Disney World monorail stuck with tourists trapped onboard after 'loud bang'

31 October 2023 , 15:18

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The iconic monorail cars at Disney World in Florida was stuck on its tracks

One of the iconic monorail cars at Disney World in Florida became stuck on its tracks today, officials confirmed, and 71 people onboard had to be evacuated.

Reedy Creek Fire Department and Orange County Fire Rescue attended the scene, where people were reported to be trapped on board as workers carried out repairs. "There was a loud bang explosion, and then we kind of saw a big flash of light. After that, the monorail slowed down," trapped passenger Kris Lenk said to Fox News.

Click Orlando said the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District had confirmed the vehicle was stuck but that people had been removed. It is not clear what caused the monorail to slow down and stop, but Lenk's description of what happened may suggest some kind of electrical problem or a tyre blowout.

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People have been removed from the vehicle (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A statement from Disney said: "This morning, the monorail experienced a flat tire near the EPCOT parking lot toll plaza. No guests or cast members have reported injuries, and all passengers were safely evacuated."

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The Walt Disney World Monorail system is one of the best-used monorail systems in the world. Only one accident has ever proved to be fatal in 2009, two trains collided and killed a 21-year-old driver.

Eight people were onboard at the time, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Mike Griffin, Disney's then vice president for public affairs, called the incident a "terrible day" for Disney and the family of the killed driver Austin Wuennenberg.

Wuennenberg was a senior at Stetson University studying computer science. Over 13 years later, a 'cast member' - Disnney refers to its employees with this title - said they were still haunted by what happened.

"I was on the TTC Resort Platform working the night of the Monorail crash," they told Inside the Magic. "It will be 13 years this July, and I still wake up screaming from time to time. There is no amount of therapy that will or can erase that memory from my mind."

CNN reported a statement from Wuennenberg's family said: "He always enjoyed his work at Disney, and especially enjoyed his work as a monorail pilot. He has many great friends who he has positively influenced; everyone will truly miss this dynamic young man."

The monorail stops at Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the Magic Kingdom park and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.

Benjamin Lynch