I can't believe I am asking this....

[Telcogirl]

In the grand scheme of things, I would not have been upset if I'd received the same treatment.

The most important thing to me would have been that nobody was seriously injured. Once I got past that, the rest would be just details.

The most important thing the Disney employees could have done in this situation was to ensure that you got to a hospital promptly to be checked out -- and they did that.

You certainly have every right to complain if you were disappointed in the treatment you received, but I sure wouldn't let something like this alter my opinion of Disney or my DVC membership.

I totally agree with you that this could have been so much worse; and for that, we are grateful. I thank God that my family wasn't with me, that the bus wasn't packed full like they sometimes are, etc....

We are past that, but with all due respect, it's the details that make the experience. And as I am looking back and processing everything, Disney fell short.

When this was happening, it was surreal. Yes, they called EMS (who were WONDERFUL, btw). Our first and only concerns then was being seen by medical and then eventually getting transported to the hospital.

There was a Disney Security guard at the scene and he asks my friend who wasn't injured if she was going to go and enjoy the rest of her day at the MK. Huh? She had to explain to him that, no, she was actually going to go to the hospital with us. I will never understand that insensative remark, for sure.

As we were getting ready to leave to go to the hospital, one of the transportation supervisors handed us a card and said, call this number if you need anything. I didn't look at the card at the time; I put it away thinking, ok, at least we have some contact info if we need it.

Well, when we needed it later that day, that is when we found out it was the number for the Claims department and they are only open Mon - Fri 8-4:30. This happened on a Sunday.

Just the words, I am so sorry and a follow up call to us would have been so much better. My DH, who was over 1100 miles away at home, managed to get in touch with the Disney florist and have an arrangement sent to our room the same day as the accident.

I think of the times that I have been in queue and an attraction went out of service and we received a fastpass for our inconvenience without even asking for one. That is the Disney that keeps me coming back. Being sent away in an ambulance without another word, well, that is not the Disney I know.

I do understand all of your thoughts on Disney as a company and the whole admission of error thing. But for now, I am little disenchanted.

 

[cush1]

I'm sure it is all about the fear of lawsuits. Can you imagine how many frivilous lawsuits are filed against WDW and other Disney companies? I bet it is thousands every year.

Knowing how WDW Cast members are always so helpful, I assume the just cannot contact you because they might show remorse. I bet the cast members have to go through training on what to say and what not to say.

I think the cast members involved really care, they are just not allowed to show it because the company loses millions of dollars in frivilous lawsuits.

It sounds to me that you were damaged (loss of $, loss of time, physical injuries, etc.). These damages that WDW caused and they are legally liable. I think you and your friends should contact an attorney.

 

[crisi]

I work in the medical field. Showing compassion is not the same as taking fault. Usually if individuals feel they are treated with respect they are less likely to have additional negative feelings. Someone from management of the resort or transport should have called to see how you are doing and reinforced options fir calling with addional questions. Sorry you were left hanging as you were.

That's the difference between working in the medical field and being a corporate litigation attorney. In the medical field, showing compassion to your patients makes the patients like you - and you are less likely to be sued for malpractice. In the corporate world, even if the employees are nice to you - you are suing some big corporation with endless money - and if some nice resort CM says "wow, we really should have fixed that ceiling when you called" - they've admitted liability.

 

[robinb]

I think of the times that I have been in queue and an attraction went out of service and we received a fastpass for our inconvenience without even asking for one. That is the Disney that keeps me coming back. Being sent away in an ambulance without another word, well, that is not the Disney I know.

Yes. That's it in a nutshell.

 

[JimMIA]

I work in the medical field. Showing compassion is not the same as taking fault.

I do too (EMS), but there is a big difference between a medical professional acting compassionately and the actions of a representative of the company that injured the patient. When we show compassion, we're just trying to help the patient through a difficult time (or trying to bring them back across the line from combative! )

It's very different for employees of the company which injured the patient in the first place. Employees in that situation who try to do too much almost always screw it up. As OP mentioned, the clueless security guard - undoubtedly trying to make the situation better - created a negative impression.

That's why companies have policies that tell their employees to refer people to risk management and let the pros handle the situation they are trained to handle. An employee, especially a supervisor, who goes beyond that referral is most likely putting their employer at more risk than if they'd followed the policy.

