PDA

View Full Version : Tower of Terror breakdown [June 18]



Teddi
06-19-2015, 10:46 AM
Few things- wondering if someone is at the parks and can confirm that today (and starting last night) that at least one of the elevator shafts is not running. Secondly, just a reminder to always keep safety in mind and never discount restrictions AND safety rules AND being able to evacuate a ride in an emergency. That's just as valid a reason to not ride an attraction than just being able to get on and off.

Anyway, my kids (now 10/10/15) are in DL with my mom and dad and their cousin (also 10). Yesterday evening around 7PM, they had a scary ride and complex evacuation from TOT. I believe the ride actually BROKE (mechanically failed). During the ride my son said as they shot up the entire platform started shaking very strongly. The ride stopped, twice they attempted to bring the platform down (it was basically stuck up at the top of the shaft). He said they could smell "smoke", he said (and sent me the chilling video) that the ride platform was actually TILTED to one side, and I could see that in the video when they attempted to bring the platform down, it shuddered violently. It twice slammed horizontally into the wall (that ride has no horizontal movement of course, so that's pretty bad). All but one of my kids was on the ride- Chloe (one with mild CP) now doesn't like that ride so she stayed off and didn't go (she was waiting alone, which I am OK with as I am a fairly free range parent, my kids know DL very WELL are follow directions, etc). They were stuck up for over 30 minutes. A few things to know (if you didn't already) - they have cameras and can turn on the lights AND have two way audio speakers- so CMs can both talk to you and hear you. I'm very grateful for that, it's very necessary. This way at least they were able to communicate to the CMs to please go locate my daughter who was alone and comfort her (because she was waiting at the exit but was worried why it was taking so long and then saw emergency responders), and bring her to wait in a place where she would be better cared for. I was disappointed that I called DLR and got a person, and requested to see if they could find her (until the whole group was reunited, I had no contact with her), and let her make a call to me (again, just knowing how afraid and worried she would be). Though the CM I spoke with was nice, he said he couldn't actually get the message but assured me CMs would know to look for her. (Again it was more like, I was concerned this could go on for hours and just wanted her to be able to talk to me for comfort). I totally get that as a normal course of action DLR can't/doesn't page guests or go looking to give messages, but this was actually a pretty out of the norm reason so ... I may follow up with the resort to suggest they please reconsider this policy when it gets to the point EMERGENCY crews are called. I was actually able to talk to my kids ON the ride as they had cell phones.

Anyway, they had to call for emergency services (everyone said they had DL Fire, Police, security, and ride maint). It was mentioned that this bad of a breakdown and protocol has never been used before, they've trained but never had this scenario actually happen. Fire Dept came and removed an outer WALL on the side of the tower, and then removed an inner wall/door on the cage of the elevator platform, then carefully have them evacuate on the side of the platform, walk outside on a semi-hidden walkway and use a normal elevator to take them down to the ground level.

It really seems to me it has a real, serious, mechanical breakdown failure. Which is scary. I'm really glad they were safely evacuated. I'm kinda hoping the whole ride is closed (I know they had the other shafts still going last night), just in case it's an issue of wear and tear/other mechanical failure that could happen on the other shafts. I'd not go on the ride right now, personally, unless I had spoke to someone high up enough to know they've done a full inspection. I sure as heck hope that shaft isn't in operation right now. Safety isn't a joke, it always bothers me when we can as human complain first and think later. Also, there was a time we were right ahead of a BTMRR breakdown and it really led me to reconsider what criteria *I* used in allowing my kids (and myself) to go on any given ride- you don't think about it, and while the parks have, we all do need to consider our ability to get OFF the ride in an emergency situation. I saw the BT train stuck on the highest park up and uphill area, with just a tiny and unrailed step narrow staircase to walk off. For about two years after that, I no longer let my CP daughter go on that ride if it was JUST me riding with her because she was still too affected with her balance to evacuate herself safely down that staircase and too big for me to carry (so Dad or grandpa could but not me). Just food for thought, even if it's not really pleasant thought.

Last night was their last in the parks, they are off to do some other stuff today.

Dave1313
06-19-2015, 01:17 PM
Wow. Scary story, but thank you for sharing it.

Obviously the most important part that everyone is OK is the focus here, but this sounds like one where it was very extreme and possibly a very close call.

If there is a new hole in the side of the ride building, I would hope that's enough that the ride is not operating today.

Glad everyone is OK.

familymemories
06-19-2015, 02:08 PM
Happy everything turned out well. Very scary though.

Dave1313
06-19-2015, 05:23 PM
Has anyone seen any stories about this on the news sites yet?

Normally stuff like this seems to make it out of the Disney Bubble, but I couldn't find anything with a search engine. (and I live in the East coast, so DL things like this may not make it to my local news). I seem to recall even a moderately mild evacuation of a couple rafts at Kali River in DAK in FL was on the news sites a few weeks ago.

newhdplayer
06-19-2015, 08:43 PM
Has anyone seen any stories about this on the news sites yet?

Normally stuff like this seems to make it out of the Disney Bubble, but I couldn't find anything with a search engine. (and I live in the East coast, so DL things like this may not make it to my local news). I seem to recall even a moderately mild evacuation of a couple rafts at Kali River in DAK in FL was on the news sites a few weeks ago.
I haven't seen anything either

fishgal
06-22-2015, 10:14 AM
I couldn't find any news about this either. Its not uncommon for ride evacs to escape notice but this one i would expect to find pics on twitter for with that many responders. I'm curious if the removable wall segment was along the backside of the building and therefore the public wouldn't really be able to notice what was going on. Or perhaps it was an internal wall that they moved through within the building again, making it to wear the public would see the firefighters etc approach the building but they would have no idea what they were there for. Most likely assuming it was a first aid situation and that's why it wasn't noticed enough to make the news?

MadasaHatter
06-25-2015, 09:44 AM
I think we all know that getting in a car is a much bigger risk than riding any ride at Disneyland. And don't even think about your bathroom! I read once that there is much more insurance put on a Carousel than a rollercoaster at theme parks....All scary things indeed but from what I hear OSHA probably is more concerned with safety than a car manufacture.....at least on a daily basis.

Evacuation on certain rides is indeed bizarre. I was on SPLASH once and it stopped. But we had JUST pulled out and all we did was stand up, walk off and through the back door and off the ride. Just recently I saw people standing up on the mountain while I walked by. So bizarre. That would be weird and scary if you were afraid of heights.

Glad everyone was OK!!!

Teddi
06-26-2015, 09:40 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9MiJVQRks

Someone else on the ride took and posted this lighthearted moment. I will ask my son about sharing the one short video he took where they were removing the panels, so you can get an idea how the evactuation might work in a worse case situation like this. I'm not ok with publishing the other videos because of the distress of my family, and strangers. I haven't seen any videos or photos from someone on the ground.

If you google photos of the TOT at DLR, you can clearly see each side of the building has 4 stories of external balconies. The door you can see is an elevator door. So, facing the front of the building: The shaft on the right, would exist out on THEIR left (facing out, seated). The center shaft also exists out the LEFT (the shafts are off center, there's a staircase inbetween the center shaft and the right), and the one on the LEFT (facing building), would exist out on THEIR right.

Janis and Aaron
06-30-2015, 07:17 PM
Wow. Have not heard anything about this. I'm glad everyone was OK, and you have given us a valuable reminder about what may be required of us in case an evacuation is needed.