Riding in the Front Cab of the Monorail with the Pilot Again!

[Joanna71985]

I'm sorry for your loss, but some of your behavior is completely unacceptable.

Come again?! How so?

 

[mickeysaver]

Don't think about the front cabs for now, because I don't think the front cab rides are coming back for a long time, if ever. Enjoy your vacation here, enjoy us... and please, respect and avoid the one or two things that we pray that you don't try to discuss with us.

If enough time goes by without anyone coming up and making comments, it is possible that there may be a turn toward bringing you back into the cabs.

My views and emotions on this issue are very raw and they are my own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, or any other involved entity.

​

There are no words, just prayers and pixie dust.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm sorry for your loss, but some of your behavior is completely unacceptable.

In your dreams.

Exactly, like he said cast members are human too. Just cause people spend a fortune their doesnt give them the right to act like a horses rear end.

But some people are going always to be like that regardless. I remember back in late Sept 2001, my next door neighbors at the time were complaining about how the baseball games were canceled because of that "9/11 thing" that happened

Even my horse's rear end would show more class and sensibility that the fools amonorailpilot had to deal with.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I'm sorry for your loss, but some of your behavior is completely unacceptable.

UM................ you're joking right? I sincerely hope so otherwise this quite sad.

 

[RadioNate]

amonorailpilot -

I'm a former CM and I posted earlier to support the decision to not let guests ride in the cabs.

I am so very sorry for your loss. Eeyore's Butterfly is correct, that CMs are family and it is a family you never leave. The 1st time I rode the monorail after the accident I cried walking up to the platform and I didn't know Austin. I was with a few former and current CMs and everyone was affected.

There have been disgusting hurtful posts on this thread. It is really sad how entitled we, as a society, have become.

Take care of each other, monorail pilots. See you Saturday night.

 

[PixieDust32]

Exactly.



The loss of a cast member, a human being is a true tragedy. Not getting to ride up front in the monorail is a minor disappointment. Not even close to being on the same level.

 

[PixieDust32]

I think you are missing the point. The accident happened, and it can't un-happen. Guests in the cab were not a factor. Why should all the future enjoyment of the masses be eliminated out of fear that something MIGHT happen?

Should they close the Indiana Jones show forever because a CM was killed performing it? Should they stop the Pirate Tutorial because a CM hit his head on the wall, and later died? Accidents can, and will, happen, but we can't stop living our lives because of it.

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of positive experiences have been had by young children riding with the pilot, and I'd say that the loss of one life in the process is, while very sad and tragic, minimal.

The monorail cabs should be re-opened to the public.

What if 'that loss" was your child?

 

[Nancyg56]

I came on to this thread to post in support of Disney's decision to keep guests from the front cab of the monorail. I must say that one of the most magical moments i have experienced in Disney occurred last december when my DGD was given the ride of her life. The pilot was totally committed to giving her a memory which included opening and closing the doors of the monorail and getting her pilots license. He was one of those CM's who know that for some, their interaction with their guests is part of that wonderful Disney experience that lights up children's eyes and brings adults back in time to relive that carefree childhood some of us remember fondly.

Once I read some of the comments and the very personal feelings of castmembers who live with the reality those magical moments I also wanted to apologize for those people who cannot see past their own desires.

I won't lie, my family loved those front of the monorail rides but honestly, we enjoyed the conversation we had with the pilots more. I will miss that opportunity but if it saves one person one rude insensitive comment the loss is well worth it.

If any CM's are still reading this thread, your time and efforts to make my family's trip more magical have not been lost. I cannot explain to people who just "vacation" why we love this place. It is not the attractions, not the parades and not the show. For us it is the people who take the time to add that little extra magic. Thank you!

 

[DancingBear]

I'm sorry for your loss, but some of your behavior is completely unacceptable.

Wow. Really? Care to explain?

 

[LR Morris]

I am the OP.

First, to amonorailpilot:
Wow. I had no idea that guests would have acted in that way or behaved along those lines. I am so, so, so sorry for you and other Raillies who have had to parry those queries. Call me naive, but I really thought that people would not be that insensitive.

Also, thank you for enlightening me to this, and showing me what (hopefully) is the primary reason for the current policy. I had definitely thought that it was an anti-tort/liability thing, and not for the emotional well-being of the pilots.

One more thing, thank you for defending me. I really believe I was being misunderstood and even vilified by some of the previous posters.

The OP comes off rather insensitive to the CMs in my opinion.

