Alice in Wonderland Shutdown - MousePlanet

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Alice in Wonderland Shutdown

From David Koenig's MousePlanet Blog

Disneyland’s Alice in Wonderland attraction remains closed for a fourth day, after the ride was suddenly locked down Friday July 16 for an unscheduled refurbishment. Ride operators turning away riders informed guests that the ride was undergoing regular maintenance, yet a group of suits from Team Disney Anaheim was spotted that afternoon walking the track.

Privately, one cast member says Disneyland was “ordered” to shut down the ride: “The length of track that runs outside from the upper level to the ground, known as ‘The Vine’ was the reason. That part of the track has no safety railings. Many of us find it odd, (since) this attraction has been running (safely) for over 50 years. As far as I know, no one has fallen off The Vine. No one knows how long Alice will be shut down.”

He had heard DOSH was to blame, but a spokesperson for the agency said they were uninvolved with and unaware of the closure. I wonder if this isn’t the work of that crack legal team in Burbank. Hopefully, Alice’s wonderful exterior won’t be disfigured with safety railings and bright yellow tape.

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Cal/OSHA Insists It's Not Behind Alice Closure

Disneyland’s Alice in Wonderland ride remains closed for the foreseeable future, as Imagineers scramble to come up with a safety railing design that coordinates with the 52-year-old attraction’s unqiue exterior.

One cast member overheard one Imagineer saying that “The Vine will be redesigned to avoid further issues. In order for that to happen, it will be torn out and rebuilt with the safety railing as part of The Vine design.”

Yet the plan is not finalized. There are several other options on the table, but in all plans short of a full-scale rebuild the needed railings are not nearly as inconspicuous.

Cal/OSHA, however, is adamant that it had nothing to do with the shutdown. “We did not order the ride to be shut down,” said Cal/OSHA spokesperson Krisann Chasarik. “Disney engineers believed there was an issue and shut the ride down on their own.”

Chasarik said she and Cal/OSHA were first made aware of the closure by a call from this reporter on Monday morning. They confirmed with Disney that the ride was indeed closed, but not for any reason related to an action by Cal/OSHA.

Earlier this week, cast members had told me that Cal/OSHA was to blame, and their contention is backed by a post this morning by Al Lutz at MiceAge.com.

[AVP]

I should add that MousePlanet has contacted the Disneyland Resort for a statement regarding the unscheduled closure of the Alice in Wonderland attraction, and we'll post their reply once we receive it.

AVP

[Drince88]

CAL/OSHA spokesperson Krisann Chasarik. Disney engineers believed there was an issue and shut the ride down on their own.

Yea, I bet it was the engineers - My money's on the legal department (unless there was an actual safety near-miss).

[dznyphreak]

How long has this ride been operating without incident on the "Vine"?? And it will probably end up being defaced with ugly safety railings...

[Niwel]

When I worked Alice, years ago, I learned how to walk the car down the fine in the event of an evacuation. No guests would walk around on it - so I can only guess it is an issue of safety for the CMs?

[Disneyland OR Bust]

Hopefully it will be back up by the time I go in Sept., I always like Alice in Wonderland, but it sounds as though the fix could take some time.

Here is some food for thought though -- given the success of the Alice movie earlier this year, what is the likelihood that Disney would do something like this as a chance to overhaul the attraction and incorporate some scenes/themes from this years movie much like they did with Pirates.

I like what they did with Pirates, but I don't think I want to see anything changed with Alice. Just curious.

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Disney Expects to Reopen Alice in "Next Few Weeks"

An update from David Koenig's Blog:

Disneyland voluntarily shuttered its Alice in Wonderland until a temporary fall-protection barrier can be installed, implying that an extensive, long-term fix is in the works.

According to Suzi Brown, director, media relations & external communications for the Disneyland Resort: “During an unrelated visit to the park, a Cal/OSHA representative observed a maintenance cast member on the track of the Alice in Wonderland attraction and made us aware of a potential safety issue. We agreed with the opportunity to enhance safety and voluntarily took down the attraction until modifications can be made.”

Brown told MousePlanet that an “interim solution,” which she described as being “scaffolding or other acceptable barrier,” should be in place in the “next few weeks.”

[AJDerrick]

Hopefully it will be back up by the time I go in Sept., I always like Alice in Wonderland, but it sounds as though the fix could take some time.

