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View Full Version : Haunted Mansion EXIT signs



dude
05-24-2004, 09:49 AM
What I am wondering about those pesky signs is Do they have to be this bright green color? Why can't they be a dim reddish color? Also, why do these signs travel in groups? There is always 2 or 3 signs for one exit. Are the signs afraid of the ghosts or what?

I'm wondering if this is a state mandated thing...

Cadaverous Pallor
05-24-2004, 09:51 AM
http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=27907

splashmtngurl
05-24-2004, 03:39 PM
lol no kidding, i think all exit signs in all attractions should be as well disguised as the ones on splasmtn!! those are pretty well hidden yet i think that if you needed to use one of them you could easily find them

sediment
05-24-2004, 03:58 PM
The saddest part of the Exit signs is that on a ride like HM, part of the atmosphere of the ride is NOT knowing that there's a way out. You're stuck going past all this scary stuff. Like, in the elevator. "...to find a way out!" Well, if the door has an exit sign, this would clearly ruin the effect, right? "Oh, there's the way out."

I think the Exit signs could actually CAUSE problems with the less-able-to-think-rationally crowd and the less-able-to-hold-my-kid-in-the-seat crowd.

splashmtngurl
05-24-2004, 04:52 PM
I totally agree, the problem with the splash mtn in disneyworld was that the "challenged" person riding the ride decided he didnt like the ride and when he discovered that there were exits he simply figured it was ment for you to be able to get out if you wanted to.........well he stepped out of the boat and got dragged under and unfortunetly died. now becuase of the not-so-well-hidden exits we have to pay by having more-hassle restraints, etc.

Quinten27
05-24-2004, 04:52 PM
Deep down, you all know that's it all fantasy anyways. Thier just asking you to suspend your disbelief a little more to ensure the safety of guests.

And as for having them blend in to the theme, that might make them harder to find in a true emergency. When they are needed, they need to be the most visable thing on the ride, especially when there could be thick smoke in the air impairing your visibility. They make 'em bright green for a reason (it's easier to see through the smoke).

And for those that say they should only turn on during a real emergency, the problem there is that they may not turn on when really needed, having them on a seperate power source that is always on is the best way to go. I wouldn't be surprised if they are all battery powered and they just change the batteries when they get close to their expiration.

All in all, yes it distracts you from your fantasy, yes they can be annoying, and yes they are probably ugly. But is any of that worth a human beings life? Not in my opinion.

splashmtngurl
05-24-2004, 05:43 PM
fantasy or not though it still disrupts the effect, but i guess we all must admit that if it werent for those exit signs, we could all die if there was an emergency, thats just how things go!

nightdesigns
05-25-2004, 10:03 AM
And for those that say they should only turn on during a real emergency, the problem there is that they may not turn on when really needed, having them on a seperate power source that is always on is the best way to go. I wouldn't be surprised if they are all battery powered and they just change the batteries when they get close to their expiration.


Why can't they be like the battery powered backup lights that only come on when there is a loss of power. Put them on a switch to manually turn them on (kill power) when the ride breaks down etc, and if in a worst case scenerio, if a disaster happens and power is lost, they'll automatically turn on.

Is it really that hard?

Quinten27
05-25-2004, 10:21 AM
Why can't they be like the battery powered backup lights that only come on when there is a loss of power. Put them on a switch to manually turn them on (kill power) when the ride breaks down etc, and if in a worst case scenerio, if a disaster happens and power is lost, they'll automatically turn on.

Is it really that hard?

It's not that hard, but I don't think it would meet the code. I looked around on the net and couldn't find anything on CA fire safety laws, but I did find one for R.I., and I would guess that the laws would be similiar. The laws in R.I. say that they must have a certain amount of illumination at all times. I would think CA has a similar law. What good is an EXIT sign that isn't illuminated? And I doubt that they want to trust that they will actually turn on in the emergency. It makes more since to always have them lit up. I know it's dumb to have that in DL and it ruins some of the experience, but the laws are general laws that pertain to hotels, restraunts, stores, pretty much anywhere. If they let DL make an exception, they'd have to let others make the same exceptions. It's just easier, and safer to have everyone follow the same standards and play it safe in case of an emergency.

Here's a link to the site on R.I. fire safety laws:
http://www.fsc.state.ri.us/statutes/fl23.html

Quinten27
05-25-2004, 10:43 AM
OK, I did find CA laws on fire safety.

http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pdf/regulations/occupancies.pdf

On page 46, section 1003.2.10 requires all EXIT signs to be illuminated and to also be on emergency power. So it sounds like the sign's being lit up is out of Disney's control.

sediment
05-25-2004, 10:52 AM
Fire safety laws suck. End of Story.

tod
05-25-2004, 11:06 AM
On page 46, section 1003.2.10 requires all EXIT signs to be illuminated and to also be on emergency power. So it sounds like the sign's being lit up is out of Disney's control.

But do they have to be that flippin' bright?

--t

iwannabeanimagineer
05-25-2004, 01:32 PM
I haven't designed a building in Southern California in over 10 years, so I'm not sure which code is being enforced. I'm guessing it's the International Fire Code 2000 or some derivation thereof (all model codes are substantially similar at the present time). In looking at the IFC, there is an interesting paragraph:


1003.2.11 Means of egress illumination. The means of egress, including the exit discharge, shall be illuminated at all times the building space served by the means of egress is occupied.
Does this mean the entire floor on the route from your Doom Buggy to the nearest exit must be lit up like a Christmas Tree? Yes. And since the Doom Buggy track is linear, the paths from every point on the track to the nearest exit must be lit up. So, the Fire Marshal appears to be making an exception for the Haunted Mansion in this case. My experience with fire officials leads me to guess that the reasons for the exception might be:

-Guests are restrained by a safety bar and only free to egress when the safety bar is open, making the illumination worthless until the Doom Buggy arrives at the entrance or exit or until the Doom Buggy stops and the safety bar is opened to allow emergency egress, at which time emergency illumination is automatically turned on. (I have witnessed the emergency illumination myself.)

-Enforcement of the fire code would restrain the owners' and occupants' use of the building, materially altering the use to which the building can reasonably be put (that of a "dark ride"). Since the building was built prior to this code, and since it has an excellent 30+ year safety record since its construction, it should be "grandfathered" and allowed to exist in its original safe condition.

-The building is equipped with a substantial staff that is routinely trained and drilled in emergency evacuation procedures and the building is equipped with security observation systems which enhance the staff's ability to monitor the safety of the building and its occupants and react quickly in the event of an emergency, including escorting guests out.

Such exceptions can easily be applied to the exit signs as well, whether exceptions are given for the number and frequency of the signs, their brightness, their illumination at times other than when emergency egress is available and needed, their size, their color, etc.

DCACM
05-25-2004, 05:44 PM
Does this mean the entire floor on the route from your Doom Buggy to the nearest exit must be lit up like a Christmas Tree? Yes.

Ever notice the exit signs during the Soarin' Over CA flight? No? Because they turn off at take off and then come back on at landing.

If an emergency alarm goes off at Soarin', all show lights automatically turn off and work lights come on...seems this could happen at the Mansion too.