Disney Skyliner Accident

[ELMC]

I seriously doubt that's the logic. That's like saying "here, we'll sell you this expensive timeshare, and if you have mobility issues, simply go much farther to the next station to board.". I really think it was a budget cut. Either that or there's a logistical issue with a mid-line station that I'm not aware of. I'm the farthest thing from an expert on gondolas, I'm afraid. It still seems odd that they have the special loading platforms everywhere but one station.

It would be wonderful if there were a way to get official answers to questions like these. I will say this...having ridden the Skyliner the Riviera station feels closer to the elbow turn in the Boardwalk parking lot than it does any of the other hubs. It may be an issue of functionality as you suggest. All of the other accessible areas are simply a continuation of the line, but at the Riviera station it is a 90-degree turn. I don't know how one could construct it so that cars can come off the line at that juncture. But like you, I am certainly no expert on gondolas.

All that said, for a system that is designed based on continuous movement where every component is interconnected, it seems strange that they would create this situation where temporary shutdowns of the entire line are required in order for everyone to be able to board. Perhaps that was an acceptable cost for them. Every once and awhile I get the feeling that Disney in general and DVC specifically does a great job of providing "nice" without all the frills. This feels like one of those times.

 

[EmJ]

Here's my prediction, for what it's worth. Those of us from the Northeast probably remember "Action Park," a water park from the 80's. They built this ridiculous upside down waterslide. Here's a picture:

View attachment 442027

Anyway, it was a ridiculous and dangerous design that they built without thinking about it or testing it properly. It never worked properly. They'd try to open it for a few days and then someone would get hurt and they'd close it again. They tried this a few times before they finally gave up. This gondola system is a ridiculous design for what it's trying to be. It's a transportation system with no active cooling in a subtropical climate that serves primarily a very vulnerable population (children), without apparently an effective evacuation system. Disney has sunk a ton of money into it. I predict they will continually try to get it working, it will continue to have issues and break down, and eventually they will give up on it. Hopefully that doesn't happen after someone gets seriously injured or killed.

An upside down water slide......?

[leaves DIS to go google this]

 

[rteetz]

Best to keep the continuous conversation contained in this thread rather than spreading to others. People want to discuss this, it’s a major recent event for Disney.

I understand but that just leaves this discussion to go in endless circles like it already is. Locking the thread doesn’t delete it. It can be reopened with more info.

 

[Alynw]

This is like using Goodyear tires on a Disney bus and having them all pop. That's Goodyear's design flaw, not Disney's.

Not necessarily. Did Disney choose the correct tire from Goodyear or did they just go with a tire that fit their budget. If they chose a tire that wasn't designed to specifically handle the stress that the Disney bus has, then yes it would be on Disney if all the tires pop. Bottom line is that Disney might not have designed and manufactured the gondola but they absolutely designed the entire setup on how they were going to be used and what they were being used for. It is their responsibility 100% to ensure the equipment their using is designed for and can handle the specific strains that come with the Disney parks. It's no secret that Disney is the most visited theme park in the country and just because these gondola might work great in other situations doesn't mean they will work great at Disney. Not to mention it doesn't seem that the gondola itself broke but more so there was an error in the operation of them, which in fact is 100% on Disney. So it's not as easy as, Disney didn't design them so their not at fault.

 

[Heelish]

You are more than that! You are also a cash register.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

Not sure any company would look at monorail expansion right now. It’s so crazy expensive to build it.

Plus I feel like adding a new monorail line would make them want to connect it to the TTC, making a mess of what's already there.

 

[rteetz]

That’s the point. If there was no reliable way to provide air conditioning to the gondola cabins for the duration of an emergency evacuation response, then they should not have built the gondola.

The monorail doesn’t have reliable AC and sometimes buses don’t either. Does that mean they should stop those as well? As others have mentioned these have been built in warm climates without AC before.

 

[rteetz]

Plus I feel like adding a new monorail line would make them want to connect it to the TTC, making a mess of what's already there.

It would likely require a new hub.

 

[insureman]

Solar would be even less reliable than a powered system. At night you’re not getting the solar energy taken and you would have even more increased weight to the cabin with the AC, panel and a battery to store the power. If AC was simple I don’t see why it wouldn’t have been done but frankly it’s not simple in these systems.

The A/C isn't there because Disney didn't want the added cost.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

I understand but that just leaves this discussion to go in endless circles like it already is. Locking the thread doesn’t delete it. It can be reopened with more info.

