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chrisaustx
06-27-2006, 12:37 AM
Pirates of the Caribbean was evacuated at 10:30pm Monday night, I was on the ride when the incident happened. From what I understand the boat ramp ceased to work around 9:30, and the computer E-Stopped the ride. The ride operator kept trying to restart the ride, but was not successfull. At 9:45pm the lights on the ride came on and all the Pirates stopped working. I was in the basement next to the ship scene when the computer E-Stopped the ride. Children were screaming, people were having panic attacks, a lady had a panic attack and rocked our boat so violently, that I got splashed and soaked when the boat dipped. The water level began to drop dramatically and one could almost walk in the water. After the lights being on for nearly 45 min., some cast members came to evacuate us from the boats. I walked on a cat walk above the boat barn, up two flights of stairs, to an exit which led backstage by Indiana Jones. The group was then led back in the building, upstairs by the cast member dining hall and Partners ATM machine. The line was stopped there for 30 min. and everyone was being led back onstage through the New Orleans Square cast entrance. I was trapped in Pirates and in the building for almost 90 min. Children had soiled themselves, the wheelchair bound people had to be carried up the stairs, I helped carry one lady up two flights of stairs. Children were screaming and going the bathroom in the water inside of Pirates. Tonight was truly a disaster for Pirates, the cast members did not act quickly enough to evacuate the guests, before pandemonium broke loose. So don't be surprised if Pirates is closed tomorrow, trust me, if the ride is broken down again like this, it will ruin your whole day at Disneyland. Guests had formed a huge line at City Hall, demanding refunds or free tickets, I complained as well. All I got for my experience of having to carry up people up two flights of stairs, was two free fast passes. Well I surely hope the rest of this week goes better for Pirates, and I hope Disneyland will not reopen Pirates until the ride stops breaking down. Many out of town guests at City Hall said they will never ride Pirates again or visit Disneyland again for that matter.
I am going to write the powers that be at Disneyland tomorrow to tell them my Pirates tale.
Well I hope POTC is a better experience this week for everyone.

Phantom2006
06-27-2006, 01:01 AM
wow! Sorry to read that. I was going to go today 6/27/06 just to ride it. I did plan to go on Friday tho. But I dont want to make the trip up there now just to ride and be disappointed. So I hope it is open on Friday.

kiwifuz
06-27-2006, 01:11 AM
Wow that had to be really bad. I couldn't handle the people personally. Between the kids & people having panic attacks I would have been so tempted to try to get out! ;)

But how funny I'm watching ABC news and just as I was reading your post they had a story about how the new POTC would be debuting. Then the woman that anchors overnight (Taina Hernandez?) said she got stuck on the ride once and thought it was really fun. Not your experience obviously.

chrisaustx
06-27-2006, 01:25 AM
Fun part was seeing the boat barn, the catwalks and the cast member dinning area. Bad part, the kids crying, adults freaking out, disabled left to fend for themselves. I wrote Gregg Emmer the V.P. of Disneyland a great letter tonight when I got back, telling him of what happened and how angry people were at city hall tonight.

mi_mous
06-27-2006, 01:26 AM
I was there tonight, and I saw the huge line at City Hall, I didn't know what it was for though.

That is awful. I feel sorry for those people, cause they were probably in that line for a long time, since it was a pretty long line (that went quickly for the most part.)

MY FIL got stuck on the ride,a while back, and they had nobody helping them either. They had to link the boats together, to get to an exit that led to a parking lot. Apparently, they went through some of the tunnels that are under Disneyland. They complained to City Hall too. Sounds like they need a better plan for Pirates when things go wrong.

chrisaustx
06-27-2006, 01:49 AM
The evacuation system for the boats worked well, the cast member had a remote control and could move boats around in the water. The computer stopped boats spaced apart, so that they could easily be moved. But the problem was the cast members, they were not in control of the crisis which happened and showed up nearly 45 min after the ride E-stopped. I am very angry about what I saw tonight, thousands of people hate Disneyland now from this experience, and it didn't have to happen this way.

Doug
06-27-2006, 06:23 AM
I wonder why the castmembers waited so long?

Koala Gurl
06-27-2006, 06:33 AM
That is sad...

I was on the ride about 45 minutes before that, and was thinking about how well the guest control was going outside the ride.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
06-27-2006, 07:06 AM
WOW! That would have been very scarey for most people. Can you imagine if you were clastrophobic, knowing you are undeground like that ane being left there for that long? My kids would have been ok, but if other people started freaking out, that would have made my kids, and myself a bit nervous, or wanting to throw someone overboard. What a shame that it happened that way. Obviously the CMs were not on top of what should have been the first thing to do, and that would be to get the people out.
I am glad you are complaining, voices need to be heard on this one for sure.

The Red Head
06-27-2006, 07:36 AM
I am actually confused about people's reactions. A couple of years ago we got stuck on Pirates for 45 minutes. I know that is not as long as 90 minutes but is still a long time. People were not having panic attacks and such. Sure it is inconvenient, but other than that people didn't think it was that big of a deal. I actually get claustrophobic and I was okay.

Osky
06-27-2006, 07:39 AM
thousands of people hate Disneyland now from this experience

I feel for you, but I think this might be a bit of an overstatement.


