If the Escalator Ain't Movin, Stay Off It!

[Big Wallaby]

At Epcot, today, I went on Soarin' a couple times. Going down to the main level and coming back to the pavilion entrance level, the escalators were not working, shut off and blocked. The descending had special safety barricades, which were bad show but at least they kept people off. The ascending had trash cans at either end, which was even worse show, and people would use the escalator to bypass the stairs. I started standing by the bottom entrance and just said, "Idiot" any time someone walked around the cans. Several dirty looks to which I would explain that walking into an area that had for safety reasons been blocked off made you an idiot, but it was getting really entertaining for me to see how people responded. Then, something unbelievable happened... other guests, who had been there watching, started saying, "Idiot," in unison with me. More dirty stares, but after about five people were lined up next to the escalator entrance next to me all telling people who were bypassing what was meant to be a block what we thought of them, people started turning around and taking other ways to the entrance level. Before walking off, I adjusted the cans so they would be harder to get around.

Nothing important, but I do believe it shows how you can use group mentality to allow a few people to stand up to those who greedily do the wrong thing.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

hehehehehe


Good Job!!

maybe you started an anti-SG movement?

[Whazzup]

That's an example of smart sheeple instead of stoopid sheeple. :D:

[Shorty82]

How hard is it for Disney to fix the damn escalators? Last week I went into The Land and saw that the escalator nearest Soarin' (not sure which way it goes normally) wasn't working and blocked off with trash cans. I would have thought it would have been fixed by now instead of the other one being down too.

[kurtisnelson]

How hard is it for Disney to fix the damn escalators? Last week I went into The Land and saw that the escalator nearest Soarin' (not sure which way it goes normally) wasn't working and blocked off with trash cans. I would have thought it would have been fixed by now instead of the other one being down too.
Well, the Soarin' side one was broken last Saturday for a very good reason- someone had gotten a croc eaten in it. But they left the croc there...

It is nice to know that they bother someone else besides me. Next time I will visit GR. What I don't understand is blocking off the escalators. They are perfectly safe and usable as normal stairs. Certain other companies in their parking garages leave theirs off all the time and it seems safe.

[Shorty82]

Well, the Soarin' side one was broken last Saturday for a very good reason- someone had gotten a croc eaten in it. But they left the croc there...

It is nice to know that they bother someone else besides me. Next time I will visit GR. What I don't understand is blocking off the escalators. They are perfectly safe and usable as normal stairs. Certain other companies in their parking garages leave theirs off all the time and it seems safe.

I understand closing them off at the Land. With all the foot traffic between the two levels and how narrow the escalators are they close them off so people won't have to squeeze by each other (which could be dangerous as there would be no way to make sure people only used them in one direction.

[Rob562]

Well, the Soarin' side one was broken last Saturday for a very good reason- someone had gotten a croc eaten in it. But they left the croc there...

Maybe they left it there as a sign to other Croc-wearing SG's as to what can happen when you *don't* ride the escalator properly...


What I don't understand is blocking off the escalators. They are perfectly safe and usable as normal stairs. Certain other companies in their parking garages leave theirs off all the time and it seems safe.

Someone else pointed out the reason why they do it at Land, but as for blocking escalators off in general, it depends.
Most breakdowns on an escalator are either motor or control-system based, and the stairs are perfectly fine for climbing up and down while motionless. But if the breakdown is mechanical, one or more of the steps could be unstable enough that it can't bear weight. Thus the escalator should be walled off from use until it can be repaired.
Each step is essentially like a little ride car in a dark ride, riding along a track. If a wheel on the step breaks, or something's wrong with the track, it becomes mechanically unsafe to use. But unlike a dark ride or coaster where defective cars can just be taken off the track while the rest of the ride still runs, on an escalator if one step is broken, the whole thing needs to shut down until it can be repaired.

-Rob

[Whazzup]

Maybe they left it there as a sign to other Croc-wearing SG's as to what can happen when you *don't* ride the escalator properly...




Someone else pointed out the reason why they do it at Land, but as for blocking escalators off in general, it depends.
Most breakdowns on an escalator are either motor or control-system based, and the stairs are perfectly fine for climbing up and down while motionless. But if the breakdown is mechanical, one or more of the steps could be unstable enough that it can't bear weight. Thus the escalator should be walled off from use until it can be repaired.
Each step is essentially like a little ride car in a dark ride, riding along a track. If a wheel on the step breaks, or something's wrong with the track, it becomes mechanically unsafe to use. But unlike a dark ride or coaster where defective cars can just be taken off the track while the rest of the ride still runs, on an escalator if one step is broken, the whole thing needs to shut down until it can be repaired.

-Rob

You never know what you're going to learn on the SGT web site. Thanks, Rob!

[turkeyham]

I have been to the Land area, we took the elevators instead of walking.

One day at Disneyland we parked in the Mickey and friends parking garage. The escalator was broken and we went to another floor and road it down.:p:

[CMGUY89]

The escalators are the original ones from when the pavilion opened in 1982. The company that made them went out of business a few years later because they constantly broke. Unfortunately the only way we can effectively block them from guests is by using the trash cans. But they never really notice them and just try to squeeze by them.

[Ladyfair]

They were working today - and full of Brazilians, both times I was in there!

[Big Wallaby]

The escalators are the original ones from when the pavilion opened in 1982. The company that made them went out of business a few years later because they constantly broke. Unfortunately the only way we can effectively block them from guests is by using the trash cans. But they never really notice them and just try to squeeze by them.So we have an item that breaks frequently made by an outside vendor and repaired with new parts (I would assume) from Central Shops. The term "Epcot Monorail Beam" comes to mind.

