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K & S
10-20-2008, 12:52 PM
There was an incident on the escalator yesterday and for a few seconds is was just a little scary.

For some reason both the Mickey and Goofy levels were being filled at the same time, which meant twice as many people were trying to go down one escalator at the same time. Added to that chaos were families who refuse to heed the warning regarding no strollers on the escalators.

There was a crowd trying to get on the long escalator from the Mickey level, while we were coming down the short escalator from Goofy to Mickey. Ahead of us on the escalator was a family with a stroller for two children, with the children in the stroller. At the bottom of the short escalator there was no room to maneuver the extra long stroller so the family just stopped moving. Needless to say the escalator continued to move the rest of us into the family and those who couldn’t move behind them, at least on person was shoved down on her knees. Finally a man yanked the stroller to the side to make room for those of us who were being pushed by the people behind us who had no choice because they were still on the moving escalator.

If not for that quick thinking man this would have quickly become a serious problem with injuries. I’m not sure who is more to blame, the CMs for filling both levels at the same time, or the family taking a large stroller on the escalator against the posted rules.

HTanner
10-20-2008, 01:19 PM
This reminds me of a time at Heathrow when I was a little girl. We were coming up this extremely long escalator - I remember I could not see the top. An older woman fell and people were just jumping over her. I could not see her, being 3'6" and ended up falling over her. Luckily, I had my snoopy stuffed animal to cradle my head against because people kept walking over her and stepping on me. Eventually, my parents got me out from under the crowd and the woman out of the way. It was scary.

Escalators and crowds are no fun for me.

adriennek
10-20-2008, 01:32 PM
I’m not sure who is more to blame, the CMs for filling both levels at the same time, or the family taking a large stroller on the escalator against the posted rules.

I primarily blame the parents for taking the stroller on the escalator against the rules.

I've done it. Yep, I have. I can't pretend I'm a saint on this issue. I will say, I do NOT do it with the children in the stroller. I hadn't even thought of this scenario happening. :eek:

I do have a question - could this have happened without the stroller because the crowd was so big that the people on the escalator had no where to go? I think it would've been much harder for that to happen. If the crowds were so big that the back-up could have happened without the stroller being part of the situation, THEN I would blame Disney for having too many people in one place without enough crowd control support.

I do think that there is a problem at the Parking Structure with not enough Elevators which leads to parents ignoring the stroller rule. That's why we've ignored it. There are times when the line for the elevators is just too long and the escalators are not crowded, so taking the empty stroller is much faster and more convenient.

Now, even though I blame the parents first, I think in the court of law, anyone that was hurt would've sued Disney for not having CMs there to make sure that the parents followed the rules. Which gives parents less even less incentive to follow the rules. (Not defending, just stating.)

Adrienne

Tinker Bell
10-20-2008, 01:33 PM
I see the stroller thing a lot. There is only 2 elevator and people don't like to wait. I like to read the rule about strollers out loud for those people. They don't seem to care about their kids or others life. I wish DL could put another 1 in cause the wait sometimes is very long.

Niwel
10-20-2008, 01:38 PM
We avoid the chaos: we take the stairs down. :D
I have seen parents fold up strollers -- Dad (or one adult) takes the stroller and the stuff and mom (or the other adult) takes the kids -- and they go down the stairs.

cstephens
10-20-2008, 01:38 PM
I’m not sure who is more to blame, the CMs for filling both levels at the same time, or the family taking a large stroller on the escalator against the posted rules.

I blame the people. I've seen a similar instance happen which had nothing to do with a stroller or crowded conditions. It's just people not thinking. I was on an up escalator at a mall, and the people two parties in front of me got to the top of the escalator, took one step and then just stood there trying to figure out where to go. They were completely oblivious to the fact that they were blocking the escalator, that the escalator was continuing to move and continuing to bring people up, and it's not like stairs where you can just stop and stand there. As more and more people backed up on the unmoving metal part after the moving escalator steps, I think I yelled something about getting out of the way so we don't all crash into each other, and I think that startled them enough to move before anything bad happened.

tchatters
10-20-2008, 02:56 PM
I had on occasion taken DS in the stroller down the escalator with me in the back and DH in the front. I haven't done it since two years ago we were at the San Diego airport and watched a woman with her infant in an umbrella stroller. She sneezed suddenly, dropped the stroller and it went careening down the escalator. I'll never forget the terror in her scream or the scary fact that the baby did not cry. At all. We didn't stay to find out what happened but paramedics were on the scene fast.

People in general seem to get stupid on escalators. You have to MOVE! We crashed into people at HM last week who stopped at the top of the moving sidewalk on the exit. I said "Move, move MOVE!!" and they still didn't move and we had nowhere else to go but into them.

Tinkermommy
10-20-2008, 05:17 PM
The escalator log jam scares me enough that we almost always take the stairs down or up one level to a floor that is not being filled, then get on that escalator. I just don't like being trapped on a moving "thing" in a crowd.

AnotherJenny
10-20-2008, 09:55 PM
They might not have filled both levels at once. People often spend a lot of time in their car before heading to the tram stop.

One of my pet peeves is people who step off an escalator, stop dead in their tracks and look around deciding where to go. The people behind you need somewhere to step off!

In an airport in Shanghai they have an elevator right at the end of the moving walkway. There was a long line of people with luggage trolleys blocking the end of the walkway. An older man fell down, and to avoid hitting him, we had to pick up our bags and run backwards on the walkway. Then once he was standing, the man stood there and blocked the walkway with his luggage trolley!

Anyway, my point is, people only see so far as the end of their nose, and they're not at all concerned for those around them. It's not Disney's fault, in my opinion.

