PDA

View Full Version : No Windows and No Doors...But Plenty of Exit Signs



Pages : [1] 2 3 4 5

innerSpaceman
04-30-2004, 11:56 PM
A new apparition has begun to haunt the Haunted Mansion, and property values have reached new lows.




Bright Green Exit Signs have invaded every nook and cranny, every (former) shadow and alcove. Placed precisely every six feet along the entire ride track, in pairs no less (one high, one low), these exit lights are easily the brightest things inside the Mansion, unrelentingly drawing your attention to them - and away from the other, much darker effects of the attraction.

There are floating exit signs along with musical instruments in Leota's Chamber, there are exits on tombs, exits on shrouds, exits floating above the ballroom -joining paler ghosts atop the chandelier- nine exit signs in the graveyard alone!
(Actually, those above the ballroom are "TIXE" signs.)


They are distractive, they are destructive, they are RUINING the Haunted Mansion.


If you thought non-spinning teacups was a bad idea, wait till you get a load of brightly green lit, exits EVERYWHERE haunted house attraction. You will have to see this to believe it. (And then I encourage you to tell City Hall what you think of it.)

NirvanaMan
05-01-2004, 12:07 AM
Blame the lawyers (currently a pet peave of mine, destroying our creative concepts). Or more appropriately, blame our litigious liberal entitlement society.

MotorBoat Cruiser
05-01-2004, 02:24 AM
Hey ISM, nice to see you back! :)

The exit signs ruin the magic, especially on HM and Pirates. Granted, if the place caught on fire with me inside, I sure as hell would want to know which direction to run. Still, there HAS to be a better way.

Lekta
05-01-2004, 08:39 AM
How about having the exit signs come on when there IS a fire, not always? Couldn't they use current technology and have the exit sign lights react to the smoke detectors..? :D

Chris Lang
05-01-2004, 08:52 AM
How about having the exit signs come on when there IS a fire, not always? Couldn't they use current technology and have the exit sign lights react to the smoke detectors..? :D

The problem is, you need the exit signs lit for any kind of emergency, not just fire. If you have exit signs, they must ALWAYS be lit. It's unfortunate, but it's the times we're living in. The lawsuits have only begun to surface in the nightclub fire that killed 100 people. Several of the exit signs and emergency lighting were not functioning.

GoldenEars
05-01-2004, 09:03 AM
Why doesn't Disney put in some sort of censor that allows the exit signs to be off in normal use, but automatically light up if there's an actual emergency that happens inside each of the attractions? This way they don't ruin the magic and show, but are still there for our safety when we need it.

Patrick :)

Ghoulish Delight
05-01-2004, 09:22 AM
The problem is, you need the exit signs lit for any kind of emergency, not just fire. If you have exit signs, they must ALWAYS be lit. It's unfortunate, but it's the times we're living in. The lawsuits have only begun to surface in the nightclub fire that killed 100 people. Several of the exit signs and emergency lighting were not functioning.That nightclub was also massively over sold and over crowded.

Anyway, there are emergency lights on every attraction that are on power backups that come on AFTER the ride is e-stopped. In any emergency, fire or other, there will be an emergency stop, the emergency lights come on, and these extra bright exit signs can be part of that system.

Plust there already WERE exit signs. In many of the place, they left the old ones up, right next to the 2, 3, 4, or 5 that they'd put up net to it. The old ones were subtly placed, there was 1 of them per door, they were a dull green that did NOT light up the room around them, and they were perfectly visible! The new ones are in your face in every sight line, are glaringly bright, and are so completely obtrusive as to ruin many of the effects. One person in our group actually heard a kid in the ballroom, seeing the Pepper's Ghost effect tixe sign, exclaim, "Look daddy, and Exit sign!"

I am very rarely outraged. This is one of those rare occasions. There are thousands of better solutions than idiotic over compensation. It's yet another symptom of the dumbing down of society, going for the lowest common denominator. This has GOT to change.

Cadaverous Pallor
05-01-2004, 09:50 AM
They told me I had to ride the Mansion immediately...that it ruined the ride...etc. I didn't believe it could be that bad.

It was. It was worse than you can imagine. You have to see it for yourself.

I cannot overstate their effects. They were everywhere. Each room has a "doorway", or rather, a passage between rooms that the doombuggies travel on. Each and every one of these passages had two bright signs on them. So every time you entered a room, you saw them staring at you, brighter than anything else in the room, taking your attention away from the show, away from the immersive experience. Add to that the actual exits, the doors that CMs use.

