Monorail Red door OPEN while in motion! Video Link

[DLgal]

What coverage? Over dramatic? You’re kidding me right?

It doesn’t take much of an imagination to think of a scenario where this incident could have ended tragically. Kids, strollers, the elderly, people with mobility issues, intoxicated guests, etc. Heck, just even having a full capacity car could’ve been tragic.

Trams? Completely different! There’s no standing on trams and they aren’t high off the ground. Oh and on monorails people expect doors!

What coverage? The article that said people were "holding onto whatever was near hoping they wouldn't fall out of the car."

Give me a break.

And yes, I am serious. No one in this situation was in any danger. Let me ask you this, how many times have you been thrown against the monorail doors during a normal ride? I imagine zero. People need to stop thinking that EVERYTHING is a death trap. Use common sense. If a door opens up during a ride, STAY AWAY FROM IT!

I swear, it's like people have lost all common sense.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

What coverage? The article that said people were "holding onto whatever was near hoping they wouldn't fall out of the car."

Give me a break.

And yes, I am serious. No one in this situation was in any danger. Let me ask you this, how many times have you been thrown against the monorail doors during a normal ride? I imagine zero. People need to stop thinking that EVERYTHING is a death trap. Use common sense. If a door opens up during a ride, STAY AWAY FROM IT!

I swear, it's like people have lost all common sense.

I'm so glad we have a transportation expert to tell us this!

 

[davper]

This is not an issue with just Disney. The MBTA in Boston has had this happen. I just stood there and enjoyed the view. The cabins are not pressurized so there is no fear of being sucked out.

 

[Disneylover99]

Not a popular opinion I'm sure, but as a person who suffers from claustrophobia and has had a panic attack on a stopped monorail, I welcome that open door.

 

[EdmondD]

@DLgal and I obviously share an unpopular opinion - while this could have had a negative consequence, it's relatively minor. Note the lack of hysteria and weeping and gnashing of teeth from the people actually on the car. @SmithSmith, we need to send some more excitement to Iowa for you.

This has happened on occasion on the DC metro. I stand by the door on the ride home virtually every day (on the red line, funny enough). I make it a point not to lean too much weight against it. Tragedy avoided.

(Our trains also have been known to smash into one another....a friend of mine who is a train safety expert says he doesn't ride in the very front or very rear cars anymore, so that's one bit of advice I heed, but mainly because of the source.)

Now all that said, Disney should be extremely embarrassed by the overall state of the monorail. For some people it's their first impression of Disney World.

 

[SmithSmith]

I'm so glad we have a transportation expert to tell us this!

LoL

What would we do without them?

 

[SmithSmith]

@DLgal and I obviously share an unpopular opinion - while this could have had a negative consequence, it's relatively minor. Note the lack of hysteria and weeping and gnashing of teeth from the people actually on the car. @SmithSmith, we need to send some more excitement to Iowa for you.

This has happened on occasion on the DC metro. I stand by the door on the ride home virtually every day (on the red line, funny enough). I make it a point not to lean too much weight against it. Tragedy avoided.

(Our trains also have been known to smash into one another....a friend of mine who is a train safety expert says he doesn't ride in the very front or very rear cars anymore, so that's one bit of advice I heed, but mainly because of the source.)

Now all that said, Disney should be extremely embarrassed by the overall state of the monorail. For some people it's their first impression of Disney World.

I do not appreciate that comment.



I’m taking my cues from the one person I know who was there. She’s the one who admitted to being panicked and terrified.

I’m happy you have loads of experience with public transport to know enough not to lean too much on the doors or occupy certain cars but a great deal of Disney guests aren’t used to taking mass transit everyday and don’t know the ins and outs like you do.

 

[Kainsel]

I've been on the monorails when they have been packed and people smooshed next to the doors. If one of the doors would have opened, good chance someone might have popped out of the train. End of the monorails if that had happened.

 

[DLgal]

"Please stand clear of the doors."

And now there are also stickers warning NOT to lean against the doors.

What do you think those mean??? It means that there is ALWAYS a possibility that the doors will open while the train is in motion. That possibility has always existed because the doors open outward and do not actually lock or latch shut (unlike the Disneyland monorails that close like a car door.

 

[umichigan10]

Unfortunately, I agree that it’s wishful thinking since these stories don’t seem to generate much attention. Which irritates me to no end. How is that even possible?! Why do some people not seem to care about this? I don’t know if you read the comments section of the WDWNT story that HopperFan linked to but there were people actually questioning the IGer! Saying she, and the others in the car, couldn’t have possibly been too scared since there was laughter going on. They also suggested the people in the car couldn’t have been too worried because they didn’t bother to use the emergency phone. Some people! How could anyone defend this?!

