Martin L. writes in to ask:
Jim —
This may seem like kind of a weird question to ask. But I was wondering if you had any stories about what really happened in the Disney theme parks on 9/11? How did Disney break the news to all those guests that something horrible had just happened and that — as a result — they would have to close the parks that day? Was there panic? Did people rush to the exits, crowd onto the boats and the monorail?
What really happened that morning?
To be honest, Martin, there’s not a lot to tell.
Disneyland on September 11, 2001
I mean, given the time difference, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure hadn’t really opened for the day as this national tragedy was unfolding. I’m told that only a handful of people (Who had been allowed early entry into the Anaheim theme park via the “Magic Mornings” program) had actually made through the turnstiles when the decision was made in Burbank to close the parks for the day. So it wasn’t really all that big a deal to quickly escort those folks out.
Walt Disney World on September 11, 2011
Whereas at the Walt Disney World Resort … There were literally thousands of people inside of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studio theme park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom when the call came down to close.
Being Inside a Disney Theme Park on September 11th
So what was it like to actually be inside those theme parks on that day?
I’m told that — on the surface — it seemed like a fairly typical Tuesday. The only hint that something odd was happening was that — between the hours of 10 – 11 a.m. — a large number of cast members were seen scurrying around the parks, quietly but earnestly conferring with one another.
Then — at 11 a.m. — the P.A. system suddenly came on in all four theme parks. I’ve been told that it was then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner that supposedly made this announcement. But — to be honest — I’ve never actually been able to confirm that part of the story.
Anyway … This announcement goes out over the P.A. system simultaneously in all four of the WDW theme parks that a national tragedy has occurred in Washington D.C. and New York City. And that — as a direct result of this and because of the Walt Disney Company’s concern for the safety of its guests — that the Florida theme parks would be closing that day at noon.
All in all, it was a very brief announcement. It allegedly closed out with one final instruction for the guests. Which was to please follow the directions of the nearest cast member.
And — after that — most people left the parks quickly & quietly. They recognized that something truly significant must have happened. Otherwise the Walt Disney Company wouldn’t have made the extraordinary move of closing its theme parks for the day. So these folks were anxious to get to their hotels, to find out what was really going on.
Oh, sure. There were a handful of idiots who immediately stormed into the various Guest Relations offices at the four WDW theme parks. Who complained loudly about how Disney had just ruined their family’s vacation. Who insisted on free passes and/or some other form of compensation to make up for the inconvenience. The folks at Guest Relations did what they could with these boobs. But — given that they were under orders to have the parks cleared of all guests and locked up tight by noon — there wasn’t really a lot of time for niceties.
But — in the end — Disney World’s cast members were actually able to do it. When 12 noon arrived, all the guests had been safely escorted out of the four WDW theme parks. And all of the rides, shows and attractions had been cycled down and locked up tight. The employees who were there that day said that — afterwards — they had this odd sense of professional satisfaction. In that they had actually been able to do what Disney had trained them to do. Which was — without undo fuss or panic — quickly clear out the parks.
Of course, that feeling of accomplishment was coupled with the sense that something truly terrible had just happened in New York City and Washington D.C. … Plus the unease about what sort of longterm impact these tragic events might have on the Walt Disney World Resort … Well, let’s just say that WDW cast members (just like the rest of us) didn’t know how to feel that day.
Accelerated Close at Walt Disney World – Emergency Plan A
Now, to be specific, what Disney World did on 9/11 is actually called an accelerated close. Meaning that cast members directed guests to quickly leave the theme parks through the exit normal routes. (EX: Out through the turnstiles in front of the train station at the Magic Kingdom, out through both the main entrance as well as the International Gateway at Epcot, etc.)
But an accelerated close is only the first of three very different approaches that Disney cast members are supposed to take when dealing with emergency situations inside the theme parks. In fact, in-house, the accelerated approach is known as “Plan A.”
Plan B – Normal Routes are Blocked
“Plan B” only applies to situations where the normal routes out of the theme parks (for some reason or another) are blocked or impassable. Under those circumstances, cast members are then instructed to direct guests to the best possible route to quickly get out of that theme park.
