- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
Any transportation system, ride, etc... can put anyone in harms way. Everyone should be concerned with everything they do from crossing a street to getting on a gondola. I’m not saying your brain needs to jump to everything is going to kill me, but you also have to weigh options.So here’s my question - so in this case you would say that riding the gondola is putting someone in harm’s way? You are pretty much confirming that people should have concerns about riding after this incident.
I think the argument that people should be prepared/expect this kind of downtime is a tough one. People on their once in a lifetime trip who just spent thousands of dollars aren’t thinking “hey, this gondola could get stuck for 3 hours, I might have to pee in a bag in front of complete strangers, I could get heat stroke up there,” etc. They see it as a neat way to get from here to there. They haven’t been studying the logistics of gondolas like people in the Disney blogger/vlogger/social communities have. Many probably don’t even know there isn’t AC.
It seems like a lot of locals are downplaying it. Sure, when you have an AP and go to WDW whenever you want, maybe getting stuck in there for 3 hours is less of an issue? What if you were on your way to your only evening at Epcot ... ever?
With 2 little kids, yes, I am now hesitant to ride given how the situation was handled (very little & poor communication), how hot the gondolas can get etc. I was hesitant in the first place, and this situation confirmed my concerns.
I feel awful for everyone who was stuck up there.
For me, the gondolas aren’t extremely high off the ground to make me nervous, but I realize they are high enough that it could also make evacs an issue when an accident like the one that happened happens. The heat, thirst, bathroom issues are something I feel like I could personally deal with in an emergency. I know not everyone can and those are the ones that should think a little extra before riding. I know vacation brain doesn’t allow this all the time, and people travel to WDW because they like the idea of the bubble and being safe, but in my opinion it’s still a valuable argument to think more. I know a lot won’t listen, because of what you said, but I still want people to think more. I can’t tell you how many times I had to sit with medical services and a family at Forbidden Journey for families that would drag on an older family member who couldn’t handle the adverse effects of the ride. After seeing that for so long it made me realize that not enough people think about their whole families and any consequences and that’s a shame.