Will the fatal Disneyland accident affect DVC sales?

[CaptainMidnight]

I was just wondering what effect you might see the fatal accident at Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/09/05/coaster.accident.ap/index.html
Might have on people's decisions regarding DVC purchases. I've always been impressed by Disney's safety record and presumed they applied the same preventive maintenace approaches to thier DVC resorts. Does this accident bring those preventive measures into question?

It was certainly sad news to read about.

 

[Geubux]

If you look at the history of corporations that have an accident/disaster, their stock initially takes a hit, then comes back. Look at Union Carbide in the 80's with the Bhopal, India leak. My brother said he wished he had money to buy their stock when it first happened. Took probably 1-2 years, but would have been a nice profit. Too bad people have to die for others to make money.

 

[floridafam]

I'm not sure.

I'm sure a majority of the people won't even hear about it. They had it on NCB news for all of 15-30 seconds tonight.

I know that nothing is perfect but it is kind of sad to wonder what caused it and if it was something that was just continually overlooked and could have been prevented.

I suppose it would have more of an impact on sales if it had taken place at WDW instead of DL.

 

[Lizardbeth61]

. . . and no doubt will put Disney under a microscope for a while since everyone seems to wants to find fault with the Disney giant, but Disney will survive. I have to say it even gives me pause 'cause I'm always a bit afraid of things like that happening on "scary" rides. However, rather than doubt Disney's safety, I will have faith that whatever happened was a fluke and that if anything, safety will be increased.

The real tragedy is to the families who are hurt by this. My hearts go out to them. You go on vacation to relax and regroup and get back in touch with your loved ones . . . and it's a reminder that anything can happen anywhere. This morning their biggest concerns were how many rides they could get on, where they were going to eat and how long the lines would be. Tonight the concern is the recovery of loved ones.

Kinda puts it all into perspective, huh?

 

[floridafam]

Well said Lizardbeth61

 

[PamOKW]

This was a horrible event and I can't imagine the pain of the family.

However, it's not the first tragedy. A worker was killed by the Skyway ride in the MK at WDW and I don't believe that had any effect on DVC sales. I wouldn't expect this would either.

 

[JimC]

A tragedy and very sad day. If you want to read more about park safety here is the link to Disney's latest Park safety report.

http://disney.go.com/parksafety/

Here is a link to park accident information.

http://members.aol.com/rides911/accidents.htm

 

[Caskbill]

Apparently this is the 9th guest fatality since the park opened in 1955. I know there have also been several CM's who were killed over the years but don't have that number.

For the guest fatalities you can get a brief summary here:
http://www.snopes2.com/disney/parks/deaths.htm

I don't think the 1998 accident affected DVC sales and I doubt this one will either.

 

[ncligs]

I don't think the fatal accident

will affect DVC sales. Here is the link on the accident from the L.A. Times below.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-090503disneyland_lat,1,2508867.story?coll=la-home-headlines

 

[Granny]

Another in agreement that this won't affect DVC sales, or even park attendance. It's quite a tragedy and we talked about it at the dinner table tonight. My daughters (14 & 12) and wife agreed that it was a very rare occurence and that they wouldn't change their plans on future WDW visits because of it.

Such a sad thing for the families involved.

 

[Sammie]

It is horribly sad and tragic for all involved and my concerns and prayers go out to those personally involved.

However your chances of getting killed by lightning are much greater at WDW than dying due to a ride accident.

I don't see that affecting DVC sales.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

No, I don't think it will effect sales either. Kind of like car fatalities does not effect car sales (overall, not specific models).
Interestingly enough, I read somewhere that roller coasters are the safest form of transportation there is. I can't recall the statistic, but it really wasn't even close to an aircraft accident.

 

[magicmouse2]

It wont affect my purchase. BTMR is my favorite ride in WDW. I just put down my deposit on SS, and could still pull out if I wanted to, but I dont. It was a tragic accident, and I am no longer going to whinge when I find out something is down for rehab. during my visit........I still believe WDW has the safest theme parks in the world.

