Disney’s monorail accidents are few and far between, but they are almost never fatal. Disney World is often called the happiest place on earth, but it got sadder this weekend.
Two monorails reportedly collided head-on in the Magic Kingdom area of the park on Sunday morning. Austin Wuennenberg, the operator of one of the monorails, died, while a few others were injured in the Disney monorail accident.
The monorail system typically carries 150,000 people every day and has been running year round for 38 years. It’s the first monorail death at Disney World, and the first on a ride or rail since 2004, when a visitor was killed on the Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster.
Investigators are still trying to figure out why the Disney monorail accident occurred in the first place
“Today, we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member,” said Mike Griffin, Walt Disney World vice president of public affairs said in a released statement.
Griffin: “Our hearts go out to his family and to those who have lost a friend and co-worker. The safety of our guests and cast members is always our top priority. The monorail is out of service and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to determine what happened and the approximate next steps.”
Comparisons are being made to the DC train crashes a couple weeks ago, suggesting a major overhaul of long-running rail systems is needed.
This isn’t the first monorail crash, but Wuennenberg’s passing is the first death from a monorail accident. The Monorail was closed Sunday as the park opened other means of transportation from guests such as a ferry, boat or bus. According to the Associated Press, the monorail system is set to re-open.
Guests were shaken up at the park, with some telling local affiliates that they wouldn’t want to ride the monorail again.
Our Take:
First off, let’s not panic. One accident in 38 years is a great record. Don’t be afraid to ride the monorail. If anything, extra attention will be paid to make sure the rail is as safe as possible from now on, so that no more fatal accidents will occur. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Austin Wuennenberg, the conductor who died in the Disney monorail accident.
And now, for no good reason, “The Simpsons” monorail song:
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