. It's going to take about 12 weeks to do all of it.

On EMH nights, there's 5 of us that stay at the mountain. This is because we need 1 person in tower (control room) at all times. There also needs to be another cast member available to run the mountain in case of an intrusion. The other 3 rotate breaks so that we're not saying the same thing for 2 hours.

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[dreamscometrue]

I am a current cast member at Splash Mountain at WDW, so please allow me to clear a few things up:

The tarps were still up as of my last shift (12/19/12). They will remain up until we go down for refurb on the 2nd. We've been asking for tarps for YEARS because it gets really, really hot in station. And when it rains, it's miserable. So they're working on a way to make those permanant. But right now, they're just ugly.

We were taken off of the EMH offerings because the mountain needs the time for maintainence. As you've all said, she's not as awesome as when she first opened. There's a lot of work to be done. We have a 12 page list of things that need to be done when she does go down for refurb. It's going to take about 12 weeks to do all of it.

On EMH nights, there's 5 of us that stay at the mountain. This is because we need 1 person in tower (control room) at all times. There also needs to be another cast member available to run the mountain in case of an intrusion. The other 3 rotate breaks so that we're not saying the same thing for 2 hours.

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for posting. Splash is probably my fav attraction on property, so I especially appreciate the info. Btw, we leave for a 12 day trip in 36 hours!

 

[nytimez]

On EMH nights, there's 5 of us that stay at the mountain. This is because we need 1 person in tower (control room) at all times. There also needs to be another cast member available to run the mountain in case of an intrusion. The other 3 rotate breaks so that we're not saying the same thing for 2 hours.

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Is this something that actually happens? Intrusions?

 

[Lee]

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Any comment on the Mountain's structural issues?

 

[Bairstow]

I am a current cast member at Splash Mountain at WDW, so please allow me to clear a few things up:

The tarps were still up as of my last shift (12/19/12). They will remain up until we go down for refurb on the 2nd. We've been asking for tarps for YEARS because it gets really, really hot in station. And when it rains, it's miserable. So they're working on a way to make those permanant. But right now, they're just ugly.


.....

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

If the tarps were installed as per CM request for CM comfort, why did the installation of the tarps occur the same day as reports of falling rockwork, on a Friday, and result in at least 9 hours of downtime during a Halloween party weekend?

 

[nytimez]

If the tarps were installed solely for CM comfort, I will personally eat one of them.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I don't understand how the tarps would make it cooler in the queue area. Wouldn't the tarps just trap the heat in as opposed to preventing it to rise up out of the queue?

As far as the rain, yeah, it may prevent getting rained on but the sweat factor has to be incredible.

I am a photog for local news here in Orlando and work out in the weather every day, yeah, it can get miserable. We just deal with it. But when doing a noon live shot you feel like you are going to burst into flames.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

CM comfort is how management spins it to the CM's.

They can scarcely make an 'official' acknowledgement - even to employees - that there are known safety issues. Better to spin it in such a way that the safety and legal issue remains publicly unadressed, while at the same time getting brownie points from staff by pretending they did something for them.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The tarps were still up as of my last shift (12/19/12). They will remain up until we go down for refurb on the 2nd. We've been asking for tarps for YEARS because it gets really, really hot in station. And when it rains, it's miserable. So they're working on a way to make those permanant. But right now, they're just ugly.

And to solve the heat issues, they put up tarps exactly when summer is finished and cooler autumn weather sets in.

What's more, they feel the matter is suddenly so urgent - despite CM's having asked for it for years already - that they install a temporary structure almost overnight, instead of opting for the much cheaper solution of installing the permanent solution in the first place.

And they do all of it while closing Splash during a very busy day, instead of a few weeks later when Splash is down for its winter hibernation anyway.


Sorry, don't want to sound ungrateful for you great post and your kind sharing of inside information! I much appreciate it.
Say hello to Trey from me!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

CM comfort is how management spins it to the CM's.

They can scarcely make an 'official' acknowledgement - even to employees - that there are known safety issues. Better to spin it in such a way that the safety and legal issue remains publicly unadressed, while at the same time getting brownie points from staff by pretending they did something for them.

They can't acknowledge the safety issues even to CMs because CMs are there in the queue and if a CM was hit by falling concrete "MAGIC" after acknowledging the issue, well, can you say JACKPOT!!!!!!!!