Here is some food for thought though -- given the success of the Alice movie earlier this year, what is the likelihood that Disney would do something like this as a chance to overhaul the attraction and incorporate some scenes/themes from this years movie much like they did with Pirates.

I like what they did with Pirates, but I don't think I want to see anything changed with Alice. Just curious.

I think the reason this worked for Pirates was because the look of the movie was built off the look of the ride. With the look of Alice (the ride) being built from the look of animated Alice I see no way to easily integrate Alice (Burton Movie) without seriously clashing or rehashing the entire ride. It would be a very bad move, IMHO.

How much time it will take will depend on how serious the claim is and how serious the Imagineers/TDA are about maintaining the current look. If they're willing to make a 'vine-esque' railing I don't imagine it would take long. It just depends on how hard everyone is going to fight for it.

[Disneyvious]

I hope they can get it back up ASAP.

[spectromen]

The part about rebuilding the track scares me. I can easily envision them taking out the sharp curves and just installing a straightaway from the top exit to the left turn that heads into the final tunnel. Ugh!

[Zigen]

if you think about it, what if the ride shuts down and cannot be restarted... how do people get off the vine if they are stopped up there? What if they have small kids? What if it's a single parent with multiple kids?

[AJDerrick]

if you think about it, what if the ride shuts down and cannot be restarted... how do people get off the vine if they are stopped up there? What if they have small kids? What if it's a single parent with multiple kids?

The CMs walk the ride vehicles down. Guests don't get out.

[JerrodDRagon]

wow this is crazy 50 years of nothing going wrong yet they still shut it down

[IllusionOfLife]

Here's a crazy idea retractable emergency rails! I mean, if they're already planning on redoing the track, why not do it in a way that doesn't ruin the current aesthetic. Build a system where if the ride is running properly the rails remain 'submerged' in the track, but if anything were to happen and the emergency stop button were to be pressed *pop* the rails spring up out of the vine.

It has all the safety functionality, with only a rare occurrence of eyesore.

[dznyphreak]

Here's a crazy idea retractable emergency rails! I mean, if they're already planning on redoing the track, why not do it in a way that doesn't ruin the current aesthetic. Build a system where if the ride is running properly the rails remain 'submerged' in the track, but if anything were to happen and the emergency stop button were to be pressed *pop* the rails spring up out of the vine.

It has all the safety functionality, with only a rare occurrence of eyesore.

I think I've seen these on roller coasters before...can't remember where though. Seems like an easy enough solution.

[Drince88]

They have them on Buzz - at least the WDW version, though I'm not sure they're for fall protection. They might just be to keep guests out of the show elements if there's an evacuation.

[AJDerrick]

Might be hard to find a place for them to retract TO, depending on how big they need to be.

[Drince88]

It doesn't need to be that big. The Buzz ones have the vertical posts on hinges (basically) with the cables between them - and the vertical posts are 'stored' horizontally. When the ride stops and there's a chance they'll have to evacuate, the vertical posts swing up, lock in place, and voila. So you wouldn't need that much room for that sort of situation - IF the locking hinges on the vertical posts would be adequate for fall protection from that height.

[Gramiangel420]

I hope it is reopened when we visit. I enjoy this ride and Alice is one of my dgd favorite characters.

[hefferdude]

Here's a crazy idea retractable emergency rails!

Not crazy at all. Simple telescoping vertcal supports lifted pneumatically. The horizontal rails remain attached to vertical supports. When not needed, the entire assembly simply lowers onto the track where it cannot be seen by the guests from ground level.

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mouseplanet: Scaffolding is up around "leaf" section of Alice in Wonderland ^avp


Click to view the full-size image

[AVP]

Just posted a photo from today. They've started some kind of work on the "leaf," and it's now surrounded by tarps and scaffolding.

AVP

[olegc]

my guess is if they made it look "viny" in terms of the stems going as part of the vine it might look like part of the attractions. It's unfortunate they have to add but I am sure it won't be generic handrails...

[Nancy]

my guess is if they made it look "viny" in terms of the stems going as part of the vine it might look like part of the attractions. It's unfortunate they have to add but I am sure it won't be generic handrails...

This is just what I was thinking. I'll be they can make it tie-in and look like it has been there for years.