Wheelchair lift Jungle Cruise boat sinks...

[BillSears]

It looks like one of the WDW wheelchair lift boats has sunk at WDW. They usually have 2 of them, one in service and one as a backup. With this one being taken out of service I wonder if there will be days without any lift equipped boat available.

When I visited DL in May 2019 I stopped by the Jungle Cruise every day of the week I was there. They were apologetic but they didn't have a single day of the wheelchair lift boat in service. I'd really hate to see WDW do the same.

https://comicbook.com/2020/02/27/jungle-cruise-boat-sinks-walt-disney-world/

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, my!

 

[gap2368]

saw this and pictures on twitter

 

[ScubaCat]

In other news from yesterday, Chapek cut the FlexSeal budget. He may want to rethink that one.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, please. It's $29.95. Cast Members should be able to collect that much out of the various water features.

 

[Chuck S]

I'm just surprised the boats can sink at all, since they are on a track.

 

[treemi01]

Oh no! My husband sent me the picture...I didn’t know it was one of the accessible boats. Hopefully it will be fixed or replaced soon!

 

[Michigan]

Oh no! My husband sent me the picture...I didn’t know it was one of the accessible boats. Hopefully it will be fixed or replaced soon!

There are 3 accessible boats. Usually 2 in service at one time and one in backup so it won't be a problem

 

[DisneyOma]

Oh for goodness sake, it didn't actually sink. It took on some water, but to sink it has to go completely under water. Sounds more like it sprung a leak, and needs service.

If it actually sunk, with someone in the wheelchair area, and people flailing around overboard in the water, there'd be a lot more to this story.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Oh for goodness sake, it didn't actually sink. It took on some water, but to sink it has to go completely under water. Sounds more like it sprung a leak, and needs service.

If it actually sunk, with someone in the wheelchair area, and people flailing around overboard in the water, there'd be a lot more to this story.

The water isn’t deep enough for it to really sink to the point the whole boat is under water.

 

[Chuck S]

Oh for goodness sake, it didn't actually sink. It took on some water, but to sink it has to go completely under water. Sounds more like it sprung a leak, and needs service.

If it actually sunk, with someone in the wheelchair area, and people flailing around overboard in the water, there'd be a lot more to this story.

It looks to have taken on 18" to 24" of water. Considering it is a track ride, and could not go down anymore, yes, it sunk. The water was higher than the mock crate seats, as people were standing on them in the photos.

 

[SueM in MN]

There are 3 accessible boats. Usually 2 in service at one time and one in backup so it won't be a problem

unless they determine it had anything to do with it being an accessible boat.
The stories I read said the people at the back noticed the water first as a small amount that then came rushing in.
So it sounds like a boat issue, not an accessible boat issue.

It looks to have taken on 18" to 24" of water. Considering it is a track ride, and could not go down anymore, yes, it sunk. The water was higher than the mock crate seats, as people were standing on them in the photos.

I agree.
The reports I read said it was knee high Inside the boat, which would be above the level of the mock crates.

Luckily, it doesn’t sound like there was anyone in a wheelchair aboard at the time. That would not be an easy evacuation.

 

[camper06]

Looks pretty bad though!

 

[BillSears]

I agree Camper06. I'm pretty sure that will take this boat out of service for a while. They'll probably have to replace the motors for the boat and the lift plus whatever structural damage was done.

 

[mamabunny]

I have an amazing amount of respect for the CM who is so calmly standing there in that boat...

I promise you, I would NOT be calmly waiting - I would be screaming like my hair was on fire, and telling anyone who could hear that this situation was WAY above my pay grade!!!

But, then again, I'm a giant chicken, so...

 

[ArielRae]

Video posted from the ride.

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm just surprised the boats can sink at all, since they are on a track.

From what I understand, not all of it is in a track and the most of the track is more like guiderails it stays between. The more controlled places (I think) are the places with elements in the water - like the elephant bathing pool, the hippos and the backside of water.
My older daughter got chosen to drive the boat thru the temple when she about 11. She was worried to drive it because she thought it would be really steering. She said later it felt like it was between something tight.

Looks pretty bad though!

View attachment 477503

That pretty much looks like it sunk as far as it can possibly sink. The other boat in the picture also looks like a Jungle Cruise boat, so if there are tracks in that area, at least one of those boats is off track.

 

[seashoreCM]

I would say that "it sank" would be proper since it went down and ended up sitting on the bottom or atop some objects on the bottom.

Capsized -- Turned on its side (or upside down) but remained floating.
Swamped -- Took on water but remained floating more or less upright.
Beached; Ran aground -- Floated more or less horizontally into shallower water and there ended up hitting bottom.

Guests panicked because they did not know how deep the water was but when all was said and done, some (all?) guests could have remained aboard, standing on the seat backs, and not gotten their feet wet. One photo showed at least one guest having gotten out and apparently slipped and ended up soaked up to the neck.

 

[MinnieMSue]

From what I understand, not all of it is in a track and the most of the track is more like guiderails it stays between. The more controlled places (I think) are the places with elements in the water - like the elephant bathing pool, the hippos and the backside of water.
My older daughter got chosen to drive the boat thru the temple when she about 11. She was worried to drive it because she thought it would be really steering. She said later it felt like it was between something tight.

That pretty much looks like it sunk as far as it can possibly sink. The other boat in the picture also looks like a Jungle Cruise boat, so if there are tracks in that area, at least one of those boats is off track.

my daughter was offered to drive it when she was 5 and adamantly refused. I couldn’t figure out why until after the ride she told me she was afraid she would crash the boat. I told her it was on a track. She was so upset she missed that opportunity and has hoped for another chance ever since (never happened poor kid)

 

[ScubaCat]

Looks like I was right. That's a Lotta damage!!