A flat tire on one of the monorail trains at Walt Disney World Tuesday left the vehicle stranded. The 71 passengers aboard were eventually evacuated after an 80-minute wait.
The vehicle was near the parking lot toll plaza for the EPCOT park in Orlando, Florida, when it blew a tire. Riders aboard noticed signs of the impending blowout, including the smell of burning rubber, right before it happened.
“There was a loud bang explosion, and then we kind of saw a big flash of light. After that, the monorail slowed down. They told us to pretty much bust open the windows, unfortunately, because the AC wasn’t working, so not sure if the whole monorail just decided to shut off after that,” park visitor Kris Lenk told WOFL, the Fox affiliate in Orlando.
Mr. Lenk added that Disney made up for the flat by giving him and his girlfriend $200 in gift cards and passes that let visitors skip to the front of the line for rides.
“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,” Disney told the Orlando Sentinel in a statement.
Until the yellow-striped train is removed from the track, the monorail will be closed within EPCOT, according to the automotive news website Jalopnik.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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