Disney accidents: Are you concerned about safety

[Hoopfamily]

The funny thing about averages and statistics is they mean nothing. A bus driver could get in an accident every day for 8 days, does that mean he'll get in one on day 9. Nope. The chances of an accident are the same as they were on day 1. I'm surprised that you don't hear about more accidents at the world. I usually drive my own car there and there are some insane drivers from all 4 corners of the earth converging.

 

[Minnie321]

We don't feel unsafe at Disney and while most accidents there are the fault of guests who ignore rules and throw caution to the wind, not all are.

Notwithstanding the recent example of the Epcot bus crash (where seven people were injured due to no fault of their own whatsoever), let's look at some history:

July 29, 2005: 25 riders are injured when a coaster train on California Screamin at the California Adventure Park rear ends another train. Subsequent state investigation concludes accident was the result of a faulty brake installed by Disney.

September 5, 2003: a male passenger is killed and eleven others are injured on Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland when a train derails into a rear-end crash. Subsequent state investigation concludes the accident was the result of both improper maintenance and improper employee training.

Christmas Eve, 1998: a male guest is killed and his wife is seriously injured when a cleat from the Columbia sailing ship at Disneyland tears loose when sujected to the stress of a taut line, shearing across a group of waiting passengers. Subsequent state investigation concludes improper employee training was at fault. Disney eventually settles a lawsuit from the survivors of the deceased guest for a figure experts believe approached $25 million.

January 3, 1984: a woman riding the Matterhorn Bobsleds is thrown from her car and killed when struck by another ride vehicle. Subsequent state investigation shows her seat belt had come unbuckled, but was not able to determine whether it malfunctioned or was accidently/deliberately opened.

Wow - I am sure glad I don't spend anytime in California. But could this be because the management of Disney is trying to run both parks, but spends most of their time in Florida - from what I read this came about because of budget cuts a few years ago - the same people run and manage both parks - kind of far from each other to make sure everything is just perfect.

 

[Chuck S]

Wow - I am sure glad I don't spend anytime in California. But could this be because the management of Disney is trying to run both parks, but spends most of their time in Florida - from what I read this came about because of budget cuts a few years ago - the same people run and manage both parks - kind of far from each other to make sure everything is just perfect.

I don't think park management spends more time in Florida. Each park has a management team, and Disney Corporate is in Burbank.

 

[tjkraz]

Wow - I am sure glad I don't spend anytime in California.

Don't kid yourself--there are just as many incidents at Walt Disney World.

Instances of negligent behavior at the parks are fortunately very rare. But those are challenges that any business faces.

Accidents are just that--accidents. In 2007 there were 10.6 million motor vehicle accidents in the US and over 43,000 fatalities.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1067.pdf

I certainly don't view three relatively unrelated incidents in the over a 10-month span (monorail dispatch error, one bus rear-ends another, child riding too close to bus) as symptoms of a greater problem. Similarly I don't avoid Mission Space or Rock n Rollercoaster despite the number of guests who have died after riding these attractions.

(Oh, and I'm quite sure that there were more than just these three transportation-related incidents over the last 10 months...just as there have been throughout the history of WDW. Personally I'd much rather drive myself between parks at WDW, but that preference has nothing to do with accident reports.)