Hello to all you Disneyland lovers out there. My name is Robert. I wanted to share with all you fans my stories. I am going to tell you of some adventures while working at Disneyland that will knock your socks off. See, as a child I wanted to spend every moment at the park, and that’s what I did. It all started for me when my father took me to a private company party back in the early 80’s, when GM and Hughes Aircraft merged. It was then that I made a promise to myself that I would work at Disneyland one day. So when I turned 18, I became a part of the magic and was assigned to the attractions department. From that day forth, I experienced and saw many things and was involved with events at Disneyland that I never before thought could occur. From late 1995 to 2003 the Disneyland magic changed in my eyes and would continue to be distorted over time.
Now over these past few years as you all may know, the dangers of rides have become an extra thrill when getting on an attraction where something has gone wrong. A crash, an injury or a death is usually the case. Well, I will start this whole thing with the last experience that changed my love and thoughts about Disneyland forever. See, at this time, I had just left my employment a few weeks before the accident that took place on Big Thunder Railroad. And, well, I wanted to take my wife to the park one last time for free since, as cast members, you were given free tickets based on your dependents. So on September 3rd, 2003, we headed to the “happiest place on earth”. We had had a blast that day. Both of us were enjoying every minute of it.
Then, later that evening, at about 4:30pm, we decided to get on Big Thunder. We made our way through the line and finally up the steps of the station. We gave the amount of people in our party and were assigned the very last gate number on the platform. So this gave us a perfect view of the train as it made its way to the switch track that designates the side of the station, which it will load from. The switch track allows the attraction to run multiple trains at once. So, as I am giving my wife the history to the ride, as well as saying hello to all the cast members that I knew working that day, I looked over to our train that was approaching. My attention was turned toward the engine face, and as I was watching the train approach the switch track, I noticed that one of the upper front guide wheels on the engine itself was dragging side ways and then shaking violently back and forth as the train came closer. The wheel was in the front of the engine and had an outer nylon colored coating on it. It made enough noise, as well, while the engine was passing us that I became concerned and worried. So I tried to mention it to a cast member with out alarming any of the other guests, but instead, was rushed into the train and then dispatched out. Now, I don’t know how to explain this, but both my wife and I were feeling that something was wrong while we coasted through the bat cave. As we started to climb, the overwhelming nervousness became my main focus because of what I had seen. Mainly, I think, because we were on this train and about to embark on a high-speed, turbulent, and twisting journey with no way to know if that wheel was a point of concern or not.
So, just like normal, the train zoomed through the mineshafts with all the guests screaming and laughing, except for me. I was still thinking about what I saw. So after the ride was done and the train was making its way back into the station, I told my wife that I was going to tell the lead about what I had seen. So both of us headed out of the train, but I told her to continue out the queue past the wooden gate. I then made my way back toward the control tower, which is at the head of the station and between the trains. I asked to speak with the lead. I waited a moment and then was assisted by a person whom I had dealt with regarding safety issues in the past, as well as theme or show neglect issues. Not to mention that this cast member had a relative who was an area manager that I had confronted regarding the canoe dock collapsing that summer. I told him what I had seen while in the station waiting. He explained to me that, with my history of enforcing theme, show and safety that I might be over reacting. I insisted on them taking a look at the train or at least reporting to the attractions managers. The lead asked me what I saw and heard, but then tried to state that I knew nothing about the mechanics of the attraction. Now, mind you, I was working full time, as an industrial mechanic and elevator technician at the time outside of my part time Disney job, so I knew what I had seen was not normal. The lead then thanked me, walked away, and waved good-bye without any signs of concern toward my findings. I was then asked to leave the station and continue out since I was not boarding. I rejoined my wife and decided to leave the park because of this incident.
Then, on September 5th, I got a phone call from my wife. She was in total shock and began to tell me that there was an accident at the park. She told me that it was on Big Thunder Railroad, but more importantly, she said that one of the trains had derailed and killed a man and injured others on board. I could not believe it! I was an emotional mess at that point. I hurried my day along at my full time job so I could get home and try to contact “Theme Park 1”, who is the on duty main park manager, to find out if this was the train I reported, as well as to tell Cal-OSHA’s ride investigators what happened to me two days before. They put me through to a spokesperson for Disney, but she seemed more concerned that I keep this to myself and she simply took down my information. NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT! I pushed at it further and my report was disregarded.