Suspicious device found under Disney bus

[Joannelet]

my friend just came home today...she said it was really scary
I'm glad that they caught it though and handled it in the best manner possible.
I can't even think about something like this happening at Walt Disney World. It makes me sick to my stomach. I was shaking when I heard this info from my friend.....

[RockinRollerMom]

I was at EPCOT yesterday and guests didn't know at all what was going on. There was an overhead announcement made around 5:30ish that bus service was temporarily suspended and would be running again in 45 minutes. We thought it was real strange. Thankfully the delay didn't affect us because we were traveling by monorail.

[marlaine]

We were there yesterday and already by the pool at the Poly when all of this happened. (We were at Animal Kingdom at 8:00 for B'Fast and were done touring by 3:30). While by the pool, I heard a man talking about it on his cell phone. We had no idea anything was going on. I saw it on the news first thing this morning.
It seems so strange to me that we were right there in WDW and didn't even know anything about it because we didn't need any transportation.

[seanyred]

We were there yesterday and already by the pool at the Poly when all of this happened. (We were at Animal Kingdom at 8:00 for B'Fast and were done touring by 3:30). While by the pool, I heard a man talking about it on his cell phone. We had no idea anything was going on. I saw it on the news first thing this morning.
It seems so strange to me that we were right there in WDW and didn't even know anything about it because we didn't need any transportation.

Actually I'm not surprised that some people who were there did not notice. When you really think about it WDW is really the size of a City. And when you think of it that when something bad happens in Chicago's West Side it doesn't always affect the North Side. I know this is an over generalization...but you get my point.

I'm just glad no one was hurt and that WDW CM's and law enforcement are doing their jobs and looking out for us vacationers.

[tinksmom02]

The Orange County sheriff's bomb squad is at Walt Disney World now investigating a suspicious device found underneath a Disney bus, authorities confirmed.

Bus operations have been suspended, but taxi service has been expanded, a Disney spokeswoman said.

__________________

We just got back and were at Epcot when this happened. I got a phone message from the resort GM apologizing for any delays, but we'd used the monorail all day so it didn't affect us at all. My mom saw it on the news the next day.

[Scott C]

We were there yesterday and already by the pool at the Poly when all of this happened. (We were at Animal Kingdom at 8:00 for B'Fast and were done touring by 3:30). While by the pool, I heard a man talking about it on his cell phone. We had no idea anything was going on. I saw it on the news first thing this morning.
It seems so strange to me that we were right there in WDW and didn't even know anything about it because we didn't need any transportation.

We were in the world July 4th -- we had similar circumstances with the monorail accident. It seems that there should be some way to better communicate to the guests.

Thanks
Scott C

[brownie]

Perhaps this was a drill/test to see how they would respond.

Doubtful. I don't think they would have done something with this kind of impact on guest service.

[KevMcNJ]

I have to admit this scares me. We leave next week and well, I hate to say it, but part of me would rather stay home.

If its your day, its your day
Aint nothing gonna change that fact and it
doenst matter if your in a plane 35,000 feet above Missouri, riding the monorail or sitting on your couch watching Seinfeld re-runs.

[Dixie Springs]

Related personal story: I recall leaving MK one night during the post-Wishes cattle-drive down Main Street. There were some WDW security folks guiding the crowd's path away from a particluar storefront (sort of forming a large human perimeter onto the sidewalk & street)). We thought it was just some VIP exiting the store, but when we looked back we saw what looked like a special ops dude approach a backpack leaning against the store, with a flashlight. I'm not sure if this guy was an actual police bomb-squad rep, but he sure didn't look like the WDW 'mall-cops' clearing the way. Must have been a false alarm because we never heard any news on it.

[Ed]

The device still hasn't been publicly identified, but the sheriff's office keeps emphasizing that it was "neither explosive nor hazardous". Some sources say it was some type of electronic transponder and that it may have even been installed by the bus manufacturer to track data on how the bus is used. That remains to be verified.

All in all, I have to say that I am pretty impressed with how WDW handled the entire situation. Once a possible problem was identified, they quickly made the correct decision to do an immediate inspection of the entire bus fleet - - no small task given the size of their fleet. The buses were all inspected and back on their routes in a relatively short time.

It shows me that WDW is well prepared for such situations.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

While I think Disney did an extremely good job reacting to the bus shutdown by paying cab fares and extending park hours, I personally feel like suspending all bus service was an over-reaction. I suspect that it didn't take very long to determine that this device was not explosive, and I would be willing to bet they knew it wasn't explosive before they even had time to ground all the buses to a halt. I can't imagine being the parent of a two small children knocking on cab doors looking for a cab with two car seats in the trunk.

But that is just my

[Ed]

While I think Disney did an extremely good job reacting to the bus shutdown by paying cab fares and extending park hours, I personally feel like suspending all bus service was an over-reaction. I suspect that it didn't take very long to determine that this device was not explosive, and I would be willing to bet they knew it wasn't explosive before they even had time to ground all the buses to a halt. I can't imagine being the parent of a two small children knocking on cab doors looking for a cab with two car seats in the trunk.

