Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:18 am Post subject: Interesting Article about Disney and 9/11
Since today is the 6 year anniversary of 9/11, Jim Hill Media is running a very interesting article... Over the years (and shortly after the actual events), he and his staff started collection personal stories from Disneyland and Walt Disney World guests and employees who were on property during the 9/11 attacks...
It shows a side of the attacks that most people haven't, the Disney response and reaction as a possible target....
Very, very interesting accounts.... and it sounds like Disney did a really good job in handling the situation....
Joined: Mar 09, 2006 Posts: 809 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:35 am Post subject:
I was in the Animal Kingdom on the day of the attacks. We were about to see the Flights of Wonder show, when the show was running 10 minutes late, and an announcement came over the PA system saying that the show was canceled. My first thought was a sick bird, but when we filed out into the main park thoroughfare, we saw the whole park heading for the exit, and knew something much larger was up. We heard another announcement that the park was closed over the main park PA. Within minutes, we overheard people talking and discussing why we had to leave and we were shocked.
Although there were thousands in the park that day and the bus system was a little overwhelmed with the volume, I can honestly say I've never seen that many people in that heat, in such a frustrating circumstance with annoyed children, behave so well. Chock up another one for that Disney magic.
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:46 am Post subject:
I was at work (in Ga) and watching on a snowy tv.... I was working for an ISP at the time and even we couldn't get online news sites because "the internet" was so packed....
The only sites we could get to open were international sites (even the BBC page was down) and then ran those sites through babelfish....
But yeah, all the stories I read about the park evacuations, I am surprised it went as well as it did and I think Disney made a good call about not announcing the specific reason for the closure....
I was at m t Desk in Ct, and a few of my co-workers were impacted with neighbors and relatives being in the buildings struck. It truly was a horrible day. I recall thinking that I have relatives working down there, and hoping they were not also hit...
Everything I have read since about Disney's handling of it indicates that they seem to spend considerate amounts of time and energy on emergency drills, instructions and training. shame more companies aren't as pro-active.
I, too, watched these events unfold on TV. When I first heard about it, I thought it was a little plane that hit the building, not realizing how huge this was. As I saw the 2nd plane hit the WTC, all I wanted to do at that point was be home with my family and hug my wife and kids!
We were in Springfield, MA a couple of days after 9/11 (at the Big E) and while walking on the midway, a troop transport plane flew overhead, it was a WEIRD sound since planes had been grounded for days at this point. It was creepy, almost scary, since no planes were supposed to be in the air.
We were traveling to WDW a couple of weeks later (after 9/11) and were concened about how things would be in the parks (not to mention how things would be at the airports). Aside from checking of bags before the turnstiles (and not having that process down pat yet), it wasn't much different in WDW, which was a comfort. The airport was not as good. My biggest problem was EVERYONE was a potential suspect, I trusted no one.
My thoughts and prayers go to all affected by this day. _________________ When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.
--Walt Disney
Joined: Nov 09, 2005 Posts: 10426 Location: Swansea Mass.
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:03 am Post subject:
I was on the computer in the office when the first reports came in. At first I thought
the people coming in with the reports were nuts.
Then I saw a TV and the pictures coming in were all too real.
We had several groups in the building that were from the downtown area of New York
and were going nuts trying to figure out how to get home to there freinds and families
that were that area.
We had a trip to WDW scheduled for September 20th that year. We did make our trip
but I was a bit uneasy flying with my family.
We made it through all the extra Security at the airports but I guess lots of people must
have cancelled their trips because I remember the parks being very empty.
Lets hope we never have to go through that again!!
We were in Springfield, MA a couple of days after 9/11 (at the Big E) and while walking on the midway, a troop transport plane flew overhead, it was a WEIRD sound since planes had been grounded for days at this point. It was creepy, almost scary, since no planes were supposed to be in the air.
few days after... I remember being out for a walk with a co-worker and seeing a pair of fighter jets go screaming by and wondering what was going in. turned out some one decided to fly out of his airspace and shut everything down and caused all the jets in the area to scramble...
I was working at the Great Movie Ride when it happened. We couldn't say anything except please leave immediately and go back to your hotels. Mind you I was dressed like a Gangster at the time so it was very surreal to say the least.
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