Warning to golf cart Drivers (and Dogs)

[LONE-STAR]

While we were at the fort(11/23/10-12/9/10) we were told by a CM starting next month there will be 2 undercover golf cart patrols busting underage drivers and drinking. On both personal and rented carts. So take the info for what it's worth only time will tell if it's true. She also said alot of changes would be coming soon but she was told to keep her mouth shut. But she said not to worry that campsites and golf cart's were staying.

 

[des1954]

If it's true, it's about time.

 

[stacktester]

Is "Mean Gene" coming out of retirement?

 

[stpetedisneydad]

I agree, it is about time. When we were there last month for a couple days we saw carts with 6 people on them, 1 faster cart passing a slower cart by going in the other lane at night and 1 cart with so many people on it there was a teenage boy hanging off the side by holding on to the rear roof support. When one of these idiots get hurt somehow they'll blame Disney and sue.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Believe it when I see.

 

[mnsprk]

Believe it when I see.

They were checking "young-uns" for a DL during the Halloween weekend. Had CM directing traffic at the Settlement intersection/GC path and they were stopping drivers. Sounds like they are finally "waking up" to the fact that the majority want the BS stopped.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

My $.02:

1. I fully believe that Lone-Star is accurately reporting something that he was told by a castmember.

2. I don't believe for a minute that Disney is going to pay two people to be undercover golf cart monitors. (or even one person for that matter)

It is true that there were castmembers in uniform stationed around the Fort for two nights during Halloween weekend this year. But, there were none to be seen at any time during the rather busy Thanksgiving week. I believe that there will be occasional beefed-up security during historically crazy times (like maybe New Year's Eve, 4th of July or Halloween), but I think they are too cheap to pay for full-time golf cart patrols.

We shall see.

TCD

 

[mikmouse]

While we were at the fort(11/23/10-12/9/10) we were told by a CM starting next month there will be 2 undercover golf cart patrols busting underage drivers and drinking. On both personal and rented carts. So take the info for what it's worth only time will tell if it's true. She also said alot of changes would be coming soon but she was told to keep her mouth shut. But she said not to worry that campsites and golf cart's were staying.

It would cost Disney less to hire a couple of people to patrol than for the lawsuits that will surely ensue when one of those idiots gets in an accident. It's only by chance that someone hasn't been seriously inured or worse. I hope they do get more strict with golf carts.

We walk a lot and ride our bikes at the Fort and this last trip was very upsetting. The pathway that was once walking and biking only to Settlement was treacherous now! I hate it and wish they would disallow golf carts on that path.

 

[We4mickey]

If this is the case, all I have to say is... YAY!!!! It is about time!

 

[DisCamper]

It would cost Disney less to hire a couple of people to patrol than for the lawsuits that will surely ensue when one of those idiots gets in an accident. It's only by chance that someone hasn't been seriously inured or worse. I hope they do get more strict with golf carts.

I hate to say it but you are wrong. When I worked there our group was very strict on enforcing the rules. We took carts from guest just to have a manager give the carts back. One time we took a cart from one guest 3 times for under age drivers and horse play. Well we had to take the cart one last time after an accident. Well they suited and got 1.5 million for the accident after suiting Disney.
With the cut backs Disney is not going to pay anyone to do undercover golf cart patrols

 

[Tri-circle-D]

It would cost Disney less to hire a couple of people to patrol than for the lawsuits that will surely ensue when one of those idiots gets in an accident. It's only by chance that someone hasn't been seriously inured or worse. I hope they do get more strict with golf carts.

We walk a lot and ride our bikes at the Fort and this last trip was very upsetting. The pathway that was once walking and biking only to Settlement was treacherous now! I hate it and wish they would disallow golf carts on that path.

You are right about the cost of hiring a couple of employees. But, there already have been serious injuries. A poor little girl was severely hurt in a golf cart accident on Halloween night in 2009. I don't know the exact circumstances of her injury, and I have heard conflicting stories, but I do know that there was a lot of crazy golf cart driving that night. That may be what prompted the safety measures taken on Halloween night 2010. The safety risks resulting from not enforcing the golf cart rules have existed for years. But, management has continued to turn a blind eye. Unfortunately, as is the case with many big corporations, it will take a serious injury and lawsuit before any real change comes.