But that is just my

I strongly disagree.

It took the bomb squad over four hours to remove the object from the bus and transport it by using a robot to a safe location where it could be analyzed; that's when it was determined not to be explosive or hazardous. A lot can happen in four hours. Disney did the only logical and smart thing by taking the fleet out of service for a quick inspection. If a real destructive device had been planted on this one bus, it stands to reason that the same thing could have been put on other buses.

Just imagine the immense liability if they had failed to do so and something happened with a different bus loaded with guests! The old adage "better safe than sorry" definitely applies in this case.

[It'sWDW4me]

I strongly disagree.

It took the bomb squad over four hours to remove the object from the bus and transport it by using a robot to a safe location where it could be analyzed; that's when it was determined not to be explosive or hazardous. A lot can happen in four hours. Disney did the only logical and smart thing by taking the fleet out of service for a quick inspection. If a real destructive device had been planted on this one bus, it stands to reason that the same thing could have been put on other buses.

Just imagine the immense liability if they had failed to do so and something happened with a different bus loaded with guests! The old adage "better safe than sorry" definitely applies in this case.

I completely agree. My first thought was - ok, this one's not hazardous but is it the decoy? Yes, I would rather be safe and inconvenienced.

Remember what "only" four out of how many airplanes were able to do in less than an hour?

[Ed]

MYSTERY SOLVED !!!

Disney says suspicious device found on bus was tire-pressure monitor

Jason Garcia
Sentinel Staff Writer

7:10 PM EDT, September 21, 2009

The mysterious object found mounted on a Walt Disney World bus last week -- prompting the giant resort to temporarily shut down all bus service until the other vehicles were searched -- was a newly designed tire-pressure monitor, Disney said Monday evening.

Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said the device was a prototype that had been installed on a single bus to monitor tire pressure with wireless technology. Tire pressure can affect the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.

The device set off a mini-scare Thursday, when it was discovered by a maintenance crew that was unfamiliar with it. They reported a suspicious object to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, which called out a bomb squad to investigate.

Disney, meanwhile, opted to pull its entire bus fleet out of service until each of the roughly 300 vehicles was inspected. Thousands of Disney World visitors were stranded for a few hours while the buses were searched.

Finger said Disney made the decision to temporarily shut down its bus service before the mystery object was identified "out of an abundance of caution."

CASE CLOSED.

[Joannelet]

um why wouldn't the bus company come forward to the bomb squad right away and tell them that a bus had the monitoring system on it?
or at least identify the object immediately for them....
That just sounds ridiculous to me!

[Mousemates]

CASE CLOSED.

Glad to hear it was all pretty benign.

[seanyred]

um why wouldn't the bus company come forward to the bomb squad right away and tell them that a bus had the monitoring system on it?
or at least identify the object immediately for them....
That just sounds ridiculous to me!

And maybe this is another reason with their is a new VP of Transportation. Communication is key...

[VWL Mom]

um why wouldn't the bus company come forward to the bomb squad right away and tell them that a bus had the monitoring system on it?
or at least identify the object immediately for them....
That just sounds ridiculous to me!

I'm with you on that! Talk about one hand not knowing what the other is doing. Jeez.

[Joannelet]

No I'm thinking more along the lines of Disney is sugar coating the information....
I know from Disney execs in July had said that Disney was going to start really feeling the economy starting in September. Something like this would have really really hurt them financially.
If they were "testing" a new tire gauge on the buses...only one bus was given this new device? Seriously Disney not everyone is as dumb as you think.....
There has been an increase in the visual of security for a reason......and as to not have guests panic and/or cancel trips they HAVE to say this......
I know I wouldn't cancel my trip to Disney but at least I would be a little bit more aware of my surroundings...(although I already am...I live in the tri state area) I just wish that Disney would tell us the truth....and I have a HUGE feeling that they are not. (and I am a past cast member-so I know for a fact that they sugar coat things....-they are Disney they are allowed to and are able to. (except now they have to report deaths....)-but if you even remember about that they didn't have to before.....
Did you honestly think that if it was something that they would have told us that? I know all about Disney magic and this is definitely one of those spread only pixie dust times
I still love them of course but I hope others see right through this.....and not take it for anything less......
They are however doing really well handling the situations at best. I am very pleased as to how all buses were called off the road. I am aware that they know how to handle a situation like this and it makes me feel better knowing that they are prepared and that they have the security to help keep us safe while enjoying the happiest place on earth
They have also done a wonderful job of keeping this out of the news (except in Florida) and of course keeping it away from the guests. I know that my sister in law was there with her family and had no idea that this was even going on. (they had their own car). So again Disney gets an A+ for not having panic spread.... but still I don't believe the results of this situation for one minute.....

[VWL Mom]

Well, that too had crossed my mind, more so because of the increased mass transit alerts in our area announced today but I thought I was becoming paranoid.