What on earth is Disney thinking??

[C.Ann]

This was over on the Theme Park and Attractions board and it actually kind of frightened me when I read it...

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Well, on the 18th,

It was hot all day and crowded. It started raining about 7-ish. SpectroMagic was scheduled for 9. People were lined up on Main Street for the parade before 8. At eight we found a spot on the circle by the castle -- by the walkway to Crystal Palace. Not a front row but close enough.

Shortly after that they put up a rope where main street meets the circle -- to close off Main Street -- directing crowds down the sidewalks on either side. So far OK -- except everyone was tired and the sidewalk was wet so we had to stand instead of sit while waiting.

Between 8 and 9 nothing was unusual. Security had to deal with keeping people off the street and making sure people were waiting in front of the ropes and not behind. Not pleasant, but not out of control.

At 9 came the first announcement that the parade was "delayed" for the safety of the performers, blah, blah, blah. That's when some people became very restless. They'd been standing for two hours and had decided to leave but security wouldn't let them down main street. A couple ducked under the ropes in defiance and one guy was getting in a guard's face. Still not out of control.

Then came the second announcement "the parade is delayed" again "blah, blah, blah."

Shortly after that announcement a HUGE crowd completely filled the circle massing toward the two guards trying to keep people off main street with a little rope. Reminiscent of the crowd hunting the Beast on Beauty and the Beast. Grumbling, angry, some shouting. Many were ducking under the rope and heading down main street. The guards (insanely) were trying to confront some of them. It looked like it might come to blows.

That's when it was on the verge of being totally out of control. There were hundreds pushing toward those ropes trying to get out. Thank God the guards finally opened the ropes and just let them down the street. If they hadn't done that I don't know what would have happened. A huge cheer went up.

Minutes later came the announcement that the parade was cancelled "for the safety of the performers blah, blah, blah." The appearance to me was that it was cancelled because the crowd had gotten out of control. It was raining a little. who knows.

I was distraught that things could get so ugly in the Magic Kingdom. Everyone around us was upset and complaining. A complete downer.
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Other comments on that board revolved around waits of up to 80 minutes to get on rides - enormous crowds (due to the minimal scheduling of parades and other events) - extremely long lines (and precious time wasted) in cursory security checks - horrendous waits for Disney transportation, etc..

I guess I don't understand the "business concept" here because if crowds are THAT bad (bad enough that people are actually concerned for their physical safety) - WHY does Disney continue to cry the blues over "low attendance" and not extend hours and/or schedule parades and events on a more frequent basis?

Seems to me it would be a PR nightmare if there were ever an incident of people being injured (or worse) during a mob scene like the one this poster witnessed - or does Disney really not care what their public image is anymore?

 

[wdwguide]

Main Street is a nightmare during parade times. I wonder what it will take to convince them to open a backstage bypass like they often do after Fantasmic or something similar to the Disneyland Paris arcades.

 

[doombuggy]

Just my two cents......

When I was there in May, we were at MK for the parade and while I was waiting to get seated at LTT for dinner, I asked someone about the parade being cancelled due to rain (it was threating and actually did rain while we were eating). The guy told me that they wait until the last minute to make that decision, and sometimes they will delay the parade.

I would think that by now the hours are later than what we experienced at WDW in mid-may. I haven't been in the summer in a LONG time, so I am not up on the hours. While, yes, waiting is a pain, the safety of the performers is paramount. I sure would not want to walk around will all those LIGHTS attached to me in the rain - no matter how light! It's dangerous!

As for ride waits, it sounds like what we used to experience back when i DID go in the summers, back in the '70s and '80s.

 

[KNWVIKING]

I never understood why people would plop their butt down on the curb two hours before a parade starts,especially in the summer heat. Sure the parades are great, but I've picked out ok spots at the last minute to watch the parade and didn't miss anything.

 

[Tekneek]

I also don't understand why people completely disregard weather considerations as well. I would not have titled this thread "What on earth is Disney thinking??" I would have titled it, "Tired tourists get irate when it is revealed that Disney cannot control the weather."

 

[miko]

I think the past several weeks had larger attendance than planned, more than "light" but not enough to be considered "high". WDW may have miscalculated thier staffing requirements and adding on shows and parades. I was surprised to see how crowded International Drive and 192 were, I understand on-site due to Fairytale Package, but off-site seemed heavy for early/mid June.
Security at WDW as at most parks is mostly token, they really cannot respond with anything other than words to "mob scenes" which seem to be happening a little more frequently. I feel bad for CM's assigned to security.

