!!Monorails Beware!!

[Princess Brittany]

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to tell everyone about the very scary event that happened when I rode the monorail last week. This story is nothing bad to WDW but I just wanted to tell everyone for your own safety.

We decided to take the monorail over to the GF for 1900 Park Fare for our dinner ressie. But when we were about to exit the monorail the doors quickly shut on all of us in the car. Leaving my 9 year brother outside by himslef and almost hurting a lady a she was trying ot exit the car. But we were able to push open one of the doors so all of us in the car could exit. We all quickly told a CM about the event and he seemed not to really take note of it. It was almost like it had happened before.

So this story is just a reminder to always be safe and watch yourself and your children when exiting the monorail.

 

[tink576]

youch! I'm glad you got out without anyone getting hurt!

 

[CanadianGuy]

It's too bad you didn't report this to guest services along with the color of your monorail.

Sounds like it *might* be in need of service.

Knox

 

[Anne's Family]

This happened on a bus to us. We all got off and my 9yo dd didn't make it. She screamed and banged on the door and the bus driver opened it. I learned after that that the kids always exit or enter ANYTHING with an adult in front and and adult behind.

 

[scottishduffy]

This happened on a Monorail is was on. My group and I were waiting to board the monorail while everyone else was boarding the train. We were in the first cab. The doors had trouble opening and the CM had been sort of mashing the button near the front cab to get the doors open. He proceeded tinkering with the buttons (Maybe to fix it?) and about 40 seconds after they opened the doors on the entire train slammed shut. It looked like an Emergency shut, it caught about 10 people up and down the train in the doors. It wasn't a hard hit, per se, but it definitely startled people as you heard people yelling "Hey!! What the Heck?!?!" up and down the train. A little girl in our cab was particularly upset as she thought he dad had been hurt. Everyone was fine. Everyone said the doors didn't hurt, just shocked them more then anything. Half the train just pushed the doors back open and kept boarding while the other half assumed they shut for a reason and waited for clearance.

The man's wife was very upset and proceeded to delay our train by another 10 minutes while she reemed the CM a new one. I understand the doors shut and you were wronged, but it wasn't hard enough to bruise and using that sort of language in the middle of a monorail station is not appropriate! I think even I learned new words. That poor CM, i felt bad for him. He did it by accident and then got completely chewed out by a woman with an upset 5 yr old. I'm sure that didn't help the upset kid either. Dad had to calm her again when she flipped over mommy being angry.

 

[ploto]

Hmmm, I'm glad thats never happened to me. Glad nobody got hurt.

 

[ukcatfan]

Over Thanksgiving, there was a monorail CM at CR stressing so much about keeping to schedule that he forced us (including our three children) to start walking to the end of the loading ramp as soon as the monorail entered the building. The nose o the train passed us about half way down the ramp. To make matters worse, there were only about ten people waiting, so there was no need to stress. Then he made us pass up cars with open seating to go to the very end where we had to stand in two different cars. We talked to a monorail supervisor at the Poly and he looked horrified about what happened. When we got back to the CR about an hour later, that CM was gone.

Kevin

 

[seashoreCM]

Inside a crowded subway train or bus, at least one member of the family should make his way to the door before the desired stop comes up and hold the door for the others.

Contrary to what another thread suggested, it is OK to hold the door for for an infirm person or your family already there to board.

Disney hints: http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[nbodyhome]

This is from my husband, who used to work in monorails (and was a trainer at one point). He also says that it is a good idea to talk to a manager if this happens.

Sounds like the result of an idiot driver that needs some remedial training. The trains can be set in two fundamental modes - "Run" and "Stop", which is set via a toggle switch on the control console. Any time the train is in a station with the doors open, it should be in "Stop" mode, and should only be placed in "Run" immediately before departing. In "Stop" mode, when the doors are closed, they'll recycle if something prevents them from closing, and they don't have very much air pressure applied to them when closing to keep from hurting anyone if they happen to be in the way. Setting the train into "Run" mode when the doors are open automatically and instantly applies *full* air pressure to the doors, and the train doesn't attempt to recycle the doors. What sometimes happens is you get a careless driver that doesn't follow procedure and hits the "Run" switch before his doors are closed. It's a pretty good way to seriously hurt someone, and a cast member at the station should have gotten in the drivers face about it. I know I've done it when it's happened in my station, and the central coordinator was usually notified immediately thereafter.

 

[glass slipper girl]

We've seen that happen as well. When it happened on the train we were on it clocked a little girl in the head pretty good. They were just starting to get on the train when the doors flew shut. Her Dad grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back just a split second too late. Her Mom was yelling as we started pulling away. I worried about her all day.