I disagree. I think the OP doesn't know... or didn't know... what we hear every day. Some of the things are simply unimaginable until you hear them.

If the people who make jokes to our faces would go away and leave the parks and resorts to the rest of you... I would be highly in favor of getting you back up front.

Thanks again, and I am so sorry that this horrible event happened. My heart goes out to you, your Raillie family, and your Disney family. 2009 was a tragic year, to be sure.

To everyone else, I want to share a story with you from these forums, in an attempt to illustrate what I was trying to say, since I failed at finding the right words. Please read this lovely story:

Fifteen years ago, our DS was diagnosed with autism. The "experts" said that he would never be able to remember or accomplish much. He was very quiet and pretty disengaged with anyone that he didn't know well, and he had very limited social intrests or skills. My DSIL and I took him to WDW for the first time when he was 5. At that point, he was obsessed with every type of vehicle that he saw. Well, the first time that he saw a monorail, he was in heaven! We were standing halfway up the ramp, waiting our turn to board among hundreds of other guests. He couldn't help but flap his little hands, like he did every time that he saw something that really excited him. He was very tiny, as the top of his head didn't even come close to reaching my waist. Somehow, though, the monorail pilot spotted him through the crowd. She left the cabin, waded through the crowd and asked my little guy if he would like to drive the monorail. (Okay...I'm crying now. I'll NEVER forget this act of kindness.) My DS nodded yes and she led him by the hand through the crowd to the front. She let him sit up front, press some buttons, gave him a certificate when the ride was over, and posed for a picture with him.

This single act of kindness triggered something magical within him. It was as though his bubble of isolation popped. He became instantly more aware of his surroundings. He became much more aware of others and started talking to other people. He literally came home a changed boy. Our family and friends were shocked!

Fast forward to today -- DS is an 18 year old honor student who will begin studing engineering on scholarship. I believe with all of my heart that God sent that lady to DS, and now I am paying it forward. This May, I will finally graduate as an intervention specialist and work with other children with autism.

With the approximately 1,500 monorail-segments driven each day at WDW alone, that makes 500,000 potential moments like this EACH YEAR. When I said what I did about the "big picture," I was referring to this. Despite this recent tragedy, the monorail has a remarkably good safety record, and will continue to. The extended one-on-one time for children with a cast member just can't be found anywhere else in the park like it can here. Opening children's eyes to the fascinating possibilities of the future (as in "WOW! Maybe one day I can be a monorail pilot!") is simply a thing of beauty, which I hope will occur again down the road.

amonorailpilot really sums up the special magic that happens "up front":

<edited for brevity>
As soon as I had the parents in on the act, I would wring the towel out all over the kids, and never had anyone complain, they all loved it. It made for a completely unique experience, because how many other pilots would have done that?

I used to get on the Public Address system and make the Monorail ride its own Jungle Cruise at times.

I would go out of my way to make people smile. I had commendation after commendation because of the way I would go above and beyond. I have been told numerous times I needed to go into Guest Relations, because I like making people happy.

...I had a Make A Wish child that needed that extra touch...I wanted to give them an experience they would never forget. For 20 minutes, we had a wonderful time in the back cab of that train...I took several pictures of [the family] just enjoying their time together and of the child sitting in the driver seat, looking like he was driving the train. I then printed and sent those pictures to them, at my cost.

...I was willing to do what it took to make that magic.

I moved across the country to be a Walt Disney World Cast Member, and for part of that time to drive these trains and to make the kind of magic that happened in the front cabs. No one misses it more than I do. You may miss it as much, but no one misses it more than I do.

I miss having guests up front, and...I hate not having them up there...

amonorailpilot, thank you for sharing, thank you for everything you do, and everything you have done. You will never know all of the "ripple effect" beauty that has come from your actions.

When the time is right, I hope that you will again be able to spread more of the magic inside you, in the way that only a monrail pilot can.

 

[TDC Nala]

Should they stop the Pirate Tutorial because a CM hit his head on the wall, and later died?

They may not have stopped the show - but they no longer use the fancy stage that was built for it - the one the actor fell on.

Personally, in the interest of full disclosure, I don't really care whether I'm allowed to ride in the monorail cab or not (I have done it before, personally I don't think it's a huge deal). I also understand why you can't anymore.

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of positive experiences have been had by young children riding with the pilot, and I'd say that the loss of one life in the process is, while very sad and tragic, minimal.

Wow. I can't say I know anyone else who thinks that.

