Riding with your family in the front of the monorail.

[disneynuts777]

Absolutely......I could just as easily get run over by one of the buses.

 

[vladimir10]

I see no problem with it. I am only guessing, but it must have some off the wall event to have caused this accident, as they haven't had any in the Monorail's life time. Heck, until I started reading this board, I didn't even know you could do, so have been excited about trying it this September!

 

[~Kristina~]

Just because we don't agree with you, we're "snarky"?

Ride in the front, that's totally cool with me, but some of the comments are coming off as snarky, and not because they don't agree with my position. I know lots of people are going to continue to ride front, but please don't come off acting like I'm crazy for not allowing it because it was a freak accident. Steve Irwin was killed in a freak sting ray accident. Because it was a freak accident, should I let my kids swim with sting rays? No, not if I don't allow them to.

 

[cmaee]

Yes, we'd ride it again without reservation.

 

[tpayne]

Stuff happens. It's a tragedy that it happened at Disney World but nothing is guaranteed in this life. The ferry boat could explode or sink. The buses could malfunction. I believe we are here on earth until it's our turn to NOT be here, and not a minute longer.

 

[luvsJack]

Ride in the front, that's totally cool with me, but some of the comments are coming off as snarky, and not because they don't agree with my position. I know lots of people are going to continue to ride front, but please don't come off acting like I'm crazy for not allowing it because it was a freak accident. Steve Irwin was killed in a freak sting ray accident. Because it was a freak accident, should I let my kids swim with sting rays? No, not if I don't allow them to.

I don't think anyone was saying you are crazy for not letting your kids ride the monorail. You are sounding a bit defensive about your decision. It WAS a freak accident and if you choose to make a decision based on that accident, then that of course is your business. You asked if others will be doing it and we answered and said why we will continue.

FWIW, swimming with sting rays (if we are talking about in the wild here) is a bit different in that they all have the barb that will sting you. The "freak accident" was not that Steve Irwin was stuck but where he was stuck, I believe. I thought after his death I read that all sting rays in captivity have their barbs removed. Just saying that Steve Irwin's death was a bit different than a once in 38 years accident.

 

[luvmy2sams]

Our family has enjoyed this in the past, and we wouldn't hesitate to ride in the front on a future trip.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We also would ride again with no worries. However I read on a different thread that they have suspended it. I hope though, that it is temporary.

 

[VBAndrea]

It might actually be safer if a family was riding in front. It might prevent an operator from falling asleep or provide rescue to a driver that had a medical problem.

I would absolutely allow my family to ride in front. However, that being said, I know when we step on the monorail in December I will probably have tears in my eyes thinking about that poor young man who lost his life.

 

[Bibbidi]

The safety record on the monorail is so outstanding that I'm not worried to ride up front again. Personally I see it as probably someone who was too tired to be driving the monorail at 2am. This is just my own opinion of course, but no problems for 38 years is good enough for me.

 

[~Kristina~]

I don't think anyone was saying you are crazy for not letting your kids ride the monorail. You are sounding a bit defensive about your decision. It WAS a freak accident and if you choose to make a decision based on that accident, then that of course is your business. You asked if others will be doing it and we answered and said why we will continue.

FWIW, swimming with sting rays (if we are talking about in the wild here) is a bit different in that they all have the barb that will sting you. The "freak accident" was not that Steve Irwin was stuck but where he was stuck, I believe. I thought after his death I read that all sting rays in captivity have their barbs removed. Just saying that Steve Irwin's death was a bit different than a once in 38 years accident.

Actually I didn't ask. And I may be a bit defensive as I don't live try to live life in a bubble and realize that when our time is up than that's it. But like many people, I like to take percautions to insure my family's safety. If I didn't my 7 1/2 year old wouldn't be in a booster. I guess you have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes to understand their decisions. And yes I could be a bit preggo moody today, as well.

BTW, my best friend lives in Petal.

 

[TravelinGal]

I agree 100%.

If one is that afraid of stuff then there is no point in even getting out of bed. Heaven only knows what MAY happen when you simply walk across your room - let alone leave the house and depend on a car, bike or public transportation -- or walking even...

I would have no problem riding in front of the monorail again.

If you consider the number of trips that a monorail makes daily and multiply that by 5 tracks (3 in WDW and 1 in DL-California, 1 in DL-Tokyo) and then by the number of years each track has been open there have been thousands and thousands and thousands of monorail rides. In all that time on all those rides there has been a single fatal accident. It was a terrible accident, but in many ways (from the reports I have read) a freak accident.

I do not live my life in fear of things that have a very low probability of happening, like another freak monorail accident. I can understand that some people may no longer feel comforatable in front and that they feel that it is unsafe. However, it is statistically far more dangerous to drive to the parks or even take the WDW buses to the parks than it is to ride in front on the monorail. If Disney continues to allow us to ride in front we'll be there!

 

[natale1980]

hummm.... I can see both sides now.
There was just a bad train derailment close to me and it killed a women waiting at the rail crossing - It's not like I won't drive over train tracks.
BUT this is just one of those things that won't make or brake my Disney Vacation. So I think we'll skip the front of the monorail for now.
It's just something that is very fresh right now. I may feel differently in a year or so.

-nat

 

[Poohbug]

I voted " I never thought it was a good idea anyway" not because of safety issues tho. The one time my family rode in the front the view was not that great and the driver was surly at best. The ride was a little strained because of this. Since our family is too large right now for all ride up there-we don't have to worry about it anyway.

 

[NJtoATL]

I will most certainly ride in the front of the monorail car. It's scary to drive in traffic in major cities than on the monorail.

To all the people who are giving up the front car.....I say thank you. I will probably have a better chance of riding up front every visit.

 

[Colleen27]

Does anyone know if WDW is even allowing riders in the front of the monorail after the accident?

No, they aren't, at least according to the latest article I read. I don't know if it is a permanent change or just for the duration of the investigation, though.

 

[livie1205]

I would not let my family ride in the front anymore....It is the most unsafe part of the monorail...this is NOT the first accident..in 1974 a monorail ran into the back of another with a family up front injuring the driver and 2 passengers...this is not the first time.I do not think they will allow people in the front anymore,the risk is to high for disney to take on.

 

[TravelinGal]

livie - I don't think anyone said it was the first accident. Just the first one with a fatality.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

No I won't. With losing 9 persons here at home on the metro crash and 1 in WDW on the monorail crash was just too much too soon. We will stick to the middle.

 

[Kit'smommy]

I would do it in a second. I am sure that I and my family have a higher probability of getting injured in a car accident.