Big Thunder Mountain derailment update?

[Steamboat Girlie]

Does anyone have the details to the cause of the derailment? We haven't heard anything here in Boston. Thank you.

 

[disneychrista]

I am not sure they have found the cause yet, but for the most indepth coverage of the accident, you should visit http://www.mouseplanet.com they have a link near the top of the page.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Don't expect anything for a long time. OSHA will run its investigation first which will come with all of the standard beauraucratic delays, then Disney will perform their detailed investigation. The Anaheim Police Department will be involved throughout. Once all that is done, and perhaps when cases are settled, then Disney will go about implementing the necessary changes, which could include some major modifcations to the ride vehicles.

I would guess it will be at least 12-18 months before BTMRR returns to service.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by Uncle Buck
I would guess it will be at least 12-18 months before BTMRR returns to service.

I think the return of this ride will depend upon what is found to be the cause of this horrible accident. But I wouldn't look for it in the near future, even though as pointed on another site that Disneyland.com shows it on the rehab through Nov. 21 but off on Nov. 22.

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

Howdy Disneychrista & Aloha Uncle Buck!
Thank you for the information. I found mouseplanet.com to be very informative. Thanks again.

 

[Darian]

Originally posted by Steamboat Girlie
Howdy Disneychrista & Aloha Uncle Buck!
Thank you for the information. I found mouseplanet.com to be very informative. Thanks again.

I read the same Mouseplanet article, but found it less than informative. Its not my desire to be argumentative, but please compare that Mouseplanet article with the one on Miceage if you want a more balanced and detailed view. No offense meant to the excellent and kind folks at Mouseplanet. The link to the article is:

http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al091203a.htm

I am disgusted that the Disney managment's response to this tragedy would be to organize a frantic campaign to shred as many documents as possible before the Anaheim Police department can get to them. That shows criminal intent on the part of Disneyland managment.

Ask any cast member who has worked maintenance for any length of time and they will tell you important and necessary maintenance was put off by order of management to make the "bottom line" look better. How many more people will these incompetent, soulless ba$tards murder with their greed? Has everyone already forgotten about the poor individual who got a CLEAT thrown through his head when the Columbia docked?

Of course, who could forget the tree that fell over on a crowd of people... who were miraculously spared by a vending cart that kept them from being crushed to death on the spot? (Yes, I was there and saw it happen.) Why did that tree fall over? Because management saved some money on NOT applying the necessary pesticides to control the pests which killed that tree and many others thoughout the park.

The same safety concerns apply to the monorails as well- which are literally falling apart, not to mention the I-beams they ride on.

In my opinionCynthia Harriss (and nearly all of upper management) needs to be marched down Mainstreet to waiting squad cars in handcuffs by the Anaheim Police to face formal murder charges. If not that, at the very least, they should all be fired immediatly.

Darian

 

[Uncle Buck]

Please consider the credibility of Al Lutz. The accuracy of his articles are contantly questionable and the means at which he obtains many of his facts would get his sources terminated if not arrested.

The fact of the matter is that not much will be known until "official" reports are filed and made public. It is way to early to pass blame.

To say that any Disney manager would willfully operate an attraction in a way that would injure or kill a guest and charging them with murder in the court of public opinion is utterly rediculous.

 

[Darian]

Originally posted by Uncle Buck
Please consider the credibility of Al Lutz. The accuracy of his articles are contantly questionable and the means at which he obtains many of his facts would get his sources terminated if not arrested.

The fact of the matter is that not much will be known until "official" reports are filed and made public. It is way to early to pass blame.

To say that any Disney manager would willfully operate an attraction in a way that would injure or kill a guest and charging them with murder in the court of public opinion is utterly rediculous.

You are quite correct that if Mr. Lutz's sources were revealed they would indeed be terminated by the Disney Corporation. That however, does not make their statements or observations any less valid. They simply wish to tell the truth and keep their jobs. If the Disney Corporation was so intent on having a valid "official investigation," why then are massive amounts of documents being shredded?

Are Mr. Lutz's reports questionable? They certainly disagree with the "official" Disney Party Line. But, I have a very close personal friend who works at Disneyland - in maintenance, and has done so for years. He is a man of integrity and does not lie, nor does he exagerate. His views of these tragic events with regard to management culpability is even less charitable than Mr. Lutz.

I have no personal experience in the Enron debacle. I do have a great deal of experience with the MCI Worldcom accounting fiasco. I worked for a large company that built much of the MCI network infrastructure. My job, among other things, was to negotiate and close the contracts to build the various networks.

In dealing with Worldcom, I have never been in such an "ethics free environment" where as a condition of closing the deal, I was to procure cocaine and prostitutes for MCI executives. I refused. Call me a Boy Scout, but in my experience I can EASILY believe upper Disney managment would, (as T Irby so elequontly put it) be willing to accept "casualities" as a part of doing business.

The Disney execs may have "plausable deniability" (due to their shredding activity) but there is no doubt in my mind they knew the effect their "deferred maintenance" would have.

1. They had the motive -better bottom line
2. They had the opportunity- they run the company
3. They knew the risk - there is documented proof of their orders to effect the changes in maintenance and discussion of the possible consequences (hence the shredding party currently going on.)
4. They knew the danger was real - previous accidents and at least one fatality due to their new policies.

They knew what was at stake, but DIDN'T CARE. That is called premeditation. Or maybe just criminal negligence. Unfortunately I have to agree with you that hoping for a murder 1 is "ridiculous." I doubt the DA could get a murder 1 conviction but I hope he/she tries for it.

Darian