 

[WDW1974]

If the tarps were installed solely for CM comfort, I will personally eat one of them.

Like they give a damn about CM comfort. That is ROTFLMFAO type humor as the kiddies would have likely said 4-5 years ago (yes, I am old-er).

 

[John]

If there's any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Would you like to go out to dinner sometime?....know a great place we can get a filet for $16.99!

You did say feel free to ask?

 

[MarkTwain]

Is this something that actually happens? Intrusions?

AKA someone getting off the ride, while on the ride. Happens everywhere but infamously so at Splash Mountain.

 

[marni1971]

AKA someone getting off the ride, while on the ride. Happens everywhere but infamously so at Splash Mountain.

I think it was intrusions when the ride is closed that are in question.

 

[MarkTwain]

I think it was intrusions when the ride is closed that are in question.

Possibly. I just know that in cast member speak (at least in the boat ride I'm more familiar with), "running an intrusion" means temporarily abandoning your post to run into the attraction itself, usually in response to an activated pressure pad or infra-red beam. Then you get to deal with the reason it was set off (often involving walking someone out of the ride and/or introducing them to park security... or finding out it was a rodent or cockroach or something). In the context @lolshutterbug was referring to, it makes sense to have a designated person avialable to run an intrusion, since EMH hours tend to be minimally staffed anyway and without many people available to just walk off their post for several minutes.

 

[lolshutterbug]

I was not working the day of the falling rock incident (I'm seasonal), so I'm not 100% of what happened. When I asked my managers about the tarps, they told me CM story. If it is for safety reasons, we have not been informed lest we say something to guests and everyone freaks out, etc. About the tarp: It DOES keep it cooler in station, actually. I know it's not hot right now, but it blocks the sun out and doesn't cause the flume water to create unnecessary humidity in station. It's not just for CM comfort, but also for the guests in station. This is just the story I've been fed. Please don't shoot the messenger.

Intrusions happen ALL the time at Splash, hence the new-ish lap bars. There usually aren't intrusions when the ride is closed. However, there is still a gate from the main part of Fro-land into the ride path that, when hit hard enough, causes and intrusion and must be run. The mountain also gets bored and sets off her own sensors. I dunno, she's moody sometimes. Sometimes it's a bird or a squirrel (dear God, does it suck when there's a squirrel stuck in the mountain).

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go get ready for work.

 

[AndyS2992]

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go get ready for work.

So jealous lol

 

[nytimez]

I was not working the day of the falling rock incident (I'm seasonal), so I'm not 100% of what happened. When I asked my managers about the tarps, they told me CM story. If it is for safety reasons, we have not been informed lest we say something to guests and everyone freaks out, etc. About the tarp: It DOES keep it cooler in station, actually. I know it's not hot right now, but it blocks the sun out and doesn't cause the flume water to create unnecessary humidity in station. It's not just for CM comfort, but also for the guests in station. This is just the story I've been fed. Please don't shoot the messenger.

Intrusions happen ALL the time at Splash, hence the new-ish lap bars. There usually aren't intrusions when the ride is closed. However, there is still a gate from the main part of Fro-land into the ride path that, when hit hard enough, causes and intrusion and must be run. The mountain also gets bored and sets off her own sensors. I dunno, she's moody sometimes. Sometimes it's a bird or a squirrel (dear God, does it suck when there's a squirrel stuck in the mountain).

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go get ready for work.

Not shooting the messenger and sorry if you took it that way - but Disney won't lift a finger for CM comfort unless it's fought for tooth and nail during collective bargaining. Even the CM toilet paper is the cheapest sandpaper they can find.

But yes, I meant intrusions when the ride was closed - was thinking maybe this is the best way ever to get thrown out of the park, ha. Also, was thinking about how some of the scenes might look exactly the same when the ride is closed given the state of the animatronics.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[TalkingHead]

Would you like to go out to dinner sometime?....know a great place we can get a filet for $16.99!

You did say feel free to ask?

A guy asking a girl out? I thought this was a Disney theme park forum.

 

[TalkingHead]

The mountain also gets bored and sets off her own sensors. I dunno, she's moody sometimes. Sometimes it's a bird or a squirrel (dear God, does it suck when there's a squirrel stuck in the mountain).

We used to have squirrels that would run into the entrance of the Land building. Obviously all these squirrels are employed by Universal. Very sneaky.