 

[hopemax]

I don't think it was the weather that was the primariy issue. The issue was a large mass of people were trying to exit the park, and they couldn't.

The weather only provided the motivation for the group to leave.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by Tekneek
I also don't understand why people completely disregard weather considerations as well. I would not have titled this thread "What on earth is Disney thinking??" I would have titled it, "Tired tourists get irate when it is revealed that Disney cannot control the weather."

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You totally misunderstood the point I was getting at.. I've been in WDW when parades were delayed - or cancelled - and have no problem with that... The safety of the performers definitely comes first.. And I certainly don't expect "Disney to control the weather"..

What I - and the original poster of the thread - took issue with is the REASON the park was so overcrowded.. They (Disney) have cut parades and events to a BARE minimum and THAT in turn has resulted in a situation where these mob scenes could become physically threatening to their patrons.. The parks are already horribly crowded as it is - limit the number of days, nights, or hours that certain events take place and you are going to easily TRIPLE the number of people who will be there for said event - and you've got a MAJOR accident waiting to happen..

Sorry if you didn't get that..

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by hopemax
I don't think it was the weather that was the primariy issue. The issue was a large mass of people were trying to exit the park, and they couldn't.

The weather only provided the motivation the group to leave.

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Glad to see someone "got it".. LOL

 

[mickey2001]

FTP package does not start until 7/4. As for the small crowds, remember that Disney has cut back on their PT help. They need the extra CM's in the streets during parades. JMO

 

[Planogirl]

When we were at WDW during Spring Break, Spectromagic was shown ONCE during the whole week. MK was a nightmare that afternoon and we fled the park long before the parade started just to get out of the crowds. Naturally, most guests had shown up for this parade and I can only imagine the situation if it would have rained. Yuck.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by Planogirl
When we were at WDW during Spring Break, Spectromagic was shown ONCE during the whole week. MK was a nightmare that afternoon and we fled the park long before the parade started just to get out of the crowds. Naturally, most guests had shown up for this parade and I can only imagine the situation if it would have rained. Yuck.

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Precisely my point.. Spetromagic was shown ONCE during the whole week."

"MK was a nightmare that afternoon.."

"Naturally, most guests had shown up for this parade.."

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Weather is not the issue.. Creating mob conditions IS.. Look at it this way.. Let's say guests come to Disney World for one week - a total of 7 days.. Take a rough guess at how many people are there during that 7 day period - and then cram them ALL into MK for ONE event on the same evening..

Rain, sun, snow, sleet, whatever - you're inviting a disaster..

 

[Val]

What worries me more about the 18th report is WDW's inability to handle "sudden and angry/upset/scared" large crowds like you get when a parade is cancelled or there is an emergency. Having been on Main Street when a parade was cancelled (albeit 2 years ago) I know how frightening this can be. My small children were nearly trampled and we pulled into a store to avoid the stomping. With the limited staff and the right-hand-apparently-not-knowing-what-the-left-hand-is-doing----can we truly believe that the staff could handle a REAL situation?

Yes, they could call more staff and have backup security CM's, but this takes time and coordination. Seconds can be critical in an emergency situation.......maybe we WILL be spending more time at universal/Sea World, etc. this year. Given no/few parades, early closing shops and restaurants, reduced staffing and the potential inability by staff to handle dangerous situations, staying AWAY from the world is looking better and better. I am glad we own DVC, but I am finding I am using the DVC unit as a home base to go ELSEWHERE. They have my money for DVC, but Disney is getting less and less of my vacation dollars.

 

[KNWVIKING]

"What worries me more about the 18th report is WDW's inability to handle "sudden and angry/upset/scared" large crowds like you get when a parade is cancelled or there is an emergency. "

I'm not sure if this statement is intended to mean Disney did something wrong or not with their "inability", but if it is, what would you suggest?

Florida weather,especially in the summer,can turn wet almost at will so you can't plan for extra security based what could happen at parade time. So what is the alternative, a bricade of riot troops ? I doubt we want to feel like martial law is in effect during the parades.

".......maybe we WILL be spending more time at universal/Sea World, etc. this year."

Stick with Seaworld. We just did IOA/US last week.....well, I'll stop there.

 

[Val]

What I mean is that the CM's should have a plan for dealing with "unruly" crowds. Canceling the parade is fine and very warranted. Not having the guests leave in an orderly and controlled manner- or having a plan for dealing with a crowd that is likely to be angry and unruly is unforgivable.