Usually if individuals feel they are treated with respect they are less likely to have additional negative feelings.

People who are going to sue are going to sue, and nothing you can do on the scene is going to change that. Treating people with respect and compassion may increase their cooperation or make the event less emotionally traumatic for them - but litigious people sue for money, not because their feelings are hurt.

Someone from management of the resort or transport should have called to see how you are doing and reinforced options fir calling with addional questions. Sorry you were left hanging as you were.

Couple of points here. One, the positions of the resort management and transportation management in this incident are very different.

The transportation supervisor did exactly what they should have done and nothing they should not have done. They were playing defense, and they played error-free ball. Sorry if we don't like it, but that is just the litigious world we live in.

The resort management could have followed up and could have done so without increasing Disney's liability...and it would have been nice if they had. However, unless someone specifically notified them that the people injured in the accident were guests at BWV - and provided OP's party's names - they might not have known. Given all the stories we read about great followup on situations like this, my guess is they either didn't know or it just slipped through the cracks during the time period (probably several hours) when OP was at the hospital.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Telcogirl, you want to know why Disney wasn't more caring and simpathetic, and why they didn't call to check up on you and your friends......Here's your answer!

It sounds to me that you were damaged (loss of $, loss of time, physical injuries, etc.). These damages that WDW caused and they are legally liable. I think you and your friends should contact an attorney.

 

[Telcogirl]

The resort management could have followed up and could have done so without increasing Disney's liability...and it would have been nice if they had. However, unless someone specifically notified them that the people injured in the accident were guests at BWV - and provided OP's party's names - they might not have known. Given all the stories we read about great followup on situations like this, my guess is they either didn't know or it just slipped through the cracks during the time period (probably several hours) when OP was at the hospital.

Just to follow up, I have been working with the Claims department. My claims manager told me that the resort most definitely should have been notified and she does not know why they were not. She is going to be 'investigating' the incident as a whole, of course.

We provided all of our info at the scene to at least three different people that I can remember. (I won't even get into the fact that is was on scrap paper that they found in the transportation hut.....)

 

[CNPHILLY]

I work in the medical field. Showing compassion is not the same as taking fault. Usually if individuals feel they are treated with respect they are less likely to have additional negative feelings. Someone from management of the resort or transport should have called to see how you are doing and reinforced options fir calling with addional questions. Sorry you were left hanging as you were.

No offense, but I work in the legal field and showing compassion is almost always the same as taking fault.

I understand being disenchanted with the way things happened, but I think it is more a comment on society than it is a comment on Disney. Should Disney have handled it better? Yes, by contacting your resort and following up, etc. But I think expecting Disney to apologize ignores the reality of the world we live in. I am hopeful that you are appropriately compensated for your trouble by Disney through the claims process.

 

[dzney2001]

I fell down the stairs in front of Tony's @ MK during a night Very Merry Christmas parade and sprained both ankles. The Disney guides where hurrying everyone out of the area. All they did was give me a wheel chair to use during my stay. Didn't even offer to take me to the hospital. I was on my own.

 

[RDP]

Disney seems to have a habit of overfilling buses, letting people stand etc. This i suspect is the root cause of many bus related accidents. If safety was paramount Disney would not let people stand.

 

[dacky041208]

Disney seems to have a habit of overfilling buses, letting people stand etc. This i suspect is the root cause of many bus related accidents. If safety was paramount Disney would not let people stand.

I think you are safer standing (as long as you are holding on to one of the rails) than sitting. I wonder if the OP and her friend were seated or standing up.

 

[TDC Nala]

People stand on buses in cities all over the world.

I have a subway commute, every day it's packed with people standing. That's standard with mass intra-city ground transportation. Not even sure standing is less safe than sitting in all circumstances.

 

[rutgers1]

My son broke his collar bone two years ago. It was his fault, so we didn't really expect much of Disney. In fact, we were very happy that the concierge picked up the bill for the cab ride to the urgent care facility.

 

[Telcogirl]

I think you are safer standing (as long as you are holding on to one of the rails) than sitting. I wonder if the OP and her friend were seated or standing up.

I was seated and my friend was standing. She was holding onto the safety straps, but it was such a hard stop that she just went flying forward.