 

[mom2of2]

They may not have stopped the show - but they no longer use the fancy stage that was built for it - the one the actor fell on.
QUOTE]

actually they are using it again, or they were last week when I was in that area

 

[LR Morris]

Please, please realize that I couldn't agree more that the tragedy of the loss of a life is a much larger thing than a person not getting to have a "fun ride." Please note that I never made a statement to the contrary, nor any implication of that.

TDC Nala, if I could dedicate my life, and sole existence, to providing the joy and magic that ALL of the monorail pilots have over ALL of these years (not to mention the side-effect of a little transportation ) , I'd do it in a heartbeat, and I think just about everyone else here would, too. Please re-read your previous post in this light, and I think my meaning will be a little more clear. I in NO WAY mean to trivialize Austin's passing, or say that it was a minimal event. My thoughts couldn't be farther from that.

Monorail pilots are HEROES - each and every one of them. There are obvious inherent risks in that profession (which is why the need for the MAPO system, evacuation plans, the Reedy Creek special vehicle, and more). One need look no further than the fire of Monorail Silver to see that potential perils exist. That SO MUCH GOOD has come without the human cost being higher since 1951 is remarkable. That is what I meant by minimal. God bless the raillies.

 

[TDC Nala]

If there had been guests riding in that monorail cab, it wouldn't have made any difference at all. Disney's aware now what could happen.

I in NO WAY mean to trivialize Austin's passing, or say that it was a minimal event. My thoughts couldn't be farther from that.

I guess I read those words as "What's the death of one monorail pilot compared to the happiness and joy that riding in the monorail cab gives children?" I think the monorail pilot who posted addressed that one. My law school training (I'm not a practicing attorney) also comes back and doesn't really get why it's a bad thing for Disney to be liability-minded. Especially when they're talking about children. You know Disney's thinking "wow, if there had been guests in that monorail cab..."

I also don't see riding in the monorail cab (and yes I've done it) as such a transcendent experience that WDW shouldn't be liability minded or consider the monorail pilots' feelings in the wake of the accident.

 

[amonorailpilot]

When the time is right, I hope that you will again be able to spread more of the magic inside you, in the way that only a monrail pilot can.

And when the time is right, I look forward to having you in my front cab. I knew from what you said in your original post that it was a simple lack of information, and not heartlessness on your part.

 

[DancingBear]

Just want to point out that if Disney is in fact continuing to allow riding in the front at Disneyland, then it's apparently not a liability concern so much as the one expressed here by the CMs.

 

[MonorailBeebz]

Hi Everyone,

First off, let me say that I read every reply to this OP before I posted my own response. From what I can see, this thread has taken more of a position as to who is right and who is wrong in determining the severity and significance of the accident, what is deemed "tragic," and what is not. The constant bickering between posters on the DISboards will never change what happened, so it's really time that everybody just chills out with their opinions and look at the situation with an open mind and a different, mature perspective. I know this is a long post, but it is very important to me--as a Cast Member--that guests understand why new policies sometimes take effect.

As a Monorail Pilot, I feel obligated to express my views on the subject of Front- and Rear-Cab riding. I know how much guests LOVE riding in the Front-Cab with the Driver; I know because I was a guest before I became a Cast Member and, when I was a child, I enjoyed riding up-front with the Driver myself. Let's put talks of the accident aside for a few minutes and talk a little bit about safety. I never really understood the magnitude and complexity of operating a Monorail before I became a Monorail Pilot. Piloting these trains is--by far--one of the most heavily-weighted Cast Member responsibilities on Disney Property. Please allow me to point out just a few of the Driver's responsibilities while driving a train, and please try to understand how Front-Cab riding guests may be of distraction and of severe safety concern to other guests onboard.

There are close to 100 points along the three Monorail beams specifically designated as "hold points." As you may already know, these locations are where the driver must stop his or her train should he or she be in too close of proximity to the Monorail directly ahead. If the driver has to stop at a hold point, but overruns because of four screaming children in the Front-Cab, the Monorail will come to an emergency stop on the open beam, throwing all the standing guests into the seated passengers. Sound safe?

Secondly, clear and constant communication between Monorail Central (similar to an Air Traffic Controller) and each Monorail Train is THE most critically important component of driving a Monorail. The driver's main responsibility is to listen to the radio and abide by any and all instructions coming from Monorail Central or even another Monorail. For example, let's say a section of the beam has broken off from the rest of the track (which has never happened, is not about to happen, and probably never will happen--so please stop panicking). Monorail Red radios a transmission for every driver to engage his or her Emergency Stop Button, but the driver of Monorail Blue missed the transmission because he's too busy dealing with a Front-Cab guest videotaping his kids screaming and jumping around from one side of the cab to another. Safe?

