Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Now Open!

[SaharanTea]

I "know" someone from another social media outlet that gave an account of their time stuck in the gondolas during this incident.

To me the response by Disney seemed to be the worst element. There was no communication during the incident other than a couple of canned recordings. They spent 3.5 hours wondering what was going on. The emergency button didn't connect them to anyone but other cars, and they watched one of the other cars get ladder evacuated, but they were not. One of the canned recordings instructed them that they could open the emergency kit for water

They then were told they could walk to their car through an empty Epcot at 11:30.

 

[sachilles]

Actually the crash of cars doesn’t bother me as much as the 3 1/2 hours people Were stuck in there cars. That the RCFD did not make much of a dent in evacuation of the people. Disney was lucky that it happen after dark so no sun. That it could of been much worst if it was mid day summer, No AC. And six to seven hours for total evacuation. You could of had people died in the cars because of the heat

I believe that issue was addressed up thread. They were not attempting to evacuate everyone. They were looking for one particular car to evacuate with a med issue, and had an issue actually finding them. While they ladder was up they couldn't run the line to clear it causing that delay. So somewhat procedural issue. Concerning I'd agree, but should be fixable with more education and scenario training.

 

[Spridell]

Actually the crash of cars doesn’t bother me as much as the 3 1/2 hours people Were stuck in there cars. That the RCFD did not make much of a dent in evacuation of the people. Disney was lucky that it happen after dark so no sun. That it could of been much worst if it was mid day summer, No AC. And six to seven hours for total evacuation. You could of had people died in the cars because of the heat

Same with me. Accidents happen and they can not be avoided. But what can be avoided is a debacle during the evacuation process.

This is why I really think above anything Disney should be re-looking at that process right now.

 

[jknezek]

Actually the crash of cars doesn’t bother me as much as the 3 1/2 hours people Were stuck in there cars. That the RCFD did not make much of a dent in evacuation of the people. Disney was lucky that it happen after dark so no sun. That it could of been much worst if it was mid day summer, No AC. And six to seven hours for total evacuation. You could of had people died in the cars because of the heat

It doesn't seem like RCFD was asked to evacuate much of the line. Just a couple cars. The fact that it took so long is concerning, but I don't think they were actually doing a line evac. It seems like the plan was always to pull the cars back to the station but EXTREMELY POOR communication from Disney caused escalating emergency calls slowing the whole process.

I think the crash will be a simple solution that will be figured out shortly. I think Disney needs to rethink their communication procedures. They seem to have significant problems disseminating information during a problem. Whether it's a ride evac where I have been stuck for considerable time with nothing but the canned message playing over and over before an eventual evac, or the monorails when they get stuck, and now the Skyliner. Disney is miserly with information to the extreme. They don't need to go into a huge amount of details, but some reassurance that a plan is in motion and what people should be doing would solve most of the panic related problems. They just seem incapable and unwilling to adjust their information dissemination to be at all useful.

And that creates a whole lot of the secondary problems and unhappiness that people experience.

 

[rteetz]

It doesn't seem like RCFD was asked to evacuate much of the line. Just a couple cars. The fact that it took so long is concerning, but I don't think they were actually doing a line evac. It seems like the plan was always to pull the cars back to the station but EXTREMELY POOR communication from Disney caused escalating emergency calls slowing the whole process.

I think the crash will be a simple solution that will be figured out shortly. I think Disney needs to rethink their communication procedures. They seem to have significant problems disseminating information during a problem. Whether it's a ride evac where I have been stuck for considerable time with nothing but the canned message playing over and over before an eventual evac, or the monorails when they get stuck, and now the Skyliner. Disney is miserly with information to the extreme. They don't need to go into a huge amount of details, but some reassurance that a plan is in motion and what people should be doing would solve most of the panic related problems. They just seem incapable and unwilling to adjust their information dissemination to be at all useful.

And that creates a whole lot of the secondary problems and unhappiness that people experience.

Yep, by all accounts it seems the plan was to never evacuate the entire line or anything but just a few that needed it.

Disney even tried to deny any sort of incident to begin with. They called it a temporary delay.