In this case, that would mostly mean funneling WDW guests into backstage areas. In this situation, that would involve a manueveur like throwing open the vehicle gates in the Town Square area of the Magic Kingdom. Then instructing visitors in that part of the park to quickly exit by walking out behind Tony’s Town Square Restaurant and/or the Car Barn.
So “Plan B” (obviously) emphasizes the best possible route that’s then available for leaving that particular theme park.
Plan C – Taking Shelter
Whereas “Plan C” … Well, that’s mostly about seeking cover. In that most dire of situations at a Disney theme park, where both the normal and secondary routes are blocked, cast members would then lead guests to the nearest shelter. Once there, these employees would try and keep the WDW visitors in their care safe & calm while awaiting further instruction from a designated leader.
Cast Members Training on Plans A, B, C at Disney Theme Parks
This “A, B, C” emergency plan has supposedly been drilled into the heads of WDW cast members. And — should Disney World employees ever forget what they’re supposed to do in any of these situations — emergency instructions are prominently displayed in all backstage areas. They’re also printed (in handy pocket-sized form) as part of the weekly “Tell-A-Cast” info crib sheet that’s then distributed to all cast members who work in the parks.
This is probably why that things weren’t all that dramatic or memorable in the Disney theme parks on 9/11. When that announcement came over the PA that day, WDW employees knew the jobs that they were supposed to do and then immediately did them.
Additional Security After 9/11 in Disney Theme Parks
Of course, in the weeks and months that folded, additional security precautions were quickly put into place at the Disney theme parks. Like the mandatory bag checks at the entrances to all the parks. Some of these precautions (EX: Closing Disneyland’s “Sleeping Beauty” walk-through attraction on October 7, 2001. Reportedly out of concern that this Anaheim icon may now be just too tempting a target for terrorist organizations) may have seemed a bit extreme. While still others (EX: Installing heavy-duty vehicle barriers at each of the backstage entrances to the theme parks. To serve as a deterent for car bombs) — in today’s world, anyway — seems sadly necessary.
“But are they actually necessary?,” you ask. “Does the Walt Disney Company really need to take precautions like this in order to keep its theme parks safe?
Ahmed Ressam – December 1999 Incident
Well … How many of you remember that story from December of 1999? You know, the one where Ahmed Ressam was stopped by U.S. Customs officials after crossing the Canadian border?
As you may recall … After searching this 32-year-old Algerian man’s car, officials found ten 110-pound plastic bags of urea (I.E. A legal substance used in fertilizer that can also be used to make explosives) hidden in the tire well. Inside the car, they also found two plastic bags full of the absorption agent sulfate as well as four small black boxes containing timers.
According to one former U.S. intelligence official, that was enough raw materials here to make four or more bombs.
Now it wasn’t until 14 months later — as part of the pre-trial investigative phase — that details finally began to leak about what Ressam’s intentions had supposedly been. Given that Ahmed had reservations for a hotel that was only five blocks away from Seattle‘s Space Needle, it’s now believed that this terrorist (Allegedly working under orders from Osama Bin Laden) intended on bombing that 52-story-high structure on New Year’s Eve. When some 50,000 people were expected to be crowded around & under the Space Needle as part of that city’s millennium celebration.
Mind you, if the Space Needle hadn’t been accessible, Ressam reportedly had several other fall-back targets lined up along the West Coast. And — according to security officials familar with the materials that were taken out of Ahmed’s car — Disneyland was supposedly one of those targets. A map of Southern California with a circle around the Anaheim theme park was one of the items that this 32-year-old Algerian allegedly had with him while crossing the border at Port Angeles, WA.
I’m told that the FBI made a point of making Disney Company officials aware of Ressam’s intentions. More importantly, that map. Which may have been one of the reasons that the Mouse moved so quickly on September 11, 2001 and — strictly as a precautionary measure — shut down all of its stateside theme parks that day.
Anyway … That’s all I know about what Disney did on 9/11, Martin. Maybe some Jim Hill Media readers were actually in the park on that day. Perhaps — after they’ve read today’s article — they’ll now come forward and share their own memories of what it was like to be at Disneyland or Disney World on September 11th.
Your thoughts?