[CMGUY89]

So we have an item that breaks frequently made by an outside vendor and repaired with new parts (I would assume) from Central Shops. The term "Epcot Monorail Beam" comes to mind.

Otis out there every day trying to fix them. But every day a croc will get stuck in it, or guests will hit the e-stop randomly and short out the system. The point is that they are constantly being fixed just to be broken again. The same thing goes for our elevator which, when broken requires us to take guests backstage to get up and downstairs. Frankly the pavilion is just old and requires some TLC which has not happened yet. Frankly guest flow could be improved if Swirl/controlled access was pulled out more often. The main point is that the trashcans are used as barriers to prevent guests from using the escalator.

[Yeti Chaser]

It is nice to know that they bother someone else besides me. Next time I will visit GR. What I don't understand is blocking off the escalators. They are perfectly safe and usable as normal stairs. Certain other companies in their parking garages leave theirs off all the time and it seems safe.

Yes, they may be "safe" to use as stairs, but some guest will figure out or knows how to start the excalators and could do that with guests on walking up them. So, I'll put up with the Bad Show which is providing a safe enviroment for the guest. Remembe"Safe D begins with me"

[Cranbiz]

The escalators are the original ones from when the pavilion opened in 1982. The company that made them went out of business a few years later because they constantly broke. Unfortunately the only way we can effectively block them from guests is by using the trash cans. But they never really notice them and just try to squeeze by them.

So instead of coming up with some good looking show quality barricades that can be deployed when needed, we have resorted to ugly barricades and trash cans!

If these escalators are always breaking down, there should be no reason we can't have good looking barricades close by.

Why not have plywood cutouts of the boss holding up a hand to stop with an explaintion that for your safety, the escalators are temporarily closed.

[SRT_GB]

So instead of coming up with some good looking show quality barricades that can be deployed when needed, we have resorted to ugly barricades and trash cans!

If these escalators are always breaking down, there should be no reason we can't have good looking barricades close by.

Why not have plywood cutouts of the boss holding up a hand to stop with an explaintion that for your safety, the escalators are temporarily closed.Reminds me of the upper level of the Starcade at DL. It's been closed for years but as long as I can remember since it closed, the bottom of the speedramp leading up there was blocked with a metal barricade covered with a beige canvas with the DL logo on it. I don't get why they couldn't have put a more permanent barricade there.

[Shorty82]

Otis out there every day trying to fix them. But every day a croc will get stuck in it, or guests will hit the e-stop randomly and short out the system. The point is that they are constantly being fixed just to be broken again. The same thing goes for our elevator which, when broken requires us to take guests backstage to get up and downstairs. Frankly the pavilion is just old and requires some TLC which has not happened yet. Frankly guest flow could be improved if Swirl/controlled access was pulled out more often. The main point is that the trashcans are used as barriers to prevent guests from using the escalator.

Sounds to me they need to just shut down the entire pavilion for a few months in the slower season and refurbish everything in there. Completely replace the escalators and rehab the elevator, refurbish Living with the Land, Circle of Life, The Garden Grill, etc. Do any work that needs to be done in the greenhouses. Basically redo the entire place. Instead of all these temporary fixes close it all down and fix it correctly.

[Syndrome]

Sounds to me they need to just shut down the entire pavilion for a few months in the slower season and refurbish everything in there. Completely replace the escalators and rehab the elevator, refurbish Living with the Land, Circle of Life, The Garden Grill, etc. Do any work that needs to be done in the greenhouses. Basically redo the entire place. Instead of all these temporary fixes close it all down and fix it correctly.
I'm just imaging the firestorm of SGs storming Guest Relations if Soarin' was shut down for any length of time.

[Shorty82]

I'm just imaging the firestorm of SGs storming Guest Relations if Soarin' was shut down for any length of time.

That's about the only problem I can see from shutting down the pavilion.

[turkeyham]

Disneyland's Small World has been closed for some time. It will be re-opening Nov. 29th. I have heard SG complaining they never new that the ride was closed. On the Disneyland site, Small World closing for 11 months was on it. The SG claim they cam get on it. Lets see a green tarp and a wooden wall is around it. I want to see a SG climb the wall and find nothing. HA, HA!!!:cool:

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

Geez, all they gotta do is go to the web site and it says which attractions are closed.

If they need to see it. Just book another vacation when it's open!!

[CMGUY89]

They could always bring people into the Soarin' rotunda through the Image Gate like the did for soft openings/Cast Preview. The problem with closing the rest of the pavilion is that they screw over the Land cast members, sunshine seasons, and garden grill. They would all have to be temporarily re-assigned during the process. So unfortunately another big refurb, especially without a sponsor, seems like wishful thinking to me.

[Rob562]

Sounds to me they need to just shut down the entire pavilion for a few months in the slower season and refurbish everything in there. Completely replace the escalators and rehab the elevator, refurbish Living with the Land, Circle of Life, The Garden Grill, etc. Do any work that needs to be done in the greenhouses. Basically redo the entire place. Instead of all these temporary fixes close it all down and fix it correctly.


The entire pavilion *was* totally shut down a few years ago (2005?) for a complete interior refurbishment. They tore out the fountain that used to be on the ground floor, totally changed Sunshine Seasons, its seating area, finalized Soarin's signage, etc.

If the escalators have been a problem for so long, I'm very surprised that they weren't torn out and replaced during that multi-month closure...

-Rob