 

[NWOhiogal]

The communication issue baffles me too. Why bother having emergency buttons in the cars if they don't do anything? Why bother having ANY communication system in the cars if all you get is "We're temporarily delayed!" for three hours?

That's really scary. What if someone had had a heart attack or other problem, and needed fast assistance? I'm surprised there was no way to quickly identify the cars, like a number painted on the bottom or something. If there's a problem, how are the firemen going to find the right car? "We're in the red one!"

This is all because Disney stubbornly refuses to disrupt 'the bubble.' They won't even admit there was an accident. If this happens next summer people will die in those cars, pushing the emergency buttons for help that never comes and listening to the same inane "We're temporarily delayed!" canned chatter that tells them exactly nothing.

News flash, Disney: if you're trapped in a box for three hours the bubble is already burst. You might as well be honest with your guests and inform them of the situation. It's the right thing to do. And as long as they have cell phones, they're going to find out anyway.

 

[tsme]

I read an earlier post about some of the emergency kits missing items during the emergency because previous guests took them. That’s not great if it was water or potty bags.

 

[NWOhiogal]

I read an earlier post about some of the emergency kits missing items during the emergency because previous guests took them. That’s not great if it was water or potty bags.

People probably broke into them and took the water and the light sticks. When I saw that the emergency kits were easily accessible I knew that was going to be a problem. Some of those kits have probably walked off already too, stuffed into strollers and backpacks. "They're like bars of soap in hotels, it's OK to take them, Disney is rich. They'll just replace them."

It doesn't sound like the CMs are checking the gondolas to make sure they all have sealed emergency kits, but they should have been for this very reason. That's straight-up negligence.

But see, that's the problem: the system is always moving, and because the cars are all private nobody knows what people are doing in them as they travel. If you're going to have emergency kits, they have to be installed in such a way that jerks can't just break into them and take whatever they want.

I'm not sure how to do that - maybe have a 6-digit code on them like briefcases do, with the code ONLY given out via the intercom when the line stops for an emergency. Of course, that doesn't help when there's a power failure or something happens where the car can't communicate with the station...

I don't know. But one things for sure: As long as the emergency kits are easily accessible in the cars and nobody's checking often to make sure they're untampered with, those kits are going to get broken into and people are going to take things. Because people are jerks.

 

[JaxDad]

Yep, by all accounts it seems the plan was to never evacuate the entire line or anything but just a few that needed it.

Disney even tried to deny any sort of incident to begin with. They called it a temporary delay.

 

[fitzperry]

The communication thing is tricky though. I completely agree that 3 hours of "temporary delay" would have me ready to wring someone's neck (much like "your call is important to us; please continue to hold . . ." on repeat). And it sounds like guests stuck in the gondolas were flooding 911 with calls that weren't really emergencies. But people react differently to bits of information, and that might have led to similar panic. Even if they had an ETA on when the line would be moving again, it would surely be too long for some people, and they'd react badly. Would parceling out a bit more detail have changed anything?

 

[teach22180]

Actually the crash of cars doesn’t bother me as much as the 3 1/2 hours people Were stuck in there cars. That the RCFD did not make much of a dent in evacuation of the people. Disney was lucky that it happen after dark so no sun. That it could of been much worst if it was mid day summer, No AC. And six to seven hours for total evacuation. You could of had people died in the cars because of the heat

I can't find the link but there's a good explanation somewhere. They never intended to evacuate the entire line but we're going to get it back ready to move. Unfortunately somebody was in medical distress and they had to find that car and evacuate that car only. Once they had that car evacuated they started the line moving again.

 

[jknezek]

The communication thing is tricky though. I completely agree that 3 hours of "temporary delay" would have me ready to wring someone's neck (much like "your call is important to us; please continue to hold . . ." on repeat). And it sounds like guests stuck in the gondolas were flooding 911 with calls that weren't really emergencies. But people react differently to bits of information, and that might have led to similar panic. Even if they had an ETA on when the line would be moving again, it would surely be too long for some people, and they'd react badly. Would parceling out a bit more detail have changed anything?

I think it would. If they had told people that they were working on the problem to return the gondolas to the station but work was halted by a medical emergency evac and would be restarted as soon as possible, most people would understand that a medical emergency comes first. A few people who then create their own medical emergency to try and get evac'd, but most people are decent human beings.

