Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

[azza29]

Wow. 3 weeks until my visit, hope these issues get resolved quickly. No doubt forced ride closures will get Disney's attention anyway.

[SharkTums]

These closures are starting to make national news...any updates from our locals?

[Chroniq]

^New York Television news is all over this and Disneyland is thousands of miles away. Must be a slow news night as you don't usually see these type of stories on the news up here.

[Jew]

I've heard Matterhorn is back up and running. Space & Soarin are still down. Also heard that the closures were voluntary in response to the findings, so they could do a full audit and fix things before more violations came up.

[bert425]

in the AP story, they reiterate the closings were voluntary, and state Matterhorn is back up and running.

but DL Spokeswoman Suzi Brown says "it's unclear how long the other two rides will remain closed"

 

here's a link to the AP story:

 

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/55255105/84055388/Space_Mountain_closed_as_Disney_reviews_safety

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Three rides at Disneyland, including the famous Space Mountain roller coaster, were temporarily closed over the weekend as the company reviewed its employee safety protocols after citations from state regulators.

 

The citations were received Friday from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, according to Disneyland Resorts spokeswoman Suzi Brown.

 

The closures Saturday of Space Mountain, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and Soarin' Over California were voluntary and were made out of an abundance of caution, Brown said Sunday.

 

"We constantly strive to maintain a safe work environment for our cast members and contractors — and we are reviewing certain protocols," she said.

 

The citations were related to an incident in November when a contracted worker was injured while performing maintenance on the exterior of the Space Mountain attraction.

 

Disneyland failed to adequately correct "known fall hazards" that existed on the exterior of Space Mountain, according to a description of the citation on the Cal/OSHA website.

 

"Furthermore, Disneyland Resort failed to have approved anchorages or approved tie-backs for contract employees to attach to when performing scheduled exterior building maintenance," the description reads.

 

The Matterhorn reopened Sunday. Brown said Sunday it is unclear how long the other two rides will remain closed.

 

Space Mountain and the Matterhorn Bobsleds are at Disneyland. Soarin' Over California, a simulated hang-glider flight, is at Disney California Adventure.

 

Officials with Cal/OSHA did not immediately reply Sunday to a request for comment.

[laqueefa]

Just give the maintenance workers Spidey powers, case closed.

 

 

Make it happen, Disney.

[mcjaco]

I'd say they're Compliance Department is getting a good reeming out.

 

Inspectors are going to go right back to the places of past violations first.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

I've heard Matterhorn is back up and running. Space & Soarin are still down. Also heard that the closures were voluntary in response to the findings, so they could do a full audit and fix things before more violations came up.

 

These closures are starting to make national news...any updates from our locals?

 

Soarin' and Space never opened yesterday. We'll have to wait and see if they open today.

 

I'm surprised DOSH made them close the attractions. The guests and employees weren't in any immediate danger. As long as they stayed out of the affected area that is. I wonder why Disney couldn't just block off the area and re-open the attractions?

[alilstronger]

Made the trek from Baltimore to California finally and went to the parks. I am glad I was there RIGHT before they closed the rides and got my rides in. Disneyland has such a different feeling than Disney World - much more intimate and I like that. I prefer Disneylands Pirates, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. The jungle cruise seemed fun but I only got to ride about half of it because our boat stalled and they could not restart it. Which worked to our advantage because the exit pass helped with the line at Indiana Jones.

[buckaroo234]

right now compliance is looking at mitigation factors, or keeping you away from making a fall without having to make structural changes and training the crews on how to do the new mitigated procedures. That involves going through the attractions and looking at fall hazards and how they can be done differently and more safely. In terms of why this was not addressed sooner, remember we had 2 big accidents involving cast and contractor one right after the other, and most of the compliance and safety staff was focused on ride path issues due to the cast member being struck by a train at Space. Disney is a slow moving ship, and quick changes to massive amounts of policy is not what they do quickly. I have a feeling as engineering goes through they will find other ways of doing things and retrofitting the attractions so its safe for us maintenance staff.

[Angry_Gumball]

At DLR today, confirmed closures...

[SenseOFone]

“During the course of the inspection and prior, the employer, Disneyland Resort, failed to provide guardrails on all open sides of unenclosed elevated work locations more than 30 inches above the floor, ground, or other working areas of a building (Space Mountain) at Disneyland Resort. Employees of Disneyland Resort and HSG, Inc accessed the upper exterior platform of Space Mountain to perform routine and also non-routine maintenance and were not protected by guardrails or any other type of fall protection.”

 

Quoted from Disney Blog.

 

What this means is that indoors or out, maintenance needs some sort of fall protection when working on ladder or surfaces 30 in or more off the ground. Since Soarin' mainly utilizes catwalks and ladders for daily maintenance requirements, they cannot perform routine procedures. Hopefully, Disney can correct this and gets these popular attractions back open.

 

And, just so we're clear, it was OSHA who slammed the company, not DOSH. OSHA is federal whereas DOSH is state. So we may see similar things happen to the other parks...

[Musketeer]

"Space Mountain closed" is #5 on Yahoo.com's trending searches. Looks like people are interested in this news. Hopefully Disney gets it sorted out soon!

[Sir Clinksalot]

Hopefully this is Disney's chance to give Space Mtn and Soarin' a much needed refurb?

[COASTER FREAK 11]

They just re-built space in 2005, why does it need a 'much needed refurb?'

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ Have you not ridden it recently? It hasn't had a rehab since it reopened.

[SharkTums]

People should just come to Florida and ride the better Space Mountain!

[COASTER FREAK 11]

It runs fine for me. I rode it last week. Everything is working except the light tunnel thing between lift A and B (and it never worked properly anyways) I always have audio, and all the stuff inside.

 

People should just come to Florida and ride the better Space Mountain!

 

SOON!!!!

[Jew]

And, just so we're clear, it was OSHA who slammed the company, not DOSH. OSHA is federal whereas DOSH is state. So we may see similar things happen to the other parks...

 

This was not a federal thing. It was Cal/OSHA, which DOSH is a division off. This, however, has nothing to do with the rides inspection division of DOSH. This is strictly a workplace safety issue and Disney was not forced to shut the rides down. They are voluntarily shutting them down because they know they screwed up and need to fix these issues before it gets any worse.

[Simipour'sTrainer]

^ Have you not ridden it recently? It hasn't had a rehab since it reopened.

 

The only thing I can recall from Space Mountain that could use refurbishing is the squealing of the wheels as they roll back into the loading area and like COASTER FREAK 11 mentioned, the lights in the light tunnel from lift A to lift B.

[DarienLaker]

With all this talk of Disneyland's Space Mountain being closed, I wonder if it's time for Disney to get rid of it?

[cfc]

^Er . . . no.

[ernierocker]

^^Please stop making terrible posts. Thank you.

[Wes]

With all this talk of Disneyland's Space Mountain being closed, I wonder if it's time for Disney to get rid of it?

 

They are going to sell it to Darien Lake.

[DarienLaker]

With all this talk of Disneyland's Space Mountain being closed, I wonder if it's time for Disney to get rid of it?

 

They are going to sell it to Darien Lake.

 

Ha Ha, very funny!