At first I was angry....then sad. So crushed by the idea that after some poor shlub installed these things, they turned them on to test, and someone looked at them and said "yup, this is what we want." How could any heartless jerk do this? After the ride I stopped to watch Little Leota for a bit and think about the Imagineers that built this place....and the people that work here now that aren't fit to shine their shoes. Such beautiful intentions, ruined by such bull. What about the first timers?

I dont' even want to talk about it. It's so depressing.

MonorailMan
05-01-2004, 10:08 AM
I say we write the Governer, who's with me?

Gemini Cricket
05-01-2004, 10:13 AM
Okay, I haven't seen the newly exit sign plagued HM, but I'm on the fence about it.

I, too, believe DL has gone crazy predicting lawsuits and becoming too PC. Examples of this would be the yellow tape on the Sleeping Beauty statue and the adjusting of POTC.

But sometimes guests are stupid (and are void of accountability) and will run in circles if the HM caught fire and most likely kick the bucket. A lawsuit ensues and HM gets shut down because of the hazard. I'd rather the exit signs than them shutting down HM or altering it until it's unrecognizable.

But like I said, I haven't seen the ride since August and I can't really say. I mean, I thought there were a lot of exit signs as it was back then...

:confused:

Ghoulish Delight
05-01-2004, 10:51 AM
This is so far beyond what is necessary for safety. When all they need to do is hook them up to the same circuit that the emergency lights are on so they come on during an emergency, it's just ridiulous to have them ruining the show like this. Parts of the attic are lit up green from the signs. There are no fewer than 3 floating tixe signs in the ballroom, completely destroying the effect. That kid that cemeinke heard says it all. THAT'S what she noticed. It's horrific, a thousand times worse than the one or two that showed up in Peter Pan.

And it's completely unecessary. The exits were marked before. The extra signs can be wired to come on with the emergency lights (believe me, if they use these signs, you will INSTANTLY know where the closest exit is once those lights come on...I think people in DCA would know). They do not need to be in your face every second of the ride. There's almost literally not one part of the ride where you are not facing one of these shining beacons.

Not Afraid
05-01-2004, 11:16 AM
There are 9, yes 9, exit signs that you can see from your Doombuggy in the graveyard alone. NINE!

The Attic sign at the entrance casts a sickly green glow over the beginning of the attic. The Pepper's Ghost effect of COMPLETLY ruined bu two floating/reflected TIXE signs in the middle of the ballroom. Beyond Leotas head is a sickly green glow.

It's distracting to say the last and very sad. The magis of that attraction is ruined. There MUST be a better way!

The Mouse Is Back
05-01-2004, 11:20 AM
Well, this just sucks. :(

HM is one of my favorite rides and now I'm almost afraid to go on it. At least I have my memories of what it was last time I was on it, and from what's been described here the images of 999 unhappy exit signs will be seared into my eyes and brain.

While I agree that liability is a concern, the way this has been done is yet another example of the incompetent, unimaginative, uncreative types who have been hired in the past 10-15 years. Outgoing Imagineers, if they are replaced at all, are replaced by linear thinkers who have no clue what DL is about. On this thread I see several suggestions - WORKABLE suggestions - that would have provided the additional signs without intruding on the immersive experience and magic of the attraction.

I don't know whether to rage or cry.


-Allegra-

mamabot
05-01-2004, 12:22 PM
One of the most bothersome aspects of the new exit signs is that there are some exits that have two signs. One almost touching the floor and one almost at the ceiling. Who do they expect to be able to see the those? Maybe, if there was a fire and someone had to crawl on the floor, but what are the chances?

When the doom buggies round the corner to the ballroom, the first thing in the lineof sight is the "TIXE" sign glaring so bright that it is hard to notice that there is a ghost there. Why must there be this overkill?

oohykitten
05-01-2004, 01:13 PM
That is insane. If it's still that way when I go in May I will be sure to make a complaint. That is wrong, in a million ways.

motoxmagicdca
05-01-2004, 02:17 PM
But if you listen to what they say just that chamber has no windows and no doors. meaning just the elevator.. so

Morrigoon
05-01-2004, 03:50 PM
The truly stupid part of this is that if you just FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF DOOMBUGGIES you'd eventually get out. So that takes care of the stupid people, and the smart ones can find the original exits.

Maus
05-01-2004, 04:10 PM
In the public space where I work the Fire Marshall says we must have exit signs and they must be lit at all times. Don't know how this translates to the HM (and other attractions). Anyone know a fireman they could ask to check on this?