I know you're the moderator and you decide the things that happen here but please don't lock the thread. It is one of the main places where people can get info and discuss the accident right now.

 

[hereforthechurros]

I just got caught up.

I've said this before on other threads, but my family are the guests Disney is looking for. We are historically a Universal/Legoland family, but have been lured to Disney by SWGE and the upcoming Avengers Campus. I have four Disney vacations penciled in the next 6 years.

But.

A narrative is being set for Disney online. On Facebook, Twitter, boards like this, blogs, etc. And you can love it or HATE it, but that is where people get their information now. From other people, usually on the internet. The narrative that is emerging is that Disney is cheap, that they cut corners, that they don't care about the guest experience, and that their primary goal is to separate you from every penny they can. Yes, accidents happen. Yes, they happen more frequently with new technology. But Disney's response to this is abysmal. Now add to the narrative that they don't care all that much about guest safety and are willing to lie to cover their rear-ends. It doesn't actually matter whether this is true; in cases like this, perception is reality, and a company as big and sophisticated as Disney should know that. For example, perhaps they should have CONFIRMED there were no guests on the gondolas before saying it.

In addition to a complete "what happened to the gondola" autopsy, Disney needs to autopsy its PR machine.

It very much feels like Disney is being reactive instead of proactive when it comes to visitor safety. Monorails busting at the seams and regularly breaking down. Buses loaded up like sardines just hoping no incidents happen. They’re lucky this incident wasn’t worse but like you said the public perception damage (for those of us paying attention) is done.

 

[rteetz]

The A/C isn't there because Disney didn't want the added cost.

It’s more than that. Cost is certainly part of it but with some research you’d see that it’s not reliable nor is it common in this transportation.

 

[ScubaCat]

I couldn't have said any of that better, myself. Especially shutting down the longest run every time an ECV has to get on at Riviera. But it is what it is, at this point.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The monorail doesn’t have reliable AC and sometimes buses don’t either. Does that mean they should stop those as well? As others have mentioned these have been built in warm climates without AC before.

It's apples to oranges though. It's just not that hard to evacuate a monorail or a bus in the event of an emergency. You don't have hundreds of people stranded in small boxes 60 feet up in the air spread out over several miles. You can walk off a bus if it breaks down.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

It’s more than that. Cost is certainly part of it but with some research you’d see that it’s not reliable nor is it common in this transportation.

Plus like you said before there would be a lot of added weight with the unit itself plus batteries or some sort of power.

 

[rteetz]

Plus like you said before there would be a lot of added weight with the unit itself plus batteries or some sort of power.

Which then could’ve led to less efficiency meaning less people per cabin with the added weight.

 

[anomamatt]

the fire fighter on record could have used this as a sort of public message to promote that they need more resources.

No question there... I'm sure RCFD was licking their chops at getting to publicly show why they need the additional resources they have been asking for (for years now).

The biggest shock for me has been how poor Disney's PR and response has been. Coupled with the seeming 'lie' about the crashed gondolas being empty... leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not shocked there was an incident with a brand new and complex system (I wouldn't be surprised if this was user (CM) error of some sort), but I'm almost speechless at how inept Disney has been in the press.

 

[The Pho]

I understand but that just leaves this discussion to go in endless circles like it already is. Locking the thread doesn’t delete it. It can be reopened with more info.

Wouldn’t be a Skyliner thread without endless circles.

 

[rteetz]

No question there... I'm sure RCFD was licking their chops at getting to publicly show why they need the additional resources they have been asking for (for years now).

The biggest shock for me has been how poor Disney's PR and response has been. Coupled with the seeming 'lie' about the crashed gondolas being empty... leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not shocked there was an incident with a brand new and complex system (I wouldn't be surprised if this was user (CM) error of some sort), but I'm almost speechless at how inept Disney has been in the press.

I agree. The PR response has been terrible.

I also wouldn’t be surprised by CM error here.

 

[BaymaxFan78]

Which then could’ve led to less efficiency meaning less people per cabin with the added weight.

Which would make it harder for a family traveling with an ECV to ride.

If the current limit is one ECV and 5 other people, let's say there is a family of 4 with one of those 4 requiring an ECV to get around. Would the added weight still allow for an ECV plus additional people? Would it still be 5 or would the limit be smaller?