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Monorail black arrives at the Transportation & Ticket Center July 7. (c) 2009 Peggy Macdonald
In the wake of the untimely death of Walt Disney World monorail pilot Austin Wuennenberg, a family who visited the Disney parks has posted a touching video of Wuennenberg at work (see the Orlando Sentinel video). The video clip follows the Cimino family of Briton, Connecticut, as Wuennenberg gives them a personal tour of the Magic Kingdom resort area from the cockpit of monorail red.
The Ciminos' video differs from many family videos of the Disney parks in that it focuses primarily on Wuennenberg and his piloting activities. It offers a revealing portrait of the 21-year-old monorail pilot, who quizzes the Ciminos' young child on the number of monorail trains in the fleet, lets him sit in the monorail pilot's chair, and rewards him with an official monorail co-pilot license at the end of the ride. Wuennenberg dishes out Disney magic with ease. His professional demeanor in the cockpit betrays his young age.
The Ciminos' video stands as the most fitting tribute to Wuennenberg to date. As of Tuesday, there were no official markers of Sunday's tragic monorail crash at Walt Disney World. The absence of any memorial to Wuennenberg or recognition of the monorail collision did not prevent guests from discussing the crash, however.
Guests riding the monorail from the Magic Kingdom's Transportation and Ticket Center to the Epcot theme park discussed Sunday's monorail accident nonstop. Two teenage girls were disturbed to learn from their parents that they were riding on the same track on which the monorail trains had collided. Their parents commented that the monorail was safe as long as people stayed in the middle of the train. Disney has not released detailed information on the accident yet, leading guests to speculate about the causes of the crash and the overall safety of the Walt Disney World monorail system. Rumors have spread like wildfire; among them: two monorails crashed head-on; one of the drivers must have blacked out; the front of the monorail is no longer a safe place to ride.
Releasing the official cause of the monorail crash would do much to allay guests' fears. More importantly, making the results of the investigation public would honor the memory of Austin Wuennenberg, the college student who charmed guests like the Cimino family with his love of the Disney monorails.
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Comments
He seems like a fine young man who liked his job and was good at it. Disney would do well to memorialize him.
I must say, there seems no thought of safety in the driver's, or should I say pilot's, seating arrangement. Was there even a seatbelt? Probably not, because who would need it on a such a safe ride, right?
Kudos also to the Cimino family, whose nature and instinct was to include young Austin in their little film.
I certainly hope that Disney does the right thing, whatever that is.
I know that this may seem very insensitive especially in light of the fact that the cause of this accident is still under investigation. Certainly, I feel bad for Austin's family and it is sad to see a bright young man die too soon. But the title of the article is "Before monorail crash: guest video shows Disney monorail pilot Austin Wuennenberg at top of his game," yet in the video Austin "stops in the wrong place" and has to put the monorail in MAPO mode in order to proceed into the station. For those of you who do not know this means he had to over ride the safety feature on the monorail that shuts it down when it gets too close to another one. The eerie irony.
a monorail must be called "Austin's Monorail"
Well I say there goes a true hero risking his life for those that where on both monerals.
And as for me ill will rides the front of the moneral every time I go there. I’ll even take my future kids moneral by electricity are still safe and will always be safe.
And yes I think a moneral or the ttc should be change to his name as well or a statue or something or a new color as a represented him.
So yes he was a hero just as the hero we used to read when we here kids (ex. Marvel dc capcom comic books)
May he rest in peace doing what he loved?
Rick: Insensitive, indeed, and you've got it exactly wrong. I suggest you look into the emerging details of the crash. Austin was the only person in the monorail system who we're sure was not asleep at the switch on that fateful night. Next time you deign to criticize the unfortunate victim of a preventable tragedy, I suggest you keep your "irony" to yourself.
He truly seemed to be exactly the kind of employee "Disney" needs. Happy and kind, eager to work and proud to be there. Our hearts really hurt for this whole situation, though we never knew him personally. His family and co-workers are now in our prayers! And for Austin (The Monorail Pilot), may God lovingly bless your precious soul. And in closing, we really hope that Disney will honor his memory with some type of memorial out of respect. That would be the right thing to do. The Lawley's
As well as a fitting memorial of some fashion, it would be fantastic, and a real tribute to his memory, if Disney would use the Cimino video of Austin as a training tool depicting the right attitude/spirit/knowledge/whatever, that a top-notch Disney employee should possess! And for his grieving family, it would make *some* sense, at least, out of such a horrific and senseless tragedy. Hope Disney takes the high rode on this, and set aside any image concerns purely based on greed.
...(RICK: SAID: the title of the article is "Before monorail crash: guest video shows Disney monorail pilot Austin Wuennenberg at top of his game," yet in the video Austin "stops in the wrong place" and has to put the monorail in MAPO mode in order to proceed into the station. For those of you who do not know this means he had to over ride the safety feature on the monorail that shuts it down when it gets too close to another one. The eerie irony. )
Rick is correct.
That earlier film clearly shows that Austin encountered a MAPO event.
No-one is perfect.
Austin is still a HERO, who died trying to protect his passengers. He succeeded, as his passengers survived.
Pray for Austin
Every operating jobs out there carry some risk quit pointing the finger and let his family be at peace with his death.
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