It's like when you are in traffic and an ambulance comes through. Yes we all grumble because we are in traffic. Yes we know the ambulance is going to make it worse, and yes, almost all of us pull over to make room and do the best we can. There is always that jerk that rides coattails or tries to squeeze a few cars forward, but most humans are decent.

If Disney had given just a few details, not an eta they didn't have, but just some please sit tight we have an emergency and will clear the line as soon as possible, people would grumble and be annoyed but fewer would have made the situation worse by calling 911 or having panic thoughts manifest into reality.

 

[JaxDad]

I think it would. If they had told people that they were working on the problem to return the gondolas to the station but work was halted by a medical emergency evac and would be restarted as soon as possible, most people would understand that a medical emergency comes first. A few people who then create their own medical emergency to try and get evac'd, but most people are decent human beings.

It's like when you are in traffic and an ambulance comes through. Yes we all grumble because we are in traffic. Yes we know the ambulance is going to make it worse, and yes, almost all of us pull over to make room and do the best we can. There is always that jerk that rides coattails or tries to squeeze a few cars forward, but most humans are decent.

If Disney had given just a few details, not an eta they didn't have, but just some please sit tight we have an emergency and will clear the line as soon as possible, people would grumble and be annoyed but fewer would have made the situation worse by calling 911 or having panic thoughts manifest into reality.

You took the words right out of my keyboard...

 

[NoTime42]

People probably broke into them and took the water and the light sticks. When I saw that the emergency kits were easily accessible I knew that was going to be a problem. Some of those kits have probably walked off already too, stuffed into strollers and backpacks. "They're like bars of soap in hotels, it's OK to take them, Disney is rich. They'll just replace them."

It doesn't sound like the CMs are checking the gondolas to make sure they all have sealed emergency kits, but they should have been for this very reason. That's straight-up negligence.

But see, that's the problem: the system is always moving, and because the cars are all private nobody knows what people are doing in them as they travel. If you're going to have emergency kits, they have to be installed in such a way that jerks can't just break into them and take whatever they want.

I'm not sure how to do that - maybe have a 6-digit code on them like briefcases do, with the code ONLY given out via the intercom when the line stops for an emergency. Of course, that doesn't help when there's a power failure or something happens where the car can't communicate with the station...

I don't know. But one things for sure: As long as the emergency kits are easily accessible in the cars and nobody's checking often to make sure they're untampered with, those kits are going to get broken into and people are going to take things. Because people are jerks.

I had thought, and a previous post suggested that they could have an exterior blinking light on a car when the emergency kit is opened, bot to alert CM’s that supplies need to be replaced and to alert CM’s to ask the passengers of the cabin why they opened emergency supplies.

 

[NWOhiogal]

Bad analogy. The sky could fall too eh? If you had any clue, you would realize the cables would not snap and if they splintered, what would happen if they did given the counterweight and they way they are spliced that it wouldnt fall.

What I'm saying is, never say never. The builders of Titanic were very confident that ship couldn't sink but by golly, it did. And when it did, there were huge numbers of fatalities because the White Star Line didn't have enough lifeboats. Which of course they didn't because hey, "This ship can't possibly sink!"

You never say "Oh, that can't possibly happen." You design the system to keep everyone safe in case it DOES. Or at least devise a communication system that works for crying out loud.

 

[sponica]

@jknezek sort of like when you're on the subway and it's not moving and the announcement changes to "there is a delay due to a (insert cause) at such and such station" whether that delay is caused by a signal error or medical issue, it really doesn't matter but you sort of "feel better" because you know you'll move at some point.

It sounds like there were a couple things that happened all at once to make this "downtime" longer. First was whatever caused the blue car to not attach to the cable, resulting in the following cars stacking up/colliding/crashing/insert your favorite synonym which resulted in the line shutdown. Then a medical incident in a dangling gondola which necessitated the use of a bucket meaning the line couldn't restart. But the FD couldn't locate the correct gondola so they couldn't restart the line. It's almost like a horrible comedy of errors. One of these things happening is manageable, all of these things happening in one night is "full moon on Friday the 13th" level.