Thirdly, I want to touch on Rear-Cab riding. Contrary to popular belief, Rear-Cab riding has never officially been permitted. Most of the time, guests would sneak into the Rear-Cab when the Platform worker wasn't looking. Even though the Rear-Cab is powered off when not in use, some components are still working and are fully functional, such as the emergency phones, heat detection system, back-up radio, and most importantly, the emergency stop button. All it takes is for some smarty pants to mess around and hit that button and well...you can figure out what would happen. Now, if anybody would like to ride in the Rear-Cab, go ahead. We'll make sure security is waiting for you at the next stop to complete your magical day .

So all accidents, lawsuits et al. aside, just know that this new procedure is in place for the best interest and safety of all Walt Disney World guests and Cast Members. Thank you for reading this post.

 

[Magic Mom]

Hi Everyone,

First off, let me say that I read every reply to this OP before I posted my own response. From what I can see, this thread has taken more of a position as to who is right and who is wrong in determining the severity and significance of the accident, what is deemed "tragic," and what is not. The constant bickering between posters on the DISboards will never change what happened, so it's really time that everybody just chills out with their opinions and look at the situation with an open mind and a different, mature perspective. I know this is a long post, but it is very important to me--as a Cast Member--that guests understand why new policies sometimes take effect.

As a Monorail Pilot, I feel obligated to express my views on the subject of Front- and Rear-Cab riding. I know how much guests LOVE riding in the Front-Cab with the Driver; I know because I was a guest before I became a Cast Member and, when I was a child, I enjoyed riding up-front with the Driver myself. Let's put talks of the accident aside for a few minutes and talk a little bit about safety. I never really understood the magnitude and complexity of operating a Monorail before I became a Monorail Pilot. Piloting these trains is--by far--one of the most heavily-weighted Cast Member responsibilities on Disney Property. Please allow me to point out just a few of the Driver's responsibilities while driving a train, and please try to understand how Front-Cab riding guests may be of distraction and of severe safety concern to other guests onboard.

There are close to 100 points along the three Monorail beams specifically designated as "hold points." As you may already know, these locations are where the driver must stop his or her train should he or she be in too close of proximity to the Monorail directly ahead. If the driver has to stop at a hold point, but overruns because of four screaming children in the Front-Cab, the Monorail will come to an emergency stop on the open beam, throwing all the standing guests into the seated passengers. Sound safe?

Secondly, clear and constant communication between Monorail Central (similar to an Air Traffic Controller) and each Monorail Train is THE most critically important component of driving a Monorail. The driver's main responsibility is to listen to the radio and abide by any and all instructions coming from Monorail Central or even another Monorail. For example, let's say a section of the beam has broken off from the rest of the track (which has never happened, is not about to happen, and probably never will happen--so please stop panicking). Monorail Red radios a transmission for every driver to engage his or her Emergency Stop Button, but the driver of Monorail Blue missed the transmission because he's too busy dealing with a Front-Cab guest videotaping his kids screaming and jumping around from one side of the cab to another. Safe?

Thirdly, I want to touch on Rear-Cab riding. Contrary to popular belief, Rear-Cab riding has never officially been permitted. Most of the time, guests would sneak into the Rear-Cab when the Platform worker wasn't looking. Even though the Rear-Cab is powered off when not in use, some components are still working and are fully functional, such as the emergency phones, heat detection system, back-up radio, and most importantly, the emergency stop button. All it takes is for some smarty pants to mess around and hit that button and well...you can figure out what would happen. Now, if anybody would like to ride in the Rear-Cab, go ahead. We'll make sure security is waiting for you at the next stop to complete your magical day .

So all accidents, lawsuits et al. aside, just know that this new procedure is in place for the best interest and safety of all Walt Disney World guests and Cast Members. Thank you for reading this post.

This thread more than a year and a half old, the argument ended a long time ago.

 

[MonorailBeebz]

This thread more than a year and a half old, the argument ended a long time ago.

Actually, the argument lives on seeing that I have this discussion with people 15-20 times per day. And it doesn't matter when the last time this thread received a post seeing that the issue is still an issue to most people.

 

[Magic Mom]

Actually, the argument lives on seeing that I have this discussion with people 15-20 times per day. And it doesn't matter when the last time this thread received a post seeing that the issue is still an issue to most people.

Yes you're right, tell people to stop arguing about something they stopped arguing about 20 months ago. That makes sense.