Because people refuse to find any problem with a corporation (especially a place like Disney) even when there’s an extreme example of negligence like so

 

[SmithSmith]

Because people refuse to find any problem with a corporation (especially a place like Disney) even when there’s an extreme example of negligence like so

Exactly! I mean how many more warnings will Disney post about the doors before they come to the realization they just need to replace the damn things?

 

[mom2rtk]

"Please stand clear of the doors."

And now there are also stickers warning NOT to lean against the doors.

What do you think those mean??? It means that there is ALWAYS a possibility that the doors will open while the train is in motion. That possibility has always existed because the doors open outward and do not actually lock or latch shut (unlike the Disneyland monorails that close like a car door.

It means they don't plan to update those trains any time soon. In spite of them being many years past their expected lifespan.

 

[umichigan10]

Exactly! I mean how many more warnings will Disney post about the doors before they come to the realization they just need to replace the damn things?

I just can’t understand 1. How they don’t get how screwed they’ll be as a liability (even with signs) and from a PR standpoint if something happens to these trains and 2. How a transport agency (Florida DOT, federal dept of transport) hasn’t stepped in and said “your trains are crap, do something”

 

[umichigan10]

It means they don't plan to update those trains any time soon. In spite of them being many years past their expected lifespan.

I can’t wait until we’re eventually riding on barebones cars that are literally just platforms with no walls and roof in 20 years and people say “rain? It’s florida what did you expect? Disney can’t control the weather!”

 

[SmithSmith]

It means they don't plan to update those trains any time soon. In spite of them being many years past their expected lifespan.

You’re completely (and sadly) right.

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Did they shut down monorail service when this happened?

 

[HopperFan]

There really is no danger if everyone just stays seated or moves away from the open door. Honestly, the monorail isn't a thrill ride. No one will be "thrown" out an open door. I find the coverage of this to be a bit overdramatic.

Should this be happening? NO! Disney should be ashamed of the state of the monorails and should have replaced them awhile ago.

But let's stop with the melodrama. The people in the video weren't freaking out because they were never in any real danger. And if there had been kids onboard? I'm sure their parents would have held them tightly.

Remember when the parking lot trams didn't have doors? Did people just go flying out of those day in and day out?

What coverage? The article that said people were "holding onto whatever was near hoping they wouldn't fall out of the car."

Give me a break.

And yes, I am serious. No one in this situation was in any danger. Let me ask you this, how many times have you been thrown against the monorail doors during a normal ride? I imagine zero. People need to stop thinking that EVERYTHING is a death trap. Use common sense. If a door opens up during a ride, STAY AWAY FROM IT!

I swear, it's like people have lost all common sense.

No on so many levels ............

No seat belts.
High in the sky,
Travels over water.
Travels over highways.
BIG openings.
Yes been thrown against a door, a seat, a pole.

Yeah, common sense is to stay away from an open door.
COMMON SENSE is if the door is broken and you have to rig it to close ............. don't drive off.

 

[SmithSmith]

No on so many levels ............

No seat belts.
High in the sky,
Travels over water.
Travels over highways.
BIG openings.
Yes been thrown against a door, a seat, a pole.

Yeah, common sense is to stay away from an open door.
COMMON SENSE is if the door is broken and you have to rig it to close ............. don't drive off.

Perfect.

I can’t believe that needed to be clarified.

 

[CarrieR]

And yes, I am serious. No one in this situation was in any danger. Let me ask you this, how many times have you been thrown against the monorail doors during a normal ride? I imagine zero. People need to stop thinking that EVERYTHING is a death trap. Use common sense. If a door opens up during a ride, STAY AWAY FROM IT!

I have 110% been on crowded monorail cars where I have bumped/leaned against the doors as the car goes around a turn - sometimes heavily. I'm kind of a klutz and standing on a moving train is... an adventure. On at least a couple of occasions, I've said a little prayer that the doors didn't pop open... but I'd always put it off to paranoia and assumed they had a redundant closure (like a lap bar on a roller coaster.)

Yeah... nope. Apparently not.

I'm just gonna nope right out of a monorail ride (or at least any monorail ride that doesn't have room for me to be firmly seated.) Which, honestly, we've been mostly doing anyways. They're no longer the treat they once were.

ETA: The issue, IMO, is not THIS ride, where I agree the danger level was low. It's those extra-crowded ones, with strollers/wheelchairs/ECVs and everyone squished in like sardines. The doors truly act to contain those passengers, and no doors would be bad news.

 

[SmithSmith]

Looks like WFTV wants to pick up the story. So I guess that’s something.