In general, Disney does well with the "expected" routines. It is when there is the unexpected that I feel Disney is not always the best prepared. To me, it is quite expected that crowds would be angry, upset and in a hurry to leave after sitting in the rain waiting for a parade that now won't happen (actually, I agree with another poster about the intelligence of sitting in the rain that obviously isn't going to end for two hours)......but the park staff needs to have a way to quickly and efficiently move large groups of people. It seems that with our current terror scares cancelled parades would be an excellent way to PRACTICE some of these techniques.

And yes, in a terrorist event (God forbid), some people would complain and want their money back or a return pass for a different day because they didn't get their money back! Hopefully, Disney will be prepared enough that the complainers will be alive to complain and the rose-colored glasses folk will be alive to continue reminding us of the magic. I just don't see evidence of this during mass crowd events on Main street.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING

I'm not sure if this statement is intended to mean Disney did something wrong or not with their "inability", but if it is, what would you suggest?

I'm guessing that most people would suggest that a company that has been in the Theme park business for more then 30 years knows how to handle situations like this. As I'm sure it's not the first time it has happened.

 

[RunAwayDoomBuggy]

ooh.. was that the day of the big big storm? cause i (and a handful of others) were waiting for the rain under the old sky buckets building in tomorrowland.. the rain was long.. and i heard anouncements about somthing, but i didnt understand it, it was like further away.. sorry, it was my first time there, i didnt pay attention to the date.. hehe..

any how, thats preaty insane.. but is it disney or those people.. drissle didnt stop the jammin parade at AK when i was there.. and it is insane on main street during the parade.. example, heres my scenerio on spectro magic.. after the rain, we went to the arcade and we had to use our fastpasses to space mountain, by then its about time for spectro magic.. i never seen it, neither my family, but my dad felt sick and we needed to go back to our $100 a nite hotel, all star music (hehe) and we didnt know where to go.. we found a dead end ,walked back and then found that little bridge that took us another way from tomorrowland to main street.. by that time, anouncement on parade, 5 minutes.. 10 seconds after, parade starts! back to story, i feel like driving, well, dont you when your walking around, you walk on the right side while peopl pass you by on your right.. amazingly, people do that here, but during a parade, you neen a bazillion CMs tell you to walk on you right.. but how can you when theres people sitting down?! and when the parade started, some people who were walking stopped!!! stopped!! i thought you wanted to leave!! finally we left and took the bus..

moral? disney has been doing this ever since..

 

[KNWVIKING]

"I'm guessing that most people would suggest that a company that has been in the Theme park business for more then 30 years knows how to handle situations like this. As I'm sure it's not the first time it has happened."

Well, how many times have you read about a situation like this happening at WDW ? This is the first time I've heard about it. We were at MK in May when they had a Spectro & Fantasy nite. The crowd was huge,worst I've ever been in. After the last BANG in the sky we all know what happened. A gazillion tired,sweaty,cranky people shuffling south. But outside the exit,all crowds were channeled to the appropriate location.Disney did a good job handling tons of people. There is no accounting for an angry mob.This incident took place probably over the course of a minute or two then escalated out of control. These are people on vacation causing a riot because a parade is canceled because of rain. I just can't fathom how you prepare for something like that.

 

[Val]

In today's world you NEED to plan for something like an angry, out of control mob. Disney is too smart to be dumb. My hope is that, after the event on the 18th the powers that be examined videotapes and interviewed CMs and have a better attack plan. Maybe this was addressed in the practice drills at Pop Century yesterday....I hope so. What about a crowd's reaction to a suicide bomber, an armed individual, or a bomb? Hopefully the cancelled parade melee is NOT indicative of Disney thinking on its proverbial feet.......I guess that I expected the CMs to be better prepared at dealing with the large mob.....and yes, shame on the people for getting unruly. Unfortunately, as some members of the crowd grow angry and unruly, social psych research has shown that people all to eagerly join in. Disney needs to program for the stupid and inappropriate folk as well as those who remember to carry on the magic. Unfortunately, there is no security check for bad attitudes!

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by KNWVIKING
[B These are people on vacation causing a riot because a parade is canceled because of rain. I just can't fathom how you prepare for something like that. [/B]

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Let me try this one more time.. This is NOT about the weather..

This is about Disney creating unusually large mob scenes by their refusal to offer parades and other events more than once a week when they know full well that the result will be dangerously large numbers of people..

Do you get it now? Wouldn't matter if it were the most PERFECT weather day in the history of Orlando.. NOT about the weather.. Get it??