I know from personal knowledge that the path that you refer to has been for golf carts, pedestrians and bikes for at least the last ten years. I am not sure that it was ever just for walking and biking. I agree that it is a bad set-up, and dangerous. But, Disney has allowed it to exist that way for over ten years.

TCD

 

[devores]

It is true that there were castmembers in uniform stationed around the Fort for two nights during Halloween weekend this year. But, there were none to be seen at any time during the rather busy Thanksgiving week. TCD

Isnt that point of an undercover security guard? Not to be seen?

I agree it is long overdue and believe Disney is taking it more serious these days. They would not neccisarily need to hire new people to do this. Rather reassign some of the existing guards or even regular CMs to patrol. It would not have to be a continuous presence, but only during peek times and night time when the most carts are out. Possibly a rotating shift.

We will see what happens during the christmas season when the Fort is packed.

 

[DisCamper]

I know from personal knowledge that the path that you refer to has been for golf carts, pedestrians and bikes for at least the last ten years. I am not sure that it was ever just for walking and biking. I agree that it is a bad set-up, and dangerous. But, Disney has allowed it to exist that way for over ten years.

TCD

TCD that path Disney opened sometime in the mid 90’s. Before then golf carts, pedestrians, bikes and people waiting for HDRR used the path right in front of Pioneer Hall you can you imagine 15 carts, 200 people and bikes all using the same path at the same time. Those were the good old day. Lots of people got hit every night.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Isnt that point of an undercover security guard? Not to be seen?

Good point.

What I should have said is that there was no one stopping underage drivers, reckless drivers or adults drinking alcohol while driving all of Thanksgiving week. And I saw plenty of all three.

TCD

 

[BradyBz12]

If it's true, it's about time.

Agreed!!

...When we were there last month for a couple days we saw carts with 6 people on them...

We saw many, many carts that were clearly overloaded - mostly Disney rentals. And by "overloaded" I mean...
4 adults and 2-3 kids (not babies)
2 adults and 6 kids (only 2 of which were toddlers or younger)
2 adults in front and 4 8-14ish boys in the back - one of which was standing and hanging on off the back.

I could go on and on. We saw this pretty much every single day of our 3 weeks there.

Of course then there were the 9 high school seniors across from us with 2 Disney carts that routinely raced around and slammed into the utility box one night.

Believe it when I see.

Ditto

My $.02:

2. I don't believe for a minute that Disney is going to pay two people to be undercover golf cart monitors. (or even one person for that matter)

Double ditto

 

[BradyBz12]

Kinda funny because DH said many times on this trip that he would love the job of Golf Cart Police!

 

[RocklandRVers]

This is nothing new. We got pulled over in our own cart in 2005 by a security CM in a pickup. DS age 15 was driving, I was next to him and DW was in back. DS did not have his license yet and was driving with his usual adult like skill from at least 5 years driving experience in part from racing his go-kart but that didn't matter. Our old golf cart was 36 volt and could barely get out of its own way compared to the modern speed buggies rented by the Fort.

 

[stacktester]

I was at the fort tonight and we were waiting on a bus at the 900 loop. An Outpost bus was stopped and a lady with 2 small kids got off and she asked where the campfire was. After I told her she walked across the street and was almost hit by a man on a personal cart. I guess he decided he was above waiting til the bus left.

Me being me I jump out there and said way to go idiot passing a stopped bus. I got the one finger salute lol. I see this by personal and rental carts often. I can almost guarantee carts (at least personal) are going to be gone in the next year. I may be wrong but it's a free for all with the carts. It's getting to where the carts are making it dangerous to do anything. I love having a cart and I wish people would stop being dumb.

 

[becky1960]

This past April, we saw on two occasions a Marked Orange County Sherriffs patrol car stop a cart at the Fort. This is something I had never seen before. I know they have been given jurisdiction on the main roads but wasnt sure about the private roads like the Fort. We havehad a couple of near misses with kids running stop signs over past few years.

 

[stacktester]

This past April, we saw on two occasions a Marked Orange County Sherriffs patrol car stop a cart at the Fort. This is something I had never seen before. I know they have been given jurisdiction on the main roads but wasnt sure about the private roads like the Fort. We havehad a couple of near misses with kids running stop signs over past few years.

If I'm not mistaken once you open a road for public use (right of way) it becomes a public road. When Disney built the roads to the parks and hotels they are all under OCSO jurisdiction. I would think however they wouldn't come in the fort unless asked to. What this all boils down to is that everybody thinks the rules don't apply to them.