Space Mountain E-STOPS three times on our trip!

[Pkdcoastrs]

Hey!

I just returned from WDW (August 10-15) and while there Space Mountain E-STOPPED (right term...i e....lights on trains all stop ride is closed..ec..) . The first time was on the 12th while riding Tommorowland Transit Authority. We entered the building and I noticed it was bright and then I saw it all lit up in its glory. Again yesterday when we arrived at Space Mountain the ride was closed. What I heard the one cast member tell the other was that a train on the "A" side "went through the retard brake because they had just greased it". I don't know which one this is, if people were in the train, etc.... Finally the ride re-opened and I was able to get on it once. After the rest of my family arrived, we went on it again and just as we were about to bored, teh announcement came on. Then all of a sudden the lights pop on again. They then make anotehr announcement saying the ride would be closed for teh rest of the night.

I don't really feel like writing a trip report anytime soon because our flight down from LaGuardia to Orlando was HORRIBLE and with the blackouts up here in NYC/NJ, it caused even more problems coming home today. Hopefully I'll have some time so that I can tell whatever else happened on this odd trip.

PS- the cast member definetly did say "retard"...and it definetly surprised us.

PPS- We noticed on two occasions cast members walking or at a stand (selling stuff) with cell phones out either turning them on/off/looking at them. This is kind of weird and I would think that they weren't allowed to have them on themselves while working.

 

[MaddieinWonderland]

Originally posted by Pkdcoastrs
PS- the cast member definetly did say "retard"...and it definetly surprised us.

Why does this surprise you? The intent of the brake is to retard the train, so they call it a retard brake. It's not as if the CM was insulting the brake or anything.

 

[Mortlives]

Originally posted by Pkdcoastrs

PS- the cast member definetly did say "retard"...and it definetly surprised us.

I would imagine in this context, it would be in the sense of "delay" or "slow down" which is the non-pejoriative meaning of the word, and applies to things like flame-retardant pyjamas.

Ciao,
Mort.

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Well yes after thinking about it I did think that, but when your out in the sun at WDW walking park after park, my brain wasn't completely working

 

[Rodrigo]

We were there on Aug 3rd, Space Mt was off for several hours.

 

[cindala]

Originally posted by Pkdcoastrs
I don't really feel like writing a trip report anytime soon because our flight down from LaGuardia to Orlando was HORRIBLE and with the blackouts up here in NYC/NJ, it caused even more problems coming home today.

Details please! We always fly from LGA to Orlando, and I was curious about what made your flight so awful. What airline, what time, what was the problem?

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Originally posted by cindala
Details please! We always fly from LGA to Orlando, and I was curious about what made your flight so awful. What airline, what time, what was the problem?

We flew on Delta with a connection flight in Atlanta. We took off a little late and once we were close to Atlanta, we had to slow down to allow planes that were stuck in the bad weather to leave/arrive who were ahead of us. So basically we were delayed from it taking forever to get the luggage on the plain and now because of air traffic. When we FINALLY landed about 30+ minutes late, we ran to our connecting flight which we had missed. Originally they had wanted to put us on a 10:30pm flight, but it was only 4:30 and this would have mean't a whole night wasted of our vacation! We were LUCKY enough to end up getting standby on a flight around 6:00pm, but the PROBLEMS did not stop there!

So we get to Orlando, uneventfull. Then we go down to pick up our luggage and guess what? You guessed it, not one piece of our luggage came out! After freaking out, we go to the Delta room where there are about 20 people in line (and furious). After about 45 minutes, one of our bags came on an 8pm flight and my sister took that off the conveyor (why it came on that flight we don't know). So after about another 15 minutes (1 hour total), the lady at the desk (who my parents had a huge arguement with...because they were not being helpfull and each telling us different stories). The lady tells us to go to the other room where some other luggage was! It ends up three of our bags went to that room! They could have told everyone...including us that some stuff was in another room a little further down. Well this leaves us with one bag missing. They tell us "if" they find it, it will be delivered to our hotel. So finally after a day in which we were supposed to ARRIVE at the Dolphin at 5:30, we made it at 12:30am!

We lucked out on our flight home yesterday! We were the FIRST flight out I believe at 2pm! Originally we were supposed to leave at 7am, but two days ago my parents had called to try and switch it after hearing about the blackouts. We were told yesterday that if our flight had not left, we probally would have been put on the next available flight which was MONDAY NIGHT at the earliest!.

Sorry if there are any spelling errors, once I get typing I keep going..and going...and going.

Mike

 

[SpaceMounatin]

That happenes too much at Disneyland. What is the retard brake?

 

[cindyfan]

We noticed on two occasions cast members walking or at a stand (selling stuff) with cell phones out either turning them on/off/looking at them.

I would assume that carrying cel phones for personnal use is prohibbited.....but.....what made you think they were not for official use??

It is very posible that those were company issued to CM's that need to be able to move to various locations,etc. They all need to be able to communicate. I would expect to see CM wearing some kind of communication device if they were not inside a store, attraction, etc.

 

[cindala]

Pkdcoastrs
Yikes! It sounds like you had an exhausting first day of travel. We always fly Delta too, but we take direct flights, and so far (knock wood!) we haven't had any problems. Hopefully your trip was enjoyable without any other mishaps!