 

[lenshanem]

Isn't BTMR in WDW due for refurb soon? I wonder if they'll close it down now sooner?

I think lots of things happen that we just never even hear about. One year we saw a small girl get trapped underneath a IASW boat. I felt so bad for the mom, she coudln't speak English and was beside herself. I have always worried about that little girl. Wish I knew she was OK. I think this was before I had kids so it has at least been 6 years? I might be wrong.

Next trip we went back and they had installed those holding bars.

 

[hulagirl]

Hi Shan,
Big Thunder is already down for refurb. We were there for Labor Day and they were already working on it. My kids thought it was really neat seeing those guys on scaffolding all the way at the top of the mountain.

 

[kathleena]

How very tragic.

But I also don't think it will affect sales of DVC as much as other areas of Disney. The lawsuits and settlements that come from it, for example and any resulting increases in insurances. I would think the more accidents of this type that occur on any amusement/theme park ride would affect insurance for all parks, not just Disney.

Just like I have heard 9/11 blamed for the current increases in homeowner insurance policies. Not sure how they calculate that one. I don't think my house is a terrorist target. (sorry, off the topic.....)

 

[castleri]

An accident happens at Disney and it is big news and very sad for all those involved and it is just as sad for those whose tour bus goes off the road or a involved in a multicar accident. We just don't hear about those on a national basis too often. It doesn't stop people from taking tours or driving their cars. I still feel much safer at Disney on a coaster than on my 6 mile commute to work, I don't think it will impact overall purchase of DVC - it might impact the amount of people doing the coasters for the next few days or weeks but after that it will be back to the usual lines. I know there have been other fatalities over the years but most I believe were the result of guests or CMs not following safety rules
so this has more impact on Disney than one where someone stood up or climbed out of a ride when they shouldn't have.

 

[lucky_bunni]

Let me first give my sincere sympathies for the families of those injured and killed in yesterdays accident at Disneyland.

Now, does anyone have information on deaths that have occured at WDW? It is easy to find information on fatalities that have happened at DL, however, I can't find much on stuff that has happened at WDW. I think it may be a little different because WDW is like it's own city in terms of fire/medical services, so what happens there can be kept a little quieter. I can recall two incidents off hand.. 1) a man who stepped out of a boat on Splash Mountain and was crushed by another boat, and 2) a man who fell from the deck around Planet Hollywood and drowned in the surrounding moat. Does anyone have any information on the latter incident? I can't seem to find anything, I think he may have been an executive who was there for the opening. Also, if anyone can direct me to a site that has information regarding fatal incidents that have happened at WDW.

I have faith that Disney out of any theme park company takes safety the most seriously. Accidents like these usually happen due to guest error or some fluke problem. Certainly it won't deter me from going to the parks, but it is always in the back of my mind that some freakish could happen. Isn't it that way with everybody?

 

[Disney Doll]

Not everything is someone's fault. There are things in this worl that are just accidents,plain and simple.

I would have to guess that Disney is probably pretty careful about maintenance of rides etc., since in our sue-happy society, they would be a prime target. They are a big compnay with deep pockets, and most of the general public knows that.

I don't think this accident is going to affect anything in terms of Disney. I htink that a ride is a ride, it is a mechanical thing, and no matter how much you maintain it, rehab it, eyc., the risk is alway there that something can go wrong.

 

[ArRzrbk]

I'll have to say, when I heard the news it made me think for split second about my purchase, but then I said to myself how silly it would be to back out.

Disney's record is pretty good, and we know there are risks involved in riding theme park rides, carnival rides, walking down the street even!

I do know more things happen there than we probably hear about. A friend of mine used to work there and said that was the case. But big stuff like what we saw on the news is a rare occurance.

I try not to live my life scared. I do a lot of the time, but I am working on that. This won't change my mind about DVC, and I doubt it changes the minds of most folks.

ArRzrbk a.k.a. Char