 

[Princess Brittany]

Wow I can't believe this has happened to so many people. Nothing bad about WDW but don't they check these kind of things before many people use them??

 

[nbodyhome]

Wow I can't believe this has happened to so many people. Nothing bad about WDW but don't they check these kind of things before many people use them??

It is driver error. I have personally NEVER seen it happen, and I've ridden the monorail often. My DH never did it while he drove a train. I wouldn't personally want to drive a monorail - I'm too klutzy. It'd be nice if there could be an override for this, so noone got hurt.

I don't know anyone personally that this has happened to either.

 

[Princess Brittany]

nbodyhome, that does make sense what you said in your posts because the recording for the monrail speakers inside the car where acting very strange. So maybe it was a fault by the driver. If so the CM needs some training.

 

[nbodyhome]

nbodyhome, that does make sense what you said in your posts because the recording for the monrail speakers inside the car where acting very strange. So maybe it was a fault by the driver. If so the CM needs some training.

It was my DH who typed that, he was in monorails for years (part time) and did training of drivers. He said that he got very upset when someone would do something like what happened in this instance. (of course, because it can really injure someone).

If anyone sees something happen similarly, let a manager know right away.

 

[Robo]

...the recording for the monrail speakers inside the car where acting very strange...

Don't put too much stock in that...

I haven't heard the correct and complete monorail spiels for over 15 years!

 

[mickeysgirl17]

I have never seen this happen either but thank goodness your child was 9 and not younger, not that this should happen to anyone but a younger child probably wouldn't know what to do and would panic or could hurt him/herself.

 

[Princess Brittany]

Thank You everyone for your great tips and advice. If this ever happens to me or anyone again I will tell a manager right away.

I just hope the lady taht almost got shut in the doors told the manager like all of you guys said to.

 

[james15]

Over Thanksgiving, there was a monorail CM at CR stressing so much about keeping to schedule that he forced us (including our three children) to start walking to the end of the loading ramp as soon as the monorail entered the building. The nose o the train passed us about half way down the ramp. To make matters worse, there were only about ten people waiting, so there was no need to stress. Then he made us pass up cars with open seating to go to the very end where we had to stand in two different cars. We talked to a monorail supervisor at the Poly and he looked horrified about what happened. When we got back to the CR about an hour later, that CM was gone.

Kevin

Cars 1 and 2 are held for the CR during busy times at the magic kingdoom.The Walt Disney Monorail system carries over 150,000 daily so there are procedures to keep the trains moving.
Now you should never let guest through the gates until the front of the monorail passes that gate.Run -stop switches are installed in monorail red and yellow,silver when its refurb is finished wil also have one installed.these switches are safety switches, that if the train is placed in run with the doors open, the doors will not slam closed.The biggest problem i had was after hitting the buttons to close the doors was guest trying to switch cars or get off the train at the last minute.Once you hear the please stand clear of the doors ,its a good idea to stay onboard.If the doors are closed normally their is no risk of injury once they sense tension they open back up.

 

[james15]

Over Thanksgiving, there was a monorail CM at CR stressing so much about keeping to schedule that he forced us (including our three children) to start walking to the end of the loading ramp as soon as the monorail entered the building. The nose o the train passed us about half way down the ramp. To make matters worse, there were only about ten people waiting, so there was no need to stress. Then he made us pass up cars with open seating to go to the very end where we had to stand in two different cars. We talked to a monorail supervisor at the Poly and he looked horrified about what happened. When we got back to the CR about an hour later, that CM was gone.

Kevin

Cars 1 and 2 are held for the CR during busy times at the magic kingdoom.The Walt Disney Monorail system carries over 150,000 guest daily ,so there are procedures to keep the trains moving.
Now you should never let guest through the gates until the front of the monorail passes that gate.Run -stop switches are installed in monorail red and yellow,Silver when its refurb is finished will also have one installed.these switches are safety switches, that if the train is placed in run with the doors open, the doors will not slam closed.The biggest problem i had was after hitting the buttons to close the doors was guest trying to switch cars or get off the train at the last minute.Once you hear the please stand clear of the doors ,its a good idea to stay onboard.If the doors are closed normally their is no risk of injury once they sense tension they open back up.

 

[Lynn5700]

You know what I thought when we were stopped for monorail traffic out on the rails...Could the doors ever open by accident when you are stopped out in the middle of no where if the driver accidentally hits a button or something.