Monorail Teal???

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World has built a new monorail train using the undamaged remains of two trains that collided in a deadly accident over the summer.

The new train is expected to go into service later this fall.

It will be painted with a teal stripe to distinguish it from the resort’s other trains, each of which have a unique color. Disney said the colors pink and purple — the colors of the two trains involved in the collision — will be retired out of respect for employees following the first fatal accident in the Disney World monorail’s 38-year history.

That July 5th accident killed 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg, a part-time monorail driver and college student from Kissimmee. It also sparked investigations by both the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which remain ongoing.

Disney declined to discuss procedural changes it has made to its monorail system since the accident. But it said the new train will undergo thorough mechanical and electrical testing before it begins carrying guests.

“The train will be subject to the same extensive testing as any new vehicle we add to our transportation fleet,” Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.

With the addition, Disney’s monorail fleet will grow to 11 trains — still one short of the 12 it had before the accident. The resort said it expects to add a 12th train next year.

Video with Insight and Aftermath of Disney World Monorail Accident

WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber has put together a video recapping the monorail accident from this morning, featuring insight from a former Walt Disney World Monorail pilot on what may have happened. WARNING: This video may contain pictures and images too graphic for some, please watch at your own discretion:

More Details on Monorail Accident

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Two Walt Disney World monorail trains collided early Sunday morning, killing the operator of one of the trains.

Walt Disney World spokesman Mike Griffin said the crash happened at about 2 a.m. Sunday, on one of the monorail’s last runs of the day.

Austin Wenneberg, 21, a Disney employee who was piloting one of the monorails died at the scene of the accident, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. One other employee was transported to Florida Hospital Celebration. The second driver’s injuries were not serious, Griffin said.

WESH.com photos of the scene: http://www.wesh.com/slideshow/news/19956082/detail.html
ClickOrlando.com video, shot by a guest: http://www.clickorlando.com/video/19956043/index.html
WPTV.com photo of crash: http://www.wptv.com/Photo.aspx?content_id=0c8c0e15-cdc9-488b-9f03-a72f43ccef1a

The trains were transporting guests leaving Epcot. Six park guests were on the train during the crash, and were evaluated by paramedics at the scene according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

According to park schedules, Epcot closed Saturday at 10 p.m.

The wreck is the first fatal accident in the Walt Disney World monorail system’s almost 38-year history, according to CFNews13.com. However, at Disneyland in California, there has been at least one death on the monorail system, according to park historians.

Walt Disney World officials said they are working with law enforcement officials to find out what happened.

“Our heart goes out to the cast member and the family,” Griffin said.

Epcot is scheduled to open on time at 9 a.m. today, but the monorail to the park will not be in service, according to a Walt Disney World spokeswoman.

Walt Disney World released the following statement from Griffin regarding the incident:

“Today, we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member. 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.”

Check back for updates.

Tragic Monorail Accident at the Walt Disney World Resort

We have sad news to report this morning. It would appear that 2 monorail trains have collided. Full details are not available yet, but as they become available we will post them here. Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased driver.  Below, find details from cnn.com:

(CNN) — A monorail train at Walt Disney World crashed into the back of another train early Sunday, killing one driver, according to an amusement park spokesman and a witness interviewed by CNN.

A 2 a.m. ET monorail crash at Disney World killed one person, a park spokesperson said.

A 2 a.m. ET monorail crash at Disney World killed one person, a park spokesperson said.

The crash occurred about 2 a.m. at one of the monorail stops at Disney World in Florida, said the witness, who requested anonymity.

“Today we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member,” said a statement by Mike Griffin, Disney’s vice president for public affairs. “Our hearts go out to his family and to those who have lost a friend and co-worker.”

The statement said the monorail was shut down, “and we will continue to work closely will law enforcement to determine what happened and the appropriate next steps.”

The witness said one monorail train rammed into the back of a stationary train. A photo of the crash provided by the witness showed the front car of a train badly damaged where it hit another train at a station.

According to the witness, a family of six in one train was freed from a damaged car. The witness said the family was shaken but uninjured.

Matt Paul’s 2/8/09 Magic Kingdom Video Update

WDWNT Videographer Matt Paul has provided us with a fantastic video update (opposed to a photo update) from his latest trip to the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. This update includes a look at:

  • Continuing construction inside the Grand Canyon Concourse and of the new Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Construction of the stage for Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration in Tomorrowland
  • Continuing refurbishment of the Tomorrowland Restrooms between Merchant of Venus and Mickey’s Star Traders
  • Demolition of the Galaxy Palace Theater to become temporary character meet and greet area
  • the new Main Street Philharmonic pre-show for the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade (performing “Celebrate You” theme song)

The video is embedded from our WDWNTube Disney Parks Video Site and will require you to download Divx if you haven’t already. The download is quick and easy, and will allow you to watch High Definition videos from the WDWNTube, as well as any future videos we may embed on this site.

Jose Eber’s 1/2/09 WDW Update

WDWNT Photographer Jose Eber has some interesting updates from outside the parks to share with us today, so let’s take a look:

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Some work going on at the Monorail platform of the Transportation and Ticket Center

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A closer look

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The Bay Lake Tower addition to Disney’s Contemporary Resort continues to take shape

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A close-up shot later in the evening

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A final look at the Main Street U.S.A. Christmas tree as the holiday season closes on January 4th at WDW

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We end this short report with a look at a deserted TTC at the end of the day

Disney Parks Merchandise Comes to the Disney Store Online

As of today, Disneystore.com (formerly Disneyshopping.com before a quick name change took place just a few days ago) is now offering a large assortment of merchandise from the U.S. Disney Parks:

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Mickey and the gang welcome you to “Bring the Magic Home with You” through the Disney Store website

Among the Walt Disney World and Disneyland merchandise available are Mickey Mouse ear hats, character autograph books, photo albums, toys (including the monorail playset and some of its accessories), apparel, snowglobes, big figures, small statues, home decor, and much more. You can start shopping right now at this link.