 

[seashoreCM]

Coming down into any station the slowdown works the same way. The cabin detaches from the cable and wheels near the cable clamp roll onto a track. Rubber rollers up there slow the cabin down and take it through the station. The cable itself maintains the 10 MPH or so speed, does not follow the exact path of the gondolas below, goes around a large pulley (bull wheel) and then picks up exiting gondolas.

Reverse process for cabins exiting the station; the rubber rollers accelerate them to match the cable speed.

Since there is a spacing between gondolas on the cable, only one should be accelerated at a time out of the station. The question for investigation is, why did the next few, yellow, gondolas continue up the incline close enough to hit the blue cabin and then each other.

 

[mshanson3121]

The communication thing is tricky though. I completely agree that 3 hours of "temporary delay" would have me ready to wring someone's neck (much like "your call is important to us; please continue to hold . . ." on repeat). And it sounds like guests stuck in the gondolas were flooding 911 with calls that weren't really emergencies. But people react differently to bits of information, and that might have led to similar panic. Even if they had an ETA on when the line would be moving again, it would surely be too long for some people, and they'd react badly. Would parceling out a bit more detail have changed anything?

I think overall, yes. I mean, you're right, there are some who will always be upset, but I think some information would have placated the majority. They got none. I don't think they even needed to give a time, but something along the lines of "We apologize, there has been an incident at Riviera Station. We are currently assessing the situation and are working at getting the system operational again. A time is currently unavailable. We'll update you as soon as possible."

When they knew they were going to do a medical evacuation, they could have said, "We are working on a medical evacuation. We will begin unloading once that is complete."

 

[MeridaAnn]

I think it would. If they had told people that they were working on the problem to return the gondolas to the station but work was halted by a medical emergency evac and would be restarted as soon as possible, most people would understand that a medical emergency comes first. A few people who then create their own medical emergency to try and get evac'd, but most people are decent human beings.

It's like when you are in traffic and an ambulance comes through. Yes we all grumble because we are in traffic. Yes we know the ambulance is going to make it worse, and yes, almost all of us pull over to make room and do the best we can. There is always that jerk that rides coattails or tries to squeeze a few cars forward, but most humans are decent.

If Disney had given just a few details, not an eta they didn't have, but just some please sit tight we have an emergency and will clear the line as soon as possible, people would grumble and be annoyed but fewer would have made the situation worse by calling 911 or having panic thoughts manifest into reality.

Exactly. My friend's panic attack was specifically linked to thinking that she was going to have to climb down a ladder onto a boat to evacuate, so if they had told us that they were going to get us back to the station for regular unloading as soon as the medical emergency had been taken care of, my friend would have been okay. But we didn't know what method they were planning to use to get us off and that lack of communication directly caused her panic attack.

It never occurred to me to call 911, though, and I was surprised to read that supposedly a lot of people did. We did use the emergency intercom button once and got a pretty unhelpful response, but if things had gotten worse somehow, we would have used the button again. I just assumed Disney would have the most immediate response and would be coordinating the emergency response, so calling the emergency dispatch would have seemed redundant to me unless we had no other option.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Exactly. My friend's panic attack was specifically linked to thinking that she was going to have to climb down a ladder onto a boat to evacuate, so if they had told us that they were going to get us back to the station for regular unloading as soon as the medical emergency had been taken care of, my friend would have been okay. But we didn't know what method they were planning to use to get us off and that lack of communication directly caused her panic attack.

It never occurred to me to call 911, though, and I was surprised to read that supposedly a lot of people did. We did use the emergency intercom button once and got a pretty unhelpful response, but if things had gotten worse somehow, we would have used the button again. I just assumed Disney would have the most immediate response and would be coordinating the emergency response, so calling the emergency dispatch would have seemed redundant to me unless we had no other option.

How many of the gondolas were stopped over the water? Is there more water along the Epcot/CBR line than the bit near the Friendship boats? We haven't ridden the Skyliner yet.

Also, I am aware of the barge that was built for water evacuations over Hourglass Lake. Was something similar built for the bit of water near Epcot? I'm not aware that there was but it could be I just haven't heard of it.