Hopefully this is just an opening day glitch that will be fixed immediately, and they will review and modify their evacuation plans. There is no excuse for not being prepared for evacuations.

blusilva
06-27-2006, 07:39 AM
Wow, I guess I was lucky. In grottos, people remained calm. Other than a few restless teens who kept standing up, and a toddler who had to have her diaper changed in the boat, it was pretty laid back where we were. There were a couple attempts at The Wave, some singing and clapping. It wasn't nearly as horrible as what you went through!

I did wonder, though, how they would evacuate people who can't climb stairs. Now, I know.

Osky
06-27-2006, 07:42 AM
I am actually confused about people's reactions. A couple of years ago we got stuck on Pirates for 45 minutes.

I have been stuck on other rides for long periods of time, and I have not seen that reaction either. I was stuck on Splash once for quite some time before they finally walked us out.

EchoThree76
06-27-2006, 07:57 AM
To play Devils advocate I'm SURE there is more to the story that people who were there did not hear. What caused it...why the delay. The question is why woul you let it ruin your day. Your at Disneyland for Pete's sake. If anything its a good story to tell people. I think a kudos should go to those having to deal with the guests that complained.

Malcon10t
06-27-2006, 07:57 AM
Wow, I guess I was lucky. In grottos, people remained calm. Other than a few restless teens who kept standing up, and a toddler who had to have her diaper changed in the boat, it was pretty laid back where we were. There were a couple attempts at The Wave, some singing and clapping. It wasn't nearly as horrible as what you went through!

I did wonder, though, how they would evacuate people who can't climb stairs. Now, I know.When we were stuck years ago, everyone was more like what you said. We didn't have people having panic attacks or kids using the water as a potty (though my son wanted to go swimming in it...) We did have singing contests and such. We actually found it interesting. I am glad people didn't react like they did in C's area.

amarvel
06-27-2006, 08:02 AM
Wow that doesnt sound good, not fun at all :(

But it does seem a little weird that people were panicking while still in the boats??? I've been stuck before and everyone just sat there laughing and talking....

But at least you got to see some of the backstage stuff :)

ChipmunkStar
06-27-2006, 08:05 AM
Another Devil's Advocate here. How do you even KNOW that the Cast Members were "too Slow" or "Intentionally leaving the guests stranded"? In all seriousness, it's probably their SOP to wait a while so that they can do every single thing in their power to get whatever is not working going again. Then, once they try everything that they can, then they have to double check to make sre no ride mechanisms are on, so that nothing will hurt the CMs or the Guests while walking through the attraction areas.

So yes, I'm sorry it sucked for you, but let's not be so dang drama queen about it. Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes than you could even imagine. Besides the ride JUST OPENED with little to no previews, so of course there are going to be bugs for the first couple of weeks. At least you got to experience some of the attraction, think of the people who were just about to load the boats or were at the front of the hour or so line. They probably didn't even get ANYTHING for their inconvenience, not even a peek at what lies in the updates.

sriggins
06-27-2006, 08:14 AM
As for people's reactions, I'd have loved that, unless I had to relieve myself as well. But its fully understandable that some people have phobias about being trapped, or the dark, etc, and it does not take much to set them off. Our differences are what make us human after all :)

Bolivar
06-27-2006, 08:20 AM
If you have a process that requires 45 minutes of fussing while people are stuck on a ride panicking, well you have a bad process. Group dynamics are a funny thing and it takes only a small number of people who laugh and start poking fun to turn people one way, or a small number of people panicking and turning the crowd another way.

Yes, we have no idea what was going on behind the scenes, but that doesn't matter to the guests. Whether a bad process was well executed by the employees, or a good process wasn't well executed -- poor training, poor planning, or bad employees -- the bottom line is that the end result was bad. Let me temper that, the end result is that everyone got off safely and no one was hurt, so the end result wasn't bad, but it wasn't what it should have been.

Alex S.
06-27-2006, 08:28 AM
I've been evacuated from Pirates twice and both times it was a slow process. It is just a slow ride to evacuate since boats need to be maneuver to evacuation points (one at a time), people then need to be helped out of the boats. The route but to the public part is long and circuitous.

So the people that start out closest to an evacuation point will get out much sooner than people farthest away.

But except in an actual emergency I don't see Pirates ever being evacuated in less than 30 minutes and that assumes that they don't do everything they can first to avoid evacaution.

In both of my times stuck for long periods, there was no sign of panic or poor behavior. However, the CM in the control booth should be doing a good job of keeping the stuck people apprised of the situation once it is clear it won't be cleared up immediately.

disney_leonard
06-27-2006, 08:41 AM
If anyone goes today would you post an update on ride status? I am planning an an afternoon/evening trip with the primary goal of getting my first ride on the new version. I missed it Sunday night by 30 minutes. I am not afraid of a malfunction or evacuation. Could be fun!

jacoby jason
06-27-2006, 08:55 AM
OMG, Children were going to the bathroom in the water??...Panic attacks?!..what is wrong with these people?..i have been on several rides that have broken down at D land and there has NEVER been anything like that..I hope the people that allowed their children to use the ride as a bathroom were removed from the park, broken down ride or not. That is just terrible behavior.


/first post in a LONG time, had to post on this one

WDW heart
06-27-2006, 09:05 AM
Yeah, I can't imagine people screaming and having panic attacks just because a ride stopped. :confused:

Osky
06-27-2006, 09:07 AM
I heard that some people got soooo hungry, they started eating each other... ;)

WDW heart
06-27-2006, 09:08 AM
I heard that some people got soooo hungry, they started eating each other... ;)

:D