Julie Mouse
10-20-2008, 10:10 PM
Today both parks opened at 10am, and we got there at 10:15, the Simba/Lion King parking lot was closed so [U]everyone[U] was trying to get into the one parking lot at the same time (the side entrance was also closed).

It took about 45 minutes from trying to turn left off of Ball Road, into the structure and into the lot!! I was glad to see that they were leading the right lane to the Mickey level, and the left lane to the Goofy level (it was such a relief to finally move!).

But, I never thought about the above scenario, luckily my car was one of the earliest on the Goofy level, and when we joined the Mickey level it was crowded, but not dangerously so.

Interesting thoughts, maybe they should reconsider filling two consecutive levels at the same time....

bassett1976
10-21-2008, 10:20 AM
We were told by a cast member about a month ago that we could take our stroller on the escalator as long as our child was not in it. We folded it up and did so, carrying our 4 month old. Still, I felt a little rushed and it was a bit chaotic because there were tons of people trying to get on behind us, and we moved a little slow because of the bulk of the stroller and having to fold it. I might add that we folded it before we reached the top of the escalator, off to the side, but there were still people cramming us. Up until we had our baby, I was definitely one of the crammers, annoyed by stroller people. Now I see the challenge!

All of that aside, I have seen plenty of people take their children in the strollers down the escalator and think that there is a reason there are signs saying that this is not allowed. What the poster witnessed is probably one very good reason.

Mrs. Bassett

pixar
10-21-2008, 11:11 AM
Now, even though I blame the parents first, I think in the court of law, anyone that was hurt would've sued Disney for not having CMs there to make sure that the parents followed the rules. Which gives parents less even less incentive to follow the rules. (Not defending, just stating.)

Adrienne

And the fact that Disney has a lot more money than the average park guest. ;)

Bytebear
10-21-2008, 01:49 PM
All of that aside, I have seen plenty of people take their children in the strollers down the escalator and think that there is a reason there are signs saying that this is not allowed. What the poster witnessed is probably one very good reason.

Mrs. Bassett

I think the main reason is if the stroller slips, that baby is going on a ride that he doesn't meet the height requirement for.

bassett1976
10-21-2008, 02:44 PM
I think the main reason is if the stroller slips, that baby is going on a ride that he doesn't meet the height requirement for.

That's a good one. :D

(Not that I want any baby to be injured in such a way)

Mrs. Bassett

dznyphreak
10-22-2008, 12:20 AM
I think the main reason is if the stroller slips, that baby is going on a ride that he doesn't meet the height requirement for.
Thanks! That laugh was just what I needed. :)

No babies were harmed in the making of this post

ralfrick
10-22-2008, 07:40 AM
One of my pet peeves is people who step off an escalator, stop dead in their tracks and look around deciding where to go. The people behind you need somewhere to step off!


This was my thought on this incident. It's like the people that stop in the middle of a narrow ski trail; completely self-absorbed.

A bientot.

DizneyMommy
10-23-2008, 04:59 PM
I was actually told one night after 9pm by a rather mindless CM that I should take the escalator because the elevator was broken- with 2 small kids and a double stroller - ALONE!

Matterhorn Yodeler
10-24-2008, 10:53 AM
I bring a guide dog puppy, and we are not allowed to take him on escalators. I am amazed at the huge numbers who ignore the stroller rule on them.

I attribute this to the small size and quantity of elevators available in the parking structure. I have waited up to six cycles to get on the elevator with the dog and then they can only accommodate 3-4 strollers with families for each trip. When they are filling a level of parking and all of the guests want to use the elevator at the same time, lines can get really long.

So when facing the long wait, especially when you are anxious to start your day at DLR, many people opt to break the stroller rule on the escalator, which leads to safety hazards.

I think that this is a disaster in the making and unfortunately, it will take a serious mishap to address the problem. Too bad...

Karin
10-24-2008, 04:36 PM
I have seen parents fold up strollers -- Dad (or one adult) takes the stroller and the stuff and mom (or the other adult) takes the kids.

We've done this, but down the escalator, when the line for the elevator is unreasonably long and every time one opens at our level it's full...

I don't see anything wrong as long as the baby isn't in the stroller.

Am I wrong?

tchatters
10-24-2008, 05:39 PM
I don't know officially but I've taken a folded stroller on the escalator many many times. And on many escalators! I always interpreted it to be an open stroller (because the wheels can catch) or a stroller with a kid in it.

K & S
10-24-2008, 05:40 PM
We've done this, but down the escalator, when the line for the elevator is unreasonably long and every time one opens at our level it's full...

I don't see anything wrong as long as the baby isn't in the stroller.

Am I wrong?

I don't see a problem if the stroller is folded and carried on the escalator.

The stroller in this case was the type that seats two babies one in front of the other. Strollers aren't made to go sideways, so when they couldn't go forward at the bottom of the short escalator they had no where to go and neither did the people coming down behind them.

DizneyMommy
10-25-2008, 01:23 PM
I don't see a problem if the stroller is folded and carried on the escalator.

The stroller in this case was the type that seats two babies one in front of the other. Strollers aren't made to go sideways, so when they couldn't go forward at the bottom of the short escalator they had no where to go and neither did the people coming down behind them.


ROFL - I am sorry, that just made me laugh hysterically thinking about it. Were the kids inside, too? What a MORON! I can't imagine even considering that!

K & S
10-25-2008, 03:27 PM
ROFL - I am sorry, that just made me laugh hysterically thinking about it. Were the kids inside, too? What a MORON! I can't imagine even considering that!

Yep...a kid in each seat.