9oldmen
05-01-2004, 04:52 PM
You can post exit signs spaced three inches apart in every square corner of the ride, but if you don't maintain the ride properly, accidents will still happen, no matter how many exit signs you post. It's too bad that it took a couple of tragedies for the current managment to get this, but all the exit signs in the world would not have stopped that "Thunder" train from derailing.

cemeinke
05-01-2004, 06:53 PM
I believe Phantom Mannor is Paris is now the best "Mansion." Disneyland's version now lacks too much magic.

9oldmen
05-01-2004, 07:48 PM
Something else occured to me. With the addition of all these exit signs, you now have a ride in which the guests see the word "EXIT" again and again...IN ONLY ONE LANGUAGE! Do the people who make these calls ever actually spend time in the parks? And what about our visually imapaired guests? I say that each exit should be equipped with an audio system that announces "Exit, this way" again and again, in every language known on Earth, 24/7, whether the ride is running or not. O.K., I think I have already given them enough additional stupid ideas which won't do a thing to enhance safety.

innerSpaceman
05-01-2004, 08:00 PM
Perhaps it's a purposeful way of ruining the Haunted Mansion so that the new Tower of Terror reigns as the only spooky attraction at the Resort.

(Feh - - believe me, if the Haunted Mansion were her own sweet self, ToT would have nothing on her.)



Ok, I believe that there might be some regulation that necessitates existing exit signs be on at all times if they are there, and not just kicked in during an emergency. There may also be fire regulations that stipulate one sign high and one sign low for those crawling under the smoke layer. But there has GOT to be some exemption for theatrical sets that Disneyland can take advantage of, ride system through them or not. Otherwise, what is the point? If the theatrical sets must be completely ruined to comply with state regulations, then why bother having the theatrical sets?

All I know is that, unless and until this travesty is remedied, I have just been on my very last Haunted Mansion ride. It's been one of my top three favorite attractions in the whole wide world for 34 years, and I am sickened that it must be dead to me.

Seriously, it is as if the old antebellum mansion had burned to the ground, as I will never see the inside of the place until they fix this mess. And creepy new Tower attraction just added becomes meaningless, because it would take 20 new E-Tickets to measure up to the loss just sustained. (And 50 new E-Tickets if they are going to be the 2-minute eye-blink attraction that is Tower of Terror.)

Durliin
05-01-2004, 08:25 PM
The one thing I like about winnie the pooh is all the Exit signs are hidden during normal they look like Honey poys and say honey but when the attraction goes 101 the signs turn on and you can see the EXIT in red letters I wish other attractions were like that I also know on splash the Exit signs are off until the ride goes down

Polar33
05-01-2004, 08:36 PM
Here's California state law relating to exit signs.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3216.html (http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3216.html)

The law states that the "luminance on the face of such signs of not less than 50 lux", which would be fine, if it were in a room with a typical indoor lighting level of at least 100 lux. Since the mansion lighting is for the most part considerably lower, it's no wonder that the signs stand out so much.

A special provision should be made for cases such as this, so that the signs can be illuminated at levels less of than that of the show lighting, provided they can be fully illuminated when needed when out of show mode.

Bruce Bergman
05-01-2004, 09:07 PM
I have never noticed overly visible EXIT signs in the Haunted Mansion unless I looked for them - they have all been behind the DoomBuggies usual field of view and dimmed during normal operation, you had to look behind the car deliberately to notice them. They haven't done any major new construction on the ride, so the emergency lighting that was acceptable then should still be acceptable now.

They are required to install the floor-level signs in new construction now (so you can see them in case of smoke) but they should be able to connect them to the same dimming system, set up as fail-safe. Having the new EXIT signs all over the place and at full brightness all the time, ruining the "Pepper's Ghost" effects in the Ballroom and elsewhere, would be just plain crazy.

They could also add lighted strips on the floor, like in airliners, that would accomplish the same "-> -> Exit This Way -> ->" effect without being a distraction during normal operations.

I will be at the park and take a look tomorrow. If they have ruined the ride with new EXIT signs scattered willy-nilly as badly as some have mentioned, I will stop by City Hall and ask them for the specific Building Codes or Fire Codes that required this.

I just spent an hour looking through the 2002 National Electrical Code Handbook (the $103 annotated "textbook" version of the Code that has a lot of supplemental explanations of WHY they wrote the rule that way) and found no mention of a "theatre exemption" in it, even in Article 520. As a matter of fact, I didn't find much in there about EXIT signs at all... :rolleyes:

Though they did refer to "NFPA 101-2000 Life Safety Code Section 5.10. at the NFPA Website (http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/category.asp?category%5Fname=Life+Safety+Code%26re g%3B&Page=1&src=catalog) Does anyone have a copy? ($62 or $110 for the Handbook version - Ouch. :eek: